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: S6W-14004

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 26 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how much inward investment can be attributed to the work of its trade envoys, broken down for each year since each envoy was appointed.

The Trade and Investment Envoy network was established in 2017 and is made up of appointees who work on a volunteer basis to provide Ministers with strategic business insights and connections. We do not directly measure their contributions, however their programme of activities, which are agreed with the Scottish Government, do make a valuable contribution to building strategic relationships for Scotland.

The network has had great success in opening doors, and identifying strategic opportunities to support our export, capital investment and foreign direct investment efforts. Envoys provide critical business insights, intelligence, introductions and advocacy focused on building trade, as well as inward and capital investor relations, with a particular focus on high growth markets in technology, life & chemical sciences, financial & business services and energy. Envoys have supported numerous Ministerial visits including the Dubai Expo 2020, facilitated Government to Government engagement, assisted Scottish companies expand overseas, participated in various (Ministerial) steering groups and supported GlobalScot network expansion.

Envoys, along with GlobalScots were vital in the development of National Strategy for Economic Transformation, Sector Export Plans as well as supporting the delivery of Scotland’s Inward Investment Plan.

Given the above we are confident that our Envoys have contributed towards Scotland retaining its position as the leading UK destination for inward investment outside of London for the past seven years, landing 122 new projects in 2021 according to the EY Annual Attractiveness Survey 2022.

Question reference: S6W-14011

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 January 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 26 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to encourage more women into crofting.

The Scottish Government wants to encourage more women into crofting, ensuring they are empowered to develop skills and access opportunities, creating equality of opportunity and prosperity, as well as supporting business innovation. That is why we are increasing the support provided to women in agriculture to £600,000 per year, during this Parliament, to deliver practical solutions to improve the lives of women living or working in Scottish agriculture.

The recent Economic Condition of Crofting Report states that the number of female crofters has more than doubled from 13% in 2014 to 30% in 2022 and since 2020, just under half of the new entrants recorded by the Crofting Commission were female.

Question reference: S6W-14007

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 26 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to (a) build and (b) open any new police stations in 2023, and, if so, where they will be located.

Responsibility for the management of the police estate sits with the Scottish Police Authority and the Chief Constable.

Police Scotland has advised that while they have no plans to build any new police stations in 2023, a new police station will be opened in spring 2023 at Newton House in Ayr, which is owned by South Ayrshire Council. This will provide a new, modern replacement for the existing Ayr police station.

Question reference: S6W-14005

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 26 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) alumni and (b) diaspora groups are linked to the work of its Directorate for International Trade and Investment.

The Scottish Government’s Directorate for International Trade and Investment directly manages the Trade and Investment Envoy Network.

We also work closely with the GlobalScot Network managed by the Scottish Enterprise to advance our trade and investment ambitions. Through GlobalScots, we engage with individual Scottish University alumni overseas to maintain good relations with Scotland and also offer a route for appropriate alumni to join the network, thereby adding to its diversity and reach.

The Directorate of International Trade and Investment has also worked with Scottish Government colleagues to develop the Scottish Government connections strategy, which is focused on developing stronger links with diaspora groups.

Question reference: S6O-01852

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 January 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve access to additional support for learning.

Question reference: S6W-14003

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 25 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what the total amount of remuneration allocated to its trade envoys has been for each year since the trade and investment envoy network was established.

Question reference: S6W-13998

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 25 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the total budget allocated to its GlobalScot network for each year since it was established.

Question reference: S6W-13997

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 25 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Creative Scotland about any reduction in the amount of grant funds that can be offered to the cultural sector, in light of the £5.1 million reduction to the Creative Scotland & Other Arts budget, as set out in the draft Scottish Budget 2023-24.

The Scottish Government has been in regular dialogue with Creative Scotland regarding the draft Scottish Budget for 2023-2024. Officials meet regularly with Creative Scotland. The Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture had a regular meeting with the Chair of Creative Scotland on 21 December. The Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture also called the Chair of Creative Scotland on the 15 December once the Scottish Government draft budget had been published.

Question reference: S6W-13996

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 25 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether its call for the UK Government to extend Theatre and Orchestra Tax Relief to March 2024 is to compensate for its £5.1 million reduction to the Creative Scotland & Other Arts budget, as set out in the Scottish Budget 2023-24.

No. We have convened a series of roundtables with the culture sector to explore how organisations can best work together to develop shared solutions in light of the cost crisis. The impact of the UK Government’s decision to reduce the theatre and orchestra tax relief was raised by attendees at the roundtable in Glasgow in December 2022. During the roundtable, the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs & Culture committed to raising this with the DCMS Secretary of State Michelle Donelan, which he did on 13 December. Following this discussion, the Cabinet Secretary then wrote to HMT.

Question reference: S6W-14010

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 January 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 25 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what funding it will commit to support the future of crofting.

On 15 December 2022 the Scottish Government published its budget for 2023-24, which is available at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-budget-2023-24/documents/ .

The Scottish Government approves and provides croft businesses with over £40 million each year through various support mechanisms, including the crofting specific Croft House Grant, Crofting Agricultural Grant Scheme, and the Cattle Improvement Scheme. Crofters can also access the LFASS, BPS and Greening, Young Farmers Payment, AECS, the sheep and beef schemes, the Forestry Grant Scheme and the Small Woodlands Loan Scheme, the Sustainable Agricultural Capital Grant Scheme and veterinary support. The Farm Advisory Service provides advice and guidance to crofters through its one-to-one and one-to-many services.