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: S6O-02202

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 May 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the rural affairs secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding the delivery of the Rural Crime Strategy.

Question reference: S6W-17225

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 27 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what involvement it has had with the proposed Scottish Power Energy Networks Glenmuckloch to Glenglass Reinforcement Project; whether it has carried out any environmental and nature impact assessment, and whether it assessed the feasibility of undergrounding the project, either in part or in full.

Scottish Power Energy Networks (SPEN) submitted an application for consent for the Glenmuckloch to Glenglass Overhead Line (OHL) Reinforcement Project to Scottish Ministers on 16 January 2023.

The application was accompanied by an Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR) which assesses the significant environmental effects of the project and contains the consideration of alternatives to the chosen route (including undergrounding).

This is a live application and therefore it would not be appropriate for Scottish Ministers to take any views on it.

Question reference: S6W-16212

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 6 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will give consideration to directing all planning authorities, including through the fourth National Planning Framework regulations, to proceed to determine all wind farm applications within the 50km safeguarding zone at Eskdalemuir, and to use suspensive conditions, where needed, to resolve any outstanding objections by the Ministry of Defence.

Planning authorities are required to determine planning applications in accordance with the development plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise, so ensuring all relevant planning matters are considered before a decision is made. The Scottish Government does not have the power to direct planning authorities to proceed to determine all wind farm applications located within the Eskdalemuir Seismic Array Consultation Zone.

Applicants for planning permission do have a right to appeal to the Scottish Ministers, or to a local review body, where their application is not determined within statutory timescales, or any extension to such timescales they may have agreed with the planning authority. Details can be found in paragraphs 4.2, 4.90 to 4.96 of Planning circular 3/2022: development management procedures - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .

The Scottish Government is in the process of reforming the Eskdalemuir Working Group, refining its membership with the aim of developing a guidance document for development of onshore wind within the Eskdalemuir Consultation Zone.

Question reference: S6O-02070

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 March 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to propose the scheduling of time for a ministerial statement on the Green Jobs Workforce Academy.

Question reference: S6O-01994

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 March 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking, with lambing season about to begin, to support farmers to keep livestock safe, including in relation to promoting responsible countryside access.

Question reference: S6W-14948

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 10 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 28 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its work to bring forward legislation to enhance, promote and protect the Scots language.

The Scottish Government’s consultation on Gaelic and Scots closed on 8 December 2022 and the responses from this consultation will help inform part of the work to develop Scots language policy and the proposed Scottish Languages Bill.

As part of the consultation process, the Gaelic and Scots Division undertook a variety of public engagement events to ensure the views of Scots speakers and stakeholders were heard. This included attendance at the Scots Cross Party Group. The responses to the consultation are now being analysed and will help shape any future legislation.

Question reference: S6O-01886

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 February 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has held with Network Rail regarding passenger services on the West Coast Main Line, including services calling at Lockerbie.

Question reference: S6O-01792

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 January 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how the Strategic Transport Projects Review 2 will improve rail infrastructure, journey times and rail connectivity across the South Scotland region.

Question reference: S6W-13387

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 December 2022
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Kevin Stewart on 21 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the National Carers Strategy.

The Scottish Government has published the National Carers Strategy today: https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781805253037

The National Carers Strategy sets out actions on COVID-19 recovery, the cost crisis and improving carer support in a meaningful and sustainable way. The strategy focuses on carers and their needs, setting out how policies across the Scottish Government can work together with other public bodies to support carers as we recover from the pandemic and beyond.

The Scottish Government will deliver a statement to parliament in the new year, subject to the agreement of the Parliamentary Bureau.

Question reference: S6W-13366

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 December 2022
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Humza Yousaf on 20 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made in developing health and social care workforce demand projections, in line with the National Workforce Strategy published in March 2022.

Extensive work has already taken place to develop projections for the health and social care workforce, including engagement with stakeholders to understand different user needs, and actively including these in the specification for the Projections.

Early conclusions from the developing projections model indicate:

Further workforce growth, from current record staffing levels in Health and Social Care, will be required between now and 2030, across the health and social care workforce, to successfully respond to known demographic trends within Scotland’s population.
The relationship between service demand and workforce demand is heavily influenced by other factors including the development of new roles and the reform of existing job roles, alongside evolutions in service models, investment in technology and, artificial intelligence and new skills.

Projected workforce demand in the short-medium term will continue to be managed through a portfolio approach to operational workforce planning, in accordance with the framework set out in the National Health and Social Care Workforce Strategy.

Through this approach we continue to invest, at historically high levels, in the education and training of pre-registration healthcare professionals, continue to invest in widening access, apprenticeships, role diversification and role reform, and continue to invest in ethical and proportionate international recruitment of qualified health and care staff, to supplement domestic supply routes, in line with projected needs.

We aim to set out high level conclusions from projections in the coming months. Clearly, these projections are iterative and will respond to and change depending on emerging evidence and data.