Questions and answers

Question reference: S5W-08276

Asked by: Kate Forbes, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 March 2017
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Derek Mackay on 22 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what its plans are for working with different parts of Scottish society to deliver the national digital strategy.

The refreshed digital strategy, “Realising Scotland’s Full Potential in A Digital World” was published on 22 March 2017. This paints a picture of our country as a vibrant, inclusive and outward looking nation with a successful digital economy, comprehensive access to connectivity, an education system focussed on digital skills and a public sector based on modern, digital ways of doing business. It provides not just a vision, but a platform where collective action from the public, private and third sector is needed to pursue our digital ambitions, ensure that nobody is left behind, and that we all remain safe, secure and confident about the future.

It also recognises the challenges that digital presents to our society, particularly changes to the nature of work and concerns about protecting our rights and privacy.

The strategy document is available at http://beta.gov.scot/policies/digital

Question reference: S5W-07950

Asked by: Kate Forbes, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 16 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides to recruit modern apprentices in rural areas.

Question reference: S5O-00802

Asked by: Kate Forbes, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 March 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what powers and responsibilities have been devolved to Highlands and Islands communities in the last 10 years.

Question reference: S5W-07394

Asked by: Kate Forbes, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 7 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) animal habitats and (b) species in Scotland are protected by the EU habitats directive.

Of the habitat types and species listed on Annexes I and II (respectively) of the EU Habitats Directive, 57 habitat types and 20 species occur in Scotland.

26 of the species listed on Annex IV of the EU Habitats Directive occur in Scotland.

Lists of these habitats and species are published by Scottish Natural Heritage on its website and can be accessed via the following web links:

http://www.snh.gov.uk/docs/C210224.pdf

http://www.snh.gov.uk/docs/B469679.pdf

http://www.snh.gov.uk/docs/B483371.pdf

Question reference: S5W-07397

Asked by: Kate Forbes, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 7 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many Natura sites in Scotland are underpinned by (a) the EU (i) habitats and (ii) birds directive and (b) being designated sites of special scientific interest or marine protected areas, and how many are not.

Natura 2000 is the EU-wide network of protected areas created under the EU Habitats and Birds Directives. Sites designated under the Habitats Directive are called Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) and Sites of Community Interest (SCIs), the latter being the penultimate stage in the designation process for SACs. Sites designated under the Birds Directive are called Special Protection Areas (SPAs).

In Scotland there are 239 SACs (including 3 cross-border sites), 2 SCIs, and 153 SPAs (including 1 cross-border site). These figures do not include the 15 proposed SPAs in the marine environment for which consultation recently ended, or the Inner Hebrides and the Minches candidate SAC which has been submitted to the European Commission in accordance with the requirements of Article 4 of the Habitats Directive.

Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) are constrained within the seaward limits of local authority areas or the “Mean Low Water Spring” mark. “Underpinning” is a non-technical term used to denote that in most cases additional statutory protection is afforded to Natura 2000 sites in Great Britain via co-designation with SSSI (largely via the list of operations requiring consent associated with each SSSI). There is no such relationship between Marine Protected Areas and Natura 2000 sites although SNH advises of some 25 instances of overlap. Details of Natura 2000 sites underpinned by SSSI in Scotland are as follows:

	SAC/SCi	SPA
Fully underpinned with SSSI	183	97
Partially underpinned with SSSI	31	37
Not underpinned	27	19

Question reference: S5W-07396

Asked by: Kate Forbes, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 7 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the possible impact on environment and climate action projects in Scotland, whether the UK Government has provided it with a guarantee that it will (a) introduce a replacement and (b) maintain equivalent funding for the EU LIFE programme after the UK leaves the EU.

Question reference: S5W-07399

Asked by: Kate Forbes, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 7 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how much of the funding to maintain or improve the condition of protected areas comes from the Scottish Rural Development Programme.

Under the 2007-2013 Scottish Rural Development Programme (SRDP), funding for protected areas, including Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) and Natura sites, was delivered under the Rural Priorities scheme. Additional funding for protected areas was provided through Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) Management Agreements. Of a total of £43.4m of funding commitments for protected areas entered into during 2007-13, £39.4m (91%) was committed through SRDP and £4.0m (9%) was committed under SNH Management Agreements.

Under the 2014-2020 SRDP, funding for protected areas is provided through the Agri-Environment-Climate Scheme (AECS). Additional funding continues to be provided through SNH Management Agreements. Following two AECS funding rounds in 2015 and 2016, a total of £24.5m has been committed to maintain or improve the condition of protected areas. Of this total, £23.5m (96%) has been committed through SRDP and £1.0m (4%) through SNH Management Agreements. Additional funding for protected areas will be committed during the remainder of the 2014-2020 SRDP and through further SNH Management Agreements.

The figures provided on funding commitments for SNH Management Agreements exclude expenditure on additional works agreed during the course of contracts.

Question reference: S5W-07395

Asked by: Kate Forbes, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 7 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the possible impact on marine protected areas and species in Scotland, whether the UK Government has provided it with a guarantee that it will (a) introduce a replacement and (b) maintain equivalent funding for the 2014-20 period for the INTERREG programme after the UK leaves the EU.

The Scottish Government has already confirmed that it will be passing on the current UK Government guarantees in full to Scottish stakeholders (announced by Mr Mackay on 2 November), which will provide stability and certainty to approved Interreg, LIFE and similar EU funded projects where activity continues after the UK has left the EU. The UK Government has given no further guarantee on replacement or equivalent funding. At a meeting between the UK Secretary of State Andrea Leadsom and devolved administrations, Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing, Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham and Minister for UK Negotiations Michael Russell pressed for the UK Government to guarantee that Scotland will continue to receive funding at least at current levels provided from Europe.

Question reference: S5O-00726

Asked by: Kate Forbes, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 2 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting The Highland Council in recruiting teachers.

The Scottish Government is taking a number of actions to help recruit teachers. We are spending £88 million this year to make sure every school has access to the right number of teachers, we have increased student teacher intake targets for the sixth year in a row, we are setting targets to train teachers in the subjects where they are needed most, and we are supporting innovative projects including a new route with the University of the Highlands and Islands.

We also launched a new teacher recruitment campaign on 8 February 'Teaching Makes People'. This builds on the success of last year’s 'Inspiring Teachers' campaign which helped drive an increase in PGDE applications to Scottish universities.

Question reference: S5W-06740

Asked by: Kate Forbes, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 24 February 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how the partnership between the Lochaber Housing Association and Highland Small Communities Housing Trust to build affordable new homes can help the housing situation in the Highlands.

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