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: S5W-19704

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 02 November 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 20 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether shipping containers are appropriate for the storage of the type of weapons set out at section 5 of the Firearms Act 1968.

Question reference: S5W-19703

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 02 November 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 20 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many licences to issue the type of weapons set out at section 5 of the Firearms Act 1968 have been granted in each year since 2011, broken down by local authority; what checks must be undertaken prior to a licence being granted; what follow-up checks are made, and how many licences were revoked (a) following a follow-up check and (b) for other reasons, broken down by reason.

The number of section 5 authorisations granted by Scottish Ministers
in each year since 2011, broken down by local authority area, is
provided below. This includes new, renewed and amended section 5
authorisations. Some authorisations will be granted for short periods
to cover specific activities (e.g. visiting international athletes). In a
small number of cases it is not possible to specify a local authority
area due to the type of section 5 authorisation.

	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018
Aberdeen City	0	1	1	0	3	1	1	3
Aberdeenshire	5	8	6	3	6	4	3	5
Angus	1	0	0	1	0	0	1	0
Argyll & Bute	0	0	0	2	0	0	1	0
Clackmannanshire	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Dumfries & Galloway	4	2	9	12	4	9	1	6
Dundee City	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	1
East Ayrshire	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
East Dunbartonshire	5	2	0	6	1	0	1	0
East Lothian	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
East Renfrewshire	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Edinburgh, City of	6	5	5	3	5	3	2	5
Eilean Siar	0	0	1	1	1	2	1	1
Falkirk	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Fife	4	1	4	1	2	3	1	5
Glasgow City	3	8	10	25	3	4	7	2
Highland	1	1	5	2	3	2	2	2
Inverclyde	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Midlothian	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Moray	1	1	2	3	1	0	1	1
North Ayrshire	4	5	4	4	2	1	2	0
North Lanarkshire	0	1	0	0	1	0	0	1
Orkney Islands	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Perth & Kinross	3	1	1	0	2	1	0	1
Renfrewshire	5	2	8	3	1	5	3	4
Scottish Borders	0	1	0	3	1	0	0	1
Shetland Islands	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
South Ayrshire	2	1	0	3	2	0	1	1
South Lanarkshire	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Stirling	0	4	2	0	4	1	1	0
West Dunbartonshire	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	0
West Lothian	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	2
Local Authority information unavailable	1	4	1	0	3	10	1	5

Firearms law is reserved and the Home Office issue guidance on its application, including
the process of section 5 authorisation and checks involved. The Home Office Guide on
Firearms Licensing Law April 2016 can be found at:

Section 5 authorisations usually last for 3 years and are subject to full reapplication process
on renewal. Police Scotland carry out routine follow-up checks while an authority remains
valid, as regularly as is deemed necessary. Since 2011 Scottish Ministers have revoked one
section 5 authority following a Police Scotland recommendation that the dealership could
not continue without danger to the public safety or to the peace .

Question reference: S5W-19702

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 02 November 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 20 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many firearms dealers in each local authority area are licenced to issue the type of weapons set out at section 5 of the Firearms Act 1968.

The number of firearms dealers currently authorised by Scottish Ministers to possess section 5-prohibited items, broken down by local authority area, is as follows (local authority areas with no authorised dealers are excluded):

Aberdeen City - 3

Aberdeenshire - 8

Angus - 1

Argyll & Bute - 1

Ayrshire - 1

Dumfries & Galloway - 8

East Dunbartonshire - 1

Edinburgh, City of - 9

Eilean Siar - 3

Fife - 4

Glasgow City - 7

Highland - 6

Moray - 1

North Ayrshire - 2

North Lanarkshire - 2

Perth & Kinross - 2

Renfrewshire - 10

Scottish Borders - 1

South Ayrshire - 2

Stirling - 1

West Dunbartonshire - 1

West Lothian – 1

Question reference: S5O-02593

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 November 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has for the creation of new national parks.

Question reference: S5W-19430

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 October 2018
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 2 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether there is a mechanism in place whereby communities or individuals can claim compensation should wind farm developers be found to demonstrate an outstanding lack of integrity within the planning process.

There is no such compensation mechanism in the planning system. Planning makes decisions about future development and use of land in the long-term public interest. A range of enforcement powers are available to planning authorities where any developer has acted in breach of the terms of any planning permission or without any necessary permission.

Without knowledge of any specific circumstances the member may have in mind, I would suggest remedies may also be available through the Courts.

Question reference: S5W-19249

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 05 October 2018
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 23 October 2018

To ask the Scottish Government by what date it will publish its post-2020 biodiversity goals.

The Convention on Biological Diversity Conference of the Parties (CoP15) will take place in Beijing, China in October 2020 to finalise the next set of international biodiversity targets. Scotland is working with other UK administrations to contribute to the development of these targets.

In due course, it is intended to prepare a refreshed biodiversity strategy for Scotland to take account of the new international targets.

Question reference: S5W-19250

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 05 October 2018
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 23 October 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether Crown Estate Scotland has fulfilled its biodiversity and biodiversity reporting duties for 2017-18.

This is an operational matter for Crown Estate Scotland (Interim Management)(CES(IM)), I have written to Simon Hodge, Chief Executive of CES(IM). His response is as follows:

Our Biodiversity Statement was published in February 2018 and we will provide a publicly available report on actions taken to meet our biodiversity duty in 2021.

Biodiversity and broader environmental sustainability of Scottish Crown Estate assets is key to our business. We work with the Scottish Government, business partners and communities to encourage sustainable practices, and continue to invest in public access and education facilities to enhance the public use and understanding of the natural environment.

Question reference: S5W-19247

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 05 October 2018
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 23 October 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve its performance against the 13 indicators in relation to its 2020 Aichi biodiversity target on which progress is reported as "insufficient" or "moving away from target", and what additional resources it is providing to (a) Scottish Natural Heritage and (b) other delivery partners to support this.

The Scottish Government has asked Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) to undertake an analysis of further actions that may be required, in addition to work which SNH is coordinating under the 2020 Challenge for Scotland’s Biodiversity and the associated Route Map, to help Scotland progress the Aichi targets. This analysis will include discussion with partners in the public, private and third sectors who are contributing to delivering Scotland’s biodiversity strategy.

In the recently published Programme for Government, the Scottish Government announced a Biodiversity Challenge Fund of up to £2 million which will contribute to the progress of the Aichi targets in Scotland. Details of the Challenge Fund will be announced in due course.

Question reference: S5W-18922

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 September 2018
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 19 October 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what assurances it can provide that there will be no excess construction charges for premises to connect to R100 programme infrastructure.

The Scottish Government does not have powers in relation to regulation of telecommunications markets, as this remains reserved to the UK Ministers. However, our understanding is that the vast majority of broadband or phone line installations involve some form of connection charge. The Scottish Government's Reaching 100% (R100) programme – in seeking to address the poor coverage in rural areas resulting from a market-driven UK model – will benchmark these at a wholesale level. It will then be a decision for individual Internet Service Providers (ISPs) whether they pass any such charges onto the consumer.

Question reference: S5W-18924

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 September 2018
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 19 October 2018

To ask the Scottish Government when an aligned intervention scheme will commence for areas or premises not given access to superfast broadband through the R100 programme.

An aligned intervention scheme is being developed in parallel with the ongoing initial procurement exercise for the Scottish Government’s
‎ £600 million Reaching 100% (R100) programme. However, the need for – and scale of – such a scheme will only be determined by the outcome of this initial procurement which will identify gaps in coverage that will remain. Further plans for any aligned interventions will be announced in 2019, following the award of the R100 contracts.