Rachael Hamilton

16 Feb 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of (a) water abstraction in the upper courses of Scotland's rivers and (b) the effect that this has on salmon populations.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) is responsible for regulating water abstractions in Scotland’s rivers under the Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2011. On behalf of the Scottish Government, SEPA monitors and as…

16 Feb 2022 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many police officers are stationed in the Scottish Borders command area of the Lothians and Scottish Borders police division.

9 Feb 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) hectares of peatland and (b) tonnes of peat have been extracted in Scotland in each year since 2007.

Answer · Tom Arthur: The Scottish Government does not hold the information requested. Data on mineral extraction in Great Britain for the period 2009 – 2014 is available online at Minerals surveys - GOV.UK ( www.gov.uk ) and from 1999 to 2008 can be found on the Office for Nati…

7 Feb 2022 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to restore peatland as part of its net zero targets.

3 Feb 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish its latest review into snaring, which, under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, was due to be completed by December 2021.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: The Scottish Government intends to lay a copy of the report before the Scottish Parliament, as soon as it is practicable, as set out in accordance with Section 11F(5) of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. The Scottish Government will also publish a copy o…

2 Feb 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many boats are (a) licensed and (b) registered in the Red Rocks and Longay Urgent Marine Protected Area.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: In Scotland, fishing vessel licences are issued by Marine Scotland, on behalf of Scottish Ministers. Scottish fishing vessel licences are issued for eligible vessels which are registered in Scotland by virtue of a Scottish address and port. Licenses are not i…

31 Jan 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to promote crofting at SRUC institutions and secondary school level.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The Scottish Government has set up a Commission to undertake a review of learning in Scotland’s land-based and aquaculture sectors, to provide opportunities and qualifications through early years, school, college, university and work-based learning - includin…

31 Jan 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what specific support will be offered to crofters to increase uptake of agri-environmental climate funding schemes.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The Agri-Environment Climate Scheme (AECS) is open and available to crofters that are registered on the Scottish Government’s Rural Payments and Services website. An important feature of the scheme is a scoring system designed to avoid discrimination against…

31 Jan 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what support has been made available to the crofting industry for forestry schemes, diversification, and improvements to buildings, in each year since 2016.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: Crofters can access the Forestry Grant Scheme, introduced in 2015, which has a specific premium option aimed at the Northern Isles, Western Isles and crofting counties where establishing trees can be more expensive. In addition, the Small Woodlands Loan Sche…

31 Jan 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is considering carrying out a crofting workforce audit to identify any skills shortages and succession planning in sector.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: At present there are no plans to undertake a workforce audit. However, it is recognised that in delivering Scottish Government priorities for climate change and biodiversity, that there is a skills shortage in the rural sector, in particular in peatland resto…

31 Jan 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the action it is taking to encourage and support new entrants into crofting, and how much funding has been made available for this purpose in each year since 2016.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: In 2019 and 2020 the Crofting Commission recorded over 830 new entrants into crofting, with 44% of these being women, and 32% being aged 40 or under. Given the positive work being undertaken by the Commission and the Development Officers, we expect to see sim…

28 Jan 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to ensure that all individuals over the age of 65 have their hearts routinely checked with a stethoscope by a trained primary care healthcare professional.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-05548 on 31 January 2022. 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…

28 Jan 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any potential need for a public awareness campaign on the symptoms of heart valve disease.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Scottish Government has not carried out an assessment of any potential need for a public awareness campaign on the symptoms of heart valve disease. However, the Heart Disease Action Plan, published in 2021, clearly sets out our strategic direction to min…

28 Jan 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government to what extent the (a) work on the forthcoming Scottish Biodiversity Strategy is being influenced by the COP15 process and (b) new strategy will directly tackle the five drivers of biodiversity loss, as identified by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosy…

Answer · Lorna Slater: We published a high level statement of intent on biodiversity on 14 December 2020 in order to take account of delays in agreeing a new global biodiversity framework at CoP15. We are closely engaged in discussions with the UK Government and the other devolved …

27 Jan 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government on what date did it last (a) meet and (b) correspond with the UK Government about the provision of support for self-catering businesses that have seen their business disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Answer · Ivan McKee: While the Scottish Government has not met or corresponded with UK Government on this question specifically, we meet and correspond with UKG regularly about funding in general. Over the course of the pandemic we have worked closely with the self-catering accom…

25 Jan 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 (Licensing of Short-term Lets) Order 2022 and Town and Country Planning (Short-term Let Control Areas) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2022 being approved, whether overall responsibility for oversight of businesses in the short-term …

Answer · Shona Robison: Tourism, planning and housing officials have worked closely together on the development of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 (Licensing of Short-term Lets) Order 2022 and Town Country Planning (Short-term Let Control Areas) (Scotland) Amendment Regulat…

20 Jan 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when the Agriculture Reform Implementation Oversight Board (ARIOB) will publish its next report on farm policy.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: As one of our 100 Days Commitments we launched the Agriculture Reform Implementation Oversight Board (ARIOB), which will develop new proposals for sustainable farming support by considering the Climate Change Plan Update and the Farmer-led Groups recommendati…

19 Jan 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has for a food and drink campus, as first proposed in 2016.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The Scottish Government welcomed the recommendations of the Overton Report on Deepening Collaboration on Food and Drink in Scotland, including the recommended physical co-location of key personnel within food and drink industry leadership bodies and the publi…

14 Jan 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to funding available through Forestry and Land Scotland for starter farms, how much (a) is available in 2022-23, (b) was available in each financial year since 2007-08 and (c) will be available in future years.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: Forestry and Land Scotland have received no funding from the Scottish Government for their Starter Farm Programme. The funds allocated to the initiative by FLS have been generated by their Operational activities (i.e. management of Scotland’s national forests…

20 Dec 2021 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support small rural businesses.

7 Dec 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many miles of hedgerow have been (a) reinstated or (b) planted through agri-environment climate schemes.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: Up until 2021, contracts have been issued to reinstate 31 miles of hedgerows and to plant 309 miles of hedgerows through the Agri-environment climate scheme (AECS). 

7 Dec 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government by what date it will carry out an assessment of the scale of tree damage caused by Storm Arwen.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: Provisional results of the storm damage to forests caused by Storm Arwen were published on the 14 December 2021. Initial estimates are that around 4,000 hectares of woodland has been affected. An online mapping tool has been developed to support forest owner…

7 Dec 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government by what date a review into the response to Storm Arwen will commence.

Answer · John Swinney: Work to review the response to Storm Arwen is already well underway. I requested that the Scottish Government’s Resilience Division begin work on the scope and terms of a review into the Storm Arwen response on 30 November 2021, and on 14 December 2021 I fo…

7 Dec 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what points in its Programme for Government are addressed by the Good Food Nation (Scotland) Bill.  

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The Scottish Government’s 2021-22 Programme for Government contained a commitment to introduce a Good Food Nation Bill. The purpose of this Bill, introduced on 7 October, is to provide a clear, legislative framework introducing a statutory requirement for the…

7 Dec 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Storm Arwen, whether it plans to make any revisions to its targets for the (a) number and (b) species of trees to be planted, and what its position is on the suitability of particular land uses.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: The Scottish Government has no plans to revise its ambitious woodland creation targets as a result of Storm Arwen. Neither is there any plans to review species of trees to be planted as the range of species already being planted adds to Scotland’s rich, abund…

7 Dec 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the cost of upgrading Scotland's agricultural slurry storage facilities.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: Our assessment is that the costs of bringing stores up to the required standard may range from a minimal amount for small improvements to major investment to improve a store which is not fit for purpose. Due to the individuality and scale of any potential wor…

7 Dec 2021 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support the red meat industry.

6 Dec 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) full- and (b) part-time jobs have been created through tree planting as a result of the activity of the Scottish National Investment Bank.

Answer · Kate Forbes: This information is not collected nor held by the Scottish Government. This is a matter for the Scottish National Investment Bank who make independent decisions about which investments to make and what information to collect, monitor and publish about their i…

6 Dec 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the publication of its Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment (BRIA) on short-term let licensing, on what evidence it considers that the tourism sector will have recovered adequately by 31 March 2023 to ensure that the licensing scheme does not add to any burden currently…

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government understands the impact that COVID-19 has had on the tourism sector which is why we have supported the tourism and hospitality sector through the pandemic, not least through an extension of 100% NDR relief for all retail leisure and hos…

6 Dec 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government on what basis local authorities are able to set short-term let licensing fees, in light of there being no baseline data on the (a) number of premises to be licensed, (b) number of staff required to resource the scheme, (c) set-up costs, (d) implementation fees, (e) cost of inspections an…

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government published an updated Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment (BRIA) on 23 November. The BRIA sets out the baseline data currently available and trends, including information from the non-domestic rates valuation roll and about Airbnb…