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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

Filter your results Hide all filters

Displaying 215 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S5W-19928

Asked by: Peter Chapman, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 November 2018
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 26 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-12821 by Fergus Ewing on 30 November 2017, whether it will provide the information for 2017-18 regarding the number of offences recorded by Police Scotland under the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953.

Information on cases of sheep worrying is not held centrally in the format requested. Information is available on the number of offences recorded by Police Scotland under the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953 – which relates to dogs worrying livestock on agricultural land in the following table. However as this legislation applies to all forms of livestock, these figures are not available for specific types of animal.

Table 1. Offences of Protection of livestock from dogs, by local authority, 2008-09 to 2017-18
	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15	2015-16	2016-17	2017-18
Aberdeen City	-	2	3	3	-	1	2	6	6	3
Aberdeenshire	12	14	14	12	24	9	10	15	16	21
Angus	-	6	2	1	3	1	2	6	1	2
Argyll & Bute	10	6	3	3	11	3	5	8	11	7
Clackmannanshire	5	-	-	2	1	2	-	4	2	2
Dumfries & Galloway	11	3	7	7	5	6	6	12	7	21
Dundee	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
East Ayrshire	3	4	4	2	1	2	1	8	3	9
East Dunbartonshire	1	1	2	1	1	3	-	4	-	3
East Lothian	1	2	1	2	-	3	2	-	-	1
East Renfrewshire	2	1	4	1	-	-	-	1	1	1
Edinburgh City	1	-	2	2	2	3	3	2	7	4
Falkirk	-	4	2	5	8	-	3	4	3	2
Fife	7	4	9	12	9	6	7	4	8	6
Glasgow City	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Highland	18	21	23	18	15	10	15	23	23	20
Inverclyde	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	1	2	1
Midlothian	2	1	3	3	6	5	5	4	10	8
Moray	9	2	5	3	2	3	5	4	5	3
Na h-Eileanan Siar	7	7	12	14	7	3	8	5	8	6
North Ayrshire	2	1	1	3	1	2	3	4	-	2
North Lanarkshire	2	-	2	4	-	1	4	6	11	3
Orkney Islands	-	2	2	5	4	1	2	7	2	3
Perth & Kinross	1	3	2	3	2	2	3	7	14	11
Renfrewshire	-	1	2	6	2	1	-	4	4	2
Scottish Borders	7	2	3	2	4	8	10	7	7	4
Shetland Islands	-	-	4	2	2	-	-	3	-	-
South Ayrshire	5	2	2	1	-	3	-	1	1	3
South Lanarkshire	1	1	3	-	2	2	2	8	12	13
Stirling	5	2	2	10	8	8	8	7	8	4
West Dunbartonshire	-	-	2	1	1	3	1	2	1	1
West Lothian	3	3	1	5	3	7	2	7	2	4
SCOTLAND	115	95	122	133	125	98	109	174	175	170
Source: Recorded Crime in Scotland, 2017-18

Question reference: S5O-02577

Asked by: Peter Chapman, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 November 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 21 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the Victim Surcharge Fund.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-19571 on 7 November 2018.

We are seeking an Order under section 104 of the Scotland Act 1998 to facilitate recovery of the surcharge via deduction from benefits and bring Scotland into line with the powers that already exist in England and Wales.

The UK Government have estimated that the Order will come into force in summer 2019, subject to UK Parliamentary timescales. The Victim Surcharge (Scotland) Regulations will be laid before the Scottish Parliament as soon as practicable after the section 104 Order comes into force.

Question reference: S5W-19166

Asked by: Peter Chapman, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 October 2018
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 19 October 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what was discussed at the Ministerial Forum (EU negotiations) on 17 September 2018; what conclusions were, or agreement was, reached; whether it will make a statement on these; what dates have been set for future meetings of the forum, and who will attend on its behalf.

The Ministerial Forum (EU negotiations) was established to focus on the key negotiating priorities for the future EU-UK relationship. On the 17 September 2018, discussion on trade in agri-food products and fishing took place and commitments were made to further joint work at official level to explore negotiating options. However, the UK Government is still insisting on pursuing a hard Brexit with all the damage for jobs and living standards that involves. The Scottish Government will continue to press the case for Single Market and Customs Union membership.

A forward plan for policy discussions at Ministerial Forums has been agreed however this plan is subject to change to accommodate the rhythm of negotiations and emerging priorities. The meetings will be attended by the Minister for Parliamentary Business and Veterans alongside relevant portfolio Ministers determined by the agenda.

Under the terms of our Written Agreement with the Parliament, the Scottish Government continues to keep the Parliament updated on formal intergovernmental meetings like the Ministerial Forum (EU Negotiations) when dates and agendas are confirmed.

Question reference: S5O-02456

Asked by: Peter Chapman, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 October 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 October 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of fish landed in 2017 was in the north east.

Question reference: S5W-18943

Asked by: Peter Chapman, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 September 2018
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 4 October 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how much was awarded in Scotland by the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund in 2017-18, broken down by region.

Value of applications approved in financial year 2017-18 by local authority region:

Local Authority	Grant awarded (£)
Aberdeen City	366,188.53
Aberdeenshire	1,936,291.24
Angus	39,800.00
Argyll & Bute	30,278.32
City of Edinburgh	2,166,257.55
Comhairle Nan Eilean Siar	297,932.85
Dumfries & Galloway	1,217,033.91
East Lothian	13,407.44
Fife	35,797.69
North Lanarkshire	231,528.00
Orkney	2,856,726.61
Perth & Kinross	125,758.42
Shetland	1,708,112.42
Stirling	2,295,097.25
Highland	710,082.46
Moray	90,582.47

Question reference: S5W-19034

Asked by: Peter Chapman, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 September 2018
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 2 October 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what the budget will be in each of the next two years for the Biodiversity Challenge Fund that was announced in its Programme for Government; who will administer the scheme; when it will be open for applications, and what the eligibility criteria will be.

Question reference: S5O-02420

Asked by: Peter Chapman, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 September 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 October 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to encourage universities in the north east to provide PGCE qualifications in technical subjects.

Question reference: S5W-18417

Asked by: Peter Chapman, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 August 2018
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 25 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to help new entrant farmers.

The answer to question S5W-18419 on 25 September 2018 reflects the fact that we already dedicate a significantly higher proportion of our Farm Advisory Services budget than other areas of the UK, and indeed Europe to offer an extensive facility for new entrants in helping set-up and develop their business.

Looking beyond the current Scottish Rural Development Programme, the recent consultation - 'Stability and Simplicity' - marked the start of our process to develop a new rural support policy after the UK Government takes Scotland out of the European Union. The consultation made clear the importance that Scottish Government placed upon continuing to support new entrants in future and sought views and opinions as to how this might be achieved. The Scottish Government will give due regard to the suggestions that have been made in the consultation response.

All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx .

Question reference: S5W-18418

Asked by: Peter Chapman, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 August 2018
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 25 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will outline the objectives of the New Entrants Capital Grant Scheme for farmers, and how these have been met, in light of reports of the end of the scheme.

The overriding objective of the New Entrant Capital Grant Scheme is to help new businesses overcome obstacles in establishing and developing their farms and crofts in the critical early stages.

Over 600 projects have been approved to date and to ensure they align with the primary scheme objective, all have been tested by a rigorous selection process to check the extent to which the projects meet key considerations such as need, viability and sustainability. A monitoring regime is also in place that recognises our EC statutory requirements and ensures projects are progressing to meet objectives set out in individual applications.

Question reference: S5W-18419

Asked by: Peter Chapman, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 August 2018
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 25 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what support it will offer to help farmers affected by the early closure of the New Entrants Capital Grant Scheme on 31 August 2018 to readjust their plans.

The Scottish Government's Farm Advisory Service is ideally placed to provide new entrant farmers and crofters with access to a vital range of measures designed to help set-up, develop and improve the performance of new agricultural businesses including:

financial support to access expert advisers to prepare Integrated Land Management Plans that identify opportunities to optimise the way in which land is used and managed, realising cost savings and improving habitats and environmental performance;

access to specialist advice on topics ranging from animal welfare and nutrition; soil management; and crop health;

carbon audits;

participation in a network of new entrant groups across the country helping individuals at various stages in developing their business; and

access to a free mentoring programme leading to individuals gaining valuable skills and knowledge.

I urge all new businesses to consider the benefits of one or more of these services.