Donald Cameron

22 Dec 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many properties in the Highlands and Islands region are currently yet to receive a broadband connection, and what the target connection level is in each of the next six years.

Answer · Ivan McKee: The Scottish Government does not hold information regarding the number of properties in the Highlands and Islands region that are currently yet to receive a broadband connection. Ofcom, as the regulator for communications services, produces an annual Connecte…

22 Dec 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many renewable heating systems it estimates have been installed in homes in the Highlands and Islands region in each of the last five years, and how many such installations will be required annually in the Highlands and Islands region over the next eight years to meet the 2030 target…

Answer · Patrick Harvie: The Energy Saving Trust maintains the Renewable Heat Database for the Scottish Government. The following table presents figures for the number of renewable heat installations in homes in the Highlands and Islands over the past five years using Microgeneration…

22 Dec 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to Creative Scotland’s reported warning that its use of National Lottery reserves is a time-limited solution to a £6.6 million reduction in Scottish Government funding for 2023-24 and that, if the Scottish Government Budget does not give any indication of funding for…

Answer · Neil Gray: I refer the member to the answer to question S6O-01744 on 11 January 2023. The answer to the Oral Question can be found at: https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/official-report/search-what-was-said-in-parliament/meeting-of-parliament-11-01-2023…

20 Dec 2022 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to accelerate the reopening of historic sites managed by Historic Environment Scotland.

15 Dec 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding was allocated to each local authority from the Town Centre Fund Capital Grant in for each year since 2019-20.

Answer · Tom Arthur: In total, £68 million was allocated to local authorities through the Town Centre Fund with £50 million allocated in 2019-20 and £18 million allocated in 2020-21. Local Authority Allocation 2019-20 Allocation 2020-21   Aberdeen City £ 1,351,000 £ 484,00…

15 Dec 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many ministerial visits have been made in Scotland since 2010, broken down by parliamentary 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/ . Information on Ministerial engagements prior to May 2016 can be found…

15 Dec 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the 10 most common offences were for which (a) men and (b) women in the Highlands and Islands parliamentary region have been sent to prison in each year since 2016-17, broken down by (i) age group and (ii) number of offences.

Answer · Keith Brown: Information on the 10 most common offences for which (a) men and (b) women in the Highlands and Islands parliamentary region have been sent to prison in each year since 2016-17, broken down by (i) age group and (ii) number of offences; is available from the S…

15 Dec 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what (a) discussions it has had and (b) action it will take in response to the National Farmers Union Scotland’s reported warning that Scotland’s "deteriorating and unreliable" lifeline ferry services to and from island communities are not "fit for purpose".

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The importance of farming and crofting to our rural and island areas is fully appreciated by the Scottish Government. We have committed over £580m investment for ports and vessels which will support and improve Scotland’s ferry services over the next five y…

15 Dec 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many senior civil servants have received a non-consolidated performance payment and a pay increase in the same year since 2007, and what the total amount was of any such payments.

Answer · John Swinney: Pay for staff in the SCS is reserved and operates within the UK Cabinet Office pay and performance management framework which sets out each year the level of pay increase and non-consolidated performance payments that may apply. Since 2007, the number of sen…

15 Dec 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many events have been hosted by the First Minister in Bute House in each year since 2007, and what the total cost of those events was for each year.

Answer · George Adam: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-17054 on 16 January 2015 for costs between 2010 and 2013. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.par…

15 Dec 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much has been allocated to teach (a) English, (b) Gaelic, (c) Scots, (d) French, (e) Spanish, (f) German, (g) Italian, (h) Urdu, (i) Mandarin and (j) Cantonese in schools in each year since 2016-17.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The Scottish Government provides local authorities with an annual local government finance settlement which in 2022-23 amounts to almost £12.7 billion. Over 93 percent of this total funding, representing £11.8 billion, is by means of a block grant. Individual…

15 Dec 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-12504 by Jenny Gilruth on 9 December 2022, in relation to the adjustable car ramp (mezzanine deck) on the MV Hebrides, on what percentage of sailings (a) was the ramp operational during spring and summer 2022 and (b) will the ramp be operational dur…

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: Matters about when and whether to deploy the adjustable car ramp are operational ones which CalMac are best placed to respond to, not least in terms of future plans. The adjustable car ramp allows Cal Mac to increase capacity when the need arises on certain …

15 Dec 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-12846 by Angus Robertson on 13 December 2022, whether it will release the number of (a) Gaelic and (b) Scots language speakers recorded in the 2022 Census early in order to inform its proposed Scottish Languages Bill.

Answer · Angus Robertson: National Records of Scotland (NRS) will release the 2022 census outputs in phases. NRS are currently consulting with data users on the outputs from Scotland's Census 2022, including plans for publishing census data. NRS are asking users to give their views on…

15 Dec 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many people were convicted of shoplifting in each of the last five years, and of those, how many have reoffended within a year of conviction.

Answer · Keith Brown: The number of people convicted in Scottish courts, where the main charge was Shoplifting, was published on 21 June 2022 in Table 4b of the Criminal Proceedings in Scotland 2020-21 bulletin. The most recent five years of data are shown in the following tabl…

15 Dec 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the introduction of semi-closed containment aquaculture could make a significant contribution to the aquaculture industry in Scotland.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: New innovative technologies, including semi-closed containment systems, have the potential to make a significant contribution to Scotland’s aquaculture industry. Systems must be designed to operate in the conditions in the surrounding environment, meaning tha…

15 Dec 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential of semi-closed containment aquaculture to support jobs in rural areas in Scotland.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: No assessment of the potential of semi-closed containment aquaculture to support jobs in rural Scotland has been made by the Scottish Government. Employment opportunities and benefits are considered as part of the statutory fish farm planning process.

15 Dec 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it can take to incentivise the introduction of semi-closed aquaculture in Scotland.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: Scottish Ministers approved new Scottish Environment Protection Agency fish farm Controlled Activity Regulation charges in September 2022. Where an operator achieves a reduction in 80% of expected emissions, SEPA will halve the application fee. In terms of s…

15 Dec 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it provided advice to Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park regarding the proposed Beinn Reithe semi-closed containment aquaculture project, and, in light of reports that it considered the project to be of "national significance", what its position is on whether this is the c…

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: Marine Scotland Science, as a statutory consultee in the fish farm planning application process and part of Scottish Government Marine Scotland Directorate, provided advice to Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Planning Authority and is available to …

15 Dec 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to encourage the introduction of semi-closed containment aquaculture in Scotland.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-13304 on ? 5 January 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-commit…

13 Dec 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to limit the disruption of flights at Highlands and Islands Airports Limited (HIAL) airports due to the planned strike action on 19 and 22 December 2022.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: HIAL worked to limit the impact of the industrial action where possible and were able to keep Campbeltown, Dundee, Inverness, Islay, Tiree and Wick John O’Groats Airports fully operational during the strikes. They were also able to facilitate reduced operatio…

13 Dec 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to promote the Home Energy Scotland Scheme grants announced on 2 December 2022 in the Highlands and Islands region.

Answer · Patrick Harvie: Replacing the previous cashback arrangements with a standalone grant was a key commitment in the Programme for Government 2022-23 and will offer a more straightforward, flexible and accessible way to access funding for priority measures; particularly in our r…

13 Dec 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with airlines flying in and out of Highlands and Islands Airports Limited (HIAL) airports regarding planned strike action on 19 and 22 December 2022. 

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: I met with the Chair and Chief Executive of Loganair, HIAL’s largest customer, on 20 December 2022 to discuss the industrial action at HIAL’s airports and the measures that Loganair had put in place to minimise the disruption for passengers.

13 Dec 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of how the £3.9 million it announced on 18 March 2022 to support visitor management and rural tourism (a) has been and (b) will be spent.

Answer · Ivan McKee: This one off funding was allocated to organisations to help manage visitors in 2022 as we continue to recover from the Covid-19 Pandemic and manage increased domestic visitors to Scotland’s countryside. It has supported the following: Organisation Amount W…

13 Dec 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to establishing a taskforce with an independent chair to oversee Gaelic-medium education teacher workforce recruitment, as reportedly recommended by Dr Michael Foxley and Professor Bruce Robertson.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The Scottish Government is aware of the paper that Dr Foxley and Professor Robertson have produced on Gaelic medium teachers and officials met with them on 1 December to discuss this. The Scottish Government continues to work with university partners and oth…

13 Dec 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the annual target is for take-up of the Home Energy Scotland Scheme grants announced on 2 December 2022 in the Highlands and Islands region.

Answer · Patrick Harvie: There is no specific annual target for take up of the Home Energy Scotland (HES) Grant and Loan scheme in the Highlands and Islands region. The scheme is demand-led and the number of households which can be supported is linked to the annual budget. The budget…

13 Dec 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government which Highlands and Islands Airports Limited (HIAL) airports it expects will be impacted by the planned strike action on 19 and 22 December 2022.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: Barra, Benbecula and Sumburgh Airports were closed during the strike action on 19 and 22 December 2022 while Kirkwall and Stornoway Airports operated with reduced services.

13 Dec 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has (a) allocated funding to and (b) spent money on establishing a presence on Meta’s so-called metaverse.

Answer · George Adam: The Scottish Government has not allocated funding nor spent any money on this.

13 Dec 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to prevent its social media accounts from being hacked.

Answer · George Adam: The Scottish Government has robust security policies and procedures in place, with training and guidance available for all staff to help them understand their security responsibilities. Steps include adhering to best practice in password management and using …

13 Dec 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many of its civil servants have responsibility for uploading content to its social media platforms.

Answer · George Adam: The Scottish Government runs a number of accounts on social media platforms. Responsibility for uploading content to these accounts lies with the teams who manage those accounts. There are currently four social media managers with specific responsibility for …

13 Dec 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many times its social media accounts have been (a) successfully and (b) unsuccessfully hacked since they were established.

Answer · George Adam: The Scottish Government does not have access to information about cyber security incidents affecting social media platforms, except where they have been publicly disclosed by the platforms themselves. We refer to the UK Government’s SAFE Framework which outli…