Questions and answers

Question reference: S5O-01249

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 September 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 14 September 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to assess the models of healthcare that are used in primary and community services.

Question reference: S5W-10825

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 18 August 2017
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 30 August 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many hits there have been on the website, scottishairquality.co.uk.

Question reference: S5W-10827

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 18 August 2017
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 30 August 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many people are signed-up to the Know and Respond service, which provides voicemail, SMS and email alerts on air pollution episodes.

Question reference: S5W-10826

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 18 August 2017
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 30 August 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how often mobile air quality sensors loaned to schools are used, and whether it considers that there are enough to meet demand.

Question reference: S5W-10612

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 07 August 2017
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 23 August 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has engaged further with the European Commission on an extension to the deadline for 2016 CAP payments and, if so, what the commission’s response was.

The Scottish Government wrote to the European Commission on 21 June to request an extension to the end-June deadline for CAP Pillar 1 payments. The Commission responded to indicate that it does not propose to offer an extension and, as noted in the answer given to question S5W-10309 on 25 July 2017, the Scottish Government subsequently made a further request. The Commission responded on 2 August to confirm there will be an opportunity to make further representations on these issues once they have undertaken initial penalty calculations in the Autumn. The Scottish Government will consider whether further action is required at that time.

All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

Question reference: S5O-01056

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 May 2017
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 31 May 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what action it can take to encourage increased uptake of carbon auditing among farmers.

Carbon audit tools can help farmers and crofters manage and reduce the carbon footprint of farming and crofting. By using resources more efficiently it can also potentially improve profitability.

The agriculture chapter in our draft Climate Change Action Plan commits to consulting on how best to ensure maximum uptake of carbon audits. Use of such tools is also promoted through the Scottish Government’s Farm Advisory Service.

Participation in the Beef Efficiency Scheme will also involve beef farmers in conducting carbon audits – 1880 beef farmers have signed up to take part in that scheme.

Question reference: S5W-09261

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 May 2017
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 23 May 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made with the proposed trial on electro-fishing, and when it will commence.

Marine Scotland is organising two workshop events (one in Glasgow and on in the North West) in early June which will be focussed on obtaining industry stakeholder views on the location of the proposed electrofishing trials. The findings from these workshops will assist in shaping discussions with other public sector partners and the relevant local authorities in defining the boundaries of the trial areas. It is anticipated that the location of the trail sites will be confirmed over the summer.

Question reference: S5W-09166

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 08 May 2017
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Fergus Ewing on 9 May 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has regarding the arrangements that the UK Government is making to enable the new EU school milk scheme to come into effect on 1 August 2017.

The UK Government, as EU member state, has responsibility for sharing information, seeking input from devolved administrations at appropriate stages and co ordinating the work being undertaken by devolved administrations to ensure that the UK strategy can be submitted in time to allow continued participation under the new EU school milk scheme.

The UK strategy must be submitted to the EC by 1 August 2017 (the same date the new scheme arrangements begin).

The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) administer the EU school milk scheme on behalf of Scotland, England and Wales. Due to the changes to the scheme, new secondary legislation is required to be in place by 1 August 2017 to allow RPA to continue in this role.

Earlier in the process we had been led to believe that a UK SI would be prepared to allow all four UK nations to continue claiming under the new EU school milk scheme. However in March, Defra advised that they preferred devolved administrations to enact their own legislation, leaving Scotland with just 12 weeks to draft and lay a SSI (and undertake necessary stakeholder consultation) to ensure it can complete its Parliamentary journey before the Scottish Parliament begins recess on 30 June 2017.

Due to the UK General Election (GE) being called, the UK Government recently advised that they no longer feel they are in a position to share much of the information that we had hoped to share with stakeholders, as we undertake necessary consultation and engagement prior to the SSI being laid in the Scottish Parliament. This includes the strategy, the application forms and accompanying guidance. The GE does not cause the same issues for the UK Government consultation or SI as their Parliament does not rise until several weeks after our own.

Both of these factors - the lack of definitive material on which to consult and the slowness on the part of Defra in communicating its decision on secondary legislation - are most unfortunate. Nevertheless, we have moved quickly to allow stakeholders to consider the proposed approach in Scotland and to ensure the necessary legislative changes are made to allow Scotland’s schoolchildren to continue to benefit from the subsidised school milk scheme. A consultation on the EU School Milk scheme began on 5 May and can be accessed via the following link:-

https://consult.scotland.gov.uk/food-and-drink/eu-milk-scheme/

Question reference: S5W-09121

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 May 2017
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Fergus Ewing on 3 May 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what the current situation is with regard to the risk of an incursion of avian flu to Scottish poultry.

The risk of incursion of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) H5N8 into poultry or captive birds in Scotland, either from non-migratory wild birds or contaminated environment was assessed by experts on 18 April, as being “LOW” (reduced from “MEDIUM”). This means “rare but could occur” and falls within the parameters of what we consider to be “typical” of the disease risk from AI in Scotland, year-round.

Wild bird surveillance in Scotland shows that since 1 December 2016, 51 birds were tested in Scotland and only one tested positive (on 23 Dec 2016) for HPAI H5N8. Furthermore, all suspect notifiable disease investigations in domestic flocks, reported over the same time period, were negated.

Based on the information above and in consultation with ornithological experts and vets, Scottish Ministers took the decision not to renew the Avian Influenza Prevention Zone when it expired on 30 April 2017.

Of course, it is essential that bird keepers maintain effective biosecurity throughout the year, and not just when a prevention zone is in place. Any businesses with existing contingency plans should also consider reviewing them, given the new perspective this season’s outbreaks of H5N8 has provided.

Question reference: S5O-00932

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 April 2017
Current Status: Answered by Mark McDonald on 3 May 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve the attractiveness of a career in the early learning and childcare sector.

The Scottish Government values greatly, those who undertake the vital role of caring for our youngest children and our Blueprint for 2020 Action Plan sets out a range of actions we will take, over the course of the next year, to improve the attractiveness of a career in the ELC sector. These include:

Increasing the number of ELC Modern Apprenticeships by 10% year on year up to 2020.

Launching a recruitment marketing campaign in autumn 2017.

Working with Skills Development Scotland to produce updated guidance on opportunities in ELC for careers advice organisations; and

Working with delivery partners, who already have excellent links to communities across Scotland, to raise the profile of a career in ELC amongst underrepresented groups.

We are also encouraging Fair Work practices across the ELC Sector and will provide up to £50 million of additional revenue to extend payment of the Living Wage to all childcare staff delivering the funded entitlement in private and third sector nurseries by the end of this parliament.

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