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.

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Question reference: S5W-02202

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 29 August 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 26 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to secure a fair share of the red meat levy.

After taking up my position of Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy I wrote to the Defra Minister of State, George Eustice in June 2016 asking if he agreed in principle to the repatriation of the levy. I also confirmed that I was in favour of moving ahead with the Levy Body Forum proposal, and urged that we should now move forward rapidly with a legislative measure that gives full effect to the Forum's solution to this long standing issue, in particular to identify a primary legislative vehicle which can achieve the repatriation. Mr Eustice recently replied to this letter and we are to meet to discuss this along with other important areas of work.

Question reference: S5W-02328

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 15 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-29286 by Aileen McLeod on 26 January 2016, whether the (a) Sound of Barra Special Area of Conservation management committee is now in place and (b) report has been published.

Question reference: S5W-02210

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 29 August 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 15 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government when it will designate the Haaf Net fishery as a historic fishery.

Question reference: S5W-02214

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 29 August 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 15 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its commitment at page 26 of the SNP manifesto, what plans it has to increase the supply and demand for organic food.

We are working closely with a range of stakeholders to take forward the actions contained within ‘Organic Ambitions’, Scotland’s Next Organic Action Plan, that was published in January 2016. As part of this, we recently launched the new Organic Ambitions Fund to support the delivery of the plan and, specifically, to strengthen the organic supply chain and increase the demand for organic food.

Question reference: S5W-02209

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 29 August 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 15 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with organisations relating to the repatriation of the seafish levy.

Question reference: S5W-02217

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 29 August 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 15 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide the details of its plans to increase access to land for food growing purposes referred to at page 26 of the SNP manifesto.

The Scottish Government anticipates that, once brought into force, Part nine of the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 will give communities more access to land for food growing purposes. Part nine introduces new duties on local authorities which will increase transparency around the actions they take to provide allotments and growing spaces in their area and limits waiting times for an allotment.

Question reference: S5O-00165

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 September 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to develop tourism facilities on the North Coast 500 tourist route.

Question reference: S5W-02218

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 29 August 2016
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 12 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide the details of its plans to revisit the health and nutrition legislative framework for school meals referred to at page 26 of the SNP manifesto.

Question reference: S5W-02212

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 29 August 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 9 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its commitment at page 26 of the SNP manifesto, what stage it has reached in taking forward the recommendations of the report, Building on Success: Deepening Collaboration, Food and Drink in Scotland.

The board of Scotland Food and Drink, the industry leadership body, is responsible for overseeing the implementation of the recommendations contained with the collaboration report to ensure they align and support the development of the new food and drink industry strategy. Good progress is being made to date, and this progress will be summarised in the board’s formal progress report it will produce at the end of 2016.

Question reference: S5W-02211

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 29 August 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 9 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made toward the implementation of its first national marine plan.

Scotland’s first National Marine Plan was adopted in March 2015. The plan provides a framework for planning and regulatory decisions affecting the marine environment. Implementation has therefore focussed on raising awareness of the plan’s policies and monitoring their impact on licensing decisions. We have also undertaken a series of activities to inform relevant authorities of their obligations. These activities have included attendance at relevant conferences and training events; consideration of material submitted to the Scottish Government Development plan gateway; publication of Planning Circular 1/2015 on the relationship between statutory land use planning system and marine planning and licencing; supporting the development of regional marine planning; and publication of guidance material on National Marine plan online - http://www.gov.scot/Topics/marine/seamanagement/national. Information on implementation will be fed into the review of the plan in 2018.