Former Member of the Scottish Parliament
Jean Urquhart
Unknown party
At a glance Jean Urquhart was a Member of the Scottish Parliament.
Attendance is votes cast as a share of the 2,903 Holyrood divisions on record; Jean Urquhart did not vote in 77.
Voting record
The most recent divisions Jean Urquhart voted in. For, Against and Abstain are as recorded.
| 17 Mar 2016 | Private Housing (Tenancies) (Scotland) Bill | For |
| 16 Mar 2016 | Land Reform (Scotland) Bill | For |
| 9 Mar 2016 | Rural Affairs | For |
| 9 Mar 2016 | Rural Affairs | For |
| 9 Mar 2016 | Rural Affairs | Against |
| 9 Mar 2016 | Rural Affairs | For |
| 8 Mar 2016 | Higher Education Governance (Scotland) Bill | For |
| 2 Mar 2016 | Health | For |
| 2 Mar 2016 | Health | For |
| 1 Mar 2016 | Social Security | Against |
| 1 Mar 2016 | Social Security | For |
| 1 Mar 2016 | Social Security | Against |
| 25 Feb 2016 | Criminal Verdicts (Scotland) Bill | Against |
| 25 Feb 2016 | Local Government Finance (Scotland) Order 2016 | For |
| 24 Feb 2016 | Budget (Scotland) (No.5) Bill | For |
Questions
Jean Urquhart has tabled 147 questions in the Scottish Parliament.
To ask the Scottish Government what financial modelling of the new areas of natural constraint payment system it has ca…
To ask the Scottish Government what financial modelling of the new areas of natural constraint payment system it has carried out, and what the results were.
Answer · Richard Lochhead · 18 Mar 2016
Work is currently underway to consider the designation and scheme design for Areas of Natural Constraint (ANC), and this process will include modelling of the options for the new scheme, within the scope of EU rules, before it is introduced in 2018.
We are working closely with the James Hutton Institute to apply the biophysical criteria for the new land designation, and with the ANC Stakeholder Group to consider the principles underpinning and options for delivering the new scheme.
We are also developing the evidence base for ANC, reviewing the relevant elements of the Less Favoured Area Support Scheme and analysing the impact of the change of support under the new direct payments regime.
External consultants have been commissioned to analyse this information and provide impartial recommendations based on the evidence. I expect them to report later in the spring and for the Scottish Government to launch a public consultation in the autumn.
To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of single farm payment applications in each parliamentary region that ha…
To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of single farm payment applications in each parliamentary region that have been approved (a) has been paid and (b) is awaiting payment, also broken down by the average (i) value of the payment and (ii) holding size of the farm.
Answer · Richard Lochhead · 18 Mar 2016
I can provide some information on the regional breakdown of the Basic Payment Scheme. The information requested is not categorised by parliamentary region and I am therefore supplying the best alternatives I can at present which is the information relating to each rural payments and inspections division local area office as at 24 February 2016.
Area Office
Number of Payments
Value
Largest Payment*
Smallest Payment*
Average Payment*
Ayr
1,084
£14,046,734.23
£222,802.80
£0.39
£12,958.24
Benbecula
221
£244,288.00
£6,742.62
£47.10
£1,105.38
Dumfries
834
£12,911,541.07
£ 198,189.30
£149.65
£15,481.46
Elgin
118
£ 1,086,185.83
£ 38,975.57
£208.86
£8,937.54
Galashiels
763
£13,571,343.43
£161,093.26
£26.72
£17,786.82
Golspie
213
£736,584.25
£30,537.83
£20.60
£3,458.14
Hamilton
514
£5,710,533.42
£77,913.38
£231.51
£11,109.99
Inverness
625
£4,146,111.32
£83,103.55
£59.96
£6,633.78
Inverurie
1,278
£13,707,110.37
£132,320.70
£183.63
£10,725.44
Kirkwall
382
£3,133,959.32
£64,504.41
£142.31
£8,204.08
Lerwick
447
£1,065,102.13
£25,049.55
£45.39
£2,382.78
Oban
526
£3,396,720.34
£51,323.84
£53.23
£6,457.64
Perth
1,248
£17,020,218.05
£247,228.84
£13.29
£13,637.99
Portree
157
£372,917.75
£26,005.67
£104.40
£2,375.27
Stornoway
216
£176,132.59
£4,691.28
£75.53
£815.43
Thurso
452
£3,623,706.90
£85,566.88
£167.34
£8,017.05
Total/Averages*
9,078
£94,949,189.01
£91,003.09
£95.62
£8,130.44
The average holding size of holdings paid is 120.3 hectares.
To ask the Scottish Government how many additional staff it has recently recruited or redeployed to offices in crofting…
To ask the Scottish Government how many additional staff it has recently recruited or redeployed to offices in crofting areas to help process rural payments.
Answer · Richard Lochhead · 18 Mar 2016
The rural payments and inspections division have recruited 36 additional staff in order to help speed up processing and payments. The location of each of these staff members is shown on the following table:
Office
Staff Recruited
Ayr
2
Hamilton
0
Dumfries
3
Galashiels
4
Inverness (including Portree)
9
Inverurie
4
Elgin
2
Kirkwall
2
Lerwick
1
Golspie
1
Thurso
1
Oban
2
Stornoway
2
Benbecula
1
Tiree
0
Perth
2
Total
36
To ask the Scottish Government how many crofters have (a) applied and (b) received payment for common grazing shares un…
To ask the Scottish Government how many crofters have (a) applied and (b) received payment for common grazing shares under the basic payment scheme, and whether problems with processing applications have led to a delay.
Answer · Richard Lochhead · 18 Mar 2016
We are currently processing all of the outstanding land issues including common grazing. The information is not yet complete and we are therefore unable to give a response to this question at the moment.
To ask the Scottish Government how much basic payment scheme funding has been awarded to crofters, and what proportion …
To ask the Scottish Government how much basic payment scheme funding has been awarded to crofters, and what proportion of the scheme's budget this represents.
Answer · Richard Lochhead · 22 Mar 2016
The Basic Payment Scheme application form does not ask applicants to specifically define themselves as crofters and it is therefore not possible to give a definitive answer to this question however I can advise that as of 23 February 2016, payments have been made to 2452 businesses based within area offices covering crofting counties. The total value of these payments is £13,170,898.72 which equates to 14.3% for the total amount paid so far.
To ask the Scottish Government how many crofters in (a) Skye and (b) the rest of the country have (i) applied for and (…
To ask the Scottish Government how many crofters in (a) Skye and (b) the rest of the country have (i) applied for and (ii) received basic payment scheme funding.
Answer · Richard Lochhead · 18 Mar 2016
The basic payment scheme application form does not ask applicants to specifically define themselves as crofters and it is therefore not possible to give a definitive answer to this question however I can advise that as of 23 February 2016, payments have been made to 2452 businesses based within area offices covering crofting counties, 157 of which are located within the area covered by the Portree local area office.
To ask the Scottish Government whether its common agricultural policy area payment scheme computer system is now fully …
To ask the Scottish Government whether its common agricultural policy area payment scheme computer system is now fully operational.
Answer · Richard Lochhead · 22 Mar 2016
It has always been envisaged that the rural payments and services IT system would be delivered in phases however, payments are currently being made in accordance with the European Union common agricultural policy window which closes on 30 June 2016.
To ask the Scottish Government whether its common agricultural policy area payment budget has been top-sliced to pay fo…
To ask the Scottish Government whether its common agricultural policy area payment budget has been top-sliced to pay for the area payment computer system and, if so, what the average cost has been to applicants, expressed as a percentage of the amount due.
Answer · Richard Lochhead · 18 Mar 2016
The common agricultural policy area payment budget has not been top-sliced to pay for the area payment computer system.
Motions lodged
| 10 Mar 2016 | Tidal Turbine Boost for Green Energy Growth | 18 sig. |
| 26 Jan 2016 | 30th Anniversary of Feis Rois | 25 sig. |
| 18 Nov 2015 | Scotland’s UNESCO Global Geoparks | 15 sig. |
| 3 Sep 2015 | Congratulations to North West Highlands Geopark | 25 sig. |
| 24 Aug 2015 | Calls for a UK Apology to the Palestinian People | 3 sig. |
| 14 May 2015 | Peat Extraction for Horticulture | 1 sig. |
Seat & career
- Highlands and Islands (region) Regional MSP · Dissolution 5 May 2011 – 23 Mar 2016
Allowances
2016 (latest published)
Source: Scottish Parliament (published ~1 year in arrears)
Source: this MSP's official Scottish Parliament profile. Last updated 26 Jul 2026.