- Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 20 February 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 6 March 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with CalMac regarding employment conditions on its vessels, chartered from CMAL, which are operating on routes on the Clyde and Hebrides ferry network.
Answer
This is a matter for CalMac Ferries Limited, Scottish Ministers do not have a role to play and have not been involved in any discussions.
- Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 16 February 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 6 March 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what it estimates any financial benefit will be to David MacBrayne Ltd from Associated British Ports’ acquisition of Solent Gateway Ltd.
Answer
Details of the transaction remain commercially confidential. Scottish Ministers will discuss and agree with David MacBrayne Ltd how the receipt will be utilised.
- Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 16 February 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 6 March 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on time chartering vessels, including catamarans, to provide additional capacity on the current Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services contract.
Answer
The Scottish Government is committed to improving ferry services for our island and remote communities and I am open-minded to all practical and affordable proposals from our ferry operators to address current operational challenges.
I have previously approved time charters of the MV Arrow to add resilience and capacity to both the Clyde and Hebrides and Northern Isles Ferry Services.
- Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 09 February 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 6 March 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the ability of residents in (a) Dumfries and Galloway and (b) the Scottish Borders to travel to major cities in the UK using public transport.
Answer
A detailed analysis of public transport accessibility for the residents of Dumfries and Galloway and Scottish Borders was undertaken as part of the South West Transport Study ( swsts-inital-appraisal-case-for-change-including-appendices.pdf (transport.gov.scot) and Borders Transport Corridors Study ( borders-transport-corridors-pre-appraisal-report.pdf ).
The assessment included consideration of public transport accessibility, both by bus and rail, to a range of key employment, health and education destinations within the region and also to major towns and cities in Scotland and the north of England. In both cases, the assessment used a number of metrics, including the outputs from a bespoke analysis tool using Geographic Information System software to assist with the task.
Further details of both these assessments can be found respectively in Sections 5.5 of the South West Scotland Transport Study report and Section 3.5.10 of the Borders Transport Corridors Study report.
The outcomes of this work were then taken forward in to the Second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2), which was published on 8 December 2022. The above projects were designed as advanced studies for each of these STPR2 regions and were, in fact, two of only three regions in Scotland to benefit from this advanced work. The outcomes were subsequently refined and updated to comprise the STPR2 Case for Change reports for each region, potential interventions were then subjected to more detailed assessment during the STPR2 appraisal process.
- Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 06 February 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 6 March 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to establish a platform for healthcare professionals and researchers to access current heart disease-related data and intelligence.
Answer
In April 2021, Scottish Government commissioned Public Health Scotland to develop and deliver the Scottish Cardiac Audit Programme. This programme will support delivery of the actions in Priority 4 of the Heart Disease Action Plan (2021). This will include enabling access to heart disease related data and intelligence.
- Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 30 January 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 6 March 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) length, (b) beam and (c) maximum operational draught will be of (i) Hull 802, currently under construction for CMAL and (ii) the two vessels that CMAL has ordered from the Cemre Marin Endustri yard to serve on the Uig to Lochmaddy and Uig to Tarbert ferry routes.
Answer
Hull 802 and MV Glen Sannox length is 102.4m with a beam of 17.0m and a maximum operational draft of 3.7m. Little Minch vessels length will be 94.8m with a beam of 18.7m and a maximum operational draft of 4.0m.
- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 23 February 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Keith Brown on 6 March 2023
To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been convicted of a crime of animal cruelty, of any kind, in each year since 2016, and, of those, how many were given a (a) lifetime and (b) temporary ban on owning animals.
Answer
The latest available information on convictions is for the financial year 2020-21 and is provided in the following table.
Number of people convicted for animal cruelty offences, where main charge, 2016-17 to 2020-21.
| | 2016-17 | 2017-18 | 2018-19 | 2019-20 | 2020-21 |
Total convicted | 60 | 75 | 63 | 56 | 33 |
Source: Scottish Government Criminal Proceedings database.
Note: Main charges were under Animal Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006 sections 19-23,29(1)(A)(B) and 29(2)(A)&(B); Protection of Badgers Act 1992 Section 2; Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Act 2002 Section 1(1); Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 Sections 10A(1), 11(1)(A), 11A(2)(B)&(6), 11(1)(AA), 11C(B), 11(G)(1) and 11(2)(A)&(F); Welfare of animals (Transport) (Scotland) Regs 2006 Regulation 3(1)(A); Protection of Animals (Scotland) Act 1912 Section 7.
(a), (b) The number of disqualifications on owning animals is not held centrally.
- Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 20 February 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 6 March 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made in exploring the (a) capping and (b) tapering of base-level payments to release additional funding to meet the goals of its agricultural vision, as set out in its Programme for Government 2022-23.
Answer
The publication of the Agricultural Reform Route Map was announced on 10 February. The route map provides more detail on how SG will deliver the transition process and the steps that will be taken to get there. Furthermore, the route map sets out the timescales for information and interaction with the agricultural industry and is regularly updated to ensure that the most up to date information is available.
Decisions on the future support framework will be determined as part of the wider agricultural reform process. Work is ongoing and we remain committed to a co-design approach. This includes continued work with the Agriculture Reform Implementation Oversight Board (ARIOB), engagement with wider industry, all committed to a vibrant and successful rural Scotland and drawing on the responses from the recent Bill Consultation.
It is in this further context that I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-12369 on 2 December 2022. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answer
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 20 February 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Patrick Harvie on 6 March 2023
To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) autonomous, (b) partner and (c) linked enterprise SMEs have (i) applied for and (ii) been granted a loan under the SME Loan Scheme for renewable or energy efficiency projects, since the scheme began.
Answer
The Scottish Government is unable to provide the information requested as it does not gather data based on the definitions used in this question.
As set out in PQ reference S6W-15196 on 6 March 2023 businesses may be defined by the Scottish Government as being “Small and Medium Enterprises” on the basis of a range of criteria. These criteria will depend upon the purpose for which a definition is being applied, as well as relevant legislation and standards.
The European Commission has adopted a definition of SMEs that further categorises these SME businesses as a) autonomous, (b) partner or (c) linked enterprises. However the European Commission definition and categorisation of SMEs is not applied as a standard for all purposes by the Scottish Government.
All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 20 February 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Patrick Harvie on 6 March 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the definition of an SME, how it defines an (a) autonomous, (b) partner and (c) linked enterprise.
Answer
Businesses may be defined by the Scottish Government as being “Small and Medium Enterprises” on the basis of a range of criteria. These criteria will depend upon the purpose for which a definition is being applied, as well as relevant legislation and standards.
The European Commission has adopted a definition of SMEs that further categorises these SME businesses as a) autonomous, (b) partner or (c) linked enterprises. However the European Commission definition and categorisation of SMEs is not applied as a standard for all purposes by the Scottish Government. Officials intend to remove or further clarify the references to the EC definition in setting out eligibility for the loan.
