Parliamentary questions
Ariane Burgess
706 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
28 May 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with (a) ScotRail and (b) Transport Scotland regarding the reported 12 extra services per day that would operate on the Aberdeen, Inverness and Elgin route and which have not been included in the new train timetables.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: ScotRail operates 18 trains per day - an hourly service between Elgin and Inverness, which includes 7 return services between Inverness and Elgin and 11 services between Aberdeen and Inverness. Providing additional services between Elgin and Inverness was pos…
27 May 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the report by a professor at Scotland's Rural College (SRUC) on the impacts of the new agricultural support framework on agricultural businesses in Shetland, Orkney and the Western Isles has not yet been published.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: I understand the SRUC report ‘Island and Agricultural Development: Maximising the potential in the islands of Orkney, Shetland and Outer Hebrides’, will be published very soon. This report will add to the available pool of evidence on island and rural develop…
22 May 2024 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the issuing of licences for scallop dredging activities that may cause harm to priority marine habitats, in light of reports of harm being caused to such habitats, including the herring spawning grounds off North Erradale and Gairloch.
21 May 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to assess the potential cumulative impact of the reported five new proposed developments for pumped storage hydro-electricity generation around Loch Ness in the Highlands, particularly in relation to endangered wild salmon populations and fragile native woodlands.
Answer · Gillian Martin: It would not be appropriate to comment on the merits or impacts of any specific renewable energy proposal. National Planning Framework 4, approved by the Scottish Parliament in 2023, is making sure the planning system enables the sustainable growth of the re…
14 May 2024 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the implementation of ferry travel measures contained in the Fair Fares Review, including free foot passenger travel on inter-island ferries and the extension of the existing National Ferry Concessionary Scheme for island residents under 22 years old.
23 Apr 2024 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the rural affairs secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding what steps it can take to protect horticultural workers on seasonal worker visas from unfair work practices and substandard accommodation.
17 Apr 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether open net salmon farming is a sustainable method of food production, in light of the article published in Nature on 7 March 2024, which found that mass die-offs on salmon farms have been increasing over the last decade in every country where salmon farming …
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: Salmon production contributes to our food security, producing healthy, nutritious food for people in Scotland and around the world with a greenhouse gas emissions profile that is lower than many other farmed sources of animal protein. The sector is heavily re…
17 Apr 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what work is being done to reduce any reliance the salmon farm industry has on new technological measures to mitigate against reported rising fish mortalities, in light of the finding in the article published in Nature on 7 March 2024 that the "risks [of mass mortality events] are often …
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The Scottish Government supports innovation where it contributes to the sustainable production of salmon, including adaptive husbandry, health and welfare, nutrition and the reduction and monitoring of environmental impact. We recognise that there is no one-s…
17 Apr 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what work it has done to assess any impact of salmon farm mass mortality events on the welfare of (a) salmon farm workers and (b) local communities, in light of the article published in Nature on 7 March 2024, which found that mass die-offs on salmon farms have reportedly been increasing…
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The 7 March 2024 publication by Nature Scientific Reports concerning mass mortality events in salmon aquaculture focused on the community impacts in relation to specific catastrophic events in Chile. Similar impacts on communities have not been experienced in…
17 Apr 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it will announce its decision on whether it will be adopting the recommendations by the UK Government's Animal Welfare Committee on farmed fish welfare.
Answer · Jim Fairlie: The recommendations made by the UK Government's Animal Welfare Committee are still being considered. Improving aquaculture health and welfare is an ethical responsibility and is one of the main priorities that is enshrined in our Vision for Sustainable Aquacu…
11 Apr 2024 · First Minister's Question
To ask the First Minister, in light of the recent report by the Climate Change Committee, how the Scottish Government plans to accelerate action to ensure that Scotland achieves net zero by 2045.
10 Apr 2024 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with ScotRail regarding the potential for operating publicly-run services in the timetable slots vacated by the Jacobite service suspension.
28 Mar 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action has been taken since the publication of the Future Planners Project Report, which highlights the need for an additional 700 new planners over the next 10 to 15 years.
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: The Scottish Government has been working with Heads of Planning Scotland (HOPS), the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) and other partners to progress the short, medium and longer term recommendations of the Future Planners Project Report since its publicat…
20 Mar 2024 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the Cost of Living (Tenant Protection) (Scotland) Act 2022.
19 Mar 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the new Fair Work conditionality in certain agricultural grants will extend to temporary workers in Scotland on a seasonal worker visa.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The following five grant schemes listed will have Fair Work conditionality added to the existing grant conditions • Agri – Environment Climate Scheme (AECS), • Crofting Agricultural Grants Scheme (CAGS), • Food Processing, Marketing and Co-operation (FPMC)…
19 Mar 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government to which agricultural grants the new Fair Work conditionality in public sector grants will apply.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: Scottish Ministers announced on 6 December 2022 that organisations applying for public sector grants awarded on or after 1 July 2023 will need to pay at least the real Living Wage and provide appropriate channels for effective workers’ voice. It was agreed t…
11 Mar 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made on the review of the Clean Air Act 1993, as set out in the Clean Air for Scotland strategy published in 2021, and whether it has considered introducing any changes for controlling domestic combustion emissions such as incentivising the use of electrostatic par…
Answer · Mairi McAllan: As part of the delivery of our Cleaner Air for Scotland 2 strategy, we are taking forward a review of the Clean Air Act 1993 working closely with SEPA and Local Authorities to focus the review and develop initial findings. From January 2022 Ecodesign standard…
13 Feb 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the licensing conditions for wrasse harvesting and its evidence base for carrying out an appropriate assessment of wrasse fisheries management in special areas of conservation, what the maximum recorded age is for each species of wrasse.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-25557 on? 25 March 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committe…
13 Feb 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the licensing conditions for wrasse harvesting and its evidence base for carrying out an appropriate assessment of wrasse fisheries management in special areas of conservation, in relation to the (a) goldsinny, (b) rock cook, (c) corkwing, (d) ballan and (e) cuckoo species of …
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-25557 on 25 March 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committee…
13 Feb 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the licensing conditions for wrasse harvesting and its evidence base for carrying out an appropriate assessment of wrasse fisheries management in special areas of conservation, in which months of the year the gonads of the (a) goldsinny, (b) rock cook, (c) corkwing, (d) ballan…
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: Under the Habitats Regulations there is a requirement to carry out an appropriate assessment where an activity is capable of affecting a designated feature of a Special Area of Conservation (SAC). Wrasse are not a protected feature in any Scottish SAC. At th…
13 Feb 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many vessels are currently licensed to fish for wild wrasse, and how many of these use creels for other species in addition to wrasse traps.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The wrasse fishing season is open from 1 May to 30 November, so at present no vessels hold a derogation giving permission from Scottish Ministers to fish for wild wrasse. Applications are assessed on a year by year basis, and do not automatically carry over. …
13 Feb 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the licence conditions to fish for wild wrasse, how its Marine Directorate ensures that each vessel deploys a maximum of 250 wrasse traps at any one time.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: Marine Directorate Compliance Operations use a risk-based procedure which considers intelligence, likelihood, and impact on environment and fishery resources to ensure the conditions of the wrasse derogation are adhered to. For example, wrasse fishers are req…
5 Feb 2024 · First Minister's Question
To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to strengthen enforcement powers in relation to long-term empty homes.
31 Jan 2024 · Inspired Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its work regarding the publication of the UK National Action Plan for the Sustainable Use of Pesticides.
18 Jan 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will work with the UK Government to pause, review and improve the Shared Rural Network programme through consulting with rural communities across the Highlands to (a) establish their digital connectivity needs, (b) avoid construction of new access tracks unless no other method…
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government has no formal role in the Shared Rural Network (SRN) programme. SRN is a joint venture between the UK Government and the UK's four main mobile network operators. Equally, telecommunications policy is currently reserved to the UK Govern…
20 Dec 2023 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether GEOAmey, the prisoner escort service provider, has offered any assurances that it will tackle the reported staffing challenges that currently mean that islanders acting as witnesses have to travel to jury trials on the mainland.
13 Dec 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the potential impact on the fishing sector in Scotland, what representations it has made to the UK Government regarding a review of the English language requirements for fishing crew who enter the UK on a skilled worker visa.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The Scottish Government is strongly opposed to the current UK Government’s approach to immigration, which has failed to meet Scotland’s needs. The recent changes to the immigration rules are unacceptable. Increasing the Skilled Worker salary threshold by a th…
29 Nov 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-17336 by Màiri McAllan on 4 May 2023, what area in km2 of Scotland’s inshore waters is, on a year-round basis, open to creeling while not open to scallop dredging or enphrops trawling.
Answer · Gillian Martin: 3,297 square kilometres of Scotland’s inshore waters are permanently closed to both scallop dredging and bottom trawling, with no permanent prohibitions for creeling in place. Scottish inshore waters are defined from the mean high water spring up to the exte…
22 Nov 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its ongoing discussions with the Screen Machine to ensure the funding of a new mobile cinema, in light of its reported importance to rural and islands communities.
Answer · Angus Robertson: The Scottish Government is continuing to engage with Screen Scotland and other parties to explore all avenues for supporting the future of the Screen Machine. We recognise the huge importance of the Screen Machine’s unique cultural, educational, and wellbei…
15 Nov 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the most recent figures are, based on local authority records, for the number of short-term let applications that have been received in each local authority area.
Answer · Paul McLennan: The Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 (Licensing of Short-term Lets) Order 2022 requires licensing authorities to maintain and publish a public register of short-term let licences on their website, or other website established for that purpose. The registe…