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-14964

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 12 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how it and its agencies are exploring possibilities to access new export markets for Scotland’s red meat industry.

Scotland’s food and drink industry has ambitious plans for export growth as articulated in “Ambition 2030” and the Scotland Food and Drink Export plan. The Export plan was developed in 2014 by the Scotland Food & Drink partnership to significantly increase exports, widen the range of products and markets, and build Scotland’s reputation as a ‘Land of Food & Drink. The growth is based on 15 priority markets with the greatest opportunity for the sector with F&D in-market specialists in the eight top prospects.

The Scottish Government through the UK Export Certification Partnership are prioritising access to a number of markets these including, China, USA and Japan. In addition there is on-going work with Taiwan on pork, Mexico on lamb and South Korea on beef.

Question reference: S5W-14962

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 12 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how it and its agencies will encourage growth in exports from Scotland of sheep meat to the Middle East, in light of Saudi Arabian authorities' decision to lift a ban on such imports from the UK.

Following delivery of a large volume of data from UK Government, the Saudi Arabian authorities have indeed lifted the ban on UK lamb imports and an Export Health Certificate has been agreed to enable trade. The conditions required have been deemed as equivalent with those already carried out in the UK so there is no specific approval needed (above existing EU approval) for factories producing lamb for export to Saudi Arabia. Halal accreditation requirements are being explored.

A list of the UK sites with interest in exports have been sent to the Saudi authorities and we will continue to explore further potential market opportunities in the region.

Question reference: S5W-14963

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 12 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how it and its agencies will encourage growth in exports of beef from Scotland to China following the country's decision to lift a ban on such imports from the UK.

The ban on exports of beef from the UK to China has yet to be lifted. The Chinese Government has committed to complete it's consideration of a final lifting of the BSE ban on beef within the next six months. Such an outcome will be dependent on the UK successfully meeting China’s requirements during a planned inspection visit in April this year.

Once the ban is successfully lifted there will still be considerable work required before the first exports to China can begin. This includes the negotiation and delivery of a protocol, export health certificates and further Chinese government inspections to approve our food safety system and specific beef processing plants. Such a process typically takes around 3 years during which time of Quality Meat Scotland will continue to explore potential market opportunities for our beef and red meat sector in China.

Question reference: S5W-14965

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 12 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how Scottish beef exports will benefit from the announcement in 2017 that such products are BSE-risk free, particularly in accessing international markets outside the EU.

BSE negligible risk has advantages as some third countries tend to consider countries or regions with Negligible Risk status as having a higher health status than those with controlled status.

As you will be aware from the response to question S5W–14963 on 12 March 2018 the Chinese Government are close to lifting the BSE ban on the UK, dependent on the UK successfully meeting China’s requirements during a planned inspection visit in April this year.

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-14934

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 February 2018
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 8 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to analysis by Scotland's Rural College (SRUC), which suggests that Scotland's sheep population could reduce by 56% because of Brexit.

Brexit will have a significant impact on the day-to-day running of every farm and croft across Scotland and this important study reaffirms what other studies, such as those carried out by the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute and Quality Meat Scotland, have shown – that failure to replicate the current trade arrangements with the EU will have a detrimental impact on farmers, and sheep farmers in particular.

Not only does the analysis show a potentially dramatic decrease in sheep population, but it also shows that up to 89% of sheep farms could return losses in 2022 under the most extreme scenario. The Scottish Government has been clear that the interests of Scottish farmers are best served by Scotland remaining in the EU, and will continue to encourage the UK Government to at least remain in the EU single market and customs union.

Question reference: S5O-01873

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 February 2018
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 7 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to remove the barriers to learning faced by children with dyslexia.

We want all children and young people to get the support they need to reach their full potential. We continue to support education authorities in meeting their duties under the Additional Support for Learning Act to identify, provide for, and review the additional support needs of their pupils, including those pupils with dyslexia.

We have provided a range of free professional learning opportunities for practitioners. These support practitioners to further develop their knowledge, understanding and skills in supporting learners with dyslexia and reduce barriers to learning; this includes the refreshed Addressing Dyslexia Toolkit and the Dyslexia and Inclusive Practice online professional learning modules.

Question reference: S5W-14639

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 February 2018
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 6 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has carried out of what the impact has been of the Smoking Prohibition (Children in Motor Vehicles) (Scotland) Act 2016 on children's health.

Question reference: S5O-01832

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 February 2018
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 28 February 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its investment in tourism in the South Scotland region.

‏We have set aside £1m of capital and marketing funding for the south of Scotland in 2018-19. £500k of this will go to VisitScotland. This will enable them to develop a marketing strategy which will build on their current activity and highlight the unique tourism opportunities the south of Scotland has to offer. The other £500k will be used to redevelop trails and improve visitor experience in the south, in partnership with other public agencies.‏

Question reference: S5W-14246

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 January 2018
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Fergus Ewing on 1 February 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made with the commencement of a scientific trial of electro-fishing for razor clams.

A scientific trial of electro-fishing for razor clams commences on
1 February 2018 and will initially involve up to 26 fishing vessels operating in Scottish fishing waters. The trial has been developed following a consultation in 2016 about the potential use of the method, which itself followed a research study undertaken in 2014 by Marine Scotland Science. The trial will be conducted under strict controls applied to the places where vessels may fish, the electrical equipment on-board, the time that may be spent at sea and the amount of razor clams which may be caught and landed. Now that the trial has commenced, other fishing for razor clams will be prohibited, except for hand gathering of clams from the beach (up to a maximum of 30 clams), for personal consumption.

Vessels which will be involved in the trial were selected after an application process that was open to all UK registered fishing vessels. Applications were assessed and selected by a cross-departmental panel, which included the Scottish Government, the Health and Safety Executive and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.

The Scottish Government considers that there is significant potential for positive economic benefit for relevant coastal communities from an appropriately managed electro-fishery for razor clams. The trial will seek to provide useful evidence about how this fishery can be managed effectively and sustainably and about any longer term effects of the specified equipment on the marine environment. The findings from the trial will be considered carefully before any decision is made about the future approach to such fishing.

It is expected that the trial will continue for a number of fishing seasons. The trial has been notified to the European Commission, as is required under EC Regulation 850/98.

Question reference: S5O-01692

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 January 2018
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 17 January 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to encourage children from school into higher education.

Every young person should have the advice and support to help them make the best choice in what they will do after leaving school, whether that be university, college, work-based learning or employment.

Recent UCAS statistics show a record number of Scottish applicants (34,830) have been accepted through UCAS to study at a Scottish university this year (an increase of 3%).

We are committed to access to higher education based on ability to learn, not ability to pay, and to ensuring that all of our young people have an equal chance of going to university.

That is why we maintain free tuition and why we established the Commission on Widening Access and subsequently accepted all 34 of its recommendations in full.