Finlay Carson

1 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what measures it plans to introduce to assist local and community sports clubs in allowing spectators back in, and what financial measures will be implemented to help mitigate the impact of lost revenue due to spectators not being permitted to attend games.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: I know that this continues to be an enormously challenging time for the sporting sector and the pandemic has put a real financial strain on many sporting organisations. sportscotland has supported the sector during the pandemic by providing upfront annual in…

23 Sep 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the further restrictions imposed on 23 September 2020, what plans it has to introduce testing for staff working in supported living accommodation that is regulated by the Care Inspectorate.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: On 17 August the Scottish Government published Scotland’s COVID-19 Testing Strategy which identifies our priorities for the next phase of testing, further details can be found here: https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-scotlands-testing-str…

31 Aug 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether Forestry and Land Scotland is planning to introduce an annual scheme to allow motorhomes and campervans to park overnight in forest car parks.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: Forestry and Land Scotland’s trial of single night motorhome and campervan stop-overs at selected car parks will conclude later this year. The agency will then review the findings of the trial before considering what might be an appropriate way ahead for 2021…

27 Aug 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the carbon savings achieved by each wind farm in each of the last five years.

Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The requested statistical information, detailing the carbon savings achieved by each wind farm in each of the last 5 years is not collated. Anticipated annual carbon savings equate to 779 tonnes of CO2 per megawatt of onshore wind capacity installed, displaci…

21 Aug 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans there are to introduce battery-powered trains on the Stranraer rail link, and what the timescale is.

Answer · Michael Matheson: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-31345 on 2 September 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/parliamentarybusine…

21 Aug 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what exploratory work is being carried out to decarbonise the Stranraer rail link.

Answer · Michael Matheson: As outlined in the recently published Rail Services Decarbonisation Action Plan, it is our expectation that alternative traction trains will be deployed on the Stranraer rail route. Transport Scotland is currently working closely with Scottish Enterprise and…

21 Aug 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what scoping work is being carried out regarding the introduction of bi-mode trains on the Stranraer rail link.

Answer · Michael Matheson: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-31345 on 2 September 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/parliamentarybusin…

19 Aug 2020 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many additional support teachers have been recruited in light of the impact of the lockdown on pupils' studies.

12 Aug 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to allocate funding for regional land use partnerships based on population, geographical spread or by using other criteria.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government is committed to the establishment of Regional Land Use Partnerships (RLUPs). In 2019, Scottish Ministers asked the Scottish Land Commission to take forward work to prepare advice on the establishment of RLUPs. The Commission has writt…

12 Aug 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government which budget it plans to use to fund the establishment and functioning of regional land use partnerships, and which Cabinet Secretary will be responsible for such partnerships.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government is committed to the establishment of Regional Land Use Partnerships (RLUPs). In 2019, Scottish Ministers asked the Scottish Land Commission to take forward work to prepare advice on the establishment of RLUPs. The Commission has writt…

12 Aug 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to initially fund the establishment of regional land use partnerships.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government is committed to the establishment of Regional Land Use Partnerships (RLUPs). In 2019, Scottish Ministers asked the Scottish Land Commission to take forward work to prepare advice on the establishment of RLUPs. The Commission has writt…

12 Aug 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it envisages the sustained ongoing funding of regional land use partnerships.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government is committed to the establishment of Regional Land Use Partnerships (RLUPs). In 2019, Scottish Ministers asked the Scottish Land Commission to take forward work to prepare advice on the establishment of RLUPs. The Commission has writt…

5 Aug 2020 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what further measures the finance secretary will introduce to help businesses recover from the COVID-19 crisis.

30 Jul 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider the UK Government’s Nature for Climate Fund as a model for use in Scotland to help tackle the climate and nature crises.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The UK Government’s Nature for Climate Fund is intended to increase peatland restoration and tree planting in England. It is understood that details of the funding strategy are yet to be announced. The Scottish Government declared a global climate emergency …

30 Jul 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to introduce a grant scheme to increase energy efficiency in the homes of employed people.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Scottish Government is committed to helping households in Scotland to have more energy efficient and affordable to heat homes, and we have a long-standing range of funding and support schemes available. For homeowners, interest-free loan schemes covering…

28 Jul 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown, how it will promote the development of secondary school pupils' mental health and wellbeing as part of the curriculum.

Answer · John Swinney: The mental health and wellbeing of children and young people is a priority for the Scottish Government and schools play a key role in supporting positive mental health. To support education authorities and schools, the COVID-19 Education Recovery Group publis…

28 Jul 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what financial support it will make available to secondary schools to respond to any mental health and wellbeing issues among pupils following the COVID-19 lockdown.

Answer · John Swinney: We recognise that young people’s mental health and wellbeing will have been affected during lockdown and know how important it is for schools to stand ready to play a prominent role in supporting their pupils. Supporting and improving pupils’ mental health ha…

27 Jul 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S5W-29857 and 30290 by Fiona Hyslop on 22 and 29 June 2020 respectively, what direct support it is providing to prevent the job losses at National Trust for Scotland properties in the Galloway and West Dumfries constituency.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: As the member is aware from the answers to questions S5W-30290 and S5W-29857, the Scottish Government is still actively engaged in pursuing the available options to deliver the best support that we can for the future of the National Trust for Scotland (NTS) a…

19 Jul 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government on what date it will publish its R100 high-speed broadband online checker.

Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: We previously stated that the tracker would go live this summer and are continuing to work to this timeline. The online checker will be tested prior to its formal launch.

29 Jun 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-29857 by Fiona Hyslop on 22 June 2020, what work it is doing to help the National Trust for Scotland and what assistance was requested.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: As set out in my answer to S5W-29857, the National Trust for Scotland has committed to providing us with a turnaround plan setting out its strategy for recovery to accompany a revised case for support which is focused on reopening properties, and protecting j…

22 Jun 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government on what date it will publish the detailed roll-out timetable for R100 in the South of Scotland.

Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: Survey and design work has been undertaken in the period since both contracts were signed at the turn of the year. Premises level plans will be published through our new online checker, which we will launch later this summer.

19 Jun 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many applications have been made to the Pivotal Enterprise Resilience Fund, and how many have been successful, broken down by postcode area.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Through the Pivotal Enterprise Resilience Fund, we are providing support to pivotal SMEs which is unavailable elsewhere in the UK. Due to significant demand, we doubled the Fund to £90m and have since further increased it to £120m. We will publish the number…

2 Jun 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to clarify what constitutes "wild camping", and what additional measures, if any, Police Scotland will be given to address overnight camping in areas where permission has not been sought or granted.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: In Scotland, wild camping is an exercise of responsible non-motorised access rights established under Part 1 of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003. These rights only apply if they are exercised responsibly. The Scottish Outdoor Access Code defines wild campi…

2 Jun 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what mechanisms are in place to enable Historic Environment Scotland to progress current projects while staff are furloughed.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: I am advised by Historic Environment Scotland (HES) that as its revenue comes largely from non-Government sources it is eligible for the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) and thus HES has appropriately claimed CJRS in accordance with UK Government guida…

27 May 2020 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding the finance secretary plans to allocate to support the regeneration of town centres in the aftermath of the COVID-19 outbreak.

18 May 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on setting up a national appeals process to decide on non-domestic rates grants disputes between claimants and local authorities.

Answer · Kate Forbes: The criteria for the Business Support Grant Scheme are based in large part on property use and rateable value, which are determined by independent Scottish Assessors who are responsible for the valuation of all non-domestic property in Scotland. Ratepayers ca…

18 May 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to mark the 75th anniversary of VJ Day; what support it will offer to communities, including in the Galloway and West Dumfries constituency, seeking to organise their own commemorations, and what contingency plans in place for the potential impact of the COVID-19 on any…

Answer · Graeme Dey: The Scottish Government has been working in partnership with Legion Scotland and Poppyscotland to arrange events to mark the 75th Anniversaries of both VE and VJ Day. We have provided funding to Legion Scotland so that they may lead the nation and local commu…

11 May 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the monthly expenditure has been by publishing companies acting on its behalf on COVID-19 advertising since March 2020 in each Parliamentary region, also broken down by (a) newspaper advertising and (b) broadcasting outlets, including (i) radio and (ii) television.

Answer · Kate Forbes:   Month Media Name Folio Name Supplier Full Name March April May  BROADCAST ASTUS UK LTD ITV DIGITAL 9,385 35,806 37,598 82,788  9,385 35,806 37,598 82,788 CHANNEL FOUR 4OD (C4) 10,724 42,435 52,014 105,173  10,724 42,435 52,014 10…

27 Apr 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing during the COVID-19 outbreak to food wholesalers that have procurement contracts to supply schools.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: We recognise that wholesalers service the needs of public sector procurement contracts with schools, care homes, hospitals and prison service. Ms Campbell announced a £350 million package of support for vulnerable families on Wed 18 March. This included a £7…

27 Apr 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the First Minister's comments regarding a phased exit from the lockdown that is in place to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak, and reports that hospitality and leisure businesses might be among the last to re-open, what financial support it will offer to the hospitality suppl…

Answer · Kate Forbes: The Scottish Government has committed to a four-step economic plan, comprising response, reset, restart and recover. The package of support so far has focused on the response stage, including the delivery of business support measures. We are regularly reviewi…