Mercedes Villalba

6 Dec 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when it plans to introduce its proposed Land Reform Bill.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-23787 on 12 December 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-commit…

5 Dec 2023 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to develop a wealth tax.

1 Dec 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what it can do to promote and support Unite Hospitality's Fair Hospitality Charter in the hospitality sector.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Unite’s Fair Hospitality Charter contains many important elements which the Scottish Government continues to promote through Fair Work First, such as payment of at least the Real Living Wage, appropriate channels for effective workers’ voice through trade uni…

1 Dec 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what it can do to promote and support trade union membership in the hospitality sector.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government is committed to supporting strong Trade Unions in Scotland for the benefit of workers and our economy. Trade unions are key social partners in delivering our economic and social aspirations and we are committed to working in partnershi…

1 Dec 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how any Barnett consequential funding that it receives as a result of the UK Government’s policy of extending the 75% business rates relief for 2023-24 will be distributed.

Answer · Shona Robison: The consequentials associated with the UK Government’s policy of extending the 75% business rates relief for retail, hospitality and leisure premises in England in 2023-24 were confirmed in the Autumn Statement on 17 November 2022. All Barnett consequentials…

1 Dec 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what measures it has considered in relation to providing additional support to the hospitality sector in the current financial year.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government is committed to supporting the hospitality and night-time industry, having been the hardest hit of all sectors from the Covid-19 pandemic and cost crises. The Scottish Budget 2023-24 ensures the lowest poundage in the UK for the fifth…

29 Nov 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of international land reform measures, and how any such assessment has influenced its proposed Land Reform Bill.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: We established the Scottish Land Commission on 1 April 2017, after the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2016 came into force. Its remit is to review the effectiveness and impact of our laws and policies relating to land, and to make recommendations to Scottish Mini…

29 Nov 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact of its proposed Land Reform Bill on (a) housing, (b) jobs, (c) food production and (d) rural depopulation.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The Scottish Government has developed guidance to ensure that Bills can operate effectively in the wider policy and regulatory framework into which they will be introduced. As part of the development of the Bill this may (where relevant) require formal impact…

29 Nov 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it measures the diversity of landownership, and what its position is on how diverse Scotland’s landownership is.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The Scottish Government has no single metric for measuring the diversity of land ownership. Our approach is to examine the evidence of patterns of ownership structures in the context of the different concerns that may be raised, in relation to land ownership …

23 Nov 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any impact on workers of seasonal and insecure contracts, and whether it is working to reduce the use of these contracts in favour of permanent and secure contracts.

Answer · Neil Gray: Scotland has one of the lowest levels of low pay, insecure work and low paid insecure work across all UK regions, however with 17% of workers in Scotland classed as being in insecure work (which is deeply connected to low pay), we are not complacent. Although…

23 Nov 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of workers currently employed by Scotland’s rural estates are paid at least the real Living Wage.

Answer · Neil Gray: Per the latest available Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings real Living Wage data from the Office for National Statistics, Scotland remains the best performing of all four UK countries with the highest proportion of employees (18+) paid the Real Living Wage …

23 Nov 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many of Scotland’s rural estates are accredited Living Wage Employers.

Answer · Neil Gray: The accreditation scheme is managed by Living Wage Scotland, where individual employers go through an application process to obtain accredited status. A directory for all currently accredited employers is available to view on the Living Wage Scotland website …

22 Nov 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what ongoing monitoring of labour conditions is undertaken in relation to private sector projects that have been granted public funding, such as through Peatland ACTION, under its Fair Work First guidance.

Answer · Gillian Martin: Monitoring compliance with Fair Work First principles, including the requirements to pay workers at least the real Living Wage and provide appropriate channels for effective voice, is the responsibility of individual grant managers across government and of re…

22 Nov 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding has been granted through Peatland ACTION to cover labour costs for peatland recovery, broken down by applicants that are categorised as (a) from the (i) public (ii) private and (iii) third sector, (b) individuals and (c) "other".

Answer · Gillian Martin: The Scottish Government funds five direct delivery partners on an annual basis, based on the government wide capital spending allocations as agreed by Cabinet. These five direct delivery partners are NatureScot, Forestry and Land Scotland, Cairngorms National…

22 Nov 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many people are directly employed in the public sector to undertake peatland restoration work, broken down by public body employer.

Answer · Gillian Martin: The total number of FTE staff (rounded to the nearest whole number) employed in the public sector, within the Peatland Action programme, to undertake peatland restoration work – as of November 2023 – is as follows:NatureScot – 56Forestry and Land Scotland – 2…

16 Nov 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the 310,000 potential jobs in Scottish domestic hydrogen production highlighted in its 2020 report, Scottish Hydrogen Assessment, how many of these jobs it estimates would be based in the north east.

Answer · Gillian Martin: The Scottish Hydrogen Assessment projections were all done at a Scotland level and as such, there are no explicit figures for jobs by region.

15 Nov 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many landholdings it expects will be split into lots or offered to community bodies each year as a result of the measures to reduce the scale and concentration of landownership in its proposed Land Reform Bill.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: Our aim is to introduce a Bill that strikes an appropriate balance in applying to significant landholdings whilst not disproportionately impacting smaller businesses and farms. A suite of impact assessments is being developed for Bill introduction, which will…

9 Nov 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether (a) management plans for key Scottish stocks, (b) a consultation on fisheries management for offshore Marine Protected Areas, (c) fisheries management measures in Marine Protected Areas and Priority Marine Features and (d) the other commitments set out in the future fisheries man…

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The fisheries policy authorities intend to deliver the Fisheries Management Plans (FMPs) according to the timescales set out in Annex A of the Joint Fisheries Statement . Fisheries management proposals for offshore Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) will be con…

9 Nov 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the National Marine Plan 2 will include spatial plans for all activities, including fisheries, for all appropriate locations in inshore waters.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: The National Marine Plan 2 (NMP2) will be developed with stakeholders to achieve sustainable management of our seas, support coastal communities, safeguarding of existing sectors and protection of the marine environment. The NMP2 is in the early stages of de…

21 Sep 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met representatives from (a) the offshore oil and gas sector, (b) the offshore renewables sector and (c) trade unions in Scotland to discuss the operation of the Just Transition Fund.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government engages regularly with a range of stakeholders across the North East and Moray, including offshore energy sector businesses and trade unions regarding the operation of the Just Transition Fund where appropriate. Details of the latest m…

21 Sep 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many self-employed workers have (a) applied for and (b) received funding from the Just Transition Fund to date.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Individuals are not eligible to apply directly to the Just Transition Fund. Workers in the north east region are supported through our £50 million multi-year capital grant programme, announced in 2022-23.

21 Sep 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many offshore oil and gas (a) workers and (b) businesses have received support through the Just Transition Fund to date, broken down by region.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: So far, the Just Transition Fund has allocated £75 million to date, supporting a cross-sector portfolio of projects ranging across sectors like energy, agriculture, digital innovation and construction while also supporting communities across the North East an…

20 Sep 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the total volume, in kilograms, was of below Minimum Conservation Reference Size (a) cod, (b) haddock, (c) herring, (d) whiting, (e) sole, (f) plaice and (g) saithe that was discarded by Scottish boats in 2022, in ICES (International Council for the Exploration of the Sea) areas (i)…

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The total quantity of discards below Minimum Conservation Reference Size from Scottish vessels is not currently estimated. The Marine Directorate of the Scottish Government estimates the total weight of bycatch (catch that was not considered suitable for comm…

20 Sep 2023 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish its final Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan.

19 Sep 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when its Bioenergy Action Plan will be published, as committed to in its Scottish Energy Strategy and its Bioenergy: update - March 2021 publication.

Answer · Gillian Martin: The Scottish Government hopes to publish a draft Bioenergy Policy Statement for consultation by the end of 2023.  

19 Sep 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the total volume, in kilograms, was of (a) cod, (b) haddock, (c) herring, (d) whiting, (e) sole, (f) plaice and (g) saithe that was discarded by Scottish boats in 2022, in ICES (International Council for the Exploration of the Sea) areas (i) 4 and (ii) 6a.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The total quantity of discards from Scottish vessels is not currently estimated. Marine Scotland estimates the total weight of fish bycatch (catch that was not considered suitable for commercial sales) for demersal trawlers and seine netters for each year, us…

12 Sep 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the recommendations of the Active Travel Transformation Project will be made publicly available. 

Answer · Patrick Harvie: The recommendations of the ongoing Active Travel Transformation Project will be made publicly available. It is intended that these will be shared in the coming months. A report which summarises the work undertaken and lessons learned from the first stage of …

30 Aug 2023 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made on the development of an offshore training passport, as funded by the Just Transition Fund.

20 Jul 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its commitment in the Bute House Agreement to "consult as soon as practicable on proposals to apply a cap to fishing activity in inshore waters", when it expects to deliver any such consultation.

Answer · Gillian Martin: The Bute House Agreement builds on the actions in our Fisheries Management Strategy which sets out our approach to managing Scottish sea fisheries in partnership with our stakeholders, to deliver the best results for the future of our marine environment, our …

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, what the timescales are for establishing fisheries management measures for "tranche two" of the existing Marine Protected Areas.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: “Tranche two” Marine Protected Areas are included in work currently ongoing to implement fisheries management measures within existing Marine Protected Areas. I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-20143 on 15 August 2023 for details of the timesca…