Questions and answers

Question reference: S5W-36135

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 March 2021
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 23 March 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, further to inclusion of free bus travel for under-22s in its budget, what steps it is taking to provide free ferry travel for under-22s who are living in island communities.

The Scottish Budget that was agreed on 8 March 2021 includes a commitment to extending free bus travel to those living in Scotland under age 22. We will carry out an Island Communities Impact Assessment on the new free bus scheme before it comes into operation.

We are considering ferry fares policy options through our ongoing review of concessionary travel arrangements across all modes for under 26 year olds and through the Islands Connectivity Plan.

Question reference: S5W-36138

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 March 2021
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 23 March 2021

To ask the Scottish Government when the proposed locations of the remaining nine Innovation hubs being launched as part of the S5G Connect Programme in 2021 will be announced.

Following the announcement of Forth Valley as the first innovation hub in 16 September 2020, the Scotland 5G Centre (S5GC) has confirmed that its second innovation hub will be located in Dundee. This new hub is a partnership between S5GC, Abertay University, Dundee City Council and the Scottish Futures Trust. Its aim is to accelerate innovation and investment across the games, virtual reality and interactive entertainment sectors and support the co-development of solutions for sectors such as healthcare and manufacturing.

Discussions are progressing with potential host institutions around Scotland and we will continue to announce more locations as they are finalised.

Question reference: S5W-36136

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 March 2021
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 23 March 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many devices have been allocated to each local authority as part of the Connecting Scotland programme and how many devices have been distributed in each local authority area in phase (a) one and (b) two of the programme.

The number of devices allocated to each local authority through the Connecting Scotland Programme Phase One is provided in Table 1 and Phase Two in Table 2. The Scottish Government agreed the approach to allocation with COSLA.

The number of devices awarded by local authorities for distribution to customers in their respective areas are also contained in the tables. Decisions on awards are made by assessment panels in each area, comprising an SCVO account manager and local authority representatives. Once all 32 assessment panels have made decisions in each round, any remaining devices are redistributed between under and oversubscribed areas.

Table 1 - Phase 1

Local Authority	Phase 1 Allocation	Local Authority	Phase 1 Awards
Aberdeen City	240	Aberdeen City	283
Aberdeenshire	335	Aberdeenshire	323
Angus	155	Angus	145
Argyll & Bute	125	Argyll & Bute	187
City of Edinburgh	545	City of Edinburgh	712
Clackmannanshire	65	Clackmannanshire	65
Dumfries & Galloway	210	Dumfries & Galloway	270
Dundee City	195	Dundee City	192
East Ayrshire	160	East Ayrshire	186
East Dunbartonshire	145	East Dunbartonshire	145
East Lothian	135	East Lothian	183
East Renfrewshire	140	East Renfrewshire	130
Falkirk	205	Falkirk	203
Fife	475	Fife	502
Glasgow City	780	Glasgow City	1063
Highland	330	Highland	405
Inverclyde	105	Inverclyde	125
Midlothian	120	Midlothian	120
Moray	120	Moray	121
Na h-Eileanan Siar	55	Na h-Eileanan Siar	66
North Ayrshire	185	North Ayrshire	197
North Lanarkshire	445	North Lanarkshire	409
Orkney Islands	50	Orkney Islands	83
Perth & Kinross	195	Perth & Kinross	254
Renfrewshire	230	Renfrewshire	265
Scottish Borders	155	Scottish Borders	208
Shetland Islands	55	Shetland Islands	77
South Ayrshire	145	South Ayrshire	146
South Lanarkshire	415	South Lanarkshire	435
Stirling	125	Stirling	134
West Dunbartonshire	125	West Dunbartonshire	157
West Lothian	235	West Lothian	285
		National applications and pilots	441
Total	7,000	Total	8,517

Table 2

Phase 2. Indicative allocation

Phase 2 devices awarded by local authorities for distribution

	Phase 2, Round 1	Phase 2, Round 2	Total allocation	Phase 2, Round 1	Phase 2, Round 2	Total Award
Aberdeen City	514	30	544	551	39	590
Aberdeenshire	685	312	997	418	236	654
Angus	322	110	432	223	110	333
Argyll & Bute	207	30	237	207	30	237
City of Edinburgh	1106	38	1144	1073	429	1502
Clackmannanshire	207	30	237	294	30	324
Dumfries & Galloway	400	30	430	397	40	437
Dundee City	807	282	1089	546	187	733
East Ayrshire	588	368	956	240	368	608
East Dunbartonshire	307	91	398	226	30	256
East Lothian	298	30	328	349	31	380
East Renfrewshire	289	30	319	523	30	553
Falkirk	493	30	523	520	70	590
Fife	1198	329	1527	906	509	1415
Glasgow City	3908	1479	5387	2562	1048	3610
Highland	618	30	648	988	35	1023
Inverclyde	588	328	916	280	328	608
Midlothian	290	102	392	198	112	310
Moray	247	30	277	247	30	277
Na h-Eileanan Siar	100	30	130	170	0	170
North Ayrshire	853	328	1181	554	546	1100
North Lanarkshire	1764	388	2152	1436	274	1710
Orkney Islands	100	30	130	224	30	254
Perth & Kinross	350	30	380	382	37	419
Renfrewshire	646	30	676	985	148	1133
Scottish Borders	293	30	323	409	64	473
Shetland Islands	100	30	130	117	29	146
South Ayrshire	322	30	352	322	54	376
South Lanarkshire	1015	508	1523	542	202	744
Stirling	224	30	254	245	20	265
West Dunbartonshire	553	30	583	553	30	583
West Lothian	606	237	843	390	236	626
Other	0	0	0	317	0	317
Total	18839	5173	24012*	17394	5362	22756

*Total allocation is greater than total award due to redistribution between round 1 and round 2

Question reference: S5W-35230

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 February 2021
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 19 March 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with island (a) NHS boards, (b) local authorities and (c) travel providers, including Loganair, Northlink Ferries and Pentland Ferries, regarding the (i) feasibility of and (ii) requirement for COVID-19 testing at island entry points.

The Minister for Public Health and I met with island MSPs on‎ 26 February to discuss the potential for, and implications of, pre-travel testing for our islands.

We have to consider testing options alongside the many other layers of protection we now have against this virus. In addition to vaccination, there is currently a ban on all non-essential travel. Under current 'Stay at Home' guidance, all travel to our islands must be avoided, except for essential reasons.

As we return to the levels approach, there will continue to be restrictions on travel for those living in high prevalence areas.

However, testing will continue to play a critical role in suppressing COVID-19, and its value in spotting cases early to break chains of transmission and prevent new outbreaks will only increase as the number of cases drops overall.

Following the successful trials of Community Testing in December, we wrote to all NHS Boards and local authorities inviting them to submit proposals for meeting the needs of their community through our community testing programme.

We are working with NHS Shetland, NHS Orkney, and their respective local authorities to develop their proposals that address the testing requirements of island communities.

These proposals are yet to be confirmed but could include additional testing of staff travelling to the islands to work with vulnerable people in health and social care, or regular asymptomatic testing of some island workplaces to reduce the risks associated with visiting staff.

Question reference: S5W-36074

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 March 2021
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 18 March 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress towards Action 15 of its Mental Health Strategy 2017-2027.

The most recent recruitment figures were published on the Scottish Government website ( https://www.gov.scot/publications/mental-health-workers-quarterly-performance-reports/ ) on 15 March. This sets out the number of Whole Time Equivalent posts recruited to as 1 January 2021.

Prior to the pandemic, we collected and reported these figures on a quarterly basis. In recognition of the impact that the pandemic response has had on services, we have moved to a 6 monthly collection and will keep this under review.

The next collection is due to take place during July 2021.

Question reference: S5W-35825

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 08 March 2021
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 18 March 2021

To ask the Scottish Government when the new toolkit by the Infralink programme will be launched, and how it will help to support the roll-out of 4G and 5G infrastructure.

The Infralink project aims to facilitate improved and accelerated deployment of 4G, 5G and other digital connectivity through simplification of the process for use of publicly owned assets (such as buildings and land) by the telecommunications industry for the siting of infrastructure such as mobile masts.

The project's toolkit launched on 7 March 2021 and currently comprises payment guidance and standardised legal documentation. These are available online at: Home - Scottish Futures Trust – Infralink . The project team is actively engaging public sector partners and telecommunications providers to encourage adoption of these tools.

Question reference: S5W-35826

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 08 March 2021
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 18 March 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of the proposed site locations for the 124 mobile masts that will be erected under the Shared Rural Network Programme; what the timeframe is confirming these site locations, and what support the Infralink programme will provide to securing them.

Rollout of the Shared Rural Network (SRN) programme is being led by the UK Government and the four main mobile network operators. While we have seen draft coverage maps, the Scottish Government is unsighted on the specific details of locations to be used for SRN’s rollout plans and the timescales for deployment at this stage.

We anticipate Infralink being relevant to the successful deployment of SRN sites in Scotland, where potential locations are located on the public sector estate. The project has been established to facilitate the improved and accelerated the deployment of mobile infrastructure, thereby increasing access of mobile connectivity to more communities and businesses.

Question reference: S5O-05156

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 March 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 March 2021

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met Orkney Islands Council and what was discussed.

Question reference: S5W-35735

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 March 2021
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 16 March 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that the climate emergency is a primary consideration in decision-making processes for planning matters.

National Planning Framework 3 and Scottish Planning Policy, our current national planning policy, published in 2014, aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and they remain in-force until replaced.

Since then the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019 includes meeting greenhouse gas emission targets as one of six outcomes for the National Planning Framework to address. National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) is in preparation and the NPF4 Position Statement (November 2020) clearly establishes climate change as a guiding principle to be addressed in NPF4. It also states that we expect to confirm that the Global Climate Emergency should be a material consideration in applications for appropriately located renewable energy developments.

This is a significant issue that requires full consultation and will be addressed fully in the draft NPF4 to be laid in Parliament in Autumn 2021. On approval in 2022 the planning policies included in NPF4 will have development plan status for decision making purposes.

Question reference: S5W-35738

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 March 2021
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 16 March 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many planning appeals for onshore wind farms, which have been granted, have taken the climate emergency into account.

Reporters are required to make planning appeal decisions on the basis of the development plan for the area unless material considerations indicate otherwise. Material considerations include Scottish Government Policy, the National Planning Framework (NPF) and Scottish Planning Policy. NPF3 is clear that planning must facilitate the transition to a low carbon economy and the decision maker must consider, amongst others, the scale of contribution to renewable energy generation and the effect on greenhouse gas emissions targets.

Since 1 May 2019, 15 appeal decisions for proposed wind farms have been made of which 5 have been allowed.

Chamber and committees