Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

Filter your results Hide all filters

Displaying 624 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S5O-01659

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 December 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 January 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what the reason was for the recent closures of tourist information centres across the South Scotland region, and what alternative arrangements it is considering putting in place.

Question reference: S5O-01551

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 November 2017
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 7 December 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its discussions with the UK Government regarding the Borderlands Growth Deal.

I regularly meet UK ministers and most recently discussed the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal with the Secretary of State for Scotland this morning, amongst a range of other issues. We agreed to continue discussions with local authorities to shape a Borderlands Deal that would support their aspirations and drive inclusive growth across the area. We now need to explore in detail priorities for potential projects that will deliver the most effective impact.

Question reference: S5O-01468

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 November 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 15 November 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service to ensure that it can continue to provide its existing level of service.

Question reference: S5W-11822

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 24 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will make public the legal advice on which its decision to place unconventional oil and gas extraction under an indefinite moratorium was based.

Question reference: S5W-10818

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 August 2017
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 6 September 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-10020 by Paul Wheelhouse on 3 August 2017, when the five-month period for analysis of the Talking "Fracking" consultation responses began.

Question reference: S5O-01220

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 August 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 September 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making to ensure that voluntary sector groups are treated as equal partners in the development of integrated health and social care.

Question reference: S5W-10569

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 August 2017
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 25 August 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the information provided at tables 3a and 3b in the Social Security (Scotland) Bill Financial Memorandum, what the weekly rate will be of (a) carer's allowance, (b) the carer’s allowance supplement and (c) the combined amount in each year to 2022.

The Scottish Government plans to increase Carer’s Allowance to the level of Jobseeker’s Allowance from next year. The following table sets out the anticipated levels of payments based on UK Government policy on annual increases to these benefits (uprating).

Anticipated weekly rates

Year	Carer's Allowance	Carer's Allowance Supplement	Combined amount
2018-19	£64.32	£8.78	£73.10
2019-20	£65.77	£7.33	£73.10
2020-21	£67.06	£7.53	£74.59
2021-22	£68.41	£7.68	£76.08

The UK Government uses the Consumer Price Index (CPI) as a basis for uprating benefits, although Jobseeker’s Allowance has been frozen until 2019-2020. These figures use the most recent CPI forecasts from the Office of Budget Responsibility.

Question reference: S5W-10020

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 June 2017
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 3 August 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what the timetable is for the analysis of the responses to the consultation, Talking Fracking; which independent consultants are carrying out the analysis, and on what date the responses will be published.

The Scottish Government remains committed to a careful, considered and evidence-led approach to unconventional oil and gas, and the commissioning of a thorough and independent analysis of all responses received to our public consultation, Talking “Fracking”, is a continuation of that approach.

The consultation analysis will be undertaken by Griesbach & Associates, a Scotland-based consortium of independent social policy research analysts. Our consultation received in the region of 60,000 responses, supported by a number of campaigns; a clear demonstration of the value of our participative approach.

The analysis is expected to take in the region of five months, after which the final consultation analysis report will be published along with the responses to the consultation.

As set out in our consultation, Ministers will consider the evidence and results of the consultation and come to a considered judgement on the future of unconventional oil and gas in Scotland. The Scottish Government will put a recommendation to the Scottish Parliament so that the Scottish Parliament has the opportunity to vote on this important issue. As previously set out, the Scottish Government is committed to listening to the will of the Scottish Parliament and to completing this process by the end of 2017, while also ensuring that all necessary statutory assessments and procedures are followed.

The moratorium on unconventional oil and gas developments will remain in place throughout this process.

Question reference: S5W-09588

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 02 June 2017
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 15 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what advice and support is given to landowners or managers of land where designated features have been reported to have deteriorated.

The detection of a designated natural feature in unfavourable condition through Scottish Natural Heritage’s (SNH) Site Condition Monitoring will lead to an identification of the likely pressures and potential remedial actions.

Advice will be offered to the relevant land manager from a member of the Delivering Favourable Condition partnership. In the majority of cases this will be SNH staff, but for woodland natural features Forestry Commission Scotland will lead and for diffuse pollution it will be the Scottish Environment Protection Agency. Advice will focus on the management required to improve condition. A voluntary approach to bringing about changes in management is preferred, but regulatory provisions are available to SNH and other public sector bodies where required.

Where management change is agreed, in the majority of cases this is supported by the Scottish Rural Development Programme or SNH Management Agreement funding.

Question reference: S5W-09586

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 02 June 2017
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 15 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what the budget for improving the condition of natural features has been in each year since 2012.

There is no specific annual budget set for improving the condition of natural features on protected areas due to the voluntary approach taken to encouraging management change through applications for funding to the Scottish Rural Development Programme (SRDP) or Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) Management Agreements.

Within any particular year, the Delivering Favourable Condition Action Plan prioritises the unfavourable natural features which require remedial management and allows the lead organisation to plan staff time required to engage with land managers and for non-SRDP funding to be budgeted.

Since 2012, the Scottish Government has committed the following funding to support management works on protected areas required to either maintain or improve condition:

	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	Total
Scottish Rural Development Programme (SRDP)	5.7	6.0	5.3	4.1	3.1*	24.2
SNH Management Agreements	1.45	1.29	0.79	0.83	0.74	5.10
Total	7.15	7.29	6.09	4.93	3.84	29.3

*This figure does not include 2016 management payments under SRDP Agri-Environment Climate, which are detailed in the following table

Agri-environment Climate Scheme (AECS) Committed spend on designated sites;

Round	Cost Type	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	Total
2015	Management		£1,270,392	£1,276,780	£1,280,293	£1,290,697	£1,281,785	£20,450	£1,901	£6,422,298
2015	Capital	£1,832	£845,123	£208,611	£84,440	£75,661	£68,988	£9,040		£1,293,695
2015	Total	£1,832	£2,115,515	£1,485,391	£1,364,733	£1,366,358	£1,350,773	£29,490	£1,901	£7,715,993

2016	Management			£1,180,678	£1,236,036	£1,217,884	£1,213,040	£1,219,406	£47,557	£6,114,601
2016	Capital			£922,624	£186,746	£162,804	£68,568	£68,779	£13,266	£1,422,787
2016	Total			£2,103,302	£1,422,782	£1,380,688	£1,281,608	£1,288,185	£60,823	£7,537,388

Total	Management	£0	£1,270,392	£2,457,458	£2,516,329	£2,508,581	£2,494,825	£1,239,856	£49,458	£12,536,899
Total	Capital	£1,832	£845,123	£1,131,235	£271,186	£238,465	£137,556	£77,819	£13,266	£2,716,482
Total	Total	£1,832	£2,115,515	£3,588,693	£2,787,515	£2,747,046	£2,632,381	£1,317,675	£62,724	£15,253,381

The above figures are considered to represent a slight underestimation of the actual spend and commitment, as they do not include the Forestry Grant Scheme funding, and that of the Peatland Action project; a portion of each will undoubtedly benefit the condition of protected areas. However these figures are not currently available, as the expenditure on protected areas is not routinely recorded.