Jamie Halcro Johnston

8 Jun 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to review the financial support available to larger self-catering units accommodating seven or more people.

Answer · Ivan McKee: We continually review the financial support that we provide to businesses to ensure that we direct funding to businesses impacted by COVID-19 while recognising that are simply unable to make up for all of the losses incurred by businesses. As part of this pro…

8 Jun 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has received in Barnett consequentials since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic from UK Government measures that have been introduced to support larger self-catering units, and how much of this funding it has allocated to similar measures in Scotland.

Answer · Ivan McKee: There is no specific allocation within consequentials arising from support for large self-catering though we have ensured that they have received financial support via the Strategic Framework Business Fund, and Business Restart Grants as well as a tailored pa…

8 Jun 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what financial support it has made available to support larger self-catering units, accommodating seven or more people, that are unable to trade viably because of the COVID-19 household meeting restrictions.

Answer · Ivan McKee: As of 28 May, £3,028,000 has been paid through Exclusive Use and Large Self Catering Grants to 1,434 businesses. Please see the most recent business support management information: Coronavirus (COVID-19): business support management information - 11 June 202…

8 Jun 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what impact the COVID-19 household meeting restrictions have had on the self-catering sector, and what engagement it has carried out with the sector regarding this.

Answer · Ivan McKee: We understand that a proportion of self-catering businesses, which are larger (7+) and rely on multiple households sharing continue to face challenges in trading due to household restrictions. We worked closely with the sector in order to produce tailored gra…

17 Mar 2021 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what support it will provide to schools in light of its announcement regarding the full-time return of pupils in April.

3 Mar 2021 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has for the long-term recovery of the tourism sector.

11 Feb 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it will allocate the £40 million announced for the Agricultural Transformation Programme in 2021-22.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government will publish its proposals regarding Agricultural Transformation Funding in due course once the Budget Process is complete and the Scottish Budget is agreed.  

11 Feb 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has for the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme beyond 2021.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Agri-Environment Climate Scheme (AECS) reopened for a targeted range of options in January 2021, to support delivery of a wide range of environmental measures. This round will ensure further funding is provided between 2022-23 and 2026-27 for continued su…

11 Feb 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to utilise the remaining spend of the Agricultural Transformation Programme, committed to in the 2020-21 draft Budget.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: The majority of the capital funding allocation has now been assigned to the Sustainable Agriculture Capital Grant Scheme and for additional Scottish Forestry projects. Regrettably the impact of COVID-19 has made it difficult to progress a loans scheme for cap…

8 Feb 2021 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister when projects to dual the A9 and A96 roads are expected to be completed.

27 Jan 2021 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a detailed timeline for the publication of the successor plan to the 2014 Heart Disease Improvement Plan.

16 Dec 2020 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what additional support the NHS will require over the first quarter of 2021.

25 Nov 2020 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what additional funding it has made available to its enterprise agencies, which have been supporting economic recovery during the pandemic.

21 Oct 2020 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has carried out of the impact of COVID-19 on businesses across the Highlands and Islands.

30 Sep 2020 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government how Police Scotland ensures that people held in custody have access to all appropriate support services that they require.

2 Sep 2020 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on tourism businesses in the Highlands and Islands.

26 Aug 2020 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis the finance secretary has made of the financial sustainability of Scotland's universities and colleges.

19 Aug 2020 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the regional economic impact of the COVID-19 outbreak.

12 Aug 2020 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action Police Scotland is taking in response to littering in popular visitor areas over the summer.

10 Jun 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the decision of the Supreme Court in the case, Cardtronics UK Ltd and others v Sykes and others (Valuation Officers) [2020] UKSC 21, in relation to the application of non-domestic rates in Scotland.

Answer · Ben Macpherson: The valuation of all non-domestic property in Scotland is a matter for the Assessors who are wholly independent of central and local Government. The determination of how decisions about valuation law impact valuation practice will be for them to consider, wit…

3 Jun 2020 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what conditions are placed on the use of mobile phones that have been allocated to prisoners during the COVID-19 outbreak.

27 May 2020 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what support it is giving to older people who are facing increased fuel bills during the COVID-19 lockdown period.

18 May 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the disparity of access to education resources such as IT equipment between households due to socioeconomic factors, what steps it is taking to ensure that the attainment gap is not exacerbated during the period of school closures.

Answer · John Swinney: Closing the poverty related attainment gap is the defining mission of this government, with equity remaining a key principle of the strategic framework on re-opening of schools and early learning and childcare centres which was published on 21 May. That is w…

18 May 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it expects remote learning to continue through the scheduled summer break and, if so, what resources it will be allocating to facilitate this.

Answer · John Swinney: While the provision of distance learning by schools is a matter for local authorities and individual schools, we have no formal plans that remote learning continues in the summer break. There are, however, a number of home learning initiatives we support (for…

18 May 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to local authorities to contact pupils who are not taking part in remote learning or educational support while schools are closed due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Answer · John Swinney: Responsibility for the provision and monitoring of home learning rests with schools and local authorities. Individuals schools and local authorities are utilising a range of methods to maintain contact with pupils during this period. We recognise that there …

18 May 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many pupils have not engaged with remote learning and educational support since schools were closed due to the COVID-19 outbreak, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · John Swinney: Responsibility for the provision and monitoring of learning and teaching, including the use of home learning rests with schools and local authorities. We know from local authorities, that they are working extremely hard with schools and partner organisations…

18 May 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much Pupil Equity Funding has been spent by each local authority during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Answer · John Swinney: This information is not held centrally and is only gathered annually. The latest detailed figures available, showing 2018-19 Pupil Equity Funding levels of spend, at both Local Authority and School level, were published on 31 October 2019 and are available to…

18 May 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it monitors the provision of home learning, and whether educational outcomes have changed in light of home learning.

Answer · John Swinney: Responsibility for the provision and monitoring of home learning rests with schools and local authorities. However, we are working closely with local authority partners, teaching unions, parent representatives and other stakeholders through the Education Reco…

18 May 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many pupils who would normally access children's services have not been in contact with either any of its agencies' or the local authority since schools were closed due to COVID-19.

Answer · Maree Todd: Following an agreement led by SOLACE, local partnerships are providing weekly data to the Scottish Government on what is happening locally across children’s services partnerships during the current pandemic crisis. This dataset includes information about how …

18 May 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what additional support and funding it has provided to ensure that all school pupils have access to remote learning resources and educational support during the COVID-19 outbreak, and what the uptake of additional support has been, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · John Swinney: Due to the ongoing challenges currently facing schools and local authorities I have relaxed the guidance on Attainment Scotland Funding streams to support Local Authorities in deploying this funding flexibly to best support vulnerable children from the most d…