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-04529

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 26 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many farmers who have applied for peatland restoration funding through the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme have been (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful in receiving funding.

Question reference: S6W-04455

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 25 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to invest in and improve the ferry network.

The Scottish Government has announced investment of £580m in ports and vessels to support and improve Scotland’s ferry services over the next five years, as part of our wider Infrastructure Investment Plan, unveiled in February 2021. This builds on this Government’s commitment to our island and remote communities which, since 2007, has seen us invest more than £2bn in the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Service, the Northern Isles Ferry Service and the supporting vessel and harbour infrastructure.

As part of these investment plans, the MV Utne arrived in Scotland last week from Norway and transferred to CMAL on Monday 22 November. MV Utne will undergo modification works and is expected to enter service during the summer 2022 timetable. The announcement (14 September) of the extension of the Islay vessel invitation to tender for a second vessel is welcome and these major additions to the fleet and the resulting cascade effects will bring real benefits across our island and remote communities and businesses in the coming years.

Question reference: S6O-00473

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 November 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support people in education or training in rural areas who have dyslexia.

Question reference: S6W-04150

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 19 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide the data that shows the efficacy of the Hawick flood defences that are soon to be completed.

Question reference: S6W-04148

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 19 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government when Scottish Water last undertook an assessment and upgrade of the drainage in Newcastleton.

Monitoring has found previous flooding incidents in Newcastleton to be due to recurring blockages in the network which Scottish Water’s Sewer Response Team duly attended and cleared. Scottish Water is also aware that more recent incidents have arisen from severe wet weather events leading to surface and river flooding.

The primary flooding issue in Newcastleton is associated with the Liddell Water breaking its banks and I refer the member to the answer to S6W-04149 on 17 November 2021 for further information.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

Question reference: S6W-04152

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 12 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 19 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many applications to the (a) Less Favoured Area Support Scheme and (b) Agri-Environment Climate Scheme in each year since 2015 that were not approved have been appealed, and how many appeals (i) have been upheld and (ii) are awaiting a decision.

The following table summarises how many applications to the (a) Less Favoured Area Support Scheme in each year since 2015 that were not approved have been appealed, and how many appeals (i) have been upheld and (ii) are awaiting a decision.

Please note the LFASS claims received in 2021 are still being assessed for approval.

Year	Number of Appeals	Upheld (in favour of the applicant)	Awaiting Decision
2015	<3	<3	0
2016	0	0	0
2017	0	0	0
2018	<3	0	0
2019	0	0	0
2020	0	0	0

The following table summarises how many applications to the (b) Agri-Environment Climate Scheme in each year since 2015 that were not approved have been appealed, and how many appeals (i) have been upheld and (ii) are awaiting a decision.

Please note the 2020 Round was not open to new applications, rather a one year’s extension was offered to all Management options that were due to end in 2020. Not all businesses accepted the offer.

Regards the 2021 Round, no approval decisions have been made as yet.

Year	AECS Applications Reviewed	Review Upheld (in favour of the applicant)	Awaiting Decision
2015	66	13	0
2016	93	18	0
2017	54	14	0
2018	76	27	0
2019	63	17	0

Question reference: S6W-04151

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 12 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 19 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many applications to the (a) Less Favoured Area Support Scheme and (b) Agri-Environment Climate Scheme there have been in each year since 2015, and how many (i) were approved and (ii) are awaiting a decision.

The following table summarises how many applications to the (a) Less Favoured Area Support Scheme there have been in each year since 2015, and how many (i) were approved and (ii) are awaiting a decision.

Please note the LFASS claims received in 2021 are still being assessed for approval.

Year	Total LFASS Claim Population Received	Eligible Population (Approved)	Awaiting Decision
2015	12,198	11,406	0
2016	12,092	11,334	0
2017	11,916	11,186	0
2018	11,790	11,058	<3
2019	11,644	10,920	5
2020	11,602	10,877	23

The following table summarises how many applications to the (b) Agri-Environment Climate Scheme there have been in each year since 2015, and how many (i) were approved and (ii) are awaiting a decision. The figures below exclude those applications that were submitted then subsequently withdrawn by the businesses concerned.

Please note the 2020 Round was not open to new applications, rather a one year’s extension was offered to all Management options that were due to end in 2020. Not all businesses accepted the offer.

Regards the 2021 Round, no approval decisions have been made as yet. However 72 applications have, so far, been deemed ineligible for approval.

Year	Received AECS Applications	Approved AECS Applications	Awaiting Decision
2015	927	594	0
2016	1,251	979	0
2017	989	807	0
2018	900	604	0
2019	709	506	0
2021	753	0	681

Question reference: S6W-04149

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 17 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government when Scottish Water and SEPA last conducted a river profile assessment of the Liddel Water through Newcastleton.

The most recent cross section survey of the Liddel Water was commissioned by Scottish Borders Council in 2017. This survey was carried out as part of the flood study for Newcastleton. As part of the flood study, SEPA also provided Scottish Borders Council with a LiDAR topographical survey, undertaken in 2013.

SEPA carried out a trash line survey following flooding in February 2021 to determine the flood extent.

A CCTV survey was also undertaken after Storm Dennis in 2020.

Newcastleton is part of the Scottish Borders flood warning scheme. This scheme will be reviewed by SEPA’s Flood Forecasting and Warning Team during the next FRM cycle (2021 – 2027) to determine whether improvements can be made or if there is a need to recalibrate at this location.

Question reference: S6W-04147

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 17 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has allocated to the James Hutton Institute in each year since 2011.

Question reference: S6W-04177

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 05 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 16 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-03472 by Mairi Gougeon on 3 November 2021, when the Private Storage Aid scheme will be put in place for the pig industry.