- Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Submitting member has a registered interest.
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 December 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Fairlie on 8 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the reported lack of International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards in relation to ultra high frequency electronic identification technology in livestock.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-32124 on 7 January 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.
- Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Submitting member has a registered interest.
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 December 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Fairlie on 8 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken of any impact that adopting ultra high frequency electronic identification technology would have on the trade of Scottish beef in Europe.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-32122 on 19 December 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.
- Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Submitting member has a registered interest.
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 December 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Fairlie on 8 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what data it has on the number of Scottish animals slaughtered in England and vice versa, and what assessment it has made of any impact of its proposal to adopt ultra high frequency electronic identification technology.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-32087 on 19 December 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.
- Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 23 December 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Kaukab Stewart on 8 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how many civil servants were allocated to (a) prepare and (b) draft its Scottish Right to Work pilot proposal.
Answer
In November 2024, the Scottish Government published its Asylum Right to Work pilot proposal. It proposes a number of changes to current UK policy with regards to the right to work for people seeking asylum.
Policy officials from both the Asylum & Refugee Integration team and the Population team contributed to development of the proposal, however there were no civil servants allocated to this work on a full-time basis.
- Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 23 December 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Fairlie on 8 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how many croft houses are unoccupied, broken down by local authority area.
Answer
The information as requested is not available.
In 2024, the Commission introduced a system of investigating crofters who appear to be non-resident and in breach of at least one of their duties. The project had positive results and has been well-received throughout the crofting counties. Allied to this, through Crofting Reform, we will look to strengthen residency and land use, creating a faster and more extensive enforcement process that will result in more active crofts and create opportunities for new entrants.
This Government recognises the importance of crofting to the sustainability of our rural and island communities and is committed to continuing to support crofters to live on and work their land.
- Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 23 December 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Fairlie on 8 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how many croft houses have been built using the Croft House Grant Scheme in each year since 2016, broken down by local authority area.
Answer
The Scottish Government has a track record of investment to improve croft housing. 186 croft houses have been built and recorded with Registers of Scotland.
County Area * | Number of Croft Houses Built |
Argyll | 8 |
Caithness | 9 |
Orkney & Zetland | 22 |
Inverness | 82 |
Ross & Cromarty | 50 |
Sutherland | 15 |
*Notice of Grants are registered by county rather than by local authority area.
- Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Submitting member has a registered interest.
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 December 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Fairlie on 7 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, regarding any impact on the livestock industry in Scotland, whether it has considered the joint final report from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and Welsh Government on bovine electronic identification pilot projects, which reportedly found that, overall, there are fewer challenges, especially in the short term, with mandating the use of low frequency tags, compared with ultra high frequency tags.
Answer
Scottish Ministers are considering all the available information on bovine EID and technology use across the UK. This includes the DEFRA and Welsh Government pilot report, the ScotEID pilot findings into UHF, the results and analysis of the consultation held on Cattle ID and Traceability earlier this year, and ongoing close discussions with industry and the livestock sector. All potential impacts and challenges, over the long and short term, will be fully considered before a final decision is made.
- Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Submitting member has a registered interest.
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 December 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Fairlie on 7 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with European Commission officials regarding the implementation of ultra high frequency electronic identification technology in livestock, in light of EU regulations specifying low frequency technology.
Answer
The Scottish Government supported a meeting with NFUS and DG Sante on this matter held earlier this year. No concerns were raised or foreseen by EU officials on the use of UHF in Scotland.
- Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 23 December 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Ivan McKee on 7 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact that its proposed budget reduction of £5.3 million in 2025-26 for support for inter-island connectivity’ will have for communities in the (a) the Western Isles and (b) Argyll and Bute local authority area.
Answer
The Scottish Government has increased revenue funding for inter-island connectivity by £8.6 million in 2025-26, including extending free ferry travel between islands to under 22s. Provisional local authority allocations are included in Annex E of Local Government Finance Circular 10/2024.
Comparisons of 2024-25 Autumn Budget Revision (ABR) to 2025-26 Budget are misleading in the context of local government funding as the 2024-25 ABR includes an agreed transfer of £13.9 million. This transfer will also be processed at the 2025-26 ABR, increasing the Inter Island Connectivity funding included in table 4.14 of the 2025-26 Scottish Budget from £36.4 million to £50.3 million.
- Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Submitting member has a registered interest.
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 December 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Fairlie on 7 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with UK Government officials regarding the implementation of ultra high frequency electronic identification technology in livestock.
Answer
The Scottish Government officials are in regular discussions with the other UK administrations on bovine EID.