Rachael Hamilton

21 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government which businesses were consulted in developing Circularity Scotland's £22 million cashflow support package for the Deposit Return Scheme that was announced on 21 February 2023.

Answer · Lorna Slater: Circularity Scotland, as the scheme administrator for DRS, represents and provides services to its members including drinks producers, importers, wholesalers and retailers. Scottish Ministers, Scottish Government officials and Circularity Scotland regularly m…

15 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a progress update on the National Speed Management Review, including the consideration of HGV speed limit policy, as outlined in the Road Safety Framework to 2030.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: Transport Scotland is undertaking the National Speed Management Review to support a range of policy drivers including better road safety and health outcomes, promotion of active travel, climate change mitigation, place making and economic growth. The review…

14 Feb 2023 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the possible extension of the Borders Railway through Hawick to Carlisle.

10 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any potential impact on (a) biodiversity, (b) carbon sequestration and (c) future wildfire control of its decision to cease funding for muirburn in the 2023 Agri-Environment Climate Scheme application round.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-14876 on 28 February 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…

10 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it decided to remove capital funding for muirburn from the 2023 Agri-Environment Climate Scheme application round.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-14876 on 28 February 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…

10 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what (a) biodiversity and (b) carbon sequestration assessments were carried out ahead of its decision to suspend heather restoration from the 2023 Agri-Environment Climate Scheme application round.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: Support for heather restoration through the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme (AECS) has been suspended since 2020 following advice from NatureScot that the commonly used chemical treatment was not tested for use in rough grazing and upland areas. This treatmen…

10 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to replace funding for land managers for mechanical or chemical bracken control, in light of its decision to cease funding for these elements through the 2023 Agri-Environment Climate Scheme application round. 

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: To maximise the benefits of the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme (AECS) in mitigating climate change, the 2023 round will target support for agri-environment, organics and slurry storage applications. This approach will focus on enabling options within the sch…

10 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has sought advice from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service regarding any implications of licensing muirburn.  

Answer · Mairi McAllan: Proposals to amend legislation relating to muirburn were included in our Wildlife Management in Scotland consultation. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service provided a full response to this consultation and their responses are being taken into account as the…

10 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has sought advice from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service regarding any implications of banning muirburn on peat deeper than 40cm.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: The Scottish Government has sought advice from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service regarding their views on making changes to muirburn legislation.

10 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service on the development of regulatory proposals for muirburn, in light of its potential role in mitigating wildfire risk.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: The Scottish Government alongside NatureScot have had regular engagement with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. This includes most recently when my officials and I met with Bruce Farquharson, Deputy Assistant Chief Officer and Head of Training for SFRS to…

10 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when the Ministerial Population Taskforce will next meet.

Answer · Angus Robertson: The Ministerial Population Taskforce continues to meet quarterly to provide oversight and cross-portfolio focus to the addressing of Scotland’s long term demographic challenges, set out in the Population Strategy (2021). The next Taskforce meeting is schedule…

9 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made in delivering the recommendations set out in Beyond the Glen: a strategy for the Scottish Venison Sector to 2030.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: “Beyond the Glen” is an industry-led strategy and therefore responsibility for delivery does not lie with Scottish Government. We work to support the industry in development of the sector, including through delivery of the strategy, and we have provided addit…

9 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-06730 by Mairi Gougeon on 8 March 2022, how many new local chill and processing units have been established through the £80,000 Covid Recovery Opportunities Fund.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: Three pilot projects are being supported through this fund. These are located in North Argyll, Moray, and South West Scotland. All three have seen estimated costs increase significantly since the original funding offers were made and have had to adapt plans a…

9 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government in what ways it works with the Scottish Venison Association to promote wild venison products.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The Scottish Government has regular engagement with the Scottish Venison Association. We have provided funding for a variety of projects to help with promotion of wild venison products. For example, Scottish Government funded a £60,000 online promotion campa…

9 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it can take to ensure that the game and venison sector is competitive.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: Scottish Government works to support the development of the game and more particularly the venison sector in Scotland as part of its wider ambition to grow the food and drink sector. The strategy for the venison sector, ‘Beyond the Glen’, is industry-led and…

9 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has allocated to the promotion of (a) Scotch Beef, (b) Scotch Lamb, (c) Specially Selected Pork and (d) game and venison, in each year since 2016.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The Scottish government has provided grant funding for marketing campaigns to Quality Meat Scotland and we have also supplied funding to the Scottish Venison association for the marketing of venison. The funding to QMS was over two years and is as follows: …

9 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much venison has been sold from estates managed by Forestry and Land Scotland to wholesalers, in each year since 2016.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: Forestry and Land Scotland sells the venison (deer carcasses in skin) produced on Scotland’s national forests and land to Approved Game Meat Handling Establishments (AGHE), not a ‘wholesaler’. The volume sold to AGHEs broken down by financial year as follows…

9 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has assessed the potential impact that Forestry and Land Scotland’s contract with venison dealers in Scotland has had on the ability of land managers to sell venison on to wholesalers.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: The Forestry and Land Scotland contract for the sale of venison from Scotland’s national forests and land was awarded by a competitive tender following substantial stakeholder engagement / market research. The stakeholder engagement / market research conside…

6 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government (a) what the reasons are for and (b) whether it will provide the assessment that led to its decisions to (i) suspend heather restoration and (ii) discontinue capital funding for muirburn and heather cutting from the 2023 Agri-Environment Climate Scheme application round.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: To maximise the benefits of the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme (AECS), the 2023 round will target support for agri-environment, organics and slurry storage applications. This approach will focus on enabling options within the scheme, offering support to as w…

1 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made regarding the effect of staff vacancies on the performance and safety of homecare medicine services.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: There were significant capacity constraints across the medicines homecare market in 2022. A key challenge has been recruitment of staff in a challenging labour market, with some providers more adversely affected than others. The situation is improving but con…

1 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to improve access to homecare medicines services.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: National Procurement (NP), part of NHS National Services Scotland (NSS), with representation from Health Boards, have regular performance management meetings with homecare providers to review key performance metrics and to agree and track progress against rec…

1 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to promote interoperable prescribing systems between the NHS providers and homecare medicines services providers.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: There are currently no plans to introduce an interoperable prescribing system for homecare medicine services. Any proposed changes will be considered as part of the wider Digital Prescribing and Dispensing Pathways Programme being taken forward by NHS Nationa…

1 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the average waiting time is (a) in the Scottish Borders and (b) nationally for rheumatology patients to receive treatment by homecare medicines services.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Scottish Government does not hold this information. Statistics on rheumatology patients waiting to receive treatment by homecare medicines services are also not held by Public Health Scotland (PHS). More detailed information on the treatment or procedure…

26 Jan 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it issues to its executive agencies regarding the criteria for risk assessments conducted which may allow transgender individuals to access single sex spaces.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government does not issue guidance on the Equality Act 2010. Legal responsibility for this lies with the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC). On 4 April 2022 the EHRC published a practical guide to law on single sex spaces. This guidance …

25 Jan 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on pilot schemes to fast-track applications for blue badges for disabled parking for people with motor neurone disease.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: Following the successful completion of a two-year Scotland-wide pilot in 2022, the new fast-track Prescribed Blue Badge model for people with motor neurone disease (MND) was launched on 9 May 2022 via the provision of updated guidance for local authorities. …

24 Jan 2023 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to tackle bullying in schools.  

18 Jan 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the findings of the Agriculture Bill consultation, Delivering our Vision for Scottish Agriculture, which closed on 21 November 2022.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The public consultation on proposals for a new Agriculture Bill, “Delivering our Vision for Scottish Agriculture” opened from 29 August 2022 until 5 December 2022. We received a good response to the consultation, including wide-ranging attendance at the 14 pu…

12 Jan 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the roll-out of the new Core Operating Solutions developed for Police Scotland and any difficulties it has encountered in the implementation.

Answer · Keith Brown: The rollout of transformational IT projects are a matter for Police Scotland. However, as outlined at the Scottish Police Authority’s Audit and Risk Committee on 17 January, the second phase of Core Operating Solutions is being implemented as expected and wit…

13 Dec 2022 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact that proposed Highly Protected Marine Areas will have on the fishing industry.

12 Dec 2022 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister how the Scottish Government plans to address reported shortages of antibiotics, in light of the growing number of Strep A cases.