Liam Kerr

1 Jun 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a full itemisation of the (a) timetable and (b) economic impact of the breakdown of the MV Loch Seaforth, and on which dates an adjusted timetable was required, across the CalMac network.

Answer · Graeme Dey: The timetable impact of the breakdown of the MV Loch Seaforth is summarised below: The MV Loch Seaforth was removed from service on 14 April and other vessels were redeployed to ensure continuity of service across the network. CalMac were unable to charter …

1 Jun 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how much the UK Government contract for the construction of the first three Type 26 Frigates at the BAE shipyards on the Clyde (Govan and Scotstoun) is worth.

Answer · Ivan McKee: Details of defence programme contractual arrangements are reserved and a matter between individual companies and the UK Government. Information on contracts awarded through the UK Government Ministry of Defence are published and publicly available.

1 Jun 2021 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its announcement regarding a potential Cooperation Agreement, what discussions the rural affairs secretary has had with the land reform minister regarding an assessment of the Scottish Green Party's manifesto commitments on land reform.

27 May 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the Scottish Green Party’s manifesto commitment to “oppose public investment in carbon capture and storage”, and whether it will continue to provide investment and support to carbon capture utilisation and storage projects, regardless of any future deal negotiated…

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government supports the development of carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS) as a common whole-system decarbonisation infrastructure with the flexibility to adapt over time to play a central role across the decarbonisation strategies of…

26 May 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the First Minister’s statement on 26 May 2021, how public ownership of ScotRail will contribute to the decarbonisation of Scotland’s railways.

Answer · Graeme Dey: The Scottish Government’s Rail Decarbonisation Action Plan, published in July 2020, sets out how domestic passenger services in Scotland will be decarbonised by 2035. Public control of ScotRail will facilitate the integration of rolling stock and train serv…

26 May 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish a revised Energy Strategy, as set out in its recent Energy Strategy Position Statement.

Answer · Michael Matheson: Answer: As detailed in the SNP manifesto, the new administration is committed to publishing a refreshed Energy Strategy to map out Scotland’s energy transition.

26 May 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to reduce funding or support to OGTC during the current parliamentary session.

Answer · Kate Forbes: Scottish Government funding for the OGTC as part of the Aberdeen City Region Deal was set out in 2016 in tripartite agreement with regional partners and UK Government. There are no plans to review the terms of the Deal within the current Parliamentary session…

26 May 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what role it anticipates the oil and gas sector will have in a future (a) energy strategy and (b) economy.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The oil and gas sector continues to play an important role in Scotland's economy and energy mix, including in helping to ensure a secure energy supply. The Robert Gordon University Energy Transition Institute have estimated that while employment supporting oi…

24 May 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many kilometres of Scotland’s railways are electrified, and how many additional kilometres are planned to be electrified in 2021.

Answer · Graeme Dey: Currently 2089 single track kilometres of Scotland’s Railway are electrified. This allows some 75% of Scottish passenger journeys to be made by electric train. Works to electrify the East Kilbride and Barrhead Routes have commenced, though electrification of…

24 May 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many electric charging points ChargePlace Scotland has installed in each year since 2012-13.

Answer · Graeme Dey: The shift to electric vehicles is an important part of responding to the climate emergency and improving air quality in our cities. To help incentivise this shift, the Scottish Government have invested over £45 million in Scotland’s own electric vehicle charg…

24 May 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the current status of low-emission zones.

Answer · Graeme Dey: Regulations to support the delivery of Low Emission Zones came into effect on 31 May 2021. These are the Low Emission Zones (Emission Standards, Exemptions and Enforcement) (Scotland) Regulations 2021, and the Low Emission Zones (Scotland) Regulations 2021. …

24 May 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much the Bus Emissions Abatement Retrofit Programme (BEAR) has given to bus companies in each year since 2017-18.

Answer · Graeme Dey: The Low Emission Zone Support Fund has made grant funding to bus companies through the Bus Emissions Abatement Retrofit Programme as set out in the following table:  Year Amount Phase 1 2018-19 £1.6 million Phase 2 2019-20 £1.577 million Phase 3 202…

24 May 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether any feasibility studies have been carried out regarding plans to move ScotRail to public ownership and, if so, whether it will publish these.

Answer · Graeme Dey: Following detailed analysis and consideration of all available options against the current UK rail legislation, the Scottish Ministers took the decision that it was not appropriate to award a franchise agreement to any party at the expiry of the current ScotR…

24 May 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much transport emissions have been reduced by in each year since 2017-18.

Answer · Graeme Dey: Transport Scotland publishes information on changes in transport emissions in the Carbon Account for Transport. The most recent version of the Carbon Account for Transport, which covers emissions up until 2018 is available at the following link: Carbon Accou…

11 Mar 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether all victims of crime are entitled to make a victim statement to court on how the crime has affected them.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Victim Statements (Prescribed Offences) (No.2) (Scotland) Order 2009 sets out the offences in relation to which a victim statement can be made. In addition, a victim statement may be made where proceedings in respect of an offence are taken or are likely …

11 Mar 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position on the draft proposed Whole Life Custody (Scotland) Bill.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: Existing criminal law operates so that when a court is setting a punishment part of a life sentence, the court can decide to set a punishment part that extends beyond the rest of an offender's life. The Scottish Government supports courts having these powers …

11 Mar 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Community Orders (Coronavirus) (Scotland) Regulations 2021 will result in a reduction in outstanding unpaid work hours for community payback orders and, if so, by how much.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Community Orders (Coronavirus) (Scotland) Regulations 2021 came into force at 5pm on 15 March 2021 and reduced unpaid work or other activity requirements imposed in community payback orders (CPOs) by 35% for all existing orders, except those imposed for d…

11 Mar 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to change the 12-month threshold that applies to the presumption against short sentences.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The extension of the presumption against short sentence is part of an evidence-based approach to rehabilitation, both in communities and custody. A firm focus on prevention and effective community interventions has helped see Scotland’s reconviction rate fall…

11 Mar 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what its position is on the ending of automatic early release of prisoners.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The system of automatic early release was introduced by the then UK Government in the mid 1990s. Provisions in the Prisoners (Control of Release) (Scotland) Act 2015 ended that system of automatic early release for serious offenders.

11 Mar 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much has been allocated to each organisation that has been awarded funding under the Victim Surcharge Fund.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: Every organisations that applied to the first round of the Victim Surcharge Fund has received an allocation as follows: o Victim Support Scotland - £120,000 o The Moira Fund - £12,000 o People Experiencing Trauma and Loss (PETAL) - £10,000 o Families and …

11 Mar 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-35373 by Humza Yousaf on 2 March 2021, what information it has regarding how much (a) Victim Support Scotland and (b) Rape Crisis Scotland spent on work in the locations referred to.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: In answer to part (a) we do not hold this information. Victim Support Scotland have the flexibility to decide how to allocate their grant funding in order to meet their agreed objectives. In answer to part (b) in 2020-21, we have provided grant funding to Ra…

11 Mar 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-35328 by Humza Yousaf on 1 March 2021, what the qualifying criteria was for the asymptomatic tests that Scottish Prison Service staff were able to access from their NHS boards, and how many asymptomatic tests that were offered under the criteria wer…

Answer · Humza Yousaf: Where an outbreak is identified the Local Health Board may form an Incident Management Team (IMT) to work with the prison and relevant stakeholders to identify the most appropriate courses of action to manage and reduce transmission. This may include a decisi…

11 Mar 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider allowing people to exercise outdoors within a travel radius from their homes that is not restricted by local authority boundaries, given the geography and wide variation of population distribution in many local authority areas.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: People are currently permitted to travel in their own local authority area and up to 5 miles into the neighbouring local authority area for essential outdoor exercise. On 16 March, the First Minister set out a firmer timetable for the easing of restrictions a…

9 Mar 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what funding streams are available to support community and individual Green Energy projects, including hydrogen production as a sustainable clean energy source.

Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The Scottish Government is committed to encouraging and providing support to community and individual green projects. Advice and funding support is available to community groups and organisations looking to explore their renewable energy options through the C…

4 Mar 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to end the "rough sex" defence. 

Answer · Humza Yousaf: Violence against women and girls is one of the most devastating and fundamental violations of human rights, and it is vital that perpetrators are held to account. In light of this, we have strengthened the criminal law on sexual offences, increased support to…

4 Mar 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on preventing convicted killers who fail to disclose the location of their victim’s body being released by the Parole Board for Scotland.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Scottish Government will undertake a full rewrite of the Parole Board (Scotland) Rules 2001 this year in order to simplify and modernise them. As part of that work we intend to add a specific provision to the rules which will provide for 'failure to discl…

2 Mar 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the enhanced cleaning of communal areas of privately-owned residential blocks is essential during the current COVID-19 lockdown, and whether commercial cleaning firms can continue to carry out this work.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: Regular cleaning of frequently touched surfaces (such as door handles, bannisters, keypads, buttons) that can be found in communal areas of residential blocks can help reduce the risk of transmission of the coronavirus. It is recommended that anything that i…

2 Mar 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will review the virus transmission mitigation measures for public library staff, given that book transfers continue to operate inside these premises.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Safer Workplaces for Public Libraries guidance was developed with the input of Public Health Scotland, as well as the public libraries sector and trade unions. The guidance is reviewed on a regular basis with the most up-to-date advice and with input from…

2 Mar 2021 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to support the tourism sector in response to reports that TUI will reduce its flights to Aberdeen airport.

1 Mar 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many people in managed isolation have tested positive for COVID-19 since their arrival in Scotland, and which variants of COVID-19 they have tested positive for.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The information is not currently available. Arrangements for managed isolation are procured and managed at a UK Government level for reasons of efficiency. The UK Government is therefore the responsible body for this data and does not currently publish it in …