Parliamentary questions
Rhoda Grant
2,396 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
27 Mar 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-15873 by Lorna Slater on 24 March 2023, what its position is on whether (a) there will be returns to investors from private investment in the areas covered by the Memorandum of Understanding, (b) much of that investment will (i) be from outwith the …
Answer · Lorna Slater: We expect all investment to adhere to the Interim Principles for Responsible Investment in Natural Capital as a minimum. The ethical framework that is being developed by NatureScot and its partners to guide investments under the Memorandum of Understanding wi…
27 Mar 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-15874 by Lorna Slater on 24 March 2023, what its position is on whether promoting financial gains for private investors and private banks external to local communities, or Scotland, is an effective means of achieving a just transition to net zero wi…
Answer · Lorna Slater: The Climate Change Committee, an independent statutory body, published their report on Voluntary Carbon Markets and Offsetting in October 2022, concluding that high-integrity carbon credits purchased by businesses can play a small but important role in suppor…
27 Mar 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-15869 by Lorna Slater on 24 March 2023, what the main component parts are that make up the £20 billion in the calculation of the finance gap; whether an independent assessment has been made of how accurate the £20 billion gap is for the specific cir…
Answer · Lorna Slater: The £20 billion finance gap figure for nature-related outcomes in Scotland was reported in research by the Green Finance Institute in 2021. The finance gap is defined as the difference between required spending and committed/planned spending to deliver desire…
27 Mar 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assurances were (a) sought and (b) received by NatureScot from Hampden & Co, Lombard Odier Investment Managers and Palladium, in concluding the recent Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), that any private investment deployed in Scotland as a result of the MOU would not come from entit…
Answer · Lorna Slater: NatureScot are currently developing an ethical framework that will guide investments from the partnership. The matters referred to will be addressed by this framework, which will be agreed by the project board and made publicly available.
27 Mar 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S6W-15878 and S6W-15879 by Lorna Slater on 24 March 2023, what steps it is taking to identify, support and advance potential community purchases of land and to encourage alternative models of ownership in the areas covered by the Memorandum of Underst…
Answer · Lorna Slater: The partnership is actively exploring alternative models of ownership with the Scottish Land Commission and has already held two workshops to explore these opportunities. In addition, existing routes to community ownership remain open across the whole of Scot…
27 Mar 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-15872 by Lorna Slater on 24 March 2023, regarding its reference to all capital costs being met by investors, whether that is the capital costs of any planting or peatland restoration scheme remaining after payments from forest or peatland grant sche…
Answer · Lorna Slater: Private investment from the partnership will cover all capital costs although land managers may also choose to apply to existing grant schemes, in which case there will be a mix of funding. The usual processes and policies for public grants will apply. Until…
27 Mar 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-15870 by Lorna Slater on 24 March 2023, whether the Scottish Land Commission agreed to the wording referring to it prior to the publication of the Memorandum of Understanding, and what the estimated monetary value of staff resources is that will be …
Answer · Lorna Slater: Not being a party to the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), the Scottish Land Commission did not provide comment or input into its wording. The MOU published in March incorrectly listed the Scottish Land Commission as having a decision making role on the proj…
13 Mar 2023 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to protect the culture of the Highlands and Islands.
10 Mar 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions NatureScot had with Hampden & Co, Lombard Odier Investment Managers and Palladium regarding making guaranteed minimum community benefit payments to local communities arising from the increased investments to be made, and on any clawback from increased land values that ma…
Answer · Lorna Slater: As the intention is to work with existing land owners, NatureScot do not anticipate that the investment will contribute to increased land values as a result of the sale or purchase of land. However, investing in natural capital may increase land values as it …
10 Mar 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment NatureScot made of how the Memorandum of Understanding with Hampden & Co, Lombard Odier Investment Managers and Palladium would support achieving a greater diversity in land ownership in Scotland, and whether it will publish any such assessment.
Answer · Lorna Slater: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-15876 on 24 March 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…
10 Mar 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the recently agreed Memorandum of Understanding, what consultation (a) NatureScot, (b) Hampden & Co, (c) Lombard Odier Investment Managers and (d) Palladium had with the Scottish Land Commission; what agreement was reached on how they would assist the community consultati…
Answer · Lorna Slater: NatureScot approached the Scottish Land Commission to provide advice so that the design of the investment meets the expectations for community engagement, benefit and ownership that are set out in the Scottish Government’s Interim Principles for Responsible I…
10 Mar 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much wealth it estimates will be extracted from (a) the local areas for investment and (b) Scotland as a result of the returns expected on investment flowing from the Memorandum of Understanding between NatureScot and Hampden & Co, Lombard Odier Investment Managers and Palladium.
Answer · Lorna Slater: Rather than extracting wealth, this partnership will deliver responsible investment in both the pilot project areas and Scotland more widely. Financial matters relating to the pilot cannot be determined until detailed investment cases for projects have been …
10 Mar 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the legal status and effect is of the Memorandum of Understanding between NatureScot and Hampden & Co, Lombard Odier Investment Managers and Palladium, and what role the Scottish Ministers have had in the Memorandum of Understanding.
Answer · Lorna Slater: The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is legally binding between the parties (NatureScot, Hampden & Co., Lombard Odier Investment Managers and Palladium). Scottish Government Ministers are not party to the MOU, but are aware of the work NatureScot are underta…
10 Mar 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether NatureScot is free to enter into other Memoranda of Understanding with other parties in relation to (a) the geographic areas described in the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between NatureScot and Hampden & Co, Lombard Odier Investment Managers and Palladium and (b) other areas…
Answer · Lorna Slater: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-15868 on 24 March 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…
10 Mar 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment NatureScot made of how the Memorandum of Understanding with Hampden & Co, Lombard Odier Investment Managers and Palladium would support a just transition to net zero, and whether it will publish any such assessment.
Answer · Lorna Slater: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-15876 on 24 March 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…
10 Mar 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the term of time is over which the Memorandum of Understanding between NatureScot and Hampden & Co, Lombard Odier Investment Managers and Palladium exists before it expires.
Answer · Lorna Slater: The Memorandum of Understanding has no fixed term and can be terminated at any time by NatureScot.
10 Mar 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what earnings NatureScot estimates Hampden & Co, Lombard Odier Investment Managers and Palladium will make from their involvement in delivering the terms of the recently agreed Memorandum of Understanding, and what returns for investors it estimates any investment opportunities arising w…
Answer · Lorna Slater: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-15873 on 24 March 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…
10 Mar 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the purchase of land for the purposes of investment is ruled out by the Memorandum of Understanding between NatureScot and Hampden & Co, Lombard Odier Investment Managers and Palladium.
Answer · Lorna Slater: This project will work with existing land owners and managers to restore native woodlands and other habitats, rather than acquiring land or changing land ownership. Although the Memorandum of Understanding does not rule out the purchase of land, the only scen…
10 Mar 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions NatureScot had with Hampden & Co, Lombard Odier Investment Managers and Palladium to require the creation of new woodland crofts or other forms of tenancies to manage new or existing woodlands and to ensure that the benefits of public and private investments would be wid…
Answer · Lorna Slater: The matters referred to will be explored during the design phase of the project. Alternative models of ownership will be encouraged, where appropriate and this will be further scoped during the design phase of the project.
10 Mar 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between NatureScot and Hampden & Co, Lombard Odier Investment Managers and Palladium confers any guarantees or preferred status to this consortium of companies in relation to public funds and grants for the area set out in the MOU, and, if so…
Answer · Lorna Slater: The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) does not confer any guarantees or preferred status to the partners and allows NatureScot to work and enter agreements with other parties, both in the locations identified in the MOU and across Scotland. MOU signatories wi…
10 Mar 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment NatureScot made of how the Memorandum of Understanding with Hampden & Co, Lombard Odier Investment Managers and Palladium would contribute to wealth owned by the communities local to the investment areas, and whether it will publish any such assessment.
Answer · Lorna Slater: The partnership will seek to deliver direct community benefit as a result of the investment, in line with the expectations of the Scottish Government’s Interim Principles for Responsible Investment in Natural Capital. This will include full consideration of c…
10 Mar 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the opportunity of agreeing a Memorandum of Understanding between NatureScot and Hampden & Co, Lombard Odier Investment Managers and Palladium was open to public competitive tender, and, if not, what its position is on how the decision reached by NatureScot can be regarded as bei…
Answer · Lorna Slater: This is a partnership project and not a procurement project. It is not exclusive to the partners involved and NatureScot would be delighted to work with other responsible private investors looking to invest in nature restoration in Scotland.
10 Mar 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what other models to achieve natural capital investment in Scotland were examined before NatureScot agreed a Memorandum of Understanding with Hampden & Co, Lombard Odier Investment Managers and Palladium, and whether it will publish any assessment of alternative models that it undertook.
Answer · Lorna Slater: The Scottish Government has increased public investment and support in our natural capital through a variety of methods. This includes the £65 million Nature Restoration Fund, and the Facility for Investment Ready Nature in Scotland (FIRNS) that was launched …
10 Mar 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Memorandum of Understanding between NatureScot and Hampden & Co, Lombard Odier Investment Managers and Palladium, in addition to investment from public funds, what specific matters it anticipates any private investment will be spent on.
Answer · Lorna Slater: Private investment resulting from the Memorandum of Understanding will support woodland expansion, peatland restoration and enhancement of other habitats. It will pay for all capital costs, though we anticipate that land managers involved will also apply to e…
10 Mar 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether NatureScot, by signing the Memorandum of Understanding with Hampden & Co, Lombard Odier Investment Managers and Palladium, and making disclosure of significant amounts of information relating to it and its operation confidential, has placed an obligation u…
Answer · Lorna Slater: While some detailed financial and legal information between investors and project land managers will be confidential between those parties, NatureScot’s agreement with partners will remain subject to normal information management obligations, including Freedo…
10 Mar 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the minutes and the annual report of the Project Board envisaged under the Memorandum of Understanding between NatureScot and Hampden & Co, Lombard Odier Investment Managers and Palladium will be made public upon production.
Answer · Lorna Slater: These items will be published and publicly available.
8 Mar 2023 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers any implications associated with accessing healthcare when making decisions on health and social care.
28 Feb 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when any remaining funding will be released to local authorities to allow them to fulfil the Scottish National Party manifesto commitment to issue every pupil in Scotland with an electronic device.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: We are committed to ensuring that every school-aged child has access to a device to support their learning by the end of this parliament in 2026. We have already provided £25m to local authorities, which supported the purchase of 72,000 devices and 14,000 in…
16 Feb 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when in Spring 2023 the long-term solution for the A83 Rest and Be Thankful will be announced.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The Scottish Government is absolutely committed to an infrastructure solution to address the A83 Rest and Be Thankful landslip risks. This scheme is technically challenging and the landscape is dynamic so it is vital we understand the terrain we are working i…
16 Feb 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when in late 2023 phase one of the medium-term solution for the A83 Rest and Be Thankful will begin.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: Transport Scotland is currently developing a detailed programme and procurement strategy to deliver the improvements to the Old Military Road as quickly as possible. It is expected that these works will be carried out on a phased basis starting later this yea…