Parliamentary questions
Rachael Hamilton
1,432 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
6 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it defines a "cluster" of farmers.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The Scottish Government does not have a formal definition for a “cluster” of farmers. The term has been used in relation to the Farming with Nature programme NatureScot delivers in partnership with the Scottish Government, specifically the Piloting an Outcome…
6 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on how often the Agriculture and Rural Development Stakeholder Group should meet in order to perform its function effectively.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-22110 on 30 October 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-committ…
6 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when the Agriculture and Rural Development Stakeholder Group last met.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The Agriculture and Rural Development (ARD) Stakeholder Group last met on 23 March 2023. Following that meeting, and based on feedback from some members about the effectiveness of bringing such a large group together for time limited meetings, the purpose of …
6 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on whether it plans to bring forward a crofting bill in the current parliamentary session.
Answer · Gillian Martin: As stated in the Scottish Policy Prospectus, I am committed to reform crofting law by 2026, subject to agreement by parliament, to support the future of crofting. The Programme for Government 2023-24 commits the Scottish Government to developing and consultin…
5 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has given any consideration to abortion clinic buffer zones in place across the rest of the UK in formulating its own position on implementing protections for those attending clinics in Scotland.
Answer · Jenni Minto: Safe access zones have been established by national legislation in Northern Ireland, and in some local authority areas in England using Public Spaces Protection Orders. The Scottish Government has given careful consideration to both approaches, and has engage…
5 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether its ministers have engaged with any of their counterparts in Northern Ireland, Wales and England about introducing abortion clinic buffer zones in Scotland.
Answer · Jenni Minto: The Scottish Government has engaged extensively with stakeholders to ensure as wide a range of views as possible were taken into consideration during the development of the Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) (Scotland) Bill. While there has been no engagem…
5 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many women have had to travel outside their NHS board area for an abortion in each year since 2019-20, also broken down by the patients' NHS board.
Answer · Jenni Minto: Public Health Scotland (PHS) data is provided below on numbers of patients receiving abortion treatment in a Health Board other than their Board of residence. It is not possible to distinguish how many patients had to receive treatment in another Health Boar…
5 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what further action it can take to ensure that women are not harassed when travelling to abortion services, in light of reports that the anti-abortion group, 40 Days for Life, has resumed protests outside the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.
Answer · Jenni Minto: Women should be able to access abortion services without fear of intimidation, harassment, or unwanted influence. That is why the Scottish Government has been supporting Ms Gillian Mackay MSP to draft and develop the Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) (Sco…
5 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to improve abortion services in Scotland, in order to prevent any need for women to travel to England for abortions.
Answer · Jenni Minto: The Scottish Government is working to take forward the action in the Women’s Health Plan that seek to enable all patients to access mid-trimester abortion care locally or regionally. Progress has been made, with all mainland NHS Boards now offering services u…
25 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to consult further on the proposed Agriculture Bill with expert farmers groups and environmental non-governmental organisations.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The Agriculture Bill has now been published and introduced to Parliament. Engagement with stakeholders will continue during the Bill process, and the Scottish Government looks forward to hearing and seeing the evidence that organisations and individuals prov…
25 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it will support collaborative and integrated land management under the proposed Agriculture Bill, including whether it will include such measures in the Bill.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Bill has now been introduced to the Scottish Parliament. Information on the Bill can be found on the Parliament website here, and all supporting evidence and analysis relating to the Bill can be found here …
25 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the four-tiered payment structure of the proposed Agriculture Bill represents value for money.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: Implementation of the new support framework will deliver effective, cost efficient public services, and the Agriculture Reform Implementation Oversight Board has been engaged in and provided feedback on the tiered approach. This week the Scottish Government …
25 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to create a governance and payment structure to ensure that the support provided under the proposed Agriculture Bill will be allocated in a timely manner.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: Work is already underway to create a new payment structure, and as with the current one, which has seen 2023 Basic payments begin at the earliest point ever in September year in a row, our intention is for the future structure and system to make payments in a…
25 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to respond to the concerns that were raised as part of the consultation on the Agriculture Bill that proposals for future payments would place too much emphasis on climate change adaptation and mitigation, and not enough emphasis on high quality food production.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The Scottish Government has made clear on a number of occasions its intention to maintain direct payments in support of active farming, and to continue to fund farming and food production in a way that delivers for climate and nature.
25 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it defines the term "just transition" in the context of the proposed Agriculture Bill.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The Scottish Government defines a “Just Transition” as both an outcome – a fairer, greener future for all – and the process that must be undertaken in partnership with those impacted by the transition. The Agriculture Bill recognises the importance of both t…
20 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to whether adopting a different electronic identification system for livestock in Scotland, compared to the rest of the UK, would have any implications in relation to the United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020.
Answer · Gillian Martin: The Scottish Government is currently developing proposals on bovine EID and aims to consult on this issue in late 2023/early 2024. Scottish Ministers will consider the findings of the consultation and alongside wider implications, such as the UKIMA before rea…
20 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what industry engagement it has undertaken regarding new approaches to electronic identification in livestock.
Answer · Gillian Martin: The Scottish Government is actively engaged with a number of industry groups on electronic identification in livestock, including the Bovine EID Industry Working Group. The Scottish Government has also supported a pilot on bovine EID, looking into the effecti…
19 Sep 2023 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether equivalent measures in Scotland are needed to those introduced in England and Wales by the Equipment Theft (Prevention) Act 2023, in light of reports of a recent spate of thefts in the Scottish Borders.
15 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to respond to concerns raised about incentivising tree planting on agricultural land in the consultation on the proposed Agriculture Bill.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-21029 on 13 September 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-comm…
15 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when the previously ring-fenced £33 million of funding allocated to the agriculture sector as a result of the Bew Review will be returned to its budget for the portfolio covering agriculture.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: Future budgets are set through the annual parliamentary Budget Bill process and the appropriate profile for returning this funding will be considered as part of the 2024-25 process. Scottish Ministers have repeatedly assured that deferred rural budget will b…
15 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to respond to the concerns raised in the consultation on the proposed Agriculture Bill that the use of the Whole Farm Plan for base level payments in Tier 1 would be a "one-size-fits-all solution" to what is a more complex issue.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-21029 on 13 September 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-commi…
15 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much it has budgeted for the education and advisory services that are being proposed in the Agriculture Bill.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: Since 2016, the Scottish Government have provided approximately £5M each year for high-quality, high demand advisory services in Scotland. We cannot confirm funding beyond each financial year, due to Scotland being removed from the EU, and the UK Government …
15 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government who will provide the education and training services that will be offered to farmers and crofters under the planned Agriculture Bill.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: As part of the Bill process we have consulted on the intent to continue to support all registered agricultural businesses in Scotland to continue to benefit from accessing high-quality advice through the Farm Advisory Service. As is convention, following con…
15 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to provide accessible advisory services for farmers to adopt sustainable practices.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The Scottish Government-funded Farm Advisory Service (FAS) is and will continue to offer a range of high-quality generic and bespoke consultancy and specialist advice to Scottish farmers, crofters, and land managers. This includes advice on sustainable practi…
13 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what it means by “efficiencies” when it refers to Tier 3 payments, as stated in the consultation on the proposed Agriculture Bill.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-21029 on? 13 September 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-com…
13 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide additional details on who it expects would be eligible for Tier 3 payments in the proposed Agriculture Bill, including whether it believes that large corporations, retailers, and grocery outfits could be eligible for such payments.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-21029 on 13 September 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-comm…
13 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it will encourage food production under Tier 2 payments in the proposed Agriculture Bill.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-21029 on? 13 September 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-com…
13 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to respond to concerns raised in the consultation on the proposed Agriculture Bill that payments in Tier 1 would be conditional on the production of a Whole Farm Plan.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-21029 on 13 September 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-comm…
8 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that the payments structure under the Agriculture Bill will be clear regarding (a) the conditionality attached to each proposed tier of support and (b) how funding would be delivered to each tier.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-21034 on 15 September 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-commi…
8 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide further details on whether payments under a four-tiered payment structure in the Agriculture Bill would be weighted towards base support (tiers 1 and 2) or tied to results (tiers 3 and 4).
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The Agricultural Reform Route Map sets out the proposed timescales for information and interaction with the agricultural industry. As we continue to make progress with the Agriculture Reform Programme, there will be further opportunities to share key inform…