Liam Kerr

1 Mar 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4), what its key (a) priorities and (b) deliverables are in its implementation; what its key outcomes are, and within what timeframe those outcomes must be delivered. 

Answer · Tom Arthur: Our NPF4 Delivery Programme, the first iteration of which was published by the Scottish Government in November 2022, is an important tool that sets out the approach for implementing NPF4, including delivery mechanisms, governance and funding. The Delivery Pro…

1 Mar 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the importance of (a) medical and (b) non-medical staff in the NHS attending schools within the vicinity of their workplace to encourage local pupils to pursue a career in healthcare.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Scottish Government recognises the value of encouraging pupils to pursue a career in healthcare. We have commissioned the Centre for Workforce Supply to develop an NHS Scotland marketing strategy to promote the NHS as an attractive employer. We remain co…

1 Mar 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many district nurses have been employed by the NHS in each of the last five years, and what its position is on the provision of regular district nurse visits to people over 65.

Answer · Maree Todd: The number of district nurses working in NHS Scotland in each of the last five years can be found on the TURAS NHS Education for Scotland workforce statistics site at NHS Scotland workforce | Turas Data Intelligence . The Scottish Government does not direc…

1 Mar 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how the planning system (a) prioritises and (b) supports the (i) repowering and (ii) life extension of existing windfarms.

Answer · Tom Arthur: National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) signals a turning point for planning, placing climate and nature at the centre of our planning system and making clear that significant weight is to be given to the global climate and nature crises when considering all dev…

1 Mar 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide the latest data showing the retention rate of (a) nurses and (b) doctors in the NHS.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The information requested on providing the latest data showing the retention rate of (a) nurses and (b) doctors in the NHS is not centrally available. Information on vacancies by the three main staff groups, can be found on the TURAS NHS Education for Scotla…

21 Feb 2023 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact of the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service capital budget for 2023-24 on the amount of maintenance work required in court buildings across the country.

20 Feb 2023 · Topical Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to a report by WWF Scotland that states that Scotland will fall "significantly short" of its target for decarbonising heating in homes.

13 Feb 2023 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the Rural Housing Fund.

10 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a more detailed breakdown of where funding will be allocated from the budget line "Climate Action and Just Transition Fund" in the Scottish Budget 2023-24, which is set at £79.5 million.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government is investing £79.5 million, an increase of almost 60% from 2022-23, to deliver climate action through an updated climate change plan and Scottish adaptation programme, a public engagement strategy and community action. The Scottish Go…

10 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when work will begin on developing the Investment Plan outlined in its publication, Scottish Biodiversity Strategy to 2045, Tackling the Nature Emergency in Scotland, and when it anticipates this work will conclude.

Answer · Lorna Slater: Work is currently underway to scope the development of the Biodiversity Investment Plan. The Plan is anticipated to be completed in the second half of this year.

8 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether time-booking practices are used in the development of policy and strategy, to provide an understanding of the number of staff and associated costs, in terms of staff time and salaries, of any particular project, support delivery, and help ensure transparency and accountability fo…

Answer · Lorna Slater: Time booking practices are not widely used in the Scottish Government and were not used in the preparation of the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy. Costs associated with the development of the strategy mainly relate to staffing. Given the wide range of policy …

8 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what project management techniques it has regard to in the development of policy and strategy, in particular regarding the tracking of costs and resources to ensure transparency and accountability for public funds, and whether these were employed in the development of the latest draft Bi…

Answer · Lorna Slater: An approach informed by best practice methodology – Managing Successful Programmes – has been adopted to frame the development, planning and delivery of the draft Scottish Biodiversity Strategy. This includes a programme board and programme manager to support…

8 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when the (a) Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport and (b) Minister for Just Transition, Employment Employment and Work last visited Aberdeen, and what engagements were undertaken.

Answer · Michael Matheson: On 11 January 2023 I visited Aberdeen to attend the opening of the National Subsea centre and for a media round table to discuss the launch of the draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan. On 9 February 2023 the Minister for Just Transition, Employabil…

8 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has carried out any analysis of the potential impact of the Draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan on oil and gas jobs in Aberdeen.

Answer · Michael Matheson: We commissioned EY to undertake a substantial piece of analytical work, this has now been published and is available to view here – Energy System and Just Transition Analysis Early outputs informed the ESJTP to help us better understand the implications of…

8 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when the First Minister last met the co-leaders of Aberdeen City Council.

Answer · Ben Macpherson: Details of all Ministerial engagements and expenses are proactively published by the Scottish Government, including the costs of travel and accommodation. The information can be accessed at the below link: https://www.gov.scot/collections/ministerial-engagem…

8 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details, including the dates, of any consultation that (a) has been and (b) is to be undertaken with (i) Aberdeen City Council and (ii) the oil and gas industry, broken down by the specific bodies and companies involved, regarding the Draft Energy Strategy and Jus…

Answer · Michael Matheson: Engagement events in summer 2022 were part of a series of engagement sprints that have informed the draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan (ESJTP). The draft ESJTP is currently open for public consultation and we welcome views from as broad a spectrum…

8 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has received any formal representations from Aberdeen City Council regarding the Draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The consultation on the draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan is currently open, and available for Aberdeen City Council and others to respond to. We will publish a list of organisations that responded in due course.

8 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has carried out an impact assessment of its presumption against new oil fields on oil and gas jobs in Aberdeen, and, if so, on what date.

Answer · Michael Matheson: As the draft Strategy sets out, irrespective of the climate imperative, due to the maturity of the North Sea basin, planning for a just transition to a net zero energy system and diversifying employment and economic opportunities for workers is essential. Sco…

8 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has allocated to support job retention during energy transition in Aberdeen, in each of the last five years.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government has provided funding to support job retention during energy transition in Aberdeen through a number of projects. Some are focussed on the North East, while others are nationwide. Many Scottish Government schemes and policies support ‘j…

7 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-07074 by Richard Lochhead on 11 March 2022, which responded to reports that it has only delivered approximately one in 20 of the offshore wind jobs that it forecast, how (a) it has spent, and with what agencies and (b) much remains unallocated of th…

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government’s financial commitments to create green jobs include funding support provided through our Green Jobs Fund and the Just Transition Fund. The Green Jobs Fund is a five-year, capital fund of up to £100m over 5 years which will support bu…

7 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-12081 by Mairi McAllan on 24 November 2022, whether it will provide the information requested regarding how many (a) ministers, (b) civil servants, (c) ministerial staff and (d) other Scottish Government representatives attended COP27, and what (i) …

Answer · Mairi McAllan: The Scottish Government has published the report on COP27 outcomes, achievements and costs. The publication is available here: COP27: outcomes, achievements and costs - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .  

7 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-12640 by Mairi McAllan on 8 December 2022, which states that "we expect to issue the release on Scottish Government's attendance and expenses incurred at COP27 by the end of January 2023", whether the release was issued, and, if so, whether it will …

Answer · Mairi McAllan: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-14915 on 6 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-committees…

6 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to establish a local government transparency code.

Answer · Ben Macpherson: There are already a wide range of statutory reporting duties and sources of information available which ensures sufficient data on local authorities is published. For example, the Improvement service publishes an annual Overview Report for the Scottish Local…

3 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on the number of (a) Scottish and (b) non-Scottish firms that have been set out in the specification or maker's list, as part of the contract for two vessels for Islay, awarded by Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL).

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: Kongsberg have an agreement in place with Cemre Marin Endustri for Fin Stabilisers, with the production facility based in Dunfermline. Fifty-eight companies (overseas or based in England) are also set to provide products and/or services for the new build vess…

3 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on the number of (a) Scottish and (b) non-Scottish firms that Cemre Marin Endustri has signed an agreement with to provide products and/or services, as part of the contract for the two vessels for Islay, awarded by Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL).

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: As part of the contract for two vessels for Islay, Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL) could not have stipulated that only Scottish or UK suppliers could be used as the Regulations require them to treat economic operators equally & without discriminatio…

3 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many trees have been cut down or removed in order to make way for onshore windfarm development in the last 10 years, broken down by project and year.

Answer · Michael Matheson: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-14793 on 2 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-committees…

3 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many trees it estimates will need to be removed to make way for onshore windfarm developments that have secured planning permission.

Answer · Michael Matheson: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-14793 on 2 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-committees…

3 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many trees it estimates will need to be removed in order to meet its 2030 targets for onshore windfarm development.

Answer · Michael Matheson: While the Scottish Government holds some relevant information relating to tree removal as a result of onshore windfarm developments on Forestry and Land Scotland sites, it does not hold information relating to all onshore windfarms. Further data is held by Lo…

30 Jan 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-12522 by Patrick Harvie on 9 December 2022, whether it has concluded reviewing its "cost estimates to deliver the heat transition on this basis", and when it plans to "provide a further update" in order to answer the question.

Answer · Patrick Harvie: We continue to keep these estimates under review and will provide updates later in the year, after our planned consultation on a proposed Heat in Buildings Bill.

30 Jan 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-12922 by Jenny Gilruth on 21 December 2022, which states that it expects "an update from Transport Scotland on this matter imminently", whether the update has now been produced, and, if so, whether it will provide a revised answer to the question.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: I can confirm that I have now received the update from Transport Scotland that Network Rail, who is delivering the project, has confirmed that a planned milestone was missed as the internal consultation with other Network Rail operational colleagues took long…