Mercedes Villalba

27 Jan 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether any restrictions or controls are in place, during the transfer of land, in relation to protecting existing woodlands that are contributing to flood prevention measures.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: Yes, the felling of trees is regulated through the issuing of Felling Permissions, under the Forestry and Land Management (Scotland) Act 2018. Permission must be granted before felling, thinning or deforesting an area of woodland; the sale and transfer of lan…

26 Jan 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many hectares of land each local authority (a) currently owns and (b) owned (i) five, (ii) 10 and (iii) 20 years ago.

Answer · Tom Arthur: This is a question for the Keeper of the Registers of Scotland. She advises me that current ownership for each local authority is provided in the following table. This is provided from a combination of titles in the Land Register and General Register of Sasin…

26 Jan 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many hectares of land each NHS board (a) currently owns and (b) owned (i) five, (ii) 10 and (iii) 20 years ago.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The information requested is not collected or held centrally by the Scottish Government and would require to be obtained from Health Boards.  

25 Jan 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding a suspected fatality among workers on the Liberia-registered rig, Valaris 121, in the North Sea on 22 January 2022.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government has engaged with representatives of the Health and Safety Executive on this tragic incident and understand that it is now subject of a live police investigation and not a matter that the Scottish Government can comment on.

25 Jan 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what recent assessment it has made of the safety standards to protect (a) offshore workers and (b) seafarers from Scotland who are working in waters over 12 nautical miles from the Scottish coastline.

24 Jan 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many serious road traffic accidents have been caused by wild deer in the last 12 months.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: We do not hold this information in the Transport Scotland injury road accidents database. At the moment, the only information we collect is accidents involving an animal in the carriageway and we cannot determine from the database, what type of animal. The on…

24 Jan 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it (a) monitors and (b) records road traffic accidents that are caused by wild deer.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: I refer the member to answers to questions S6W-14299 on? 6 February 2023 and S6W-14300 on 31 January 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.par…

24 Jan 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans Transport Scotland has to include any road traffic accidents that are caused by wild deer in its annual statistics.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: Statistical information about injury road accidents is collected by the police and reported to the Scottish Government using the GB-wide "STATS 19" returns. At the moment, the only information available from STATS-19 is accidents involving an animal in the c…

12 Jan 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is taking to ensure there are welfare facilities within all fire stations in Scotland, so that firefighters can decontaminate themselves following any exposure to cancerogenic fire contaminants.

Answer · Elena Whitham: The safety and wellbeing of all fire and rescue officers is of upmost importance to the Scottish Government. The Scottish Government has continued the commitment to support SFRS service delivery and reform with a further uplift of £10m resource for 2023-24, …

12 Jan 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact that the freeze on the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) capital budget at £32.5 million will have upon the ability of SFRS to modernise its current estate.

Answer · Elena Whitham: Decisions on the allocation of its capital budget, including how to prioritise fleet, equipment or buildings is a matter for SFRS. The Scottish Government is in regular contact with SFRS to ensure it has the resources it needs to keep communities safe. SFRS …

14 Dec 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the point at which the Deposit Return Scheme commences, what enforcement measures will be available to SEPA to ensure that all UK retailers outside Scotland include the cost of the 20p deposit on all scheme articles that are for sale online to customers in Scotland.

Answer · Lorna Slater: Where an offence has been committed the enforcement options remain the same for retailers based outside Scotland as they are for those in Scotland. These include:provision of advice and guidance;fixed monetary penalties (FMP);variable monetary penalties (VMP)…

14 Dec 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the Deposit Return Scheme, whether any estimates have been made of the potential financial impact on producers and retailers in Scotland of any UK retailers outside Scotland that do not include the cost of the 20p deposit on scheme articles that are for sale online to cus…

Answer · Lorna Slater: The Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) Regulations require all retailers who sell in-scope products into Scotland, regardless of where they are based, to apply the 20p deposit. Therefore, retailers based in Scotland will not be disadvantaged by those based elsewhere.

14 Dec 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the point at which the Deposit Return Scheme commences, whether all UK retailers outside Scotland will be required to include the cost of the 20p deposit on all scheme articles that are for sale online to customers in Scotland.

Answer · Lorna Slater: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-13244 on 17 January 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-committ…

12 Dec 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the commitment in its National Strategy for Economic Transformation, published in March 2022, what progress has been made on the development of a national project pipeline for nature-based solutions.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: In August 2022, NatureScot launched the Investment Ready Nature in Scotland (IRNS) scheme, which provides projects that offer nature-based solutions with technical assistance grants to address investment barriers and develop replicable and scalable business m…

12 Dec 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to its recent consultation Delivering our Vision for Scottish Agriculture, how it defines "high quality food production".

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The agriculture bill will reaffirm our commitment to the highest production standards which are underpinned by Animal Health and Welfare standards, environmental stewardship conditions, and fair working conditions. As such high quality food production is a br…

12 Dec 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made on the implementation of the Interim Principles for Responsible Investment in Natural Capital.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: We launched the Interim Principles in Parliament on March 31 2022. They set out in more detail our ambition for a high integrity, values-led market for responsible investment in natural capital including our commitment that communities are engaged in, and ben…

12 Dec 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Interim Principles for Responsible Investment in Natural Capital will be permanently adopted, and, if this is the case, when.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-13172 on 10 January 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-committ…

7 Dec 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the response rate was to its consultation, Land Reform in a Net Zero Nation, and when it will publish its response.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: The public consultation on the Bill, “Land Reform in a Net Zero Nation”, was open from the 4 July until the 30 October, and received over 540 responses. The responses were published on 22 December 2022, and we aim to publish the analysis of them in early spri…

7 Dec 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of requiring community wealth building principles to be included in land management plans.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: We are supportive of community wealth building, and the opportunities it presents to act as a conduit for supporting our Net Zero ambitions, in particular supporting a just transition. The land and property pillar of community wealth building is particularly …

7 Dec 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what recent work it has done on introducing a cap on the total amount of land that can be owned in Scotland.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: Our consultation document on the next Land Reform Bill proposes a series of important changes to the framework of law and policy that govern the system of ownership, management and use of land in Scotland. The proposals are in line with the recommendations of…

7 Dec 2022 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will incorporate the costed package of tax increases recommended in the Scottish Trades Union Congress-commissioned report, Options for increasing taxes in Scotland to fund investment in public services, into its 2023-24 budget.

6 Dec 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many active working groups there are that fall under the remit of (a) climate change, (b) environment, (c) land reform, (d) green skills, (e) circular economy and (f) biodiversity, and whether it will provide a list of these groups.

Answer · Michael Matheson: There are currently a number of Scottish Government working groups that fall under the remit of Net Zero, Energy and Transport. A list of relevant groups has been provided below, set against the remit headings provided. a)Climate ChangePeatland Science and T…

2 Dec 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the working group that is due to precede the proposed citizens' assembly on local government funding will include representatives of tenants' rights organisations, antipoverty organisations, trade unions and other relevant bodies.

Answer · Tom Arthur: As set out in the Bute House Agreement, the Joint Working Group comprises members of the Scottish Government working with the Scottish Green Party and COSLA. The Joint Working Group will consider and decide as appropriate whether to seek to engage various org…

2 Dec 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it anticipates the working group that is due to precede the proposed citizens' assembly on local government funding will begin its work.

Answer · Tom Arthur: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-12943 on 20 December 2022. 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-commit…

2 Dec 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will propose a debate in the Parliament on the scale and scope of the work to be allocated to the working group that is due to precede the proposed citizens' assembly on local government funding prior to the working group becoming operational.

Answer · Tom Arthur: The Joint Working Group, which includes COSLA and the Scottish Green Party commenced it work, initially focussing on targeted changes to Council Tax to reflect the current circumstances created by the cost crisis. The group will also consider approaches to lo…

30 Nov 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the publication of its Private Sector Rent Statistics Scotland, 2010 to 2022, what steps it is taking to reduce private sector rents, in light of average rents having increased in 17 of the 18 regions of Scotland.

Answer · Patrick Harvie: The Scottish Government is committed to introducing a national system of rent controls by the end of 2025, and to do so in a way which is robust and provides lasting benefit to tenants. We consulted widely earlier in 2022 on our New Deal for Tenants draft st…

30 Nov 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the publication of its Private Sector Rent Statistics Scotland, 2010 to 2022, what steps it is taking to reduce private sector rents in the seven areas of Scotland that have seen average rents increase above the rate of inflation.

Answer · Patrick Harvie: The Scottish Government is committed to introducing a national system of rent controls with an appropriate mechanism to allow local authorities to introduce local measures, by the end of 2025, and to do so in a way which is robust and provides lasting benefit…

29 Nov 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether any regional marine plans agreed either prior to, or after, the publication of the next National Marine Plan will include comprehensive marine spatial planning for all economic activities in their area.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: The Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 requires the regional marine plans state policies for and in connection with the sustainable development of the area to which the plan relates. Regional marine plans must also set economic, social and marine ecosystem objectives…

29 Nov 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the time that has elapsed since the passage of the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010, whether the next National Marine Plan will include interim spatial plans to give clarity on appropriate locations for all economic activities in Scotland's inshore waters until the relevant region…

Answer · Mairi McAllan: Regional marine plans are currently being developed for 3 out of the 11 Scottish Marine Regions (Orkney, Shetland and the Clyde) with preparatory work being undertaken by Local Coastal Partnerships in other regions. The purpose of a National Marine Plan is t…

29 Nov 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it anticipates a cap on fishing activity in inshore waters, up to three nautical miles, limiting activity to current levels, as per the Bute House Agreement, to impact the level of discards, in light of the relevant proposals in the Future Catching Policy.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The Scottish Government anticipates that the proposed cap on fishing activity (up to three nautical miles) will contribute to our efforts to deliver a step change in marine protection. We will consult on our proposals to apply an activity cap in due course. …