Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-35764

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 March 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 1 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how much will be spent on (a) the maintenance of and (b) staffing for the rural payments IT system in each of the next two years.

Question reference: S6W-34949

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 14 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to support single young people experiencing financial difficulties in (a) general and (b) rural areas.

The Scottish Government recognises the pressure on household budgets which is why the 2025-26 budget continues to allocate over £3bn a year to policies which tackle poverty and the cost of living, including providing free bus travel for all children and young people under 22.

In terms of general support, there is range of support available to anyone experiencing financial difficulties. We continue to support free welfare, debt and income maximisation advice services across all areas of the county with funding of over £12m allocated in 2024-2025 and have a dedicated Cost of Living website, signposting to helpful information across a range of subjects including energy and bills, debt and money and health and wellbeing.

Recognising the specific impact of the cost of living crisis on island communities, since December 2022 the Islands Cost Crisis Emergency Fund has distributed over £3.4 million to support islanders facing cost of living pressures.

The significant investments that we are making in Regional Growth Deals will have an important role to play in developing rural economies. The Scottish Government has committed over £379 million to Regional Growth Deal rural projects to accelerate inclusive economic growth, investment which will support a range of projects on themes like key sector innovation, skills, connectivity, housing and infrastructure improvement. As an example of how the Growth Deals are supporting young people in rural communities, the Affordable Housing project, delivered through the Inverness & Highland City Region Deal, is an ongoing project to complete over 500 affordable new homes. Of those completed, over 200 are now occupied by people younger than 30 years of age.

In addition, the Borderlands Growth Deal aims to develop the regional economy by addressing three main economic challenges: narrowing the productivity gap, increasing the working age population, and delivering inclusive growth. In Dumfries and Galloway SG is investing £4m in the Dairy Nexus project, which will deliver innovation to decarbonise the dairy sector and boost dairy sector businesses. Other planned investments include £16m to repurpose Stranraer and Loch Ryan as a vibrant marine leisure destination and £20m to stimulate the reinvigoration of towns and centres across the Borderlands area, with plans being developed in 5 Dumfries and Galloway towns.

Question reference: S6O-04452

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 March 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to tackle rural crime.

Question reference: S6W-35022

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 4 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what the largest number of section 16AA licences is that have been granted to a single landholding under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

Question reference: S6W-35021

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 4 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether (a) a landowner can assign sporting rights under the terms of a lease to a sporting tenant and (b) the area assigned under the terms of any such lease may not necessarily reflect the ownership boundary of a landholding.

Question reference: S6W-35020

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 4 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether any section 16AA licence holders, granted under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, have specified the land to which the licence is to relate as the area immediately surrounding a line of grouse butts.

Question reference: S6W-35173

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 21 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 3 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what the largest number of section 16AA licences is that has been granted to a single landholding in recognition of the assignation of sporting rights to different persons.

Question reference: S6O-04393

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 February 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how the total funding that it has provided for local government has changed over the last decade in real terms and as a proportion of total spending.

Question reference: S6W-34928

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 25 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the assessment process for the Borderlands Solway Coast and Marine Project bid has been delayed, and by what date a decision will be made on the funding application.

The Solway Cost and Marine Pilot Project (SCAMPP), business justification case was assessed by the Scottish and UK Governments using HM Treasury Green Book guidance. Appropriate due diligence was undertaken and, following further work by the project development partners to clearly articulate its economic and environmental benefits and demonstrate value for money, it was endorsed by Scottish and UK Government on 20 February 2025. This will allow the research element to proceed.

Question reference: S6W-34952

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 February 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 13 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to increase job opportunities for young people in rural communities.

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