- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 January 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 25 January 2018
To ask the Scottish Government what part the potential transfer of government-owned crofting estates to crofters might play in the land reform agenda.
Answer
Scottish Ministers would anticipate that any transfer of their crofting estates to local communities should lead to those communities being stronger and more resilient, with the opportunity for the communities to develop their land to generate economic benefits for the community.
The benefits to communities would be case dependent, but could range from the provision of housing through to supporting renewable energy and business units.
Any transfer of Ministers’ crofting estates would increase the amount of land in community ownership and thus contribute to meeting the target of one million acres of community owned land in Scotland.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 January 2018
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 31 January 2018
To ask the Scottish Government which stakeholders it has had discussions with regarding providing alternatives to cash in lieu of disability benefits.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 31 January 2018
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 January 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 24 January 2018
To ask the Scottish Government what contingencies have been put in place to manage hospital closures in the Highlands and Islands as a result of the current flu outbreak.
Answer
NHS Highland monitors the number of confirmed and suspected flu cases in its hospitals on a daily basis. The priority is to minimise the risk of spreading the infection within hospitals and to ensure all wards are staffed safely to maintain high quality patient care. Where temporary closures to new admissions may be required, contingency arrangements, including taking those requiring admission to the most suitable alternative, would be used. Existing patients would remain in the hospital until fit to be discharged.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 07 December 2017
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 20 December 2017
To ask the Scottish Government how many trains were (a) cancelled or (b) delayed by the northbound Caledonian Sleeper breakdown on the single track north of Dalwhinnie on 6 November 2017, and what the total delay minutes were.
Answer
As a result of the breakdown of the Caledonian Sleeper locomotive north of Dalwhinnie on 6 November, ten ScotRail trains were cancelled in full and eight more in part; three trains which completed their journeys were delayed for more than five minutes; and ScotRail services as a whole incurred 417 minutes of delay.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 07 December 2017
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 20 December 2017
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has used (a) other UK police forces and (b) the Civil Nuclear Constabulary at Dounreay for local policing issues.
Answer
Co-operation between Police Scotland and other UK police forces is an operational matter for Police Scotland and other UK forces. There are well established arrangements in place to facilitate mutual aid between UK police forces which is co-ordinated by the National Police Co-ordination Centre (NPoCC).
The Civil Nuclear Constabulary (CNC) can provide assistance to all UK forces under a collaboration agreement. The Scottish Government understands that Police Scotland have a very positive working relationship with the CNC at Dounreay. CNC dial into the Police Scotland daily tasking meeting which provides the opportunity to identify any issues which may have a joint impact. A Memorandum of Understanding, signed off at Chief Inspector level, is in place whenever Police Scotland utilise the CNC resource.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 07 December 2017
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 19 December 2017
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to double-track the Highland rail mainline between Dalwhinnie and Newtonmore, and whether it plans to double-track the other remaining sections of the line.
Answer
Phase 2 of the Highland Main Line Enhancements Programme, which aims to deliver faster more frequent journeys by spring 2019, used the Rail industry Governance for Railway Investment Projects (GRIP) process to develop and select a preferred option that was output focussed, this combines timetable enhancements, better performance of the High Speed Trains (HST’s) to be introduced on the route, and infrastructure interventions at key train passing points at Aviemore and Pitlochry.
Currently there are no plans to double-track the Highland Main Line between Dalwhinnie and Newtonmore or other remaining sections of the line.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 December 2017
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 20 December 2017
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it will take regarding Northern Isles inter-island ferry services, in light of the debate on 6 December 2017.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 20 December 2017
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 December 2017
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Current Status:
Answered by Derek Mackay on 13 December 2017
To ask the Scottish Government what financial support it is offering to local authorities that are using reserve funds to provide essential services.
Answer
We have treated local government very fairly despite the cuts to the Scottish Budget from the UK Government.
The overall increase in spending power to support local authority services this year amounts to £383 million or 3.7 per cent compared to 2016-17.
Decisions on the use of reserves are rightly the responsibility of individual local authorities to take where it is prudent and sustainable to do so.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 11 December 2017
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 14 December 2017
To ask the First Minister what contingencies the Scottish Government has put in place to deal with the effects of extreme winter weather on rural and remote areas.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 14 December 2017
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 November 2017
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 7 December 2017
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the situation with people affected by the Salvesen v Riddell case.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 7 December 2017