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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

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Question reference: S6W-25988

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 14 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will work with the UK Government to encourage more multinational companies to invest in Scotland’s regions.

Central to the Scottish Government’s Inward Investment Plan is a commitment to ensuring all of Scotland’s regions are able to share in the economic success resulting from inward investment.

We are already working with the UK Government to stimulate growth and attract investment at a regional level through the City and Regional Growth Deals. We are investing £1.9 billion in the programme covering all regions of Scotland and working with local authorities and the UK Government to deliver on shared ambitions. We are also working in partnership with the UK Government and with the Glasgow City Region and North East Scotland Regional Economic Partnerships to get Investment Zones up and running as quickly as possible; and to ensure that the Zones have the maximum positive impact for businesses, communities and Scotland’s wider economy.

Question reference: S6W-25989

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 14 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has had any recent discussions with biotech companies to encourage them to invest in Scotland.

The Scottish Government has identified Industrial Biotechnology as a key sector in our National Strategy for Economic Transformation and HealthTech is identified as one of the nine priority areas in our Inward Investment Plan.

Scottish Enterprise's international arm, Scottish Development International, routinely engages with potential investors. Scotland has a strong track record of attracting inward investment, with the latest EY Annual Attractiveness Survey showing Scotland maintaining its position as the top performing part of the UK outside of London for the eighth year. Recent examples of support for international companies in the biotech and life sciences sectors includes Merck, Össur, DSM and ReproCell.

Question reference: S6W-25986

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 14 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how its New Deal for Business will encourage scientific companies to see Scotland as a positive destination in which to invest.

As part of the Scottish Government approach to growing the Scottish economy, the New Deal for Business Group will continue to support this through the implementation of its key actions to improve collaborative working between business and government that will create a mutually beneficial business environment and contribute to improvements in commercial confidence and investment, fostering a stable business environment which will increase Scotland’s attractiveness as a location for inward investment.

Scotland has a strong record in attracting inward investment and Shaping Scotland’s Economy: Inward Investment Plan (IIP) is key to supporting Scotland’s growth clusters including opportunities in emerging scientific and technological sectors.

Question reference: S6W-25938

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 01 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 14 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any impact that beavers have on (a) natural wild salmon habitats in Scotland’s rivers and (b) the population of salmon smolts.

NatureScot has carried out a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) that includes the identification of risks and constraints of beaver translocation and natural colonisation to other interests, including migratory fish such as Atlantic salmon. A comprehensive Environmental Report was prepared in 2017 focussed on two detailed zones; Tayside and Knapdale. An addendum to the 2017 Environment Report that brings up to date to our knowledge of beavers in Scotland, as well as their impacts and management was published in 2022. Furthermore, stand-alone assessments have been carried out on prioritised river catchments. To date this process has seen assessments for the River Leven (Loch Lomond), River Forth, River Beauly and River Spey catchments.

Question reference: S6W-25939

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 01 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 14 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any impact that piscivorous birds have on the wild salmon population.

Quantifying the impacts of piscivorous birds on wild salmon populations is challenging as it requires updated information on bird populations, distributions and diet, as well as information on the population dynamics processes of both the birds and fish.

Nevertheless several studies have been commissioned in order to build knowledge of the potential impact of piscivorous birds on wild salmon. Most recently a study to document the diet of fish eating birds on four Scottish rivers was conducted between 2019 and 2020. A final report on the study is available on the Scottish Government website - Bird stomach contents analysis - final report: Goosander and Cormorant diet on four Scottish rivers 2019 to 2020 - gov.scot ( www.gov.scot ).

A separate project funded by the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund has examined acoustic tracking methods that may be useful in identifying those stretches of Scottish rivers where salmon smolt losses occur. This pilot work included a study examining the feasibility of concurrently recording movements of piscivorous birds (goosanders) using Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) tags. A final report on the study will be published in due course.

Question reference: S6O-03234

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 March 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to schools to facilitate the expansion of an outdoor learning-based curriculum.

Question reference: S6W-25937

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 01 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 8 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides for the creation and expansion of wild salmon hatcheries.

Question reference: S6W-25936

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 01 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 8 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made on delivering the Wild Salmon Strategy Implementation Plan.

Question reference: S6O-03186

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 March 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 13 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what support is available to farmers who have experienced damage to crops as a result of the activities of beavers.

Question reference: S6W-25901

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 4 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-07232 by Jenny Gilruth on 25 March 2022, when it plans to bring into force part 8 (Recovery of Unpaid Parking Charges) of the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019.

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