Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-02577

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 September 2021
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 16 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what action it can take to provide support to people from Afghanistan already resident in Scotland, who wish to support family members still in Afghanistan to seek asylum in the UK.

Asylum and immigration are matters reserved to the UK Parliament and handled by the Home Office. This includes the design and operation of the UK asylum system and decisions relating to asylum applications. The Scottish Government is not involved in these processes, but can provide signposting to sources of information and advice.

The Scottish Government has made clear that the UK Government must consider asylum applications from Afghan nationals quickly and compassionately.

Question reference: S6W-02359

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 August 2021
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 14 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the commitment by the previous SNP administration to maintain environmental standards in line with those in the EU, whether it is still committed to this.

The Scottish Government remains committed to maintain or exceed the environmental standards in place upon EU exit. Provisions in the UK Withdrawal from the European Union (Continuity) (Scotland) Act 2021 give a discretionary power to align devolved law with EU law. The Scottish Government and Scottish Green Party’s Shared Policy Programme also commits that, where practicable, we will stay aligned with new EU measures and policy developments.

However, the UK Internal Market Act 2020 risks undermining devolved decision-making across a wide range of areas, including environmental policy. The Act’s market access principle means that despite decisions we may make in Scotland to protect and advance the high standards we enjoyed as part of the EU, Scotland could be compelled to accept goods and services coming from other parts of the UK regardless of differing standards.

Question reference: S6W-02358

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 August 2021
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 8 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what EU legislation has been passed since the UK's exit from the EU that it plans to keep pace with using the powers in the UK Withdrawal from the European Union (Continuity) (Scotland) Act 2021.

Question reference: S6F-00228

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 06 September 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 September 2021

To ask the First Minister what steps the Scottish Government is taking ahead of COP26 regarding the future of oil and gas exploration and securing a just transition for workers.

Question reference: S6W-02335

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 August 2021
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 6 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether community policing training delivered by Police Scotland in Sri Lanka includes training on intelligence gathering or operating intelligence databases on communities; whether any technology or software relating to community policing has been transferred to Sri Lanka, and what functions that technology or software has.

Question reference: S6W-02337

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 August 2021
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 6 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of recent media reports, whether it can confirm that Police Scotland has halted all training of Sri Lankan police, and under what circumstances such training would resume, and whether it will commit to publishing in full the outcome of the current review of Police Scotland’s training in Sri Lanka.

Question reference: S6W-02339

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 August 2021
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 6 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether Sri Lanka is on Police Scotland’s International Development and Innovation Unit’s list of countries for which ministerial approval is required for training to take place there, and, if not, whether, for any other reason, ministerial approval is required for Police Scotland to provide training to Sri Lankan police.

Question reference: S6W-02342

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 August 2021
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 6 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether Police Scotland being funded by the UK Government to train Sri Lankan police has compromised Scottish Government commitments on human rights.

Scotland has a strong and enduring commitment to securing democracy, the rule of law and human rights across the world. We expect all states to recognise fundamental human rights, comply with human rights legislation and condemn human rights abuses wherever they occur. Through International Engagement we will share our experiences, values and expertise in areas such as justice, education and climate change, with a view to seeing the human rights of people across the world fully realised.

The decision to enter into UK Government funded contracts to train police forces in countries such as Sri Lanka is a matter for the Chief Constable, who is operationally independent of the Scottish Government. The current training programme, provided by Police Scotland in Sri Lanka, is aimed at improving community policing and gender equality, with all training underpinned by equality and human rights. We understand that Police Scotland suspended the current training programme due to the coronavirus pandemic and that they will re-evaluate delivery of the programme when restrictions on foreign travel are lifted.

Question reference: S6O-00106

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 September 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that patients and staff at Old Aberdeen Medical Practice are consulted on the future provision of its GP services.

Question reference: S6W-01894

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 July 2021
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 17 August 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what (a) considerations it made and (b) measures it took to act in accordance with the National Marine Plan when deciding the fishing vessel licence variations announced on 23 July 2021.

On 23 July 2021, the Scottish Government set out the catch limits that would apply in the various management areas for the North Sea handline mackerel fishery. The notifications took effect on 0001 hours on 25 July 2021.

This change was a routine adjustment for these longstanding fisheries and did not constitute a new activity or change in policy in Scottish seas. No new licences were issued.

Catch limits for the handline mackerel fishery and the other 10 metre and under non-sector fisheries are managed in line with the strategic objectives of the Scotland’s Future Fisheries Management Strategy (Scotland’s Future Fisheries Management Strategy 2020-2030) and the National Marine Plan.

The handline mackerel fishery is a distinct pool fishery. Due to the nature of the fishery, including the migratory nature of the species, Marine Scotland allocates and manages this stock by four separate geographic areas to take account of variation in the pattern of the fishery and the level of uptake. The fishery is an important income source for many hundreds of inshore vessels across the east coast and Northern Isles of Scotland.

Our long-standing policy intention in the management of the 10 metre and under handline mackerel fishery is to balance the requirement to ensure that we do not fish outwith sustainable limits with maximising socio-economic return in the fishery. The Scottish Government attempts to ensure that the fishing opportunity is utilised while seeking to ensure the opportunity extends as long as possible throughout the year and maximise market conditions for the fishery.

To deliver this, the Scottish Government analyses the uptake for the various areas and where necessary seeks to engage with local stakeholders.

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