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-28435

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 April 2020
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 27 April 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with representatives from the aviation industry regarding COVID-19; how much financial support for COVID-19 it has made available to the aviation sector, and whether it plans to allocate further funding to the aviation sector beyond what it has already announced.

The Scottish Government continues to engage with representatives of the aviation industry on the impact of COVID-19 and how best to support recovery. In addition to the UK Government’s COVID-19 support measures, the aviation industry will also benefit from the Scottish Government’s £2.3bn business support package. There are currently no plans to allocate further funding to the aviation industry, however we will continue to monitor the situation and will consider carefully any representations from individual companies.

Question reference: S5W-28437

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 April 2020
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 27 April 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how much financial support in relation to COVID-19 it has allocated to (a)(i) Glasgow, (ii) Edinburgh, (iii) Aberdeen and (iv) Prestwick Airport and (b) Highlands and Islands Airports Limited (HIAL).

Question reference: S5W-28257

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 April 2020
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 24 April 2020

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it changed the criteria for the £25,000 grant to support businesses during the COVID-19 outbreak, from “hospitality, leisure and retail properties with a rateable value between £18,000 and £51,000” to “retail, hospitality and leisure business ratepayers with a rateable value between £18,001 and £50,999”, and when the decision to make this change was taken.

In consideration of the delivery of support for businesses to limit the impact of COVID-19 on the business community, the Scottish Government determined that the grant support should be linked to the established non-domestic rates thresholds of the Small Business Bonus Scheme (£18,000), and the Intermediate Property Rate (£51,000).

Feedback on the initial messaging for this policy revealed that further clarity was required around the margins of eligibility.

On 30 March, before the rollout of the grant funding scheme, the Scottish Government published a finance circular detailing guidance for both grant schemes - the Small Business Grant Scheme and the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure (RHL) Grant Scheme. This guidance sets out the businesses operating in properties within the retail, hospitality, leisure sectors with a rateable value between £18,001 and £51,000 who are eligible for grant funding. The official guidance is available at the following link: https://www.gov.scot/publications/local-government-finance-circular-5-2020-covid-19-grant-funding-schemes/ .

Question reference: S5W-28258

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 April 2020
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 20 April 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has received in Barnett consequentials as a result of the UK Government's policy to establish business support grants of (a) £10,000 and (b) £25,000 to support businesses during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Question reference: S5W-27925

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 13 March 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 20 April 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5O-03733 by Jeane Freeman on 7 November 2019 (Official Report, c. 7), whether the final report on allegations of staff bullying in Argyll and Bute will be (a) published in April 2020 and (b) made publicly available.

Question reference: S5W-27842

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 March 2020
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 27 March 2020

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it has reduced the budget of Highlands and Islands Enterprise from £61.1 million in 2019-20 to £58.2 million in 2020-21.

Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) c apital budget levels have been maintained from 2019/20 and we have doubled their financial transactions budget. The reduction of £4 million in HIE's 2020-21 resource budget includes efficiencies and re-alignment of resources to better reflect priorities for the coming year.

Whilst this results in a 5.4% overall reduction for the agency, we have increased our economic development provision across Scotland by 13.8% - budgets which contribute to this include Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Scottish Enterprise, South of Scotland Enterprise and the Scottish National Investment Bank.

Additional support for the region will be provided through the £200 million city region and growth deals, our additional support for agriculture and forestry and continued support for the Scottish Rural Development Programme.

Question reference: S5W-27841

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 March 2020
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 27 March 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how many businesses that received financial support from Highlands and Islands Enterprise have indicated that they require additional financial support in 2020-21 to continue operating.

Question reference: S5W-27840

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 March 2020
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 27 March 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how many businesses received financial support from Highlands and Islands Enterprise in 2019-20, broken down by Scottish parliamentary constituency.

Question reference: S5W-27839

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 March 2020
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 27 March 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how much financial support was given to businesses by Highlands and Islands Enterprise in each of the last five financial years.

Question reference: S5W-27838

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 March 2020
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 27 March 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what it expects will be the impact of its decision to reduce the budget of Highlands and Islands Enterprise from £61.1 million in 2019-20 to £58.2 million in 2020-21.

Whilst it is recognised that Highlands and Islands Enterprise, along with the rest of the public sector, is currently operating in a very challenging financial environment, this settlement will allow HIE to provide practical support and opportunities for sectors and businesses to grow and invest in the region further improving competitiveness and productivity whilst supporting fair work in Scotland.

The Scottish Government is working closely with Highlands and Islands Enterprise to identify opportunities to manage the in-year financial pressures so that they can continue to meet the needs of businesses and communities across the region.

We are also supporting the economy and communities of the Highlands and Islands through our commitment of more than £200 million over the next ten years to city region and growth deals, our additional support for agriculture and forestry and continued support for the Scottish Rural Development Programme.