Jamie Halcro Johnston

24 May 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has carried out of the ecological and functional benefits that might arise from the planting of tree species native to Scotland, and what action it is taking to ensure that these are realised.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: The Scottish Government funds considerable research and analysis into the benefits of planting tree species native to Scotland. One example of some recent work is a niches for species model that integrates species habitat requirements for multiple species, an…

24 May 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking and what plans it has to address the reported arrival and spread of invasive non-native species and their impact on the country's ecosystems.

Answer · Lorna Slater: The Scottish Government and its agencies collaborate closely with their counterparts in Wales and England on the control of INNS. Scottish Government officials have played an active role with their counterparts in drafting the 2022-2030 Great Britain Invasive…

24 May 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the establishment of an invasive non-native species inspectorate in the Animal and Plant Health Agency of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and whether it plans to establish a similar body.

Answer · Lorna Slater: Following approval by the UK Non-Native Species Programme Board, a four-countries collaborative group which directs action to implement the Invasive Alien Species Regulation across Great Britain, the GB Non-Native Species Secretariat which is located in APHA …

11 May 2022 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government in what circumstances it would provide support to a business in situations where legal advice stated that doing so could breach state aid rules.

13 Apr 2022 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in response to the findings of the HM Inspectors of Education review of foundation apprenticeship provision.

2 Mar 2022 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will ensure that any proposed legislation in the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture portfolio is brought forward in a fair and transparent manner.

23 Feb 2022 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made on the procurement of new ferries.

16 Feb 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether plans for the ferry vessels MV Glen Sannox (hull 801) and hull 802 that are currently under construction include provision of Changing Places toilet facilities.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: Both new vessels; the MV Glen Sannox and Hull 802 will have an accessible toilet with changing facilities, which includes a height adjustable bench and ceiling hoist. There will also be a smaller standard accessible toilet on each of the vessels.    

16 Feb 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) public toilets, (b) accessible public toilets and (c) Changing Places toilets there were in each of the last 10 years, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: This is a matter for each local authority. The information requested is not held centrally.

16 Feb 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) reported incidents, (b) prosecutions, (c) convictions and (d) penalties for vandalism and related offences committed against public toilet facilities there have been in each of the last 10 years.

Answer · Keith Brown: The data on vandalism that the Scottish Government receives from Police Scotland does not include any information on the type of location in which they were committed. As such we are unable to separately identify whether any individual crime of vandalism reco…

16 Feb 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) public toilets, (b) accessible public toilets and (c) Changing Places toilets are accessible 24 hours a day, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: This is a matter for each local authority, or the organisation hosting the facility. The information requested is not held centrally.

16 Feb 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what monitoring it conducts of how many (a) public toilets, (b) accessible public toilets and (c) Changing Places toilets there are across Scotland.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Scottish Government does not currently monitor the number of public toilets, accessible public toilets or Changing Places toilets. Some local authorities advertise their toilet provision on their website. There are a number of companies and charities tha…

16 Feb 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what monitoring it undertakes of vandalism of public toilet facilities and the impact that vandalism has on the availability of toilet facilities in local communities.

Answer · Keith Brown: This information is not collated centrally. It is for local authorities to ensure that it has sufficient services, including public toilet services, and to ensure they are safe to use.  

26 Jan 2022 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether its draft Budget will enable local authorities to deliver a consistent level of core services.

12 Jan 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what financial support is available to self-catering businesses that have seen their business disrupted by COVID-19.

Answer · Ivan McKee: The funding package to deal with the Omicron crisis has been targeted at those businesses most severely impacted by the cancellations due to public health advice and re-introduction of restrictions on some businesses. For this tranche of funding this has mean…

12 Jan 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason self-catering, bed and breakfast accommodation and guest houses have reportedly been excluded from COVID-19 business funding delivered through VisitScotland, while hotels and hostels have been eligible for support.

Answer · Ivan McKee: The funding package to deal with the Omicron crisis was focused on those businesses most severely impacted by the cancellations due to public health advice and re-introduction of regulations on some businesses. The hostel sector whose business model is relian…

12 Jan 2022 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce waiting times for patients with conditions other than COVID-19.

24 Nov 2021 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish, in full, details of its engagement with GFG Alliance in relation to operations at the Lochaber smelter site.

3 Nov 2021 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what recent changes it has made to its public procurement policies, including as a result of the Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee report on its inquiry into construction and procurement of ferry vessels in Scotland.

6 Oct 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when the Electricians Working Group is next scheduled to meet and what issues will be on the agenda.

Answer · Tom Arthur: The Electricians Working Group is expected to meet once the Scottish Government’s response to the consultation is published and will discuss that response.

6 Oct 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when the Electricians Working Group last met and what issues it discussed.

Answer · Tom Arthur: The Electricians Working Group last met on 29 October 2019 and discussed the proposed consultation on the regulation of electricians and on increasing consumer awareness about the use of electricians. Minutes of all meetings of the Electricians Working Group …

6 Oct 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with (a) the UK Government and (b) relevant professional and trade bodies on improving the quality and safety of electrical installations in buildings.

Answer · Patrick Harvie: The Electricians Working Group was established in 2017 with a membership reflective of industry, safety, and consumer interests. This group has explored the challenges of ensuring the safety of electrical installation and discussed proposals that aim to pro…

6 Oct 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what proposals it has to improve the quality of installation and maintenance work on electrical installations.

Answer · Tom Arthur: The Scottish Government published a consultation on the Regulation of Electricians on 23 November 2020 which closed on 12 February 2021. An analysis of responses has been undertaken and report published on 23 March 2021. A link to the report, and submitted re…

6 Oct 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the outcomes were of its consultation on the regulation of electricians, and how it plans to take these conclusions forward.

Answer · Tom Arthur: The Scottish Government’s consultation on the regulation of electricians closed on 12 February 2021. All responses were analysed and a report was published on 23 March 2021. A link to the report can be found on the consultation web page at https://consult.go…

15 Sep 2021 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it will monitor and review the COVID-19 vaccine certification scheme.

24 Aug 2021 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what monitoring it has undertaken of island economies following the easing of COVID-19 restrictions.

27 Jul 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what changes it has made in its revised short-term let licensing order in relation to tourist (a) bed and breakfast accommodation and (b) self-catering units.

Answer · Shona Robison: Short-term lets can offer people a flexible and cheaper travel option, and have contributed positively to Scotland’s tourism industry and local economies across the country. However, we know that in certain areas, particularly tourist hot spots, high numbers …

27 Jul 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many guest houses it estimates there are in Scotland, and how many are licensed under the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005.

Answer · Ivan McKee: There are an estimated 1,460 guest houses on the valuation roll according to the most recently available Scottish Assessors data. This is likely to be an under-estimate however as it excludes properties on the council tax system. Information on the type of pr…

9 Jul 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that (a) ministers, (b) officials and (c) its agencies (i) are fully aware of and (ii) follow its guidance regarding three- and one-day COVID-19 testing prior to visiting island communities, and under what circumstances this guidance might not be required to be followed.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Scottish Government encourages anyone planning to visit a Scottish Island to test for coronavirus prior to travel, this includes any Ministers, staff or agency employees who are traveling to the islands. Scottish Government staff are not routinely travell…

9 Jun 2021 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the cultural sector.