Mercedes Villalba

23 Jun 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to assess any merits of activating the break clause in Transport Scotland’s current contract with Serco for the Northern Isles Ferry Services.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Northern Isles Ferry Services contract sets out the requirement for a Revised Base Case exercise. Transport Scotland and Serco NorthLink completed the contractual requirement to rebase the bid submission figures for Contract Years 7 & 8. As the costs …

23 Jun 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether CMAL is the sole employer of seafarers working on the MV (a) Helliar and (b) Hildasay freight vessel operated by NorthLink Ferries.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: CMAL are not the employer of any seafarers working on either MV Hellier or MV Hildasay.

23 Jun 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it can take to ensure that the recognition agreement between Serco NorthLink and the RMT Union for staff on the MV (a) Hrossey, (b) Hjaltland and (c) Hamnavoe ro-pax vessel on the Northern Isles Ferry Services contract is extended to cover seafarers on the MV (i) Helliar and (…

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Fair Work First principles are included in the Northern Isles Ferry Service (NIFS3) contract, including the support of progressive workforce engagement, such as Trade Union recognition and representation where possible, or otherwise alternative arrangements t…

23 Jun 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what recent assessment it has made of seafarer employment conditions on the MV (a) Helliar and (b) Hildasay freight vessel owned by CMAL, and whether these conditions are compliant with its Fair Work Framework.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Scottish Ministers require that those who deliver public contracts adopt fair employment practices for all workers engaged on delivering these contracts. Crew on board the freight vessels MV Helliar and MV Hildasay continue to benefit from the principles set …

18 Jun 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many jobs have been created through the Green Jobs Fund.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Figures provided by the recipients of the Green Jobs Fund awards estimated that the projects will support up to 7354 jobs over the life of the individual projects.

18 Jun 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much of its £100 million Green Jobs Fund has been allocated to date, (a) in total and (b) broken down by financial year. 

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Green Jobs Fund has provided £38.7 million in grant funding.Green Jobs Fund Annual Funding Total2021-2022£10.9m2022-2023£11.8m2023-2024£10.6m2024-2025£5.4mThe Green Jobs Fund was discontinued in the 2023-24 financial year, wi…

18 Jun 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how much of the £500 million Just Transition Fund for the North East and Moray has been allocated since the establishment of the fund.

Answer · Gillian Martin: Since its establishment in 2022, the Scottish Government has allocated Just Transition Fund support to the North East and Moray as follows:2022 - 2023: £10 million2023 - 2024: £50 million2024 - 2025: £12.172 million2025 - 2026: £15.9 m…

18 Jun 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what outcomes have been achieved through the Just Transition Fund. 

Answer · Gillian Martin: With a view to assessing the value for public money and the impact of our investment to date, we commissioned an independent evaluation of the impact of the fund in its first two years of operation. The report, which will be published shortly, emphasised the …

18 Jun 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much has been allocated from the Just Transition Fund in each financial year since the fund was established. 

Answer · Gillian Martin: Since its inception in 2022, the Scottish Government has allocated Just Transition Fund support to the North East and Moray as follows:2022 - 2023: £10 million2023 - 2024: £50 million2024 - 2025: £12.172 million2025 - 2026: £15.9 milli…

18 Jun 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what outcomes have been achieved through the Green Jobs Fund.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Green Jobs Fund supported businesses and their supply chains to help them better transition to a low carbon economy. The support provided by the fund, all of which was capital, aimed to create green employment through investment in equipment, premises, an…

17 Jun 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve the (a) management and (b) tracking of marine traffic in Scotland's coastal waters.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: Shipping safety and marine traffic management are matters largely reserved to the UK Government. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency is responsible for shipping regulations and safety in UK waters, including tracking marine traffic in UK waters.The Marine Dire…

2 Jun 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with local authorities regarding when they were first made aware of the risks of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete. 

Answer · Paul McLennan: The Scottish Government has engaged closely with Local Authorities throughout the response to the issues raised by reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC). In August 2023 the Scottish Government held the first meeting of the RAAC Cross Sector Working Gr…

2 Jun 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with local authorities regarding whether they could have taken any steps to make potential Right to Buy purchasers more aware of the risks of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete, and, if this was the case, what steps were identified. 

Answer · Mairi McAllan: The Right to Buy (RTB) policy pre-dates the Scottish Parliament. The Tenants’ Rights, Etc. (Scotland) Act 1980 introduced the RTB for tenants of local authorities, New Town Development Corporations, the Scottish Special Housing Association and Housing c…

2 Jun 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the criteria are for accessing the Aberdeen City Region Deal Housing Infrastructure Fund. 

Answer · Mairi McAllan: Information on the criteria used to assess applications for the Housing Infrastructure Fund and how to apply can be found here: Housing Infrastructure Fund : guidance for applications - gov.scot

28 May 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it expects Scottish Enterprise to have finalised the review of its human rights due diligence processes.

Answer · Kate Forbes: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-36648 on 29 April 2025. 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…

28 May 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it has provided to Scottish Enterprise regarding the (a) scope, (b) timescales and (c) terms of reference of the review of its human rights due diligence processes.

Answer · Kate Forbes: In line with the Labour Party Motion, it is for Scottish Enterprise to decide the scope, timescale, and terms of reference of the review. The Scottish Government has remained in close contact with Scottish Enterprise on this work, exchanging relevant advice a…

28 May 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what (a) accountability and (b) monitoring mechanisms are in place to ensure that Scottish Enterprise’s review of its human rights due diligence processes is undertaken in line with relevant international human rights standards.

Answer · Kate Forbes: The Scottish Government’s human rights due diligence guidance sets out recommendations on how we, our executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies should undertake due diligence on an individual or company’s human rights record before ent…

20 May 2025 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, in light of article 8 of the Human Rights Act 1998, how it will ensure that the human right to respect for private life is protected in the implementation of any measures that it is taking as result of the Supreme Court ruling in For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scott…

Answer · Jackson Carlaw (on behalf of the SPCB): As the national Parliament, there is the need to balance the needs and legal rights of all those who work at and visit the Parliament, and manage the tensions this sometimes creates. The right to private life is a key consideration for all employers and we wi…

20 May 2025 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body how it is working to ensure that parliamentary staff have the right to work free from any discrimination and harassment, regardless of gender identity.

Answer · Jackson Carlaw (on behalf of the SPCB): The SPCB is committed to creating and maintaining a safe, welcoming and inclusive working environment that nurtures a culture in which we treat one another with courtesy and professionalism. There is no place for bullying, harassment, discrimination, sexual m…

20 May 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it is working (a) in Scotland and (b) with the UK Government to ensure that everyone has the right to live and work freely from discrimination and harassment, regardless of gender identity.

Answer · Kaukab Stewart: The Scottish Government believes in equality and fairness for all. Our 2025-26 Programme for Government includes a commitment to create safe spaces for the LGBTQI+ community - funding work that tackles discrimination and upholds the human rights of this group…

20 May 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the emergency composite motion, “Legal Protection for Gender Identity and Trans Rights”, which was passed at the Scottish Trades Union Congress in Dundee on 30 April 2025.

Answer · Kaukab Stewart: The Scottish Government notes the emergency composite motion from the Scottish Trades Union Congress.The motion calls for updates to be made to the Equality Act 2010 with respect to the protected characteristic groups as defined in the 2010 Act. As the Equali…

20 May 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of article 8 of the Human Rights Act 1998, how it will ensure that the human right to respect for private life is protected in the implementation of any measures that it is taking as a result of the Supreme Court ruling in For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers.

Answer · Kaukab Stewart: The Scottish Government is considering carefully the implications of the UK Supreme Court judgment. In taking any steps to implement the judgment, we will do so in a manner that is consistent with our human rights obligations, including those under the Human …

20 May 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many times it has met with (a) UK Government officials, (b) trade unions and (c) employers regarding the energy skills passport steering group since 22 January 2025.

Answer · Gillian Martin: Since the launch of the Energy Skills Passport in January 2025, Scottish Government officials have met regularly with the industry leads for the project, Offshore Energies UK (OEUK) and RenewableUK (RUK), with approximately seven such meetings happening over …

20 May 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the uptake of the Energy Skills Passport by offshore workers since 22 January 2025.

Answer · Gillian Martin: The Energy Skills Passport is an industry-led project, with Offshore Energies UK (OEUK) and RenewableUK (RUK) as the lead bodies.The latest information available to Scottish Government regarding uptake, which covers the period from launch in January to April …

6 May 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-35303 by Gillian Martin on 12 March 2025, what assessment it has made of the current provisions in the UK Government’s Employment Rights Bill and the employment rights of (a) offshore energy workers and (b) seafarers in Scotland.

Answer · Gillian Martin: The Scottish Government has no duty to conduct an assessment of the impact of the UK Government’s Employment Rights Bill with regard to offshore energy workers or seafarers or any other sector, but we welcome the Bill and continue to work with the UK Go…

6 May 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-35302 by Gillian Martin on 12 March 2025, when the leasing agreement between the developers of the Inch Cape Offshore Wind Farm site and Crown Estate Scotland was signed.

Answer · Gillian Martin: The Lease for the Inch Cape Offshore windfarm was signed on 24 January 2025.

6 May 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-35302 by Gillian Martin on 12 March 2025, whether it will provide the figures for (a) minimum output and (b) tenant projections for production that were used by Crown Estate Scotland to produce the estimate of the total fees paid by the developers f…

Answer · Gillian Martin: This data is commercially confidential and therefore Crown Estate Scotland is not in a position to share it.

6 May 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-35303 by Gillian Martin on 12 March 2025, what consideration it has given to the (a) application and (b) enforcement of the national minimum wage on (i) Inch Cape and (ii) other offshore wind farms leased by Crown Estate Scotland with the UK Governm…

Answer · Gillian Martin: As stated in the answer to S6W-35303, employment legislation is reserved to the UK Parliament and there have been no discussions to date specifically on enforcement of the national minimum wage for Inch Cape or other offshore wind farms. As long as employment…

6 May 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-35302 by Gillian Martin on 12 March 2025, how much it estimates would be raised in leasing fees for a 50-year lease of the site under the current ScotWind leasing process.

Answer · Gillian Martin: Based on 2024 estimates, Crown Estate Scotland projects a revenue from ScotWind developments of £3.42m per gigwatt over the lifetime of the project. If leased through ScotWind then Inch Cape (1.08GW installed capacity) would return £3.7m annually.…

6 May 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-35301 by Gillian Martin on 12 March 2025, what steps it has taken to ensure that the delivery of its Fair Work Action Plan is a requirement of leasing agreements between offshore wind developers and Crown Estate Scotland.

Answer · Gillian Martin: As stated in the response to S6W-35301, through the Scottish Government’s Fair Work policy all employers across Scotland, including those involved in the Offshore Wind sector, are encouraged to adopt Fair Work First principles. Leasing agreements are ag…