Parliamentary questions
Donald Cameron
1,854 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
22 Jan 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many beaver licences were issued by NatureScot in the last five years, broken down by the (a) year issued, (b) category of the licence and (c) duration of the licence.
Answer · Lorna Slater: The following tables set out how many Beaver licences were issued in the last five years; broken down by the (a) year issued, (b) category of the licence and (c) duration of the licence: Category of Licence 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 Preventing Serious D…
22 Jan 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve transport infrastructure in the Isle of Skye, in light of reports that the level of traffic crossing the Skye Bridge rose by 11% between April and September 2023.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Isle of Skye remains one of Scotland’s most popular tourist destinations. The increase in traffic over the Skye Bridge, which is part of the A87 trunk road, is reflective of its continuing popularity and as a route for those travelling to the Western Isle…
22 Jan 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24287 by Christina McKelvie on 17 January 2024, whether there have been any cases of (a) cultural, (b) arts and (c) heritage organisations not abiding by its Intangible Cultural Heritage principles, and, if so, whether it can provide details of this.
Answer · Christina McKelvie: The UK Government notified its intention to ratify the UNESCO convention for safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage on 23 December 2023. The Scottish Government will work with the other UK nations alongside key Scottish stakeholders to consider the most…
22 Jan 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what (a) meetings it has had with and (b) support it has offered to SkyeConnect regarding the development of a long-term tourism management plan for the Isle of Skye, in light of a reported increase in local tourism.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government is committed to growing and diversifying Scotland's visitor economy, and also to ensuring places across the country can develop, manage and benefit from tourism effectively and responsibly. In August 2023, I met with SkyeConnect to di…
22 Jan 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the condition of the A83, in light of reports of further extensive flooding leading to single file traffic between Lochgilphead and Campbeltown.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Transport Scotland’s Operating Company for the A83, BEAR Scotland, has recently carried out surveys on the road during very heavy rain conditions. During the severe weather event of 6th to 8th of October 2023, both Council maintained and Trunk roads were affe…
19 Jan 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24231 by Michael Matheson on 17 January 2024, on how many occasions the minimum level of one clinical supervisor for every five NHS 24 call handlers on shift has not been met, in each year since 2016.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The information that has been requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.
19 Jan 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has plans to replace the vessels that currently serve the Gourock to (a) Dunoon and (b) Kilcreggan ferry route, and, if so, whether it will provide details of this.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Ministers are very clear about the importance of supporting ferry services, including those that link Gourock, Dunoon and Kilcreggan. The Gourock Dunoon Kilcreggan Infrastructure and Vessels Programme is complex and work is underway to develop resilient vess…
18 Jan 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many Historic Environment Scotland sites participated in the Historic Sundays scheme in each month that it ran.
Answer · Christina McKelvie: Questions regarding day-to-day operational matters of Historic Environment Scotland, including information relating to Historic Sundays, are best answered by Historic Environment Scotland. I have asked Historic Environment Scotland to respond directly to the…
18 Jan 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many people participated in Historic Environment Scotland’s Historic Sundays scheme in each month that it ran.
Answer · Christina McKelvie: Questions regarding day-to-day operational matters of Historic Environment Scotland, including information relating to Historic Sundays, are best answered by Historic Environment Scotland. I have asked Historic Environment Scotland to respond directly to the…
18 Jan 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans Historic Environment Scotland has to extend its Historic Sundays scheme beyond March 2024.
Answer · Christina McKelvie: Questions regarding day-to-day operational matters of Historic Environment Scotland, including information relating to Historic Sundays, are best answered by Historic Environment Scotland. I have asked Historic Environment Scotland to respond directly to the…
17 Jan 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when it will publish its Addressing Depopulation Action Plan, in light of its previous commitment to publish the action plan in Autumn 2023.
Answer · Emma Roddick: There is no quick fix for the challenges leading to depopulation and the Scottish Government is committed to delivering, through its Addressing Depopulation Action Plan, a range of actions which are pragmatic, targeted, and affordable, and respond to what we …
17 Jan 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish its Culture Partnership Agreement with COSLA, as set out in A Culture Strategy for Scotland: Action Plan.
Answer · Christina McKelvie: We are in the initial stages of scoping the joint Scottish Government and COSLA Culture Partnership Agreement, which will require extensive collaboration with COSLA. We will be able to share more information on this work in the months following the Cultural …
17 Jan 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much funding has been allocated from the Public Library Improvement Fund to libraries in each of the past 10 years.
Answer · Christina McKelvie: The Scottish Government provides annual funding towards the Public Library Improvement Fund (PLIF), administered by the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC), to enable libraries to undertake a wide range of pioneering initiatives within communities…
17 Jan 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government on what date it will hold its proposed Cultural Value Summit, as set out in A Culture Strategy for Scotland: Action Plan.
Answer · Christina McKelvie: The Cultural Value Summit will take place in 2024. We expect to announce the date shortly.
17 Jan 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a timetable for the next steps regarding the development of a Percentage for the Arts scheme, as set out in A Culture Strategy for Scotland: Action Plan.
Answer · Christina McKelvie: We have committed to developing a ‘Percentage for the Arts’ scheme in ‘A Culture Strategy for Scotland: Action Plan’. We are in the initial stages of scoping this commitment and we will share more information on progress in due course.
17 Jan 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government on what date it will publish its International Culture Strategy.
Answer · Angus Robertson: We are aiming to publish the International Culture Strategy in March 2024.
17 Jan 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government by what date it plans to have established its central repository for culture sector data and research, and how this central repository will be made available to the sector and the wider public, as proposed in A Culture Strategy for Scotland: Action Plan.
Answer · Christina McKelvie: The development and implementation of improvements to the data landscape, including the creation of a central repository for culture sector research and data, is a long-term strategic action which will be delivered in close collaboration with sector and exper…
17 Jan 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when it plans to bring forward a new youth arts strategy to follow on from Time to Shine, which covered the period from 2013-2023.
Answer · Christina McKelvie: As outlined in the recently published ‘Culture Strategy for Scotland: Action Plan’, we will continue to work with Creative Scotland, and stakeholders from across the sector, to scope the youth arts strategy which will follow ‘Time to Shine’. This strategy wi…
17 Jan 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government by what date it plans to establish its Fair Work Task Force for the creative and culture sector, as set out in A Culture Strategy for Scotland: Action Plan.
Answer · Christina McKelvie: We are currently in the early stages of establishing a Fair Work Task Force for the creative and cultural sector. The first date will be agreed in due course.
17 Jan 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government on what date its Culture and Creativity in Learning Group will publish its workplan, as set out in A Culture Strategy for Scotland: Action Plan.
Answer · Christina McKelvie: The Culture and Creativity in Learning Group will support the delivery of the actions in the ‘Culture Strategy for Scotland: Action Plan’, published in December 2023. We are working closely with the Culture and Creativity in Learning Group in early 2024 to d…
17 Jan 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-22701 by Christina McKelvie on 10 November 2023, how many times the Culture Conveners group, which it co-chairs along with COSLA, has met since January 2020.
Answer · Christina McKelvie: Further to my answer to S6W-22701, there have now been five meetings of the Culture Conveners since the publication of our 2020 Culture Strategy. These took place in November 2020, March 2021, December 2021, January 2023 and September 2023. The next Culture …
16 Jan 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many online clicks its paper, Social security in an independent Scotland, received in its first month following publication, broken down by (a) main paper, (b) easy read version, (c) each individual language version and (d) audio version.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: We have previously answered two FOIs on website visits to the Building a New Scotland Papers: Unique online visitor statistics: FOI release - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) Building a New Scotland webpage visitors: FOI release - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) Paper title…
16 Jan 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many official visits the First Minister has undertaken in Scotland in each year since 16 May 2007, broken down by parliamentary (a) constituency and (b) region.
Answer · George Adam: Information on Ministerial engagements is routinely published on the Scottish Government website and can be found at: www.gov.scot/collections/ministerial-engagements-travel-and-gifts/ . Visits are not recorded by parliamentary or constituency region.
15 Jan 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when CalMac will (a) publish its carrying statistics for the period after 16 May 2023 and (b) complete its audit in order to allow the publication of its latest carrying statistics.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24402 on? 19 January 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…
15 Jan 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to the question S6W-22545 by Fiona Hyslop on 10 November 2023, whether it can confirm the exact date on which it will publish Stantec's community needs assessment report on transport connectivity for Cowal and Rosneath.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: As set out in my response to the question S6W-22545, the contents of the report are now being considered by Transport Scotland. The report will be published once that process has been completed.
21 Dec 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) civil servants and (b) other staff, including those appointed by ministers, have worked in its Scottish Affairs Office in Berlin in each year since its establishment, also broken down by (i) job title and (ii) pay grade.
Answer · Angus Robertson: The Scottish Government Office in Berlin has operated with 3 members of staff since its establishment in 2018. Provided below are details of staffing numbers, job titles and salary scale: Scottish Government Civil Servants / Salary scale Job Title Country …
21 Dec 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) civil servants and (b) other staff, including those appointed by ministers, have worked in its Scottish Affairs Office in Canada in each year since its establishment, also broken down by (i) job title and (ii) pay grade.
Answer · Angus Robertson: The Scottish Government Office in Canada has operated with either 3 or 4 members of staff since its establishment in 2018. Provided below are details of salary scale and job titles: FY Scottish Government Civil Servants - Salary scale Job Title Country Ba…
21 Dec 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) civil servants and (b) other staff, including those appointed by ministers, have worked in its Scottish Affairs Office in Paris in each year since its establishment, also broken down by (i) job title and (ii) pay grade.
Answer · Angus Robertson: The Scottish Government Office in Paris has operated with 3 members of staff since its establishment in 2018. Scottish Government Civil Servants / Salary scale Job Title Country Based Staff Job Title 2 x A-C Band Head of Scottish Government Office D…
21 Dec 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) civil servants and (b) other staff, including those appointed by ministers, have worked in its Scottish Affairs Office in Copenhagen in each year since its establishment, also broken down by (i) job title and (ii) pay grade.
Answer · Angus Robertson: The Scottish Government Office in Copenhagen has operated with 3 members of staff since its established in 2022. Scottish Government Civil Servants / Salary scale Job Title Country Based Staff Job Title 2 x A-C Band Head of Scottish Government Office …
21 Dec 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) civil servants and (b) other staff, including those appointed by ministers, have worked in its Scottish Affairs Office in Brussels in each year since its establishment, also broken down by (i) job title and (ii) pay grade.
Answer · Angus Robertson: The Scottish Government Brussels office was established in 1999 and staffing records covering the entirety of its existence are not held. The currently held information on staffing numbers, job titles and pay grade is outlined below. 1. Staffing numbers 18-…