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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: S6W-26164

Asked by: Karen Adam, MSP for Banffshire and Buchan Coast, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 March 2024
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 14 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the annual fisheries negotiations between the UK and the Faroe Islands.

I am pleased to confirm that an agreement was reached between the UK and the Faroe Islands on 1 March. This was the final in a suite of negotiations which have cumulatively provided over £600 million of fishing opportunities to Scottish fishers in 2024. The Scottish Government has been fully involved in the negotiations, with these talks highlighted as a key priority by many in our industry. This deal sees exchanges of quota and access for Scottish vessels into Faroese waters for species such as cod, haddock and saithe in 2024. The outcomes will provide additional opportunities and flexibility, enabling our larger whitefish vessels to divert their effort into Faroese waters, in turn putting less pressure on stocks in Scottish waters. This deal also provides a platform to continue to build on our already strong relationship with the Faroe Islands as we seek to manage our fish stocks sustainably. The signed Agreed Record can be found on the Scottish Government website: Summary - United Kingdom and Faroe Islands fisheries consultations: agreed record for 2024 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) . .

Question reference: S6O-03073

Asked by: Karen Adam, MSP for Banffshire and Buchan Coast, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 January 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how it is embedding gender equality into its efforts to deliver a just transition.

Question reference: S6W-25042

Asked by: Karen Adam, MSP for Banffshire and Buchan Coast, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 January 2024
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 31 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to its consultation on proposals to close fishing for sandeel in Scottish waters, whether it will be implementing management measures for the sandeel fishery in Scottish waters.

Sandeel aid the long-term sustainability and resilience of the marine environment and are an important food source for many species, including marine mammals, seabirds and predatory fish. It is therefore critical that we manage our marine environment in a such a way as to ensure its sustainable use, protecting biodiversity and ensuring healthy functioning ecosystems. I am therefore pleased to announce today that following full consideration of the all the consultation responses, we will be proceeding with prohibiting fishing for sandeel in all Scottish waters.

I would like to thank everyone that responded to the consultation. We received a total of 494 written representations from individuals and organisations including the fishing sector, renewable energy developers and recreational interests covering a range of issues, as well as 9,815 campaign submissions. This emphasises the strong interest from both the public and sectors, for which there was overwhelming support for the option to prohibit fishing for sandeel in Scottish waters with 97% or respondents indicating support.

The Sandeel (Prohibition of fishing) (Scotland) Order 2024 will be laid in Parliament on 5 February 2024 and will come into force on 26 March 2024 ahead of the 2024 fishing season.

Question reference: S6O-03021

Asked by: Karen Adam, MSP for Banffshire and Buchan Coast, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 25 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to encourage consumers to support businesses in their communities by shopping locally.

We are committed to bringing people back into towns and encouraging local footfall as we continue to implement the Town Centre First Principle and deliver the Town Centre Action Plan.

In collaboration with Scotland’s Towns Partnership, we continue to support the Scotland Loves Local programme, which encourages people to think local first, increase footfall in town centres and ultimately support local shops and businesses. This package of support includes the Scotland Loves Local week, highlighting good practice, and continued promotion of the physical and digital Gift Card.

Question reference: S6O-02901

Asked by: Karen Adam, MSP for Banffshire and Buchan Coast, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 December 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how it engaged with fishing industry stakeholders as part of the annual fisheries negotiations.

Question reference: S6W-23481

Asked by: Karen Adam, MSP for Banffshire and Buchan Coast, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 November 2023
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Mairi McAllan on 30 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to support people, businesses and communities to recover from Storm Babet.

Following the first meeting of the Ministerial taskforce, we announced a grant scheme to support those suffering from the impacts of Storm Babet. After the second meeting of the Taskforce held on Wednesday 29 November, I can announce that applications for these grants will open on Monday 4 December. The grants will comprise a £1,500 community recovery payment for people whose properties have been flooded, and a £3,000 business recovery grant for businesses, community groups and organisations impacted by flooding. Grants will be administered by eligible local authorities which are those that had an exceptional red warning for rain during October’s storm - Angus Council and Aberdeenshire Council - and also in areas that were affected with catchments that cross local authority boundaries.

As well as these individual grants, the Scottish Government is providing more support in a range of ways. We want to do all we can to help people rebuild their lives. The Scottish Government is therefore providing additional funding of up to £100,000 to help those families who have lost everything to resettle. We have announced funding to help farmers repair floodbanks damaged by the extreme rainfall during October.

We have also initiated the Bellwin Scheme to help councils with weather related costs, and have extended it by two months. We will also share technical advice and expertise to help Angus Council identify and provide for future housing need.

This support is over and above our long-standing annual funding of £42 million and the additional £150 million for flood risk management together with our £12 million commitment for coastal change adaptation over the course of this parliament.

We continue to work with local authorities and those directly affected by Storm Babet, to help councils, people, businesses and communities to recover in the short term, but also to consider longer term issues like repairing infrastructure.

Question reference: S6O-02798

Asked by: Karen Adam, MSP for Banffshire and Buchan Coast, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how the proposals outlined in its latest Building a New Scotland paper, Our marine sector in an independent Scotland, will support Scotland's fisheries and coastal communities.

Question reference: S6W-23177

Asked by: Karen Adam, MSP for Banffshire and Buchan Coast, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 November 2023
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 21 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it expects the next paper in the Building a New Scotland series to be published.

The Scottish Government continues to deliver on its commitment on building the case for an independent Scotland within the EU, through the development of a prospectus to give people the information they need to make an informed choice about their future, and I can confirm that today we are publishing “Our marine sector in an Independent Scotland”.

This is the eighth paper in the Building a New Scotland series, which focuses on Scotland’s marine sector, describing how independence would allow it to achieve its full potential to get the support it needs and the prioritisation it deserves. It includes proposals for how an independent Scotland in the EU would benefit fisheries and seafood businesses, coastal communities and marine science sector, and how Scotland could make a constructive contribution to the development of current and future EU strategic priorities such as reforms of the Common Fisheries Policy, the transition to renewable energy and growing the blue economy. It also sets out details of how Scotland would have a voice on the world stage, with the ability to negotiate for fisheries and other interests at international level, join international bodies and work in partnership with other countries on global marine agendas in our own right.

The Scottish Government is continuing to prepare further papers in the Building a New Scotland series and more will follow shortly.

Building a New Scotland: Our marine sector in an Independent Scotland is available to view on the Scottish Government website from today at www.gov.scot/newscotland

Question reference: S6O-02617

Asked by: Karen Adam, MSP for Banffshire and Buchan Coast, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 October 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the announcement by the First Minister that it will more than double investment in Scotland’s arts and culture over the next five years, how it is ensuring that rural communities benefit from current and future cultural investment.

Question reference: S6O-02526

Asked by: Karen Adam, MSP for Banffshire and Buchan Coast, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 September 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of how its EU alignment policy could be impacted by potential EU expansion, in light of the remarks of the President of the European Commission in her State of the European Union address.