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-03584

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 07 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 26 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how many residential properties in the (a) Dumfries and Galloway Council area and (b) Galloway and West Dumfries parliamentary constituency have the broadband infrastructure capacity to receive speeds in excess of 24mbps.

The following table lists the numbers and percentages of superfast (24Mbps+) coverage in (a) the Dumfries and Galloway Council area and (b) Galloway and West Dumfries parliamentary constituency, in relation to the Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband roll-out, as of the end of Q1 2016-17. The Scottish Government does not hold information on the number of premises connected through commercial deployment of superfast broadband and, as such, cannot provide those figures. The percentage coverage figures provided in the tables below assume that commercial rollout is completed on time and in line with plans submitted to the Scottish Government through the Open Market Review conducted in 2012. It also assumes that all commercial coverage will be capable of delivering superfast speeds.

The Scottish Government plans to launch an Open Market Review, ahead of new procurement activity next year, to determine (a) what has been delivered commercially and (b) what will be delivered commercially over the next 3 years. This will require suppliers to provide speed information at individual premises level. We will use this information to define a new intervention area for future public investment in broadband.

Local Authority	Current number of premises connected to fibre broadband by DSSB	Current number capable of delivering 24Mbps+	%
Dumfries and Galloway	41,630	34,294	82.4

Parliamentary Constituency	Current number of premises connected to fibre broadband by DSSB	Current number capable of delivering 24Mbps+	%
Galloway and West Dumfries	18,121	14,998	82.8

Question reference: S5O-00254

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 October 2016
Current Status: Awaiting answer

To ask the Scottish Government how it empowers communities to have more of a say in matters that affect them.

Question reference: S5W-03023

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 28 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work of the Stranraer taskforce, including when it will next meet.

Scottish Government established the Stranraer Taskforce to work with Dumfries and Galloway Council and a number of other local partners, to explore the potential for the future of the Stranraer Waterfront, following the relocation of ferry services from the town.

The Taskforce was intended to be a short-life group. It met on four occasions between February 2012 and April 2013. It was agreed at the last meeting that the partners would continue to work together to deliver the Taskforce's aims.

Dumfries and Galloway Council has the primary responsibility for and lead role in implementing plans in relation to the regeneration of Stranraer Waterfront. Officials are kept informed of progress as necessary.

Question reference: S5W-02355

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 20 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what suitable sites it has identified for new hydro-electric schemes.

It is the role of developers, rather than the Scottish Government, to identify suitable sites for new hydro-electric schemes in Scotland.

However, the Scottish Government is committed to encouraging and promoting hydro-electric power and creating a supportive environment. At present, over 70% of the small scale hydro projects in operation in the UK are in Scotland. This includes a number of community hydro projects and the recently consented, 600MW, Coire Glas project.

Question reference: S5W-02327

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 15 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will introduce a scheme similar to the UK Government initiative, Flood Re, and, if so, whether this will offer support to businesses.

Flood Re already covers the whole of the UK, including Scotland. It was designed for home insurance purposes as the UK Government felt that there was insufficient evidence to justify government intervention in the provision of insurance cover for small businesses. However, the Scottish Government recognises the challenges that some small businesses in flood risk areas may face, and was pleased to note the commitment given by the UK Government to monitor the insurance market for small businesses and consider the issue with the insurance industry if the situation were to change significantly. The Scottish Government will, of course, continue to work with the ABI, the UK Government and the other devolved administrations on this issue. However, as insurance is a reserved matter, it is for the UK Government to decide whether the scope of Flood Re should be widened to include support to businesses.

Question reference: S5W-02222

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 August 2016
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 15 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how many kill licences for fishing have been issued in Dumfries and Galloway since January 2016.

Question reference: S5W-02223

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 August 2016
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 15 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether any fisheries legislation introduced in 2015-16 will affect net and coble fishing and, if so, which.

The Scottish Government introduced the following regulations which may affect net and coble fishing depending on the categorisation of the conservation status:

The Conservation of Salmon (Scotland) Regulations 2016 prohibits the killing of wild salmon within in-land waters in areas below a defined conservation limit. Salmon stocks are managed on annual basis according to their conservation status e.g. the retention of salmon is permitted in category one and two area (where the probability of the stock meeting its conservation limit is above 60%) and introduces mandatory catch and release in category three areas (where the corresponding figure is less than 60%).

The Salmon Carcass Tagging (Scotland) Regulations 2016 introduce provision any net caught salmon in-river to be carcass tagged – tags can only be issued to net fisheries operating in category one and two areas; and

An extension to the close time was brought into force across Scotland in 2015 ensuring that any salmon caught prior to 1 April (and 1st May 2016 in the Esk district) each year must be released.

Question reference: S5O-00114

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 August 2016
Current Status: Awaiting answer

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made on the creation of new national parks and what consideration it has given to creating one in Galloway.

Question reference: S5W-01731

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 29 July 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 26 August 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what action its Agriculture, Food and Rural Communities Directorate takes to (a) identify and (b) support claimants who have dyslexia or poor literacy, and whether it takes these into account when errors in record keeping are discovered.

The Scottish Government is committed to supporting farmers and crofters with dyslexia and literacy challenges, this includes our work with the Farming and Dyslexia Working Group.

Any farmer or crofter with literacy challenges or dyslexia can contact the Scottish Government for support. To ensure we are providing an inclusive service, we have enhanced the level of customer support available in our local area offices. Customers can schedule an appointment with a member of our staff and receive one-to-one help with using our online services or support with form completion.

Any errors made by the applicant are reviewed on a case by case basis and action taken or amendments made as necessary taking account of the relevant EU legislation.

Question reference: S5W-01732

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 29 July 2016
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 23 August 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4O-05555 by Shona Robison on 11 February 2016 (Official Report, c. 2), whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking to increase the number of GPs in rural areas, including the incentives that are made available to rural practices.

The Scottish Government is fully committed to supporting primary care, including GPs, and ensuring that all communities in Scotland, including remote and rural, receive safe, reliable and sustainable health care services.

Over three years, the Scottish Government is investing £85 million, as part of the Primary Care Fund. As part of this, over £2 million will be invested in work to explore with key stakeholders the issues surrounding GP recruitment and retention which can be particularly challenging in remote and rural areas. This will support a range of initiatives over the next two years including the establishment of a Scottish rural medicine collaborative in seven health boards. This initiative will bring together recruitment strategies and support networks for GPs working in remote and rural areas.

Since 11 February 2016, the Scottish Government has also updated the Directions around the Golden Hello scheme which incentivises GPs to work in rural areas.