Mercedes Villalba

20 Jul 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Net Zero and Just Transition on 29 June 2023, regarding Highly Protected Marine Areas, whether there will be any delay to the deadline of March 2024 for the delivery of fisheries management measures in existing Marine Prot…

Answer · Mairi McAllan: The Scottish Government is committed to delivering fisheries management measures for existing Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) where such measures are not already in place, as well as key coastal biodiversity locations outside of these sites. As outlined in the …

13 Jul 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many privately-owned land holdings over 500 hectares are used for (a) food production, (b) timber production, (c) energy generation, (d) carbon sequestration, (e) affordable housing, (f) flood reduction, (g) nature recovery and (h) natural heritage.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: While the Scottish Government does not currently hold land use data for land as categorised in the question, it does hold information in relation to land use for specific purposes. For example, the Scottish Government's Rural Payments and Inspections Division…

13 Jul 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what area of Scotland’s land is publicly owned; how many holdings this includes, and how many of these holdings are over 500 hectares.

Answer · Tom Arthur: This is a question for the Keeper of the Registers of Scotland. She advises me that the Registers of Scotland does not collect information that is meant to identify land as publicly owned. Estimates are highly dependent on how public bodies are defined and se…

13 Jul 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many corporations own land holdings over 500 hectares in Scotland, broken down by region.

Answer · Tom Arthur: This is a question for the Keeper of the Registers of Scotland. She advises me that on 19 July 2023, out of the 2040 registered titles with a footprint area over 500 ha, 434 are owned exclusively by one or more companies. A further 212 titles are leased exclu…

13 Jul 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many individuals own land holdings over 500 hectares in Scotland, broken down by region.

Answer · Tom Arthur: This is a question for the Keeper of the Registers of Scotland. She advises me that on 19 July 2023, out of the 2040 registered titles with a footprint area over 500 ha, 809 are owned exclusively by one or more natural persons. A further 15 titles are leased …

22 Jun 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the comment by the Minister for Energy and the Environment, during the members’ business debate on motion S6M-09174 on 22 June 2023, that "the contributions have also highlighted some of the challenges to the threshold that has been suggested, which might have unintended cons…

Answer · Gillian Martin: The comment I made during the members’ business debate on motion S6M-09174 on 22 June 2023, was in reference to contributions to the Scottish Government consultation Land Reform in a Net Zero Nation. An analysis report of responses to the consultation has …

20 Jun 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many of the 50,000 properties that were using private water supplies in June 2022 have been brought onto mains water supplies by the pilot scheme in Aberdeenshire to date.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: The main aim for the private water supply connections project is to build resilience to private water supply communities affected by water scarcity. The funding is being spent to determine whether a connection to the public water main is a viable option and s…

20 Jun 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when the next Hydro Nation annual report will be available, in light of it being almost 16 months since the last publication.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: The latest annual report was published on 30 June 2023 at https://www.gov.scot/publications/scotland-hydro-nation-annual-report-2022/

20 Jun 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made on large-scale water infrastructure development projects, such as reservoir expansions, to increase Scotland’s water resilience in the future.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: 11 July 2023 Mercedes Villalba (North East Scotland) (Scottish Labour Party): To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made on large-scale water infrastructure development projects, such as reservoir expansions, to increase Scotland’s water resi…

15 Jun 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether all developers of wind farms leased through the ScotWind process will recognise the digital offshore training passport when it comes online.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: Offshore wind developers, oil and gas companies and relevant trade unions have already expressed their support for a solution which helps facilitate a fairer and more streamlined workforce transition across offshore sectors. Through its Just Transition Fund,…

15 Jun 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it or its agencies have conducted an independent audit of the claimed central estimate of a £20 billion finance gap for nature contained in the Finance Gap for UK Nature Report, published by the Green Finance Institute in October 2021, in light of it subsequently being quoted in …

Answer · Lorna Slater: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-16433 on 25 April 2023. 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…

6 Jun 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government by what date in 2023 the review of homecare medicines services will be carried out by the Chief Pharmaceutical Officer, and whether the review will be carried out in consultation with both healthcare professionals and patients.

Answer · Jenni Minto: The Chief Pharmaceutical Officer intends to complete the Scottish Government’s review of homecare medicines services by the end of the current financial year. Representation will be sought from all stakeholders with an interest in the successful delivery of t…

1 Jun 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many foreign companies that own property in Scotland have not registered their land ownership with the Land Register of Scotland.

Answer · Tom Arthur: This is a question for the Keeper of the Registers of Scotland. She advises me that that this information is not held by the Registers of Scotland. In order to establish the position for titles held in the Register of Sasines, an inspection of individual sea…

1 Jun 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to land holdings of over 500 hectares in size, how many have been transferred in each of the last 20 years, broken down by those that were by (a) sale, (b) inheritance and (c) other means.

Answer · Tom Arthur: This is a question for the Keeper of the Registers of Scotland. She advises me that that transfers are divided between transfers for the monetary full market value of the property and transfers for discounted/non-monetary/other considerations. Separating tran…

1 Jun 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of Scotland's renewable energy generation takes place on sites of over 500 hectares in size.

Answer · Gillian Martin: The Scottish Government does not hold information on electricity generation in a form that can be broken down into the spatial area occupied by each renewable generating station. The Scottish Government receives data on electricity generation from the UK G…

1 Jun 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many private corporations own land holdings of over 500 hectares, and what total area of land is owned by private corporations with land holdings of over 500 hectares.

Answer · Tom Arthur: This is a question for the Keeper of the Registers of Scotland. She advises me that that on 13 June 2023, out of the 2025 registered titles with a footprint area over 500 ha, 432 are owned exclusively by a company. These titles comprise a combined footprint a…

1 Jun 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many individuals own land holdings of over 500 hectares.

Answer · Tom Arthur: This is a question for the Keeper of the Registers of Scotland. She advises me that that on 13 June 2023, out of the 2025 registered titles with a footprint area over 500 ha, 801 are owned exclusively by one or more natural persons. A further 15 titles are …

1 Jun 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many land holdings in Scotland are over 500 hectares in size, and what total area of land is covered by land holdings of over 500 hectares.

Answer · Tom Arthur: This is a question for the Keeper of the Registers of Scotland. She advises me that that on 13 June 2023, there were 2,025 Registered titles in the Land Register of Scotland where the total footprint of the title exceeds 500 ha. Together, these titles compris…

31 May 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what public consultation was undertaken on the NatureScot private finance investment pilot, and which stakeholders were engaged with.

Answer · Lorna Slater: The project partners have not started the public consultation and engagement stage of the project yet and are working to secure resource to do this for the local pilot projects. They will engage with communities as soon as resource is in place for the engagem…

31 May 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the ethical framework for the NatureScot private finance investment pilot will be enforceable, and, if so, who by, and under what powers.

Answer · Lorna Slater: The ethical framework will be used to deliver investment which meets the aims of the Scottish Government’s Interim Principles for Responsible Investment in Natural Capital. Adherence to these principles is set out in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) betw…

31 May 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6O-02223 by Gillian Martin on 11 May 2023, how it has verified the figure of £1.3 billion estimated by the Green Finance Institute, and whether it will provide a breakdown of its calculations.

Answer · Lorna Slater: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-18042 on 30 May 2023. 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-committees/w…

31 May 2023 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its progress in establishing a Peace Institute by the end of 2022, as set out in its 2021-22 Programme for Government.

18 May 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that global temperatures are likely to break the key 1.5C warming limit within the next four years. 

Answer · Mairi McAllan: The stark warning from the World Meteorological Organisation that global temperatures will temporarily breach 1.5 degrees Celsius of warming during the next five years means that we will experience increased intensity and frequency of heatwaves, flooding, wil…

17 May 2023 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the energy minister has had with ministerial colleagues regarding the recommendations to the Scottish Government contained in the report, Our Power: Offshore Workers’ Demands for a Just Energy Transition. 

10 May 2023 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many fines have been issued by courts to companies for breaches of health and safety rules, resulting in workers’ deaths, in the last five years.

4 May 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to concerns by the Environmental Rights Centre for Scotland regarding barriers to gaining bathing water status at Scotland’s rivers, lochs and beaches due to newly introduced requirements, including the need to gain the consent of landowners and local authorities, ho…

Answer · Mairi McAllan: Under the Bathing Water (Scotland) Regulations 2008, Scottish Ministers designate bathing waters where they expect a large number of people to bathe, having regard to past trends and infrastructure and facilities provided, or other measures taken to promote b…

4 May 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much SEPA has spent in the last 12 months on measures to prevent future seasonal water shortages.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: SEPA determine how resources are allocated to meeting their statutory obligations through an Annual Operating Plan published each year in agreement with the Scottish Government. Over the last 12 months SEPA have continued to implement Scotland’s national wat…

4 May 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reported early warnings of water scarcity from SEPA for summer 2023, what progress has been made since the water shortages in summer 2022 to improve water availability.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: The Scottish Government works with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and stakeholders to protect the natural environment and wildlife from water shortages. Our River Basin Management Plan identifies areas in Scotland already impacted by abstra…

4 May 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it incentivises responsible water usage by (a) industry and (b) the agriculture sector, in order to prevent seasonal water scarcity.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: The Scottish Government is working with key business sectors, Scottish Water, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), and other stakeholders to make sure water is used efficiently. We continue to invest in the public network, reducing leakage and …

4 May 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the most recent research is that it has undertaken on Scotland’s resilience to seasonal water scarcity, and what the findings were.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: The Scottish Government supports a wide range of research projects which investigate Scotland’s resilience to water scarcity. The Scottish Government’s Rural and Environment Science and Analytical Services Division (RESAS) funds the Centre of Expertise on Wat…