Donald Cameron

7 Sep 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many unsatisfactory combined sewer overflows (CSOs) were recorded as (a) high, (b) medium and (c) low priority by Scottish Water, in each year since 2016.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: Scottish Water’s list of high priority assets identified for investment under Improving Urban Waters commitments can be found at High Priority UIDs.pdf (scottishwater.co.uk) . There are currently 163 High Priority Unsatisfactory Intermittent Discharge (UID)…

7 Sep 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many residential rehabilitation placements it has created since it first announced its target to increase placements by 300% by 2026, broken down by year.

Answer · Elena Whitham: We are working to increase the number of publicly funded placements so that by 2026, at least 1000 people are publicly funded to go to rehab every year - a 300% increase on the number prior to the launch of the National Mission. Public Health Scotland have b…

7 Sep 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government on how many occasions instances of dry-spilling of sewage have been reported to SEPA by Scottish Water, in each year since 2016.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: Scottish Water does not hold information for reported spills during dry weather, or the reasons for spills, however Scottish Water publishes all reportable pollution events each year to SEPA and this information is available in its annual reports, which can b…

7 Sep 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many instances of dry-spilling of sewage were recorded by Scottish Water in each year since 2016, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: Scottish Water does not hold information on the reasons for spills for historic events reported to SEPA and this information is not correlated to rainfall data. However, from 2015 onward Scottish Water has conducted over 100 catchment studies for both water q…

7 Sep 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action Scottish Water is taking to prevent rising groundwater from entering pipes.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: By using a risk-based approach and focusing resources on maintaining critical assets, Scottish Water aims to minimise the risk of failure and ensure that infrastructure is functioning properly. The approach combines proactive and responsive measures, underpin…

7 Sep 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government on how many occasions Scottish Water has recorded rising groundwater entering pipes, in each year since 2016.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: Scottish Water does not record groundwater levels or infiltration routinely, however, infiltration may be investigated where an issue is identified at any of their assets. This is due to complexities in how infiltration can be accurately captured on an ongoin…

5 Sep 2023 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason its Programme for Government 2023-24 did not include a commitment to a Crofting Bill. 

4 Sep 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will confirm the costs associated with the (a) production and (b) publication of its paper, Creating a modern constitution for an independent Scotland.

Answer · Jamie Hepburn: The external costs associated with the production and publication of the Building a New Scotland paper, ‘Creating a modern constitution for an independent Scotland’, are set out in the following table. Costs Task VAT % VAT Net Price Formatting and Onlin…

4 Sep 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will confirm the costs associated with the (a) production and (b) publication of its paper, Devolution since the Brexit Referendum.

Answer · Angus Robertson: There are no additional or separately identifiable costs associated with the production and publication of Devolution since the Brexit Referendum paper. The work to prepare the paper was carried out by officials as part of their normal duties. The Scottish G…

4 Sep 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will confirm the costs associated with the (a) production and (b) publication of its paper, Citizenship in an independent Scotland.

Answer · Jamie Hepburn: The external costs associated with the production and publication of the Building a New Scotland paper, ‘Citizenship in an independent Scotland’, are set out in the following table. Costs Task VAT % VAT Net Price Formatting and Online Publication (inclu…

28 Aug 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the total cost of special advisers for the current financial year, broken down by (a) pay band, (b) pay range and (c) number of special advisers.

Answer · George Adam: A current list of Special Advisers and their responsibilities can be found on the Scottish Government website . The current financial year ends on 31 March 2024. As such it is not possible to provide the total cost of Special Advisers in the current financ…

25 Aug 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that Scotland is facing a "cultural recession".

Answer · Christina McKelvie: The Scottish Government greatly values our culture sector and the fundamental part it plays in our everyday lives, our national identity, and how we present ourselves to the world. The sector receives significant annual funding from the Scottish Government. W…

25 Aug 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to reduce the number of people dying from asbestos-related diseases.

Answer · Jenni Minto: The use of products containing asbestos was banned in the UK in 1999. However, it is still found in buildings and there are strict guidelines about removing asbestos safely. Work with asbestos generally requires a license and the use of strict control measure…

25 Aug 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what it is currently doing to promote safety in (a) hillwalking and (b) mountain hiking.

Answer · Maree Todd: The Scottish Government understands the importance of Scotland’s hills and mountains and provides investment to help people enjoy them safely. In addition to Scottish Government’s annual grant of £312,000 to Scottish Mountain Rescue, sport scotland invests a…

25 Aug 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the topic of Scottish independence was discussed in the meeting between the First Minister and the US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate on 24 August 2023.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: As part of the Scottish Government’s efforts to drive global climate ambition and action ahead of New York Climate Week and COP28, the First Minister and I met with the US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, John Kerry, on 24 August. We discussed re…

25 Aug 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to reduce adult illiteracy rates.

Answer · Graeme Dey: Strong literacies skills help people fulfil their potential, achieve their goals, and take advantage of opportunities and the Scottish Government wants every citizen in Scotland to have the literacy capabilities necessary to bridge the poverty gap, to underst…

25 Aug 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many school pupils, as a percentage of total enrolled pupils, were classified as "non-attenders" in each of the last five years, broken down by local authority.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: Statistics on school attendance and absences can be found here: https://www.gov.scot/publications/school-attendance-and-absence-statistics/  

24 Aug 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-14456 by Maree Todd on 10 February 2023, whether it will provide an update on when its new Daily Mile Strategy will be published.

Answer · Maree Todd: The Daily Mile Foundation have developed their 'The Daily Mile Scotland Strategy 2023 - 2026' which was published in August 2023 to align with the start of the new academic year. Scottish Government are working closely with the Foundation to support the deliv…

24 Aug 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has given any consideration to the introduction of a ticket levy on large music venues in order to support grassroots venues.

Answer · Christina McKelvie: The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that there is a thriving music industry in Scotland, including grassroots music venues, which are key to supporting emerging Scottish talent. It is vital that both grassroots venues and large-scale venues conti…

24 Aug 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to develop music tourism and ensure that live music continues to be resilient and world class, as outlined in its publication, A Culture Strategy for Scotland.

Answer · Christina McKelvie: Music tourism makes an important contribution to the Scottish economy, attracting overseas visitors as well as locals to enjoy live music at festivals and venues across Scotland, many of which have an international reputation for excellence. The Scottish Go…

24 Aug 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to invest in the talent pipeline through (a) supporting new and emerging talent performing at grassroots music venues and (b) improving funding opportunities.

Answer · Christina McKelvie: The Scottish Government is committed to developing a long-term strategic approach to skills and careers in the sector across the creative sector. The music talent pipeline is already supported through a very significant offer across Scotland’s Colleges at N…

24 Aug 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to encourage larger music venues to invest in grassroots venues.

Answer · Christina McKelvie: The Scottish Government fully values the important contributions that both grassroots and large-scale music venues provide to Scotland. We recognise the role venues play in skills development and the talent pipeline. It remains crucial that we continue to en…

24 Aug 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to support grassroots music venues in the Highlands and Islands region.

Answer · Christina McKelvie: Performance venues throughout Scotland make an important contribution to the cultural, social and economic life of Scotland. We have regular contact with Creative Scotland, Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), and representatives of the music industry, as …

22 Aug 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve Scotland’s international reputation on exports, and particularly its "contribution to innovation and science", as set out in the Anholt-Ipsos Nation Brands IndexSM 2022, in the countries that gave Scotland the lowest score, such as India.

Answer · Angus Robertson: The Scottish Government notes the findings of the Anholt-Ipsos Nation Brands Index ranking on "contribution to innovation and science", and would like to draw the members attention to response to S6W-20781 on 4 September 2023. Scottish Government-funded init…

22 Aug 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will be subscribing to the Anholt-Ipsos Nation Brands IndexSM in 2023, and on what date it will publish the survey’s results.

Answer · Angus Robertson: The Scottish Government has subscribed to the Anholt-Ipsos Nation Brands Index? (NBI) survey since 2008 and biennially since 2010. The Scottish Government has used the NBI to assess and monitor how Scotland is perceived around the world. Data from the NBI i…

22 Aug 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve Scotland’s international reputation regarding exports, as set out in the Anholt-Ipsos Nation Brands IndexSM 2022, and by what date it aims to move Scotland into the top 20 countries surveyed for exports.

Answer · Angus Robertson: The Scottish Government notes the findings of the Anholt-Ipsos Nation Brands Index ranking on exports and would like to draw the member’s attention to response to S6W-20781 on 4 September 2023. A Trading Nation (ATN) is our national export growth strategy, w…

22 Aug 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve Scotland’s international reputation regarding its "contribution to innovation and science", as set out in the Anholt-Ipsos Nation Brands IndexSM 2022, which ranked Scotland 26th out of 60 countries surveyed, and what the target ranking is for the next …

Answer · Angus Robertson: The Scottish Government notes the findings of the Anholt-Ipsos Nation Brands Index ranking on "contribution to innovation and science", and would like to draw the members attention to response to S6W-20781 on 4 September 2023. Scotland’s world-class universi…

22 Aug 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking regarding Scotland’s international reputation as a country known for its "excellence at sports", as set out in the Anholt-Ipsos Nation Brands IndexSM 2022, which ranked Scotland 25th out of 60 countries, and by what date it aims to move Scotland into the top 20 c…

Answer · Angus Robertson: The Scottish Government notes the findings of the Anholt-Ipsos Nation Brands Index ranking on "excellence at sport ", and would like to draw the members attention to response to S6W-20781 on 4 September 2023. In terms of performance sports, sportscotland and…

2 Aug 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-19712 by Jamie Hepburn on 31 July 2023, whether it can confirm on how many occasions it has taken legal advice when preparing its Building a New Scotland series of papers.

Answer · Jamie Hepburn: In line with the Ministerial Code, the Scottish Government does not routinely publish details of its legal advice. This applies to the work on the Building a New Scotland series, in the same way as it applies to other aspects of the government’s work.  

2 Aug 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has had any engagement with the UK Government regarding the potential impact on Scotland of the Data Protection and Digital Information (No. 2) Bill, and, if so, whether it can provide details of this.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: During the development of the Bill Scottish Government officials have been in regular contact with officials from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology to understand the UK Government’s plans for the legislation and the impact it will have on …