Questions and answers

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 ��˿�� 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: S6W-14543

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 15 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it issues to its executive agencies regarding the criteria for risk assessments conducted which may allow transgender individuals to access single sex spaces.

Question reference: S6W-14337

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 7 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on pilot schemes to fast-track applications for blue badges for disabled parking for people with motor neurone disease.

Following the successful completion of a two-year Scotland-wide pilot in 2022, the new fast-track Prescribed Blue Badge model for people with motor neurone disease (MND) was launched on 9 May 2022 via the provision of updated guidance for local authorities.

MND specialist nurses in Scotland now have the power to prescribe a Blue Badge for people with an MND diagnosis should their MND specialist nurse deem them as meeting the eligibility criteria. This means that such applicants can bypass the Local Authority assessment process and experience significantly shorter waiting times.

Question reference: S6W-14178

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 20 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 30 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the findings of the Agriculture Bill consultation, Delivering our Vision for Scottish Agriculture, which closed on 21 November 2022.

The public consultation on proposals for a new Agriculture Bill, “Delivering our Vision for Scottish Agriculture” opened from 29 August 2022 until 5 December 2022. We received a good response to the consultation, including wide-ranging attendance at the 14 public consultation events held, and will be giving careful consideration to the diverse range of views received. The Scottish Government aims to publish a report on the findings of the Agriculture Bill consultation in Spring 2023.

Question reference: S6O-01855

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 January 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to tackle bullying in schools.

Question reference: S6W-13915

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 13 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 24 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the roll-out of the new Core Operating Solutions developed for Police Scotland and any difficulties it has encountered in the implementation.

The rollout of transformational IT projects are a matter for Police Scotland. However, as outlined at the Scottish Police Authority’s Audit and Risk Committee on 17 January, the second phase of Core Operating Solutions is being implemented as expected and within the anticipated timescales.

The Scottish Government has invested £11.6 billion in policing since the creation of Police Scotland in 2013, with a further £1.45 billion to be invested in 2023-24, an increase of 6.3%.

Question reference: S6W-13022

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 21 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill.

The Scottish Government remains absolutely committed to incorporating the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child into Scots law, as far as possible within devolved competence.

Our intention is to bring the Bill back to Parliament for Reconsideration Stage. Preparations for that are well underway and include engagement with the UK Government to try assess whether they are broadly content that the amendments bring with the Bill within legislative competence and to reduce the risk of another referral to the Supreme Court.

We will lodge the motion to reconsider the Bill and publish the amendments to the Bill as soon as possible but cannot yet confirm a timetable.

Question reference: S6W-12745

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 16 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will make an assessment of whether rewilding on deep peat caused by a lack of management risks reducing (a) carbon sequestration and (b) populations of ground nesting bird species.

There are different forms of active management of vegetation on deep peat including muirburn, cutting and grazing.

As far as muirburn is concerned, NatureScot published research earlier this year which reviewed the evidence on the impacts of muirburn on wildfire prevention, carbon storage and biodiversity:

Following on from the research, the NatureScot Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) have been asked to provide advice on the circumstances under which muirburn, including muirburn on peat could be permitted under licence, and where it would not be appropriate.

The Scottish Government will take in to account evidence from the NatureScot research and the SAC advice alongside information provided by stakeholders.

Further information on impacts of grazing and cutting are available in NatureScot guidance:

Question reference: S6O-01708

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 December 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact that proposed Highly Protected Marine Areas will have on the fishing industry.

Question reference: S6W-12865

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 14 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what quantity of wild wrasse, and from what source, was included in the latest recorded information on live fish movements to aquaculture facilities.

Marine Scotland management measures for wild harvesting of wrasse mean that only licenced and derogated vessels, in possession of a contract with an aquaculture company, may engage in fishing operations for this species. Those who do so are required to provide information on their operations to Marine Scotland. This includes completion of a weekly record of fishing time, location and catch weight and in addition, the number of wrasse landed (by species), the number of fish retained or discarded; and the sizes of fish in the first 20 traps hauled on each trip.

Marine Scotland are currently analysing data gathered from this fishery during the 2021 and 2022 seasons and will publish a report in due course.

Question reference: S6W-12867

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 14 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made to strengthen the management of the wrasse fishery following the Scottish Government and Scottish Green Party Shared Policy Programme commitment to "begin an immediate programme of work to better protect wildlife and the environment".

Wild harvesting of Wrasse is managed under the licence derogation system introduced following consultation in 2020. In 2021, we added mandatory controls on fishing activity, including obligations for the collection and reporting of data, on a weekly basis, to Marine Scotland. These included minimum and maximum landing sizes, controls on the number and design of traps, a maximum trap lift rate and a prohibition on fishing when water temperature is above 17 degrees. Marine Scotland also require derogation-holders to take observers on board if directed.

This represents a positive step towards sustainable management of this fishery. The time until the next wrasse fishing season begins will enable us to share findings on this fishery and facilitate discussion on next steps.