Questions and answers

Question reference: S5W-36135

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 March 2021
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 23 March 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, further to inclusion of free bus travel for under-22s in its budget, what steps it is taking to provide free ferry travel for under-22s who are living in island communities.

The Scottish Budget that was agreed on 8 March 2021 includes a commitment to extending free bus travel to those living in Scotland under age 22. We will carry out an Island Communities Impact Assessment on the new free bus scheme before it comes into operation.

We are considering ferry fares policy options through our ongoing review of concessionary travel arrangements across all modes for under 26 year olds and through the Islands Connectivity Plan.

Question reference: S5W-35230

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 February 2021
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 19 March 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with island (a) NHS boards, (b) local authorities and (c) travel providers, including Loganair, Northlink Ferries and Pentland Ferries, regarding the (i) feasibility of and (ii) requirement for COVID-19 testing at island entry points.

The Minister for Public Health and I met with island ��˿�� on‎ 26 February to discuss the potential for, and implications of, pre-travel testing for our islands.

We have to consider testing options alongside the many other layers of protection we now have against this virus. In addition to vaccination, there is currently a ban on all non-essential travel. Under current 'Stay at Home' guidance, all travel to our islands must be avoided, except for essential reasons.

As we return to the levels approach, there will continue to be restrictions on travel for those living in high prevalence areas.

However, testing will continue to play a critical role in suppressing COVID-19, and its value in spotting cases early to break chains of transmission and prevent new outbreaks will only increase as the number of cases drops overall.

Following the successful trials of Community Testing in December, we wrote to all NHS Boards and local authorities inviting them to submit proposals for meeting the needs of their community through our community testing programme.

We are working with NHS Shetland, NHS Orkney, and their respective local authorities to develop their proposals that address the testing requirements of island communities.

These proposals are yet to be confirmed but could include additional testing of staff travelling to the islands to work with vulnerable people in health and social care, or regular asymptomatic testing of some island workplaces to reduce the risks associated with visiting staff.

Question reference: S5W-35825

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 08 March 2021
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 18 March 2021

To ask the Scottish Government when the new toolkit by the Infralink programme will be launched, and how it will help to support the roll-out of 4G and 5G infrastructure.

The Infralink project aims to facilitate improved and accelerated deployment of 4G, 5G and other digital connectivity through simplification of the process for use of publicly owned assets (such as buildings and land) by the telecommunications industry for the siting of infrastructure such as mobile masts.

The project's toolkit launched on 7 March 2021 and currently comprises payment guidance and standardised legal documentation. These are available online at: . The project team is actively engaging public sector partners and telecommunications providers to encourage adoption of these tools.

Question reference: S5W-35826

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 08 March 2021
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 18 March 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of the proposed site locations for the 124 mobile masts that will be erected under the Shared Rural Network Programme; what the timeframe is confirming these site locations, and what support the Infralink programme will provide to securing them.

Rollout of the Shared Rural Network (SRN) programme is being led by the UK Government and the four main mobile network operators. While we have seen draft coverage maps, the Scottish Government is unsighted on the specific details of locations to be used for SRN’s rollout plans and the timescales for deployment at this stage.

We anticipate Infralink being relevant to the successful deployment of SRN sites in Scotland, where potential locations are located on the public sector estate. The project has been established to facilitate the improved and accelerated the deployment of mobile infrastructure, thereby increasing access of mobile connectivity to more communities and businesses.

Question reference: S5W-36074

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 March 2021
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 18 March 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress towards Action 15 of its Mental Health Strategy 2017-2027.

The most recent recruitment figures were published on the Scottish Government website ( ) on 15 March. This sets out the number of Whole Time Equivalent posts recruited to as 1 January 2021.

Prior to the pandemic, we collected and reported these figures on a quarterly basis. In recognition of the impact that the pandemic response has had on services, we have moved to a 6 monthly collection and will keep this under review.

The next collection is due to take place during July 2021.

Question reference: S5O-05156

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 March 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 March 2021

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met Orkney Islands Council and what was discussed.

Question reference: S5W-35737

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 March 2021
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 16 March 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how may planning appeals for onshore wind farms have taken the climate emergency into account, since it was declared in May 2019.

Reporters are required to make planning appeal decisions on the basis of the development plan for the area unless material considerations indicate otherwise. Material considerations include Scottish Government Policy, the National Planning Framework (NPF) and Scottish Planning Policy. NPF3 is clear that planning must facilitate the transition to a low carbon economy and the decision maker must consider, amongst others, the scale of contribution to renewable energy generation and the effect on greenhouse gas emissions targets.

Since 1 May 2019, 15 appeal decisions for proposed wind farms have been made of which 5 have been allowed.

Question reference: S5W-35735

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 March 2021
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 16 March 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that the climate emergency is a primary consideration in decision-making processes for planning matters.

National Planning Framework 3 and Scottish Planning Policy, our current national planning policy, published in 2014, aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and they remain in-force until replaced.

Since then the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019 includes meeting greenhouse gas emission targets as one of six outcomes for the National Planning Framework to address. National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) is in preparation and the NPF4 Position Statement (November 2020) clearly establishes climate change as a guiding principle to be addressed in NPF4. It also states that we expect to confirm that the Global Climate Emergency should be a material consideration in applications for appropriately located renewable energy developments.

This is a significant issue that requires full consultation and will be addressed fully in the draft NPF4 to be laid in Parliament in Autumn 2021. On approval in 2022 the planning policies included in NPF4 will have development plan status for decision making purposes.

Question reference: S5W-35738

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 March 2021
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 16 March 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many planning appeals for onshore wind farms, which have been granted, have taken the climate emergency into account.

Reporters are required to make planning appeal decisions on the basis of the development plan for the area unless material considerations indicate otherwise. Material considerations include Scottish Government Policy, the National Planning Framework (NPF) and Scottish Planning Policy. NPF3 is clear that planning must facilitate the transition to a low carbon economy and the decision maker must consider, amongst others, the scale of contribution to renewable energy generation and the effect on greenhouse gas emissions targets.

Since 1 May 2019, 15 appeal decisions for proposed wind farms have been made of which 5 have been allowed.

Question reference: S5W-35561

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 26 February 2021
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 12 March 2021

To ask to ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-34704 by Fergus Ewing on 3 February 2021, what its most recent communication with the Farming and Food Production Future Policy Group (FFP-FPG) indicated about timetables for publishing its final report, and in particular whether the final report will be made publicly available before the Parliament rises on 25 March 2021.

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