- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 05 May 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Paul McLennan on 18 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether it requires the three mandatory tenancy deposit schemes to be Accredited Living Wage Employers.
Answer
The role of the Scottish Government is to monitor each of the three deposit schemes for compliance with the Tenancy Deposit Schemes (Scotland) Regulations 2011. This includes being satisfied that the tenancy deposit schemes have clear and substantial processes in place that meet the requirements laid out in the regulations.
The three approved tenancy deposit schemes are private businesses and the Scottish Government is not involved in their business operations. While we encourage employers to be Accredited Living Wage Employers we do not require it.
It is clear that Fair Work, including fair pay, is more important than ever in the context of the cost of living crisis, and we will use all the levers we can to support those most affected.
Our explains our Fair Work First approach, provides good practice examples to guide employers’ approaches and, importantly, explains the benefits of fair work for workers and organisations.
- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 May 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Graeme Dey on 17 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of student withdrawals from (a) college and (b) university courses have been (i) male and (ii) female in each year since 2020.
Answer
The Scottish Funding Council (SFC) publishes information on college withdrawals, as well as retention statistics for undergraduate courses at colleges and universities.
These statistics are measuring different things and are not comparable.
College withdrawal statistics (Chart 10) :
College and university retention statistics (Background Table 3) :
- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 27 April 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 17 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether any of its representatives will attend the 53rd Annual Conference of the Shellfish Association of Great Britain, in light of the reported economic value of the shellfish industry to Scotland.
Answer
The shellfish industry is an increasingly important aquaculture and food sector, creating and sustaining employment opportunities in many of Scotland’s remote rural, island and coastal communities and which supplies healthy and delicious Scottish shellfish to domestic and international markets and businesses.
I was pleased to support the Association of Scottish Shellfish Growers conference held in Oban last year, in addition to the Shellfish Association of Great Britain conference to provide an update on progress across our priorities in Scotland, which of course is producing substantial amounts of the UK’s shellfish either through wild or farmed stocks. This year’s annual conference will be held in London in June and I was grateful to receive an invite to attend from David Jarrad, Chief Executive of the Shellfish Association of Great Britain.
Scottish Government officials are currently considering attendance at the event.
- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 05 May 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Siobhian Brown on 16 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-16796 by Siobhian Brown on 21 April 2023, whether it can provide an estimated or intended year for the implementation of the restricted days of the supply and use of fireworks and pyrotechnic articles, in order to allow retailers to plan ahead.
Answer
The Scottish Government is currently planning to implement provisions from the Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles (Scotland) Act 2022 restricting the days when F2 and F3 fireworks can be supplied to and used by the general public, as well as the compensation regulation making powers connected to the restricted days of supply, during the 2024-25 financial year at the earliest.
- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 May 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Paul McLennan on 16 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the findings in the Scottish Women’s Aid and Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) Scotland report, Policies Not Promises: A review of Scottish social landlord’s domestic abuse policies, published in April 2023.
Answer
We welcome Scottish Women’s Aid and the Chartered Institute of Housing Scotland’s Policies Not Promises report. It illustrates why the proposed new duty on social landlords to develop and implement a domestic abuse housing policy, as part of wider duties to prevent homelessness, is so important.
Social landlords play a crucial role in preventing homelessness and good intentions are not enough. There is good practice guidance already available to help social landlords and they must act now to support any tenants who are survivors of domestic abuse and protect their rights to stay in their home. I look forward to working closely with social landlords and other partners to ensure they improve their support and make a real, positive difference for women and children experiencing domestic abuse.
- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 May 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 16 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on maintaining the monarch as the head of state in an independent Scotland.
Answer
It is the Scottish Government’s position that an independent Scotland will remain a constitutional monarchy with the King as Head of State, just as in many other independent Commonwealth countries, and will remain as such for as long as the people of Scotland wish that to be the case.
- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 28 April 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 16 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its progress on (a) the recommendations in the report, A Review of the Aquaculture Regulatory Process in Scotland, published in February 2022, and (b) establishing a short-term project board.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6O-01811 on 25 January 2023 which is available on the Parliament's website, the Official Report can be found here: Meeting of the Parliament: 25/01/2023 | Scottish Parliament Website
I am pleased to update that the Scottish Science Advisory Council published the ‘Use of Science and Evidence in Aquaculture Consenting and the Sustainable Development of Scottish Aquaculture’ report on 26 April 2023.
- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 15 May 2023
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 16 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to reduce violence in schools, in light of reports that three teachers and a 14-year-old pupil have been injured in a disturbance at a Renfrewshire school.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 16 May 2023
- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 04 May 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 15 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what recent assessment it has made of the number of registered veterinary surgeons, and what steps it is taking to increase their (a) presence and (b) availability in (i) rural and (ii) remote areas.
Answer
Governance of the veterinary profession is a Reserved Matter and the number of registered veterinary surgeons in the UK is available from the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.
On behalf of the Scottish Government, the Chief Veterinary Officer Scotland chairs the veterinary delivery landscape forum, a cross-sector group that examines recruitment and retention of veterinary surgeons in Scotland.
The Scottish Government also supports the provision of veterinary services in the rural and remote rural areas of Scotland through the Highlands and Islands Veterinary Services Scheme. The Scheme ensures the provision of an adequate veterinary service to detect, prevent and eradicate animal diseases for all animals kept for agricultural purposes and belonging to crofters and others of like economic status.
- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 May 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 15 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will send a representative, such as the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands, to the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) Scottish Game Fair in Perth from 1 to 3 July 2023.
Answer
Ministers have very much appreciated opportunities to visit the GWCT Scottish Game Fair in previous years.
I am currently considering attendance at the GWCT Scottish Game Fair alongside other Parliamentary commitments and will respond to outstanding invitations in due course.