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-03077

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 January 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on transport infrastructure projects in the south of Scotland.

Question reference: S6O-03002

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 January 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support and improve the network of community hospitals.

Question reference: S6W-24254

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 22 December 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 17 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether the forthcoming Regional Marine Plans will be required to identify locations where seaweed cultivation is to be supported.

The development of the marine planning framework will build on the existing consenting regime for aquaculture developments. Planning permission for finfish and shellfish farms are determined in accordance with National Planning Framework 4 and Scotland’s National Marine Plan. Seaweed farming is subject to the requirements set out under section 15 of the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 regarding decisions of public authorities affected by marine plans, including the National Marine Plan and any Regional Marine Plan, once adopted.

We will seek to ensure that National Planning Framework 4 and National Marine Plan 2 are aligned and consider any updates which are required to Planning Circular 1/2015: relationship between the statutory land use planning system and marine planning and licencing - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .

Regional marine plans are developed by Marine Planning Partnerships, and must conform with the National Marine Plan currently in effect. The content of the regional marine plan is for these partnerships to determine based on local priorities.

In 2017 The Scottish Government published a Seaweed Cultivation Policy Statement to help facilitate the growth of the sector by setting out policy on the suitability of seaweed cultivation in different scenarios. This provides those wanting to operate in this sector with a better understanding of the type of development that may be given approval.

Question reference: S6W-24316

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 22 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 16 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23367 by Mairi Gougeon on 18 December 2023, in light of the Scottish Budget for 2024-25 now being published, whether it will provide the information requested regarding what the eligibility criteria are for slurry storage grants under the new Agri-Environment Climate Scheme, which is due to open in early 2024, in light of reports that, if a holding or farm has been in receipt of a grant in the past, then it is ineligible.

Question reference: S6W-24255

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 22 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 15 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when it will require NatureScot to publish a guidance document on seaweed cultivation.

NatureScot advise on marine environmental impacts of proposed seaweed farms in relation to protected features and have best practice advice included in their responses. These responses are written on a case-by case basis.

The Scottish Government’s Vision for Sustainable Aquaculture , published in July 2023, sets out our long-term aspirations for the finfish, shellfish and seaweed farming sectors to ensure that development happens in the right places, underpinned by an effective and efficient regulatory framework informed by the best available evidence.

The Scottish Government published the Seaweed Cultivation Policy Statement in 2017 to help facilitate the growth of the sector by setting out policy on the suitability of seaweed cultivation in different scenarios. This provides those wanting to operate in this sector with a better understanding of the type of development that may be given approval.

Question reference: S6W-24256

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 22 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 15 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what pre-application consultation procedures relating to marine licensing of seaweed aquaculture will be introduced.

Prospective applicants for marine licences for certain activities are required to carry out public pre-application consultation under the Marine Licensing (Pre-Application Consultation) (Scotland) Regulations 2013. The pre-application consultation process allows local communities, environmental groups and other interested parties to comment on proposed marine projects before a marine licence application is submitted. The construction of a seaweed farm, where the total area in which the farm is to be located exceeds 1000 square metres, is subject to the statutory pre-application consultation process.

The Scottish Government also encourages any prospective applicants to liaise with local stakeholders early in the project planning stages to make other marine users aware of the proposal.

Question reference: S6W-24251

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 22 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 15 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what public funding is currently available to support community-scale participation in the seaweed cultivation industry, and what additional funding might become available during this early development phase of the industry.

In 2022-23 the Marine Fund Scotland (MFS) provided £370,000 to support processing and innovation in the seaweed industry. The MFS for 2023-24 is focused on supporting projects that deliver outcomes relating to Scotland's Blue Economy Vision , published in 2022. The funding supports eligible individuals, businesses, organisations and communities to deliver projects contributing to an innovative and sustainable marine economy, reducing carbon emissions and supporting coastal communities. The outcome of the second round of applications to support the aquaculture industry, including the seaweed sector, will be announced shortly.

The MFS will re-open in due course to new applications for 2024/25.

Additionally, to ensure that the seaweed sector in Scotland develops sustainably, the Scottish Government and Crown Estate Scotland are jointly funding a 3-year business development manager position at the Scottish Seaweed Industry Association to represent the industry across various fora and identify opportunities for growth.

Question reference: S6W-24252

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 22 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 15 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether local authorities will be statutory consultees in relation to the licensing of seaweed aquaculture in their areas.

Seaweed aquaculture is subject to the requirements of Scotland’s National Marine Plan and is a licensable marine activity under the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010. A marine licence is therefore required for construction of a seaweed farm. The Scottish Government’s Marine Directorate determines marine licence applications on behalf of Scottish Ministers.

Statutory consultees for the marine licensing process are defined in the Marine Licensing (Consultees) (Scotland) Order 2011, and include the Northern Lighthouse Board, Maritime Coastguard Agency, NatureScot, Scottish Environment Protection Agency and, where applicable, the relevant Regional Marine Planning Partnership. A Local Authority may form the whole, or part of a Marine Planning Partnership as per section 12(2) of the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010. Sole delegates are possible, and Orkney Islands Council is the sole delegate for regional marine planning in the Scottish marine region for the Orkney Islands. Local authorities are not therefore statutory consultees, but it is standard process to consult the relevant local authority during the marine licence application determination process and they may be consulted in their remit as part of a marine planning partnership (where applicable).

Question reference: S6W-24253

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 22 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 15 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what role local authorities will have in relation to the regulation of seaweed aquaculture in their area.

Local authorities are a non-statutory consultee to the marine licence application determination process. This allows the local authority to make representations on any marine licence application for a proposed seaweed farm.

The exception is in the case of Marine Planning Partnerships, who are statutory consultees to marine licence applications. A Local Authority may form the whole, or part of a Marine Planning Partnership as per section 12(2) of the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010. Sole delegates are possible, and Orkney Islands Council is the sole delegate for regional marine planning in the Scottish marine region for the Orkney Islands. Local authorities are not therefore statutory consultees but may be consulted in their remit as part of a marine planning partnership (where applicable).

Question reference: S6W-24257

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 22 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 15 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether seaweed cultivation will be included under schedule 2 of the Marine Works (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Scotland) Regulations 2017.

Construction of a seaweed farm is not considered to be a schedule 2 project under the Marine Works (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Scotland) Regulations 2017 and as such no Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) or EIA screening is currently required.

There are currently no plans to revise the Marine Works (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Scotland) Regulations 2017 to include construction of seaweed farms as a schedule 2 project.