Fergus Ewing

16 Dec 2024 · Topical Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the reported delay in the publication of the A96 Corridor Review document, three months after it was understood to be provided to the Cabinet Secretary for Transport, is acceptable.

10 Oct 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, as set out in the 2024-25 Budget, whether it (a) has assessed and (b) will assess the potential impact on support for new or renewal ballots for business improvement districts from those…

Answer · Ivan McKee: The Scottish Government has not assessed the specific impact of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on support for new or renewal ballots for Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) and there are currently no plans to do so. However, the Scottish Gove…

10 Oct 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it had with Scotland’s Improvement Districts regarding the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers prior to the announcement in the 2024-25 Budget, and what discussions it has had since.

Answer · Ivan McKee: The Scottish Government has had a number of exploratory discussions with stakeholders including retailers and public health representative organisations on the possible reintroduction of a non-domestic rates Public Health Supplement on large retailers. Howeve…

30 Sep 2024 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on whether it will review any guidance in relation to the teaching of gender identity in schools, in light of the Cass report.

23 Sep 2024 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will increase funding to enable more trees of commercial species to be planted in Scotland.

26 Aug 2024 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the economy secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding support for any businesses impacted by the ban on wood burning stoves in new build homes.

22 Jul 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the current GP contract, which has required, as of March 2023, the transfer of vaccination services in rural areas from GPs to NHS boards, has been a success; what its position is on whether this policy has resulted in any potential increased risks of deat…

Answer · Neil Gray: The 2018 GP Contract was negotiated on a national basis with the BMA’s Scottish GP Committee which represents all Scottish GPs. The Contract is based on the transfer of some services to Health Board delivery to allow GP practices to focus on what only GPs can…

19 Jul 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason, according to the latest information in March 2024, the Permanent Secretary to the Scottish Government earns a salary of £170,000 to £174,999 per annum, while the Director-General for Health and Social Care earns a salary of £190,000 to £194,999, and whether it will publi…

Answer · Shona Robison: Director General is a senior grade within the Senior Civil Service (SCS) and pay and terms and conditions of employment are reserved to the UK Government. The Director General for Health and Social Care’s salary remains within the overarching pay range set by…

12 Jul 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the UK Government's recent announcement of plans for an additional 300 planning officers, what action it will take to assist boosting planning capacity in Scotland through (a) ensuring there are more officers and (b) removing from local authorities any burden of work caused …

Answer · Ivan McKee: The Scottish Government is committed to boosting planning capacity across Scotland. Through our Investing In Planning Consultation earlier this year, we proposed a series of practical options, including the potential for a planning hub to support authorities …

10 Jul 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the advanced works for the dualling of the A9 between Tomatin and Moy; whether it will specify what upgraded active travel works have been undertaken, what the total cost was for this work, what consultation it undertook, whether this work has been completed, and, if this is n…

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: It is important to recognise that the dualling of the A9 between Tomatin and Moy and indeed, the whole A9 dualling programme seeks to enhance journey reliability and safety for all road users, including pedestrians, cyclists, and bus and coach passengers, as …

10 Jul 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the advanced works for the dualling of the A9 between Tomatin and Moy, whether it will provide a detailed breakdown of the (a) total cost and (b) cost of any (i) preparatory work and (ii) consultancy fees for the creation of an ecological pond to accommodate a fly species.  

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Advance works to a cost of £22.6 million have been undertaken for the A9 Dualling: Tomatin to Moy project, to de-risk the main construction works contract. This cost is broken down as follows: A9 Dualling: Tomatin to Moy Advance Works Final Cost Archaeolo…

9 Jul 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the original tender for the A9 Tomatin to Moy dualling contract was rejected on the grounds of excessive cost.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Following careful consideration of the single tender received in 2022, the price of which was significantly higher than expected, Ministers concluded that award of the contract at that time would not represent best value for the taxpayer. Further background o…

9 Jul 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the sum was of the tender by the sole bidder for the contract for the dualling of the A9 Tomatin to Moy under the original tender process, in light of the recent award of the re-tendered contract for £184.7 million.   

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Following the conclusion of the procurement process and contract award for the A9 Dualling Tomatin to Moy project, I recently wrote to the Net Zero Energy and Transport Committee to disclose this information which I am aware is of great interest. An extract o…

3 Jul 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the level of uptake for the pertussis (whooping cough) vaccine has been in the (a) NHS Highland area and (b) rest of Scotland for each period for which information is available in each of the last three years.

Answer · Jenni Minto: Quarterly data for the percentage of children who have received their full primary course of the 6-in-1 vaccine, which protects children against pertussis, and other diseases, by 12 months and 24 months of age, is published by Public Health Scotland: Childho…

1 Jul 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on what level of uptake in the NHS Highland area for immunisation against pertussis (whooping cough), as a percentage of the total number to be immunised under the programme, is acceptable, and what the level of uptake has been in the NHS Highland area for each perio…

Answer · Jenni Minto: The Scottish Government expects Health Boards to reach the World Health Organisation (WHO) target of 95% uptake of childhood vaccinations. The most recent childhood data for NHS Highland, which includes quarterly data since 2015, is published by Public Healt…

1 Jul 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether any information held by NHS Highland in relation to the comparative uptake rates of childhood immunisation through the (a) GP practice-delivered and (b) NHS board-delivered vaccination service in Argyll and Bute, against illnesses such as pertussis (whooping cough), has been with…

Answer · Jenni Minto: NHS Highland was escalated to stage 2 of the NHS Scotland Support and Intervention Framework for their vaccination services in late 2023 and since then Scottish Government officials have been engaging closely in an improvement and assurance process which incl…

5 Jun 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to fatal accident inquiries, how many people are currently employed in the Scottish Fatalities Investigation Unit (SFIU) of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, and what the comparative figure was for the former unit for investigating deaths that the SFIU replaced.

Answer · Dorothy Bain: The Scottish Fatalities Investigation Unit (SFIU) is one of a number of specialist units within COPFS which investigates deaths and may conduct Fatal Accident Inquiries. Current staffing figures are shown in the following table:    Legal & Case Preparer Sta…

5 Jun 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to the supplementary to question S6F-03197 by Kate Forbes on 6 June 2024, in relation to the reported concerns expressed about delays in holding fatal accident inquiries, whether it will provide further details of the timing of any statement to the Parliament by th…

Answer · Angela Constance: The Solicitor General provided full and detailed answers in response to the questions asked of her regarding the system of fatal accident inquiries in Scotland. As the Solicitor General indicated, either she or the Lord Advocate would be willing to make a sta…

5 Jun 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to fatal accident inquiries, how many cases the Scottish Fatalities Investigation Unit (SFIU) of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service has investigated in each of the last 10 years, and what the comparative figure was for each of the last 10 years in which the forme…

Answer · Dorothy Bain: In relation to each of the last ten years, the number of deaths reported to the Scottish Fatalities Investigation Unit (SFIU) of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service has been as follows: Financial Year Deaths Reported 2014-15 9,173 2015-16 9,5…

3 Jun 2024 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the application of the principles in the Scottish Public Finance Manual, what its position is on whether the reported estimated cost of £3.56 million for refurbishment to decarbonise the Procurator Fiscal’s Office in Elgin represents value for money, in light of the property b…

29 May 2024 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether there are excessive delays in holding fatal accident inquiries.

13 May 2024 · Topical Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in the event that the reported legal action raised against it by Biffa and any potential actions by other companies that incurred expenditure in expectation of the Deposit Return Scheme being implemented are successful and lead to any financial losses, whether it will consider suing the…

3 May 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will withdraw the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Bill, and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

Answer · Tom Arthur: The Scottish Government does not plan to withdraw the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Bill. The Bill, if passed, will give councils the power to introduce a visitor levy in all or part of their area, if they think it is right to do so and after they have consulted lo…

3 May 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will remove the requirements relating to compulsory compliance with minimum energy efficiency and the installation of decarbonised heating systems from its proposed Heat in Buildings Bill, and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

Answer · Gillian Martin: In November 2023 Scottish Government published a consultation on Proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill. This included proposals to set a Heat in Buildings Standard, which would prohibit the use of polluting heating systems after 2045 and require homes to mee…

3 May 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will remove the ban on wood burning stoves in new build homes, and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

Answer · Gillian Martin: Although there is no blanket ban on wood burning stoves, the Scottish Government has been listening to the concerns raised over the past weeks about the reliance on biomass and wood burning stoves in rural and remote areas, and is taking these fully on board.…

3 May 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will drop its proposed changes to deer management, and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

Answer · Gillian Martin: We are currently facing a climate and biodiversity crisis. High densities of herbivores such as deer can have a very serious impact on our forests and land by trampling and overgrazing. Our 2021 response to the report by the independent Deer Working Group …

3 May 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will repeal the short-term lets regulations, and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

Answer · Paul McLennan: We remain committed to the current regulation of short-term let accommodation. Over the last decade the sector has both grown significantly and changed in nature. That has brought economic benefits but also raised concerns about consistency of quality and the…

29 Apr 2024 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the rural affairs secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding undertaking an immediate review of the Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2011, in order to allow proactive water course management to assist farmers, crofters and lan…

15 Apr 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26188 by Angela Constance on 15 April 2024, in the event that the Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Bill does not apply to Scotland, what consideration it is giving to how Scottish legislation would define any case involving the Horizon system i…

Answer · Angela Constance: It is extremely disappointing that the UK Government has excluded Scotland from its bill whilst extending the Bill to cover convictions in Northern Ireland. The Scottish Government can confirm that a Bill is currently going through the usual parliamentary pr…

8 Apr 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much the "hate monster" public information campaign has cost.

Answer · Siobhian Brown: The ‘Hate Monster’ is a Police Scotland campaign which ran for 6 weeks in Spring last year. The Scottish Government does not hold this information. I will assume you are referring to the Scottish Government’s ‘Hate Hurts’ campaign which ran in March. The cam…