Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S5W-23780

Asked by: Peter Chapman, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 14 June 2019
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 27 June 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its consultation, Stability and Simplicity, what discussions it has had with stakeholders regarding developing a future, more transparent, penalty regime as part of a future agricultural support system.

Question reference: S5W-23777

Asked by: Peter Chapman, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 14 June 2019
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 27 June 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its consultation, Stability and Simplicity, what plans it will put in place to improve the environmental performance of Scottish agriculture as part of a new support system for farming.

Uncertainties around Brexit mean that the Scottish Government, but more importantly our farmers, crofters, foresters, land managers and rural businesses are unable to plan with any certainty for the future. A no deal scenario has not been ruled out altogether therefore the Scottish Government has had to plan for the worst case scenario and has put preparations in place to ensure that CAP support payments can continue to be made to farmers and crofters.

Alongside this, the Scottish Government is also considering the options available for post ‘CAP’ support schemes from 2021 - 2024 under the direction set by the Stability and Simplicity consultation. This will focus on maintaining existing CAP schemes while working to identify improvements that deliver efficiencies and better outcomes.

To build on the firm foundations set out in our five-year plan and provide stability through any Brexit transition, the recently announced Farming and Food Production Future Policy Group will focus on the period beyond 2024. They will support the Scottish Government in developing long term policy and delivery options that provide positive outcomes for rural Scotland based on key principles including sustainability, simplicity, innovation, inclusion, productivity and profitability, which were agreed in Parliament on 10 January.

Question reference: S5W-23776

Asked by: Peter Chapman, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 14 June 2019
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 27 June 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its consultation, Stability and Simplicity, what plans it will put in place during the implementation period for Scottish agriculture.

With just over four months to go until Brexit, it is not even known if there will be an implementation period. That would require the UK Parliament to agree the Withdrawal Agreement. At this stage the uncertainties around Brexit mean that the Scottish Government, but more importantly our farmers, crofters, foresters, land managers and rural businesses are unable to plan with any certainty.

As a no deal has not been ruled out altogether the Scottish Government has had to plan for the worst case scenario and has put preparations in place to ensure that CAP support payments can continue to be made to farmers and crofters

I also continue to push for a clear guarantee on the UK Government’s funding commitment to maintain the same level of ‘farm support’ until the end of this Parliament. This is vital for Scottish agriculture, because as things currently stand there is not a firm guarantee from HM Treasury for CAP Direct Payments for 2020, or any contracts for CAP Pillar 2 after the end of 2020.

Question reference: S5W-23781

Asked by: Peter Chapman, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 14 June 2019
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 27 June 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its consultation, Stability and Simplicity, what discussions it has had with stakeholders regarding introducing key performance indicators for sustainability and productivity in future agricultural policy.

Question reference: S5W-23784

Asked by: Peter Chapman, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 14 June 2019
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 27 June 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its consultation, Stability and Simplicity, what plans it has to improve the administrative efficiency of the Knowledge Transfer and Innovation Fund.

The Scottish Government has already made a number of improvements to the administration of the Knowledge Transfer and Innovation Fund (KTIF).

By way of example there is now an automated payment system in place which has improved the efficiency of payments to beneficiaries and standard application and reporting templates are made available to help applicants meet scheme requirements.

In addition, the Scottish Government’s new website offers comprehensive guidance and publicises key updates on operation of the scheme. The web page encourages prospective applicants to discuss their proposals with the Rural Innovation Support Service (RISS). This arrangement helps applicants formulate their proposals and meet scheme requirements.

Full details on the Knowledge Transfer and Innovation Fund and its supporting documents can be found here:

https://www.ruralpayments.org/publicsite/futures/topics/all-schemes/knowledge-transfer-and-innovation-fund/

Notwithstanding the above, the Scottish Government continually strives to identify enhancements and is always open to suggestions on how to further improve.

Question reference: S5W-23783

Asked by: Peter Chapman, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 14 June 2019
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 27 June 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its consultation, Stability and Simplicity, what plans it has to introduce a pilot approach to expanding capital support for Scottish agriculture.

Question reference: S5W-23778

Asked by: Peter Chapman, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 14 June 2019
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 27 June 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its consultation, Stability and Simplicity, what progress it has made on analysing and consulting on the potential capping of payments as part of a future support system for Scottish agriculture.

Question reference: S5W-23758

Asked by: Peter Chapman, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 June 2019
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 25 June 2019

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to bring forward regulations to review the charging arrangement for the recovery, removal and storage of vehicles.

Question reference: S5O-03462

Asked by: Peter Chapman, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 June 2019
Current Status: Awaiting answer

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the use of patrol boats at Rockall in response to Irish fishing vessels.

Question reference: S5O-03409

Asked by: Peter Chapman, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 June 2019
Current Status: Awaiting answer

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether multi-level teaching is the most effective way for pupils to learn.