Colin Smyth

9 Feb 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the membership is of the newly established medical associate professions implementation programme board.

Answer · Neil Gray: The proposed membership for the Medical Associate Professions (MAPs) Programme Board is indicated below. As arrangements are still being finalised ahead of the first meeting at the end of April, membership may be subject to change.Head of Recruitment and Cap…

9 Feb 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will reintroduce the Flexible Workforce Development Fund for colleges.

Answer · Graeme Dey: Due to the unprecedented pressures on the Scottish Government budget for 2024-25, the Flexible Workforce Development Fund will not be available.

9 Feb 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what recent action it has taken to ensure that the provision of traditional building skills (a) college courses and (b) apprenticeships is available across the south of Scotland.

Answer · Graeme Dey: Historic Environment Scotland (HES) continues to champion traditional skills and is working with stakeholders across the country to address traditional skills gaps to help ensure Scotland’s historic buildings can thrive as part of the country’s sustainable fu…

9 Feb 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) current value and (b) status is of the fund that has been set aside for the costs associated with the job evaluation of college support staff.

Answer · Graeme Dey: The process of the implementation of job evaluation of college support staff has yet to complete. The Scottish Government encourages both the employers and the trade unions to continue to engage in the process, to agree a suitable way forward and ensure the …

1 Feb 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether consideration will be given to allow local authorities to provide discounts in Council Tax for households whose homes have been damaged by flooding but remain occupied.

Answer · Tom Arthur: The Scottish Government has not received a request from any Councils to introduce a Council Tax discount for properties damaged by flooding that remain occupied. The Council Tax system in Scotland provides for a 100% exemption from Council Tax for homes that…

30 Jan 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether applications for Individual Training Accounts administered by Skills Development Scotland will reopen for the 2024-25 financial year.

Answer · Graeme Dey: Discussions on the Skills Development Scotland budget for 2024-2025 are ongoing. We hope to confirm the ITA position in the coming weeks.

30 Jan 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it plans to take in relation to upgrading or relocating Stranraer railway station.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2), published in December 2022, noted within Recommendation 40, that in order to help to encourage greater use of public transport and support wider town regeneration proposals, consideration should also be …

30 Jan 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the budget is for the planned feasibility study into improvements to the A75.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: I can confirm that the Scottish Government has secured a commitment from the UK Government for multi-year funding of £8 million for improvements to the A75. This money comes from the Union Connectivity Development Fund and was successfully secured following a…

30 Jan 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the proposed improvements to the A77 (a) between Turnberry and Girvan, (b) between Ballantrae and Smyrton, (c) at the Bellfield Interchange, (d) at the Dutch House Roundabout, (e) at the Whitletts Roundabout and (f) at the Holmston Roundabout, as set out in the second Strategic Tran…

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: STPR2 is a long term framework for transport infrastructure, to drive the capital investment decisions for our strategic transport system. It presents the Strategic Business Case for its recommendations, which each in turn will require their own development f…

30 Jan 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the proposed bypass for (a) Crocketford and (b) Springholm on the A75 will be dual or single carriageway.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The final design and configuration of any bypass will depend on the results and recommendations of the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (DMRB) Options Assessment work. Therefore, it is not possible to confirm what configuration the road layout will look li…

30 Jan 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish proposals for improvements to active travel opportunities between Cairnryan and Stranraer.

Answer · Patrick Harvie: The second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2), published in December 2022, recommended a series of active travel interventions to encourage and sustain a rise in active travel across Scotland. For the South West Scotland this built on earlier work do…

30 Jan 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the proposed improvements to the A75 Cuckoo Bridge Roundabout, as set out in the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2), will entail.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: STPR2 is a long term framework for transport infrastructure, to drive the capital investment decisions for our strategic transport system. It presents the Strategic Business Case for its recommendations, which each in turn will require their own development f…

30 Jan 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the estimated improved travel time will be for journeys on the A75 as a result of the proposed (a) Crocketford and (b) Springholm bypass, and whether this is based on a single or dual carriageway bypass.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Expected travel time improvement and other benefits of the proposed bypass schemes can only be confirmed after the conclusion of the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (DMRB) Options Assessment work. This planned work will assess the necessary evidence and …

30 Jan 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the timescale is for the planned feasibility study into improvements to the A75.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: I cannot currently give an estimate of timescale for the planned feasibility study into improvements to the A75. While funding is confirmed, it has not yet been allocated or received. My officials are working with the UK Government officials on the legal and …

30 Jan 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it anticipates that work will commence on a bypass for (a) Crocketford and (b) Springholm on the A75.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: It is not currently possible to give an estimate for when construction work could start at Crocketford and Springholm because a detailed design development and assessment phase will need to be completed first. We are obliged to follow due process which inclu…

30 Jan 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it plans to take to improve access for disabled people at (a) Kirkconnel, (b) Annan and (c) Sanquhar railway station on the Nith Valley line.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: We are progressing Recommendation 19 of the Strategic Transport Projects Review 2 (STPR2), reviewing station accessibility across Scotland, including Kirckonnel, Annan and Sanquhar. This work will identify and remove barriers to travel and improve access for …

30 Jan 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish a delivery plan for improvements to the (a) A75 and (b) A77 trunk road.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: As highlighted by the Deputy First Minister in her letter to the Public Audit committee on the 21 November 2023 and during the pre-budget speech, the Scottish Government is facing a real terms cut in our capital budget. The flat and falling funding trajector…

30 Jan 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the proposed £8 million of funding, that it has been allocated from the UK Government for the A75, will be used for, and over what timescale.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The funding will cover initial assessment of options for improvements to the A75, specifically around Crocketford and Springholm up to conclusion of Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (DMRB) Stage 2. While funding is confirmed, it has not yet been allocated…

30 Jan 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the timescale is for the proposed improvements to the A77 (a) between Turnberry and Girvan, (b) between Ballantrae and Smyrton, (c) at the Bellfield Interchange, (d) at the Dutch House Roundabout, (e) at the Whitletts Roundabout and (f) at the Holmston Roundabout, as set out in the …

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-25038 on 26 February 2024. 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…

26 Jan 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact on meeting its tree planting targets of the proposed reduction to the budget for woodland creation grant funding.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: Scottish Forestry estimate that the draft Budget will support over 9,000 hectares of new woodland in Scotland, which will be more woodland creation than the rest of the UK combined. We are engaging with stakeholders so that we can maximise tree planting and t…

24 Jan 2024 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it last discussed waiting times for hernia operations with NHS Dumfries and Galloway.

19 Jan 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what provision local authorities have to allow Council Tax exemptions or discounts to residents in properties affected by flooding.

Answer · Tom Arthur: The Council Tax system in Scotland provides for a 100% exemption from Council Tax for homes that are not habitable, and are undergoing major repairs, which lasts for up to 12 months. Further, local authorities have the discretion to apply a Council Tax discou…

10 Jan 2024 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to attract and retain staff in colleges.

20 Dec 2023 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact that the Scottish Budget 2024-25 will have on police officer numbers in the South Scotland region.

13 Dec 2023 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to data from National Records of Scotland showing a rise in homelessness-related deaths since 2017.

12 Dec 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it supports the campaign to amend the Consumer Protection Act to remove the current 10-year longstop limitation and extend the time period to 20 years.

Answer · Tom Arthur: While this particular issue is reserved to the UK Government, we believe that any measures designed to provide consumers with more protection should be given serious consideration.

6 Dec 2023 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Public Health Scotland publication, Care home census for adults in Scotland, which showed that the number of care homes across the country has dropped by nearly a fifth in the past decade.

Answer · Maree Todd: We are working with partners to improve social care services and deal with the challenges the sector faces. Adult social care support is vital to all who require additional support, whether that is to live independently at home, in the community, or to move i…

23 Nov 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made on delivering its commitment to reduce class contact time for teachers by 90 minutes per week to 21 hours, from the current 22.5 hours.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: To help inform these discussions I have commissioned an external modelling and research exercise which will consider a range of factors including current teacher numbers, pupil teacher ratios and the projected decline in the number of school-aged children in …

23 Nov 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it will deliver its commitment to reduce class contact time for teachers by 90 minutes per week to 21 hours, from the current 22.5 hours.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The timescale for delivery of the commitment to reduce class contact time for teachers by 90 minutes per week is by the end of the current Parliamentary term. We continue to work with the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers on how we can best progres…

22 Nov 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to develop a longer-term funding model for the voluntary sector across all of its directorates.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: We recognise that the third sector needs clarity and stability to secure its resilience and to grow its capacity. That is why we have committed to develop a Fairer Funding approach for the sector as a means to embed systemic change and to create conditions fo…