Parliamentary questions
Andy Wightman
202 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
26 Feb 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how often its (a) directorates and (b) agencies are required to update their asset management plans.
Answer · Kate Forbes: Under the Scottish Public Finance Manual (SPFM) Scottish Government Directorates and Agencies are to follow best practice in asset management. Industry guidance indicates a review of overarching strategy every three to five years to align property with busine…
26 Feb 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what efforts it is making to ensure that tenants in the private-rented sector are made aware of the procedure that landlords must follow to commence eviction, including the function and rules of the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland (Housing and Property Chamber).
Answer · Kevin Stewart: Under the new private residential tenancy (PRT) all landlords must provide a tenant with the written terms of their tenancy and either the ‘ Easy-read notes ’ which accompany the Scottish Government’s Model Tenancy Agreement , or the ‘ Private Residentia…
26 Feb 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish details of the (a) location, (b) tenure and (c) other key attributes of the land and property that it owns that has been entered in the Electronic Property Information Mapping Service (e-PIMS).
Answer · Kate Forbes: Details of Scottish Government properties held on the electronic Property Information Mapping System (ePIMS) includes building and lease information, landlord details, occupiers (if sub-let) and rent. Much of this information is of a commercially sensitive na…
26 Feb 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish details of the proposed licensing scheme for short-term lets.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: The full details of the licensing scheme will be set out in the statutory instruments which will be laid before Parliament in good time for them to come into force by spring next year. Before then, we will be consulting widely with stakeholders as we develop …
26 Feb 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the comments by the First Minister on 19 December 2019 (Official Report, c. 21), what its timescale is for reconsideration of the introduction of a licensing scheme for grouse shooting.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: We are giving very careful consideration to the recommendations in the report by the Grouse Moor Management Group (the ‘Werritty Review’). We will set out our response to the report in due course, which will cover the recommendation on introducing licensing …
26 Feb 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to update its January 2008 asset management review.
Answer · Kate Forbes: The next fresh high-level review of Scottish Government’s asset strategy is in development and a draft is anticipated in summer 2020.
26 Feb 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to figures in The Juridical Review, which record a 95% tenant eviction rate by the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland (Housing and Property Chamber).
Answer · Kevin Stewart: Whether a tenant is on a Short Assured, Assured or Private Residential Tenancy - there are clear legal processes that all private landlords must follow, when evicting a tenant. The Scottish Government recognises that certain issues, such as rent arrears, can…
26 Feb 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what additional funding will be made available for local authorities to enable them to process applications for short-term let licences following the introduction of a licensing scheme.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: Local authorities will be able to charge fees to cover the costs of administering and enforcing the licensing scheme in their area. The Scottish Government is not providing additional funding.
7 Feb 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many times a court has been closed to the public in the last five years, apart from those occasions where rules specifically require a court to sit in private, and for what reason.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: This question relates to operational matters that are the responsibility of the Scottish Court and Tribunals Service (SCTS) corporate body. The question has been passed to the Chief Executive of the SCTS who will reply in writing within 20 days .
7 Feb 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many discretionary reporting restrictions, which are not mandated by statute, have been placed on criminal proceedings in courts in the last five years.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: This question relates to operational matters that are the responsibility of the Scottish Court and Tribunals Service (SCTS) corporate body. The question has been passed to the Chief Executive of the SCTS who will reply in writing within 20 days .
6 Feb 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the role of all peatland soils as carbon stores, what plans it has to review its definition of deep peat soils, which are currently defined as having an organic layer at the surface that is more than 50 cm thick.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Soil Classification, which defines peat soils as having more than 60% organic matter and exceeding 50cm in thickness, was developed by the Soil Survey of Scotland and refreshed in 2013 by the James Hutton Institute. This classification was establ…
6 Feb 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what additional steps it is taking with stakeholders to prevent wildfires originating from (a) prescribed muirburn and (b) accidental causes in Spring 2020.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Muirburn Code, which was updated in 2017, sets out good practice advice and the statutory restrictions that apply to the land management practice of muirburn. We are considering the recommendations for further regulation of muirburn as provided by (i) the…
6 Feb 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to prevent muirburn on deep peat soils.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: We are considering the recommendations for further regulation of muirburn as provided by (i) the Independent Grouse Moor Management Review Group and (ii) the recent Climate Change Committee Report on Land Use Policies for a Net Zero UK.
10 Jan 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to apply for planning consent for the proposed change of use to short-term holiday letting of Meadowbank, Duddingston and Dumbiedykes lodges in Holyrood Park.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-26914 on ? 22 January 2020. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusin…
9 Jan 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much annual income it expects Meadowbank, Duddingston and Dumbiedykes lodges in Holyrood Park to generate when run as short-term holiday lets.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-26914 on ? 22 January 2020. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusin…
9 Jan 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what use St Leonard’s Lodge and Wells O’Wearie Cottage in Holyrood Park have been put to by Historic Environment Scotland since 2014.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-26914 on ? 22 January 2020. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusin…
9 Jan 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what use Meadowbank, Duddingston and Dumbiedykes lodges in Holyrood Park have been put to by Historic Environment Scotland since 2014, and whether this has included being used (a) as staff accommodation and (b) for staff meetings.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-26914 on ? 22 January 2020. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusin…
9 Jan 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment of options was made by Historic Environment Scotland before deciding that Meadowbank, Duddingston and Dumbiedykes lodges in Holyrood Park should be used for short-term holiday lets.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: This is an operational matter for Historic Environment Scotland (HES). I have asked Alex Paterson, Chief Executive of HES, to write to the Member with his response.
22 Nov 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many trawlers longer than 12 metres have been investigated for illegal fishing in inshore waters in each year since 2015, also broken down by how many were subsequently (a) issued with warning letters, (b) issued with fixed penalty notices and (c) reported to the Crown Office and Pro…
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The information requested is as follows: Outcomes Year Total Warning Letter Fixed Penalty Notice No Further Action Referred to COPFS Convictions 2015 1 1 2016 1 1 2017 2 1 1 2018 5 2 1 2* TOTAL 9 1 5 1 2 * Neit…
22 Nov 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-25571 by Fergus Ewing on 21 October 2019, whether it is now in a position to provide the information that was requested.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: I refer the Member to the answer to question S5W-25570 on 18 October 2019. Preferred suppliers of Remote Electronic Monitoring systems will shortly be identified following a Public Contracts Scotland Invitation to Tender exercise. Equipment specifications w…
22 Nov 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) remit, (b) terms of reference and (c) membership is of the scallop industry working group that has been established as part of the Modernisation of Scotland's Inshore Commercial Fishing Fleet programme.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: Marine Scotland established the Scottish Scallop Sector Working Group (SSSWG) to facilitate partnership working between Marine Scotland and Scotland’s scallop sector. A draft terms of reference including remit and membership was tabled at the first meeting wh…
22 Nov 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether trawlers longer than 12 metres will be required to be fitted with new remote electronic monitoring systems as part of the Modernisation of Scotland's Inshore Commercial Fishing Fleet programme.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The first phase of the Modernisation of the Inshore Fleet Programme will extend remote electronic monitoring to the Scottish scallop fleet, regardless of length. As noted in our Future of Fisheries Management National Discussion Paper we intend to work with s…
18 Nov 2019 · Topical Question
To ask the Scottish Government what fire safety checks it has undertaken on the building cladding used in private student accommodation, including whether it has been checked for high-pressure laminate cladding.
30 Sep 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it will deliver its Programme for Government commitment to “commence work to modernise the Scottish inshore fisheries fleet, investing a further £1.5 million in inshore technologies such as the deployment of remote electronic monitoring for scallop fishing vessels.”
Answer · Fergus Ewing: Marine Scotland are leading the delivery of the Scottish Government’s Programme for Government commitment to modernise the Scottish inshore fisheries fleet. The Design and Inception phase of the Modernisation of the Inshore Fleet Programme commenced in Novem…
30 Sep 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the remote electronic monitoring that it plans to deploy for scallop fishing vessels will be sufficient to enable the prosecution of people suspected of illegally deploying dredges.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-25570 on 18 October 2019. An Invitation to Tender for the contract to fit Remote Electronic Monitoring equipment closed on the Public Contracts Scotland web space on 3 October. Equipment specifications will be…
30 Sep 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what records it holds regarding the annual release of non-native gamebirds.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The Scottish Government holds no such records.
30 Sep 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it measures the environmental impact of the annual release of non-native gamebirds into the wild.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The Scottish Government does not measure the environmental impact of the release of non-native gamebirds but Scottish Natural Heritage do so where there is a statutory requirement, for example if the release may impact a designated protected area.
30 Sep 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what evidence it has gathered about the impact of the release of non-native game birds on the condition of statutory designated sites.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: Where the release of non-native game birds is potentially damaging to a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), it is included as an activity on the Operations Requiring Consent (ORC) list for that SSSI. If the site is also a Natura site (a Special Protec…
30 Sep 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how the release of non-native gamebirds can be regulated in the event of such activity damaging or potentially damaging designated sites.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-24453 on 30 August 2019. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness…
30 Sep 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether a Habitats Regulations Appraisal is required for the release of non-native game birds on or near designated sites.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-24453 on 30 August 2019. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness…