Parliamentary questions
Finlay Carson
905 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
29 Mar 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of homes included in the original R100 plans are now connected with fibre broadband.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: Ofcom’s Connected Nations report for 2022 – published on 15th December – indicates that over 99% of all properties across Scotland can access a reliable broadband connection. Original plans for the R100 contracts were expected to see over 112,000 properties …
29 Mar 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to prevent super trawlers, such as the FV Margris, from (a) causing damage to fish stocks and (b) harming biodiversity in Scottish waters.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: Whilst there are currently no supertrawlers in the Scottish fishing fleet, a number of other fleets operate within Scottish waters, including a small number of EU supertrawlers. As well as vessels from the rest of the UK, the UK/EU Trade and Cooperation Agree…
29 Mar 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to halt the reported decline in pig farming.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The last couple of years have seen input prices increase for pig farmers in Scotland. Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine has seen feed and fuel costs for pig farmers increase significantly. Through the UK Agricultural Market Monitoring Group we are working …
29 Mar 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the UK Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act 2023, how much correspondence it has received on the issue of gene editing in Scotland since the start of 2023.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The Scottish Government records and processes correspondence addressed to Scottish Ministers on its Ministerial and Corporate Correspondence (MiCase) System. Since the start of 2023, there have been three pieces of correspondence regarding gene editing record…
27 Mar 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to review the sea bass catch entitlement on the Solway Firth.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: There is no sea bass catch entitlement specific to the Solway Firth. The commercial level of European sea bass which may be caught within British fishery limits is subject to the provisions contained within The Sea Fisheries (Amendment) Regulations 2023, whic…
27 Mar 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it last received data on sea bass stocks in the Solway Firth.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: Scottish fisheries does not have a historic record of targeted commercial sea bass catches in the Solway Firth. Accordingly Marine Scotland does not conduct assessments or provide advice on sea bass stocks in the Solway Firth.
27 Mar 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has received on any increase in sea bass landed in Cumbria by fishermen from England with permits to fish on the Solway Firth.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: Marine Scotland has not received any information or indication of an increase in sea bass landed in Cumbria by fishers from England with permits to fish on the Solway Firth. The current commercial level of European sea bass which may be caught within British…
24 Mar 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many sea bass licences have been granted in each of the last five years, broken down by location.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: Marine Scotland has issued five commercial sea bass licences in total during the past 5 years (one each year to the same vessel (2019-2023)). The vessel is registered with our Fishery Office in Ayr.
22 Mar 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will take steps to cover the cost of Scottish Social Services Council registration fees for private, voluntary or independent (PVI) nursery staff, as it reportedly does for those who work for local authority nurseries.
Answer · Natalie Don: The Scottish Government is developing a Strategic Framework for Scotland’s Early Learning and School Age Childcare Profession which will set out the priorities for the sector and actions we will take to ensure a sustainable, thriving childcare workforce. We w…
8 Mar 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what support it will provide to people who require non-emergency dental care, but cannot access NHS dental care and cannot afford to pay for private treatment.
Answer · Maree Todd: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-15795 on 22 March 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-committee…
8 Mar 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any impact on the quality of life of people who are unable to access NHS dental care due to the reported lack of available NHS dentists in their NHS board area, and who continue to live with dental problems that can be easily treated, and what steps it plan…
Answer · Maree Todd: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-15796 on 22 March 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-committee…
8 Mar 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it will take to support people who qualify for free dental care, but who cannot access any NHS dental care due to there being no dental practices accepting NHS patients in their NHS board area.
Answer · Maree Todd: We are working closely with the dental sector to ensure it has the support necessary to offer continuity of NHS care to patients. This includes Scottish Government providing Scottish Dental Access Initiative Grants and Recruitment and Retention Allowances to …
8 Mar 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact on families on low incomes of an inability to access NHS dental treatment.
Answer · Maree Todd: This Government has already introduced free dental care for young people between 18 and 25 years of age. We have also made a commitment to abolish all NHS dental charges in the lifetime of this parliament. We continue to support Health Boards to deliver NHS …
8 Mar 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it is still the position of NHS Scotland that people should receive a dental check-up every three months to two years, and what action it will take to support people who cannot access a check-up in this timeframe, due to a reported lack of available NHS dentists in some NHS board…
Answer · Maree Todd: NHS patients are eligible to have a free dental check-up every six months if required. The time between check-ups can vary from 3 months to 2 years, depending on the oral health of the patient. As part of the recovery of NHS dental services, on 1 February 20…
17 Jan 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what additional support it can offer to local authorities to help them to deal with consumer-related complaints within caravan parks.
Answer · Tom Arthur: There are significant limits on any action that the Scottish Government can take in this area. Regulation of consumer protection is reserved to the UK Government, with responsibility for consumer enforcement, which is a pillar of consumer protection, split be…
15 Dec 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-12331 by Lorna Slater on 5 December 2022, for what reason it does not hold information on the number of successful hen harrier nests on RSPB and non-RSPB nature reserves in 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022, and whether it will take steps to obtain this inf…
Answer · Lorna Slater: The Scottish Government does not routinely collate or hold this data. Details of hen harrier nest sites on RSPB and non-RSPB nature reserves are collated and analysed through the Scottish Raptor Monitoring Scheme coordinated by British Trust for Ornithology. …
15 Dec 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S5W-20621 and S5W-26208 by Roseanna Cunningham on 8 January and 22 November 2019, whether it will make an assessment of the implications for its policies of the reported greater success rate of hen harrier nests on non-RSPB nature reserves compared to…
Answer · Mairi McAllan: The Scottish Government does not believe it is necessary to make a specific assessment of the implications of its policies of the reported greater success rate of hen harrier nests on non-RSPB nature reserves compared to RSPB nature reserves. Hen harrier suc…
14 Dec 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has had any discussions with Police Scotland which have resulted in a delay in implementing the short-term lets legislation.
Answer · Shona Robison: There have been no discussions with Police Scotland which have resulted in a delay to implementing the short-term lets licensing scheme. During 2022 officials have engaged regularly with licensing authorities and partners, including Police Scotland, to prepa…
14 Dec 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Police Scotland regarding the capacity of the police to process short-term lets applications.
Answer · Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-13278 on 12 January 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…
7 Dec 2022 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government when the final recommendations of the Strategic Transport Projects Review 2 will be published.
1 Dec 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of reports that the heaviest 5% of drinkers are consuming 10% more since the introduction of minimum unit pricing.
Answer · Maree Todd: The pandemic has changed drinking behaviour, particularly for those who were drinking heavily before the pandemic. There is more work to be done to better understand the continuing impact of the pandemic on alcohol harms. We are working on a range of actions…
1 Dec 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether minimum unit pricing has achieved its aims, in light of reports that 2021 saw the highest number of alcohol-specific deaths in Scotland since 2008.
Answer · Maree Todd: We are currently in the process of evaluating minimum unit pricing (MUP) as a whole over its first five years of operation. Public Health Scotland will be producing a final report on MUP in 2023, which will inform our evaluation report which will be laid in P…
1 Dec 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in light of reported evidence that shows some people dependent on alcohol reduce other expenditure, such as on food and utilities.
Answer · Maree Todd: We are concerned by evidence about the financial strain some economically vulnerable groups are experiencing, such as those dependent on alcohol. We are working on a range of actions to make alcohol treatment services more accessible to those who need them, t…
1 Dec 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to alcohol-dependent people with mental health problems.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring people get access to person-centred support that is tailored to their needs. Through working directly with a wide range of stakeholders, which encompasses both NHS directors as well as Alcohol and Drug Partners…
29 Nov 2022 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to Historic Environment Scotland to ensure heritage sites are fully reopened as soon as possible.
23 Nov 2022 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide an update on any discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding infrastructure.
21 Nov 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether there is a date set for the publication of the Strategic Transport Projects Review 2 (STPR2).
Answer · Michael Matheson: The suite of final reports presenting the recommendations of the Second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2) will be published on the Transport Scotland website on Thursday 8 December 2022. This represents a key milestone for strategic transport planni…
21 Nov 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the final recommendations from the Strategic Transport Projects Review 2 (STPR2).
Answer · Michael Matheson: The suite of final reports presenting the recommendations of the Second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2) will be published on the Transport Scotland website on Thursday 8 December 2022. This represents a key milestone for strategic transport planni…
21 Nov 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when Transport Scotland and the UK Government will next meet to discuss the A75.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: Transport Scotland officials have met with UK Department for Transport (DfT) counterparts on three occasions this year, most recently on 31 October 2022. At this meeting it was confirmed that a business case would need to be submitted to the UK Government for…
21 Nov 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether a timetable has been established for discussions between Transport Scotland and the UK Government regarding improvements to the A75.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: No clear timetable has been provided by the UK Government on this matter.