Parliamentary questions
Rachael Hamilton
1,432 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
4 Jun 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how its land use policy making is shaped by river catchment management.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Across areas of Scotland, land use and river catchment/basin management are intrinsically linked. The river basin management plan for the Scotland river basin district: 2015–2027 highlights the importance of this relationship and the potential risks. The Sco…
4 Jun 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether land use strategy pilots will be used as a tool for best practice and rolled out in other areas.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Scotland’s first Land Use Strategy brought forward two land use pilots to test collaborative land scape scale actions. These pilots demonstrated that through the collaborative optimisation of land use there is potential to generate multiple benefits across a …
4 Jun 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the performance of the land use strategy in contributing to meeting its climate change and biodiversity targets.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: As per a duty placed upon Scottish Minister through the Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) Act 2019 the Scottish Government shall publish its first annual progress report on the current Land Use Strategy this summer. This report will demo…
4 Jun 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the efficacy of the 2016-21 land use strategy, and what progress is being made with the preparations for the updated strategy.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: As per a duty placed upon Scottish Ministers through the Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) Act 2019 the Scottish Government shall publish its first annual progress report on the current Land Use Strategy 2016 - 2021 this summer. This re…
4 Jun 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how the updated land use strategy will shape agri-environment policy, grants and schemes.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Land Use Strategy 2016 – 2020 is an over-arching document encompassing all aspects of land use in Scotland. It is designed to help deliver on our vision for all land use in Scotland - A Scotland where we fully recognise, understand and value the importan…
4 Jun 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the role of soil testing and data in informing the updated land use strategy.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: As preparations for the development of Scotland’s third Land Use Strategy are currently underway, however, we are not in the position to identify what role a single action or data set may have at this time. The Scottish Government is however committed to tak…
4 Jun 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how the updated land use strategy will reflect changes in climate change policy, and what engagement it has had with stakeholders regarding this.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The role of Scotland’s land to help both mitigate and adapt to climate change has rightly been highlighted by many stakeholders including the UK Committee on Climate Change. The Scottish Government understands this and the changes in not only climate change …
2 Jun 2020 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to roll out superfast broadband, and how this has been impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak.
1 Jun 2020 · First Minister's Question
To ask the First Minister what support the Scottish Government plans to offer self-isolating people under the NHS Test and Protect programme.
26 May 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure tourism and hospitality businesses that have not been eligible for the Tourism Hardship Fund and the Pivotal Enterprise Resilience Fund grant can receive funding to assist them through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government appreciates the devastating impact that COVID-19 has had on Scotland's tourism and hospitality businesses and has worked hard to put in place a significant package of support for the sector. We have also listened closely where it has b…
26 May 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to implement recommendations from the various meetings of the Scottish Tourism Emergency Response Group.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Tourism Emergency Response Group published the final elements of its National Action Plan on 26 May on the VisitScotland website, VisitScotland.org. The Scottish Government continues to work with all members of the Group, including VisitScotland,…
26 May 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of previous responses to pandemics, such as SARS and foot-and-mouth, and whether it plans to implement any lessons learned in the reopening of the tourism businesses.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The COVID-19 pandemic has created an unprecedented public health and economic crisis which has required a government response like no other in modern peace time. The Scottish Government’s focus is to help and support our Tourism and Hospitality industry throu…
26 May 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on bed and breakfast businesses.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government recognises that the bed and breakfast sector, along with all of Scotland's tourism accommodation providers, has been severely impacted by COVID-19. It continues to work closely with the Scottish Tourism Alliance and other industry bodi…
26 May 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what modelling it has carried out on the economic impact of easing lockdown in line with the phased approach that it set out in its document, Scotland's route map through and out of the crisis.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The route map takes an evidence-led and transparent approach to easing restrictions and sets out a phased approach towards the future. We will retain current restrictions while they remain justified, necessary and proportionate, and will not change them unles…
26 May 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has carried of the potential overall financial impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on the tourism industry in 2020-21.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: Scottish Ministers recognise the exceptionally difficult circumstances being experienced by the tourism sector as a result of COVID-19, and the challenges these have created. We have significant and ongoing engagement with key stakeholders from the tourism se…
26 May 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what financial support is on offer to help bed and breakfasts tackle the impact on them of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: Scotland's bed and breakfast businesses have been eligible to apply for all appropriate funding schemes that the Scottish Government has made available to the sector, including non-domestic rates relief, business grants and the Creative, Tourism and Hospitali…
26 May 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has carried out research with the tourism industry on how best to implement a phased approach to reopening businesses in line with seasonality.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government is working in partnership with the tourism and hospitality industry on safe re-opening of the sector through the Scottish Tourism Emergency Response Group. The timing of lifting of restrictions will be guided by the science and health …
26 May 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it plans to take on additional support for tourism businesses following meetings of the Scottish Tourism Emergency Response Group.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-29387 on 8 June 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/parliamentarybusiness/28…
26 May 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of UK Hospitality’s protocols on the opening of tourism and hospitality businesses.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government has received copies of UK Hospitality's draft protocols. We welcome the work that has been done across the tourism and hospitality sector to develop guidance for safe workplaces once restrictions are lifted. We are working in partnersh…
25 May 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the R100 programme, and whether it will provide an update on this, including any revised deadlines as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: Progress on work for the R100 contracts covering Central and South Scotland has been maintained – despite COVID-related lockdown measures being introduced. This is, in large part, due to much of the work undertaken to date being desk based, with a limited amo…
25 May 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update of the roll-out of the R100 programme in the Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire constituency, and how many premises in the constituency have speeds of at least (a) 10 and (b) 30 Mbps.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The physical deployment phase of the R100 contracts and voucher scheme have not yet commenced, although survey work has been progressed and we are keen to proceed with physical build in a manner that is consistent with the Routemap as we emerge into a new nor…
25 May 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the implementation of a voucher scheme for premises not covered by the R100 programme.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: Our commitment to address market failure in the GB-wide telecommunications market and ensure, through our £600 million R100 programme, that all premises in Scotland can access superfast broadband services will be delivered via three strands of activity: the t…
19 May 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what support is available during the COVID-19 pandemic to sports clubs that are liable to pay rent for sports facilities from local authorities.
Answer · Kate Forbes: The Scottish Government, in conjunction with sport scotland, will continue to work closely with all partners to understand their specific circumstances in supporting community sport to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 and will consider these as part of our ong…
19 May 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful applications have been made by sporting businesses to the Creative or Tourism and Hospitality Enterprises Hardship Fund, also broken down by local authority area.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Creative, Tourism and Hospitality Enterprises Hardship Fund (CTHEHF) provides support, not available elsewhere in the UK, for small creative, tourism and hospitality companies who have experienced at least 50% loss of current or projected revenue as a res…
19 May 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what guidance was issued to local authorities on the allocation of funding to sporting businesses from the Creative or Tourism and Hospitality Enterprises Hardship Fund.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Creative, Tourism and Hospitality Enterprises Hardship Fund (CTHEHF) provides support for small creative, tourism and hospitality companies who have experienced at least 50% loss of current or projected revenue as a result of COVID-19 and are experiencing…
19 May 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what financial support has been allocated to local authorities to support local sports clubs and community groups that are facing hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answer · Kate Forbes: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-29218 on 4 June 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/parliamentarybusiness/28…
19 May 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what grant support it provides to businesses that are experiencing financial difficulty during the COVID-19 pandemic, but which do not possess a rateable value.
Answer · Kate Forbes: From the outset of this pandemic the Scottish Government has endeavoured to provide support across all sectors of our economy, and to ensure that it is distributed in the most equitable way possible whilst addressing some of the specific sectoral and geograph…
15 May 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether, in its next review of lockdown restrictions, it will consider allowing for angling that is local to home and socially distanced.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government published ‘Coronavirus (COVID-19): framework for decision making - Scotland's route map through and out of the crisis’ on 21 May, setting out a phased approach to lifting lockdown measures. On 28 May the First Minister announced that …
28 Apr 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with (a) Dairy UK, (b) the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) and (c) other rural stakeholders in Scotland regarding assisting the dairy industry during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government has been in almost daily contact with AHDB, Dairy UK and the wider dairy sector in Scotland throughout the covid 19 outbreak to help assess the situation. In particular the recent relaxation of competition rules has enabled the Industr…
28 Apr 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what future funding it has planned to support the expansion of (a) tourism and (b) agriculture courses at further education institutions.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Funding Council published its funding allocations to the college sector for academic year 2020-21 on 07 April 2020. We expect colleges to use their funding to plan course provision in line with the economic needs of their college region.