Questions and answers

Question reference: S5O-01511

Asked by: Graeme Dey, MSP for Angus South, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 November 2017
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 22 November 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what its policy is on rural education provision.

The Scottish Government recognises that there can be real educational and social benefits to pupils from the delivery of quality education through small rural schools located in the communities in which they live. That is why this Government made amendments to the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010 in 2014 to make the consultation process for school closure proposals more transparent and rigorous, and to strengthen the requirements relating to rural schools.

Question reference: S5O-01480

Asked by: Graeme Dey, MSP for Angus South, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 November 2017
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 16 November 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with the soft fruit sector and the UK Government regarding continuing access to a migrant workforce post-Brexit.

As the member knows, I visited Angus Soft Fruits on 8 May. More recently Fergus Ewing and I met with Laurence Olins, Chairman of British Summer Fruits, and Lochart Porter, Managing Director of Angus Soft Fruits, at the Scottish Parliament last month, to hear about the potentially devastating effect on the sector without continued access to labour from the European Union. Case studies from Angus Soft Fruits and Bruce Farms were presented in “Brexit: What’s at Stake for Businesses?”

It is vital that the sector has continued access to the experienced European workforce to enable the sector to continue to thrive, and it needs clarity now. I have raised the issue at a JMC (EN) meeting and in bilateral discussions, in addition, Fergus Ewing wrote to Michael Gove on 2 November on this issue.

Question reference: S5O-01349

Asked by: Graeme Dey, MSP for Angus South, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 October 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support disabled people, in light of the paper published by the UN in October 2017, which set out its concluding observations on its initial report about UK reforms.

Question reference: S5W-11565

Asked by: Graeme Dey, MSP for Angus South, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 September 2017
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 28 September 2017

To ask the Scottish Government when (a) the Scottish Land Commission will lay its Strategic Plan and Programme of Work and (b) it will lay a Land Rights and Responsibilities Statement and related consultation report in the Parliament, as required by the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2016.

The Scottish Land Commission is charged with bringing increased focus and energy to land reform in Scotland. Its creation in April this year, through the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2016, underlines the Scottish Government’s commitment to on-going and long term land reform, to help ensure that everyone benefits from Scotland’s land. The Scottish Land Commission laid its first Strategic Plan (SG/2017/145) and Programme of Work (SG/2017/164) in the Scottish Parliament this morning, 28 September 2017.

The Scottish Government has also laid the Scottish Land Rights and Responsibilities Statement (SG/2017/162) and related consultation report (SG/2017/163) in Parliament this morning. This is the first such Statement in the world, and we will encourage everyone who owns, manages and uses land to adopt its principles.

Question reference: S5O-01199

Asked by: Graeme Dey, MSP for Angus South, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 August 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 September 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address the impact of Brexit on Scotland's public finances.

Question reference: S5O-01181

Asked by: Graeme Dey, MSP for Angus South, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 June 2017
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 28 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to provide disabled people with the necessary skills and tools to have an equal chance of competing in the labour market.

There is no doubt that the employment gap for disabled people in Scotland is too high and I am determined to meet our commitment to halve that.

A commitment that requires concerted action across all areas of government and with public and private sector employers, unions and crucially, disabled people.

This includes improvements through our devolved employment programmes, increased programme of internships, increased flexibility in modern apprenticeship programme and work with partners to agree a public sector employment target.

Question reference: S5F-01391

Asked by: Graeme Dey, MSP for Angus South, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 12 June 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 15 June 2017

To ask the First Minister how the Scottish Government is marking Carers Week.

Question reference: S5W-09542

Asked by: Graeme Dey, MSP for Angus South, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 May 2017
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 1 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government when the annual progress report on the Scottish Climate Change Adaptation Programme will be published.

The Scottish Government published its third Climate Change Adaptation Annual Report on 30 May 2017.

Highlights include Scotland's National Coastal Change Assessment; Climate Ready Clyde, Edinburgh Adapts, Charretteplus®?, Glasgow City Council surface water management projects, and the restoration of designated and un-designated peatland habitats.

This Progress Report also includes details of work already underway in responding to the independent report of the Adaptation Sub-Committee of the Committee on Climate Change published in September last year

In June 2017, we look forward to Glasgow, a Rockefeller Resilient City, hosting international delegates at the third European Climate Change Adaptation Conference, and we aim to further profile the highlights set out in the 3^rd Annual Progress Report to international delegates.

In 2018 we will need to consider the implications of the UK Climate Change Projections, UKCP18 (which updates UKCP09), as we seek to prepare our second Scottish Climate Change Adaptation Programme in 2019.

Copies of the Annual Report have been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre, laying number SG/2017/72.

Question reference: S5O-01041

Asked by: Graeme Dey, MSP for Angus South, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 May 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 31 May 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what impact the installation of average speed cameras between Dundee and Stonehaven will have on road safety for communities living alongside the A90.

Question reference: S5O-01023

Asked by: Graeme Dey, MSP for Angus South, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 May 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 May 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many small businesses in Angus have received support from the small business bonus scheme.

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