- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 30 June 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom Arthur on 12 July 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the introduction in 2014 of the prior notification process for
hill tracks constructed for agriculture or forestry succeeded in preventing
harmful environmental impacts.
Answer
The prior notification and approval process introduced in 2014 enables planning authorities to consider the impacts of agricultural and forestry private ways (sometimes referred to as hill tracks) on the environment and local amenity. Through this process, the planning authority can require changes to the design, manner of construction and route of a proposed private way to minimise potentially harmful impacts. It is for the relevant planning authority to consider each prior notification application on its individual merits.
It is open to the planning authority to refuse prior approval if they consider such impacts cannot be satisfactorily mitigated. Furthermore, if the proposed development would require an environmental impact assessment, the permitted development rights do not apply.
The Scottish Government is currently carrying out a review of permitted development rights in Scotland. We have committed to consider the permitted development rights for private ways as part of the review programme and we will consult on proposals for change in due course.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 30 June 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom Arthur on 12 July 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration has been given to any environmental impact of hill tracks
constructed on peatland under permitted development rights, in light of Policy
33 in the draft fourth National Planning Framework.
Answer
The current permitted development rights for agricultural and forestry private ways (sometimes referred to as hill tracks) are subject to a prior notification and approval process, through which the planning authority can require changes to the design, manner of construction and route of a proposed private way to minimise potentially harmful impacts, including on peatland. It is for the relevant planning authority to consider each prior notification application on its individual merits.
It is open to the planning authority to refuse prior approval if they consider such impacts cannot be satisfactorily mitigated. Furthermore, if the proposed development would require an environmental impact assessment, the permitted development rights do not apply.
The Scottish Government is currently carrying out a review of permitted development rights in Scotland. We have committed to consider the permitted development rights for private ways as part of the review programme and we will consult on proposals for change in due course.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 16 June 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Ash Regan on 30 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it has not yet drafted the Voluntary Code of Practice on dismissing and replacing land-owning maintenance companies, following the Justice Committee’s inquiry in 2013 and the Scottish Government’s response to it.
Answer
The Scottish Government has prepared a draft Voluntary Code of Practice on dismissing and replacing land-owning land maintenance companies.
To ensure that the draft Code is fair and workable for all users we will seek views from consumer facing bodies and land owning land maintenance companies before we progress to publication.
Plans for engaging are underway.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 June 2022
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 29 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government how its cross-government Covid Recovery policies will take account of the recommendations of its COVID-19 Ventilation Short-Life Working Group.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 29 June 2022
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 June 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Angus Robertson on 21 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government (a) how many times and (b) on what dates its ministers have attended meetings of the Partnership Council established under the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement, and what information it has regarding how this compares with the overall (i) number and (ii) dates of meetings of this body.
Answer
The Partnership Council has met once to date, on 9 June 2021. Minister for Transport Jenny Gilruth MSP attended the meeting as an observer to the UK delegation.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 June 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Angus Robertson on 21 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government (a) how many times and (b) on what dates it has been represented at meetings of the specialised committees established under the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement, also broken down by which committees it was represented at, and what information it has regarding how this compares with the overall (i) number and (ii) dates of meetings of these bodies.
Answer
There have been two Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) specialised committee meetings so far this year:
- The Specialised Committee on Energy, on 30 March 2022
- The Specialised Committee on Fisheries, on 27 April 2022
Scottish Government officials accepted invitations as observers to these meetings from the UK delegation.
In 2021 Scottish Government officials accepted invitations, from the UK delegation, as observers to 18 TCA specialised committee meetings:
- Social Security Coordination, on 6t July
- Fisheries, on 20 July
- Energy, on 14 July
- Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures, on 22-23 September
- Customs Cooperation and Rules of Origin, on 7 October
- Trade in Goods, on 8 October
- Services, Investment and Digital Trade, on 11 October
- Level Playing Field for Open and Fair Competition and Sustainable Development, on 12 October
- Regulatory Cooperation, on 13 October
- Air Transport, on 14 October
- Technical Barriers to Trade, on 15 October
- Law Enforcement and Judicial Cooperation, on 19 October
- Fisheries, on 27 October
- Trade Partnership Committee, on 15 November
- Aviation Safety, on 23 November
- Road Transport, on 24 November
- VAT and Recovery of Taxes and Duties, on 15 December
- Participation in Union Programmes, on 21 December
There were a further two TCA specialised committee meetings during 2021 that Scottish Government officials did not observe:
- Public Procurement, on 12 October
- Intellectual Property, on 13 October
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 June 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 17 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of pharmacy provision in Roswell, Bonnyrigg, Dalkeith and Gorebridge.
Answer
Ensuring sufficient community pharmacy provision is the responsibility of NHS Health Boards in their local areas. Arrangements are set out in the NHS (Pharmaceutical Services) (Scotland) Regulations 2009 and decisions regarding pharmacy provision are made through a Board’s Pharmacy Practices Committee (PPC). The process is independent of Scottish Ministers and Government.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 May 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 14 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what it considers the (a) maximum and (b) minimum number of patients for a pharmacy practice should be.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not stipulate the maximum or minimum number of patients that can access a community pharmacy. Health Boards are responsible for the provision of pharmaceutical care services within their areas, taking into consideration neighbourhood, the adequacy of existing pharmaceutical services in the area and the necessity and desirability of approving an application to secure adequate pharmaceutical services in the area.
Community pharmacy owners are responsible for ensuring that pharmacies are safe and effective for pharmacy teams and patients. This includes setting safe staffing levels in line with the guidance provided by the regulator, The General Pharmaceutical Council.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 May 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 14 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure pharmacy capacity is increased in areas of high population growth.
Answer
The provision of community pharmacy pharmaceutical services are made according to arrangements set out in the NHS (Pharmaceutical Services) (Scotland) Regulations 2009. Under this, decisions are a matter for NHS Health Boards, through their Pharmacy Practices Committee (PPC). The process is independent of Scottish Ministers and Government.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 20 May 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 7 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether there are potential risks associated with any increased prevalence of instant win games offered by the new operator of the National Lottery.
Answer
The Scottish Government recognises that there are potential risks associated with playing instant win games. Instant win games can have some of the characteristics of commercial gambling products such as increased speed of play and instant gratification which are associated with higher risk of harm. Instant access to these activities through online methods can also create more continuous-play formats which are the most highly associated with harms.
The Scottish Government understands that the Gambling Commission, the body responsible for the regulation of the National Lottery, has recently investigated the National Lottery £10 instant win games. These have now been withdrawn due to the possible link between higher priced games and problem gambling. The new operators of the National Lottery are obligated to ensure that those at risk from gambling harms are protected from them. The Scottish Government would therefore expect the new operators to take the appropriate measures to protect people from harm.
