Rhoda Grant

20 Jun 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how the less favoured area support scheme payments work to mitigate relative disadvantage.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: The less favoured area support scheme is important to the economy of both the rural and remote communities throughout Scotland, due to the limited production opportunities on poorer quality land. Support is available to over 11,000 farmers and crofters within…

20 Jun 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to cut food waste by a third by 2025.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: This world-leading target, set as part of our making things last circular economy strategy, will require a great deal of co-operative work across all sectors, including retail, industry, farming and householders. We will be working closely with representation…

17 Jun 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it will implement the (a) Assignation of and Succession to Agricultural Tenancies and (b) Rent Review section of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2016.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: It is intended that there will be phased approach to commencement of the agricultural holding provisions within the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2016, with the first package being brought before parliament in autumn 2016. This package will include the sections …

17 Jun 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to roll out domestic abuse courts in the Highlands and Islands.

Answer · Michael Matheson: In each of the years 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2017-18, the Scottish Government has provided additional investment of £2.4 million per year to Scottish Courts and Tribunal Service and Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service to support their work to reduce court…

17 Jun 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers that domestic abuse only courts provide a better service to victims of domestic abuse and a more focussed and managed criminal justice response to this issue.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government considers that it is vital that victims in domestic abuse cases do not have to unduly wait to access justice. That is why we have invested an additional £2.4 million in each of 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2017-18. Responsibility for the mana…

14 Jun 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many times in each of the past 12 months services on the Far North Line have not stopped at (a) Beauly and (b) Conon Bridge station because they were subject to delay, broken down by the reason for the delay.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: In each of the past 12 months services on the Far North Line have not stopped at (a) Beauly and (b) Conon Bridge station, because they were subject to delay, for the following reasons: MONTH REPORTED CAUSE BEAULY CONON BRIDGE June-2015 Cause not repor…

8 Jun 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the greater number of passengers than anticipated on the Borders Railway line, what Transport Scotland is doing to adjust its passenger forecasting formula.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: There will always be an element of uncertainty present with forecasting, particularly considering the unique nature of the borders railway, which is the longest stretch of new railway line to be built in the UK in the last 100 years. The forecasting methodol…

8 Jun 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) most recent and (b) forecast passenger numbers are on the Borders Railway at (i) Edinburgh Waverley, (ii) Newcraighall, (iii) Shawfair, (iv) Eskbank, (v) Newtongrange, (vi) Gorebridge, (vii) Stow, (viii) Galashiels and (ix) Tweedbank station.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The most recent and forecast passenger numbers by station for the first six months of operation on borders railway are as follows. Borders Railway six months in - Single trips Stations Forecast single trips for first six months of operation ScotRail act…

8 Jun 2016 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to support families accessing children's services.

7 Jun 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will list those circumstances in which grants paid to grazing committees from public funds for agricultural and environmental schemes should be distributed in the first instance to individual shareholders, and what safeguards there are to ensure that public funds allocated in …

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Common grazings regulations, which are individual to a specific common grazing, may include provisions on the disbursement of funds. Generally, common grazings regulations are made by the grazings committees themselves and are confirmed, with or without modif…

7 Jun 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the Crofting Commission dismissed the Mangersta grazing committee and whether it upholds this dismissal.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: This was a decision taken by the Crofting Commission. I have asked the Chief Executive to write to you about this matter.

7 Jun 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will establish an inquiry into the workings of the Crofting Commission.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government has no current plans to do so.

7 Jun 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has confidence in the convener of the Crofting Commission.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government is confident that the Crofting Commission board is able to deliver the functions of the commission.

7 Jun 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is satisfied with how the Crofting Commission has acted in all matters relating to the dismissal of the Mangersta grazing committee.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Crofting Commission is a non-departmental public body that takes regulatory decisions within the bounds of its duties and powers. Such decisions are taken independently and at arm’s length from Scottish Government.

14 Mar 2016 · Topical Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to ensure that every household in Scotland will have access to high speed broadband.

8 Mar 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) budget and (b) actual spend was for the Crofting Agricultural Grant Scheme in (i) 2014-15 and (ii) 2015-16.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Crofting Agricultural Grant Scheme budget for both 2014-2015 was £2 million. The Crofting Agricultural Grant Scheme budget for both 2015-2016 is £2 million. The actual spend for 2014-2015 was £1.436 million. As the 2015-2016 funding round is not yet co…

8 Mar 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many applications it has received under the Scottish Upland Sheep Support Scheme, and what the predicted payment is per head.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: We have received 1396 applications for support from the Scottish Upland Sheep Support Scheme. Our modelling suggests that the payment rate will be the equivalent of approximately 100 per ewe hogg.

1 Mar 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many Basic Payment Scheme applications for amounts (a) up to £5,000, (b) from £5,000 to £10,000, (c) from £10,001 to £15,000, (d) from £15,001 to £20,000, (e) from £20,001 to £30,000, (f) from £30,001 to £40,000, (g) from £40,001 to £50,000, (h) £50,001 to £60,000, (i) from £60,001 t…

Answer · Richard Lochhead: I can confirm the following is a breakdown of the 2015 Basic Payment Scheme first instalment payments made by 29 February 2016: Amount Number of producers Up to £5,000 4,069 £5001 to £10,000 1,383 £10,001 to £15,000 894 £15,000 to £20,000 653 £20,0…

1 Mar 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-29286 by Aileen McLeod on 26 January 2016, how much was awarded to Voluntary Action Barra and Vetersay in (a) 2013-14 and (b) 2014-15 to develop options for a community-led approach to managing the Sound of Barra Special Area of Conservation; how mu…

Answer · Aileen McLeod: A grant of up to £40,000, payable over financial years 2013-14 and 2014-15 was awarded to Voluntary Action Barra and Vatersay in December 2013. The grant expired at the end of financial year 2014-15, and at that point a total of £3,392.50 had been claimed. Th…

29 Feb 2016 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government is doing to ensure that young people with neurological conditions receive appropriate care.

26 Feb 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government on what date it will announce how it will allocate funding for the (a) Equality Fund, (b) Violence Against Women and Girls Fund, (c) Children’s Services Women's Aid Fund and (d) the Rape Crisis Specific Fund for 2016-17.

Answer · Alex Neil: There is no set date for announcing the successful recipients of funding for the (a) Equality Fund, (b) Violence Against Women and Girls Fund, (c) Children’s Services Women's Aid Fund and (d) the Rape Crisis Specific Fund in 2016-17 as there are a number of f…

26 Feb 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-27538 by Alex Neil on 29 September 2015, what changes it has made to the funding arrangements for 2016-17 for the (a) Equality Fund, (b) Violence Against Women and Girls Fund, (c) Children’s Services Women’s Aid Fund and (d) Rape Crisis Specific Fun…

Answer · Alex Neil: In the main, the funding process for the (a) Equality Fund, (b) Violence Against Women and Girls Fund, (c) Children’s Services Women's Aid Fund and (d) the Rape Crisis Specific Fund in 2016-17 has remained largely the same as that in 2015-16, and the criteria…

25 Feb 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made on increasing freight on the Far North Line, in particular from distillers, timber operators and retailers, and encouraging gas traffic bound for Caithness and domestic waste being taken from the Highlands to use rail instead of road.

Answer · Derek Mackay: The Scottish Government recognises the importance of the rail freight sector in moving vital goods and materials across the country in a safe and sustainable way. A transformative programme of investment in the railway infrastructure to 2019, including the de…

18 Feb 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government on what days since April 2015 rail services to Wick have been subject to delay at Helmsdale, broken down by length of delay.

Answer · Derek Mackay: The answer to this question is available via the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 57725).

22 Jan 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-29164 by Derek Mackay on 20 January 2016, how many times over the same period did services achieve 100% punctuality.

Answer · Derek Mackay: Of the 309 weekdays between 15 December 2014 and 12 December 2015, 100 percent punctuality of the 18 or 19 trains per day run (that is, within four minutes 59 seconds of the booked time), was achieved on 49 days.

14 Jan 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the maintenance budget has been for each vessel in the CalMac fleet in each year since 2006.

Answer · Derek Mackay: The Scottish Government does not hold this information.

14 Jan 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many applications for the new common agricultural policy payment scheme each local authority has (a) received and (b) processed.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Local authorities do not deal with common agricultural policy (CAP) payments, these are processed across our area offices. The number of single application forms received is as follows, and they are all currently being processed: Ayr: 2,045 Benbecula: 696 …

14 Jan 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on setting up the computer system that is being used to deal with the new common agricultural policy payment scheme and how long it took to (a) devise and (b) implement the system.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The new IT system was a requirement from the European Union as part of the new common agricultural policy (CAP) reform. The cost of the IT system and the associated aspects, including staff training and communications, has been estimated at £178 million over …

13 Jan 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on (a) how many claimants were charged by their GP for a letter explaining their impairments while being moved from disability living allowance to personal independence payment and (b) what the charges were.

Answer · Shona Robison: This information is not held by the Scottish Government. The disability living allowance and personal independence payments are responsibilities of the Department for Work and Pensions, and therefore are a reserved matter.

13 Jan 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what guidelines are provided to GPs when charging patients for letters.

Answer · Shona Robison: The British Medical Association provides guidelines to advise GPs when they are charging patients for letters. Fees must be reasonable, transparent and justifiable, with the patient’s agreement sought before the service is provided.