Questions and answers

Question reference: S6O-04030

Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for Moray, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 October 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government TEST.

Question reference: S6O-03713

Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for Moray, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 June 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 July 2024

To ask the Scottish Government test

Question reference: S5W-17960

Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for Moray, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 August 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 18 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it will take to ensure that Scottish Ambulance Service emergency vehicles based in Moray are able to return to Moray following hospital transfers without being diverted to non-life-threatening calls when out of the area.

The Scottish Ambulance Service recently carried out a trial in Skye whereby ambulances carrying out transfers to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness were only tasked with calls in the City after transferring the patient if these calls were immediately life threatening or time conscious (i.e. an amber call for a stroke patient).

The Service will complete their evaluation of this trial this month and has already began preparing historical data from the Moray area to enable them to extend the trial to Elgin ambulance station in October.

Question reference: S5W-18126

Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for Moray, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 August 2018
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 30 August 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what powers local authorities have to tackle seagull populations on the grounds of health and safety or other factors that affect the quality of life for residents and communities, and what its position is on increasing these powers.

Local authorities are eligible to use Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) General Licences granted under Section 16(1)(i)&(j) of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. General Licence No. 3/2018 authorises the killing and taking of certain wild birds, including some species of gulls, for the purpose of preserving public health and safety and for the purpose of preventing the spread of disease. Details of the General Licence can be found on the SNH website.

For situations not covered by General Licences local authorities can apply to SNH for individual licences to control gulls where they are posing a threat to public health or safety.

The Scottish Government does not intend to introduce further powers at this time.

Question reference: S5W-18124

Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for Moray, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 August 2018
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 30 August 2018

To ask the Scottish Government to what extent the impact of pylons or other infrastructure required to connect onshore renewables to the national grid infrastructure is taken into account when determining planning applications for wind farms.

The responsibility for dealing with planning applications generally rests with the relevant planning authority, which identifies the factors to be dealt with in determining a planning application.

Scottish Planning Policy paragraph 157 states that Local Development Plans should set out the factors to be taken into account in considering proposals for energy developments.

Scottish Planning Policy is available to download from the Scottish Government’s website: www.gov.scot .

Question reference: S5O-02317

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S5W-18462

Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for Moray, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 August 2018
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Michael Russell on 29 August 2018

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish its proposals for Scotland’s role in the development of future UK trade arrangements.

We will publish Scotland's Role in the Development of Future UK Trade Arrangements: A Discussion Paper (Bib Number 59979) on 30 August 2018

The paper makes the case for a guaranteed role for the Scottish Government and the Scottish Parliament in all stages of the formulation, negotiation, agreement and implementation of future trade deals to protect and enhance the interests and priorities of Scotland.

Question reference: S5W-17956

Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for Moray, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 August 2018
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 28 August 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to increase fines for littering.

Question reference: S5W-17957

Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for Moray, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 August 2018
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 28 August 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to introduce new measures to tackle littering from vehicles.

Question reference: S5W-17951

Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for Moray, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 August 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 27 August 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to its ministerial roundtable event on 27 June 2018, what steps it will take to tackle the impact of parcel delivery surcharges.

The Scottish Government recognises the longstanding concerns about parcel deliveries to rural and remote areas of Scotland. These concerns include surcharges for delivery to the Highlands and Islands and north-east postcodes along with refusal to deliver to certain locations. That is why we held the ministerial parcel delivery roundtable on 27 June 2018. The meeting was constructive and there was a willingness from those attending to work with the Scottish Government. An action plan is being developed to take forward suggestions from the meeting. The immediate focus is on delivering a Fair Delivery Day on Cyber Monday, 26 November 2018. On that day I will meet with consumers to hear of their experience of parcel deliveries. We will also commission and publish a full independent economic analysis of what constitutes “fair” delivery prices. This analysis will provide transparency to the public, retailers and delivery companies.

The Scottish Government will continue to work with partners to discuss and agree a range of sustainable solutions. I believe a constructive approach with all will achieve the best results.

As regulation of parcel deliveries is still reserved to Westminster and many retailers are based outside Scotland, it is vitally important that UK Ministers continue to work to improve the situation. I welcome the promise made on 28 November 2017 by the UK Digital Economy Minister Matt Hancock to look into the matter and hope that this leads to action. We will continue to engage the UK Government on this matter as necessary.

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