Ariane Burgess

19 Oct 2021 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is considering a scheme to support and incentivise social housing providers and homeowners to retrofit and refurbish long-term empty homes and bring them back into use as zero emissions housing.

15 Oct 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many companies in the Highlands and Islands are currently accredited to carry out work to insulate homes.

Answer · Patrick Harvie: As of 28 October 2021 the Scottish Government is aware of four companies based in the Highlands and Islands who are currently approved to carry out insulation work to the BSI retrofit standards. These companies are certified to install insulation as per the…

15 Sep 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many responses were received to the Highlands and Islands Airports Limited (HIAL) consultation on the expansion of Inverness Airport, and, of these, how many were (a) supportive, (b) opposed and (c) neutral.

Answer · Graeme Dey: 274 responses were received to the consultation on the Inverness Airport draft master plan. While full consideration of the points and views was made in each response, o f the 209 responses opposed to the proposals, 183 were identical automatically generated …

9 Aug 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with community councils to inform its proposals for the National Planning Framework 4.

Answer · Tom Arthur: We are committed to encouraging interest and wide public involvement in the preparation of Scotland’s fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4). In preparing NPF4, we want to engage with a wide range of stakeholders in the community, public, voluntary and pri…

1 Jul 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what further steps it is taking to introduce additional resilience in the publicly-owned ferry network, given the lack of an  agreement on the leasing of the MV Pentalina between Calmac and Pentland Ferries.

Answer · Graeme Dey: We have secured the short term charter of the MV Arrow to help provide additional sailings on the Stornoway Ullapool route during peak times in the busy summer season. This measure reflects our efforts to help the Western Isles recover from the impact of Covi…

29 Jun 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it will make a decision on the proposals submitted to it by Boundaries Scotland on (a) 10 June 2021 regarding the Highland Council's ward boundaries and (b) 28 May 2021 regarding ward boundaries on Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles.

Answer · John Swinney: Boundaries Scotland’s final proposals have been submitted and Scottish Ministers now have a legal duty to lay regulations giving effect to the proposals as soon as is practicably possible. The Scottish Elections (Reform) Act 2020 removed ministerial discreti…

29 Jun 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-00014 by Graeme Dey on 26 May 2021, whether ministers have now discussed the Island Communities Impact Assessment on Highlands and Islands Airports Limited’s (HIAL) Air Traffic Management 2030 Strategy with HIAL; if so, what the outcomes were, and, …

Answer · Graeme Dey: Ministers have not discussed the outcomes of the Island Communities Impact Assessment on HIAL’s Air Traffic Management 2030 Strategy (ATMS) with HIAL. Implementation of the ATMS project, including consideration of the outcome of the Island Communities Impact …

29 Jun 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the Scottish National Party's manifesto commitment to deliver an Islands Connectivity Plan, what discussions it has had with the union, Prospect, regarding this; what the outcome of these discussions were, and, if discussions have not taken place, what the reasons are for thi…

Answer · Graeme Dey: The Island Connectivity Plan was last discussed with the Trades Unions, including Prospect, during the Scottish Trade Union Congress meeting with the former Ferries Minister, Mr Wheelhouse, on 18 August 2020. We have a commitment to engage with all stakehold…

29 Jun 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the Scottish National Party's manifesto commitment to provide an additional "£500 million in our natural economy", when this will be delivered, and whether it will include further targeted funding for countryside rangers.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: Last year due to restrictions on international travel we saw an increased number of visitors and campers to the countryside. With restrictions ongoing, for this year only, we are supporting local authorities, National Parks and communities with an additional …

29 Jun 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when ministers last met representatives of the union, Prospect, in relation to ongoing industrial action by its members over plans by Highlands and Islands Airports Limited (HIAL) to centralise air traffic control, and what plans it has to meet with representatives in the near future.

Answer · Graeme Dey: Ministers have not met with the union Prospect in relation to the ongoing industrial action by its members at HIAL. This is an operational matter and any discussions should be between Prospect and HIAL. There are no plans for Ministers to meet with Prospect.

29 Jun 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-36212 by Michael Matheson on 23 March 2021, when the study will be published.

Answer · Graeme Dey: The study, to be undertaken independently, has been scoped to identify where Highlands and Islands Airports Limited’s operations can create more economic activity for island communities. This requires engagement and input from essential external stakeholders …

21 Jun 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will gauge public support for the amended permitted development rights for aquaculture under the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development and Use Classes) (Scotland) Amendment Order 2020, and for the environmental impact of the alterations.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: We have no plans to gauge public support for this Order. Any environmental impact will be managed under the prior notification procedure. Permitted development rights do not allow for increases in biomass, that process is regulated by the Scottish Environmen…

21 Jun 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to address the concerns of coastal communities regarding the (a) potential increase in damage to the marine environment, and (b) lack of public consultation, prior to, and as a result of, the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development and Use Classe…

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: A screening report in accordance with the Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005 was undertaken. This outlined that there were no significant environmental effects likely to result from this amendment Order. Consultation took place with local planning a…

21 Jun 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it will monitor the amended permitted development rights for aquaculture, under the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development and Use Classes) (Scotland) Amendment Order 2020, and what the environmental impact of the alterations will be.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: We have no plans to monitor this Order. The comments received from statutory consultees at the time of making the Order confirmed that they were content with the proposal, providing the requirement for prior notification of the change remained in place, ensur…

21 Jun 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will carry out a retrospective environmental impact study into the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development and Use Classes) (Scotland) Amendment Order 2020.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: We have no plans to carry out a retrospective environmental impact study on this Order. A screening report to consider environmental impacts was completed and concluded that there were no significant environmental effects likely to result from this proposal. …

21 Jun 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the report by Hamptons, which states that renting in Scotland continues to be more expensive than buying property, while in many parts of the rest of the UK, it has become less expensive as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Answer · Shona Robison: A direct comparison of the costs of renting and buying is complicated because a range of factors need to be taken into account. For example, the capital element of a repayment mortgage creates an asset for the owner, which rent does not; conversely, renters w…