- Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 02 September 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Paul McLennan on 9 September 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what steps are available for park home owners who believe that a local authority is not upholding site licence conditions.
Answer
If a resident believes that a local authority is not upholding site license conditions, they should report this to the relevant team at the local authority in the first instance. If the response received is unsatisfactory, the resident can make a complaint under the Council’s complaints process. If, after completing all stages of the complaints process the resident is dissatisfied with the response or the way the local authority has dealt with the complaint, they can ask the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman to look at it. Residents may also wish to discuss any concerns with their local Councillor.
- Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 22 August 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 2 September 2024
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its position on climate change, for what reason it supports the planting of new commercial forestry on land with peat depth greater than 30cm.
Answer
Expanding our woodlands alongside restoring peatlands are critical elements of our plans to reach net zero and address climate change.
Woodland creation and re-stocking in Scotland must comply with the UK Forestry Standard which defines deep peat as greater that 50 centimetres. The most recent review of the UK Forestry Standard in October 2023 considered whether the definition of deep peat for forestry in terms of carbon sequestration needed to be lowered. All UK nations agreed there was insufficient evidence to support a change. Evidence shows conifers are faster at sequestering carbon in the short term compared to broadleaves. Scotland will continue to prohibit planting on peats deeper than 50 centimetres.
Cultivation guidance for woodland creation was updated in 2021 to exclude the use of intensive cultivation techniques on organo-mineral soils with an organic layer over 10 centimetres in depth. The guidance update minimises disturbance to soils during woodland creation to reduce emissions and create an earlier positive soil carbon balance.
- Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 August 2024
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 5 September 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve road safety on the A75.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 5 September 2024
- Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 August 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Ivan McKee on 27 August 2024
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W- 28736 by Ivan McKee on 7 August 2024, what consideration it has given to how the public and other stakeholders may perceive instances of planning permission being granted, and advance construction beginning, for associated grid infrastructure for wind farms that have yet to be determined by the Scottish Ministers.
Answer
Planning legislation requires that any particular planning application is timeously determined on a case-by-case basis, taking into consideration relevant planning considerations of the individual application. This is the responsibility of the relevant planning authority in the first instance. It is a matter for the applicant to decide when any application is submitted. Where planning permission is granted, it is then a matter for the applicant to decide whether, and when, to implement that permission before it expires.
A grant of planning permission that enables grid connection for future possible renewable energy proposals does not affect the consideration of separate applications for those renewable energy developments.
- Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 August 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 19 August 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether an environmental impact assessment will be required to be carried out before any licence is granted for the trial being proposed to keep adult salmon broodstock for the aquaculture industry in a trout fish farm at the headwaters of the River Annan.
Answer
The need for an Environmental Impact Assessment would be dependent upon the site and whether there is any material change of use with regards to existing permissions. Ultimately, that is a local planning matter and determining whether the operator requires further planning permission is for the relevant planning authority to consider.
- Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 August 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Fairlie on 16 August 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what grant support (a) is currently available and (b) it plans to introduce for egg producers to upgrade their farms and to improve animal welfare.
Answer
There is currently no direct funding available to egg producers in Scotland. Pressures on the Scottish budget, brought about by global inflationary trends and exacerbated by the previous UK Government’s decisions means that we are unable to commit to possible future support at this time.
The Scottish Government remains committed to improving the health and welfare of all animals in Scotland and that is why we recently met our 2023-2024 Programme for Government to consult on proposals to phase out the use of cages for laying hens, and published a call for evidence for phasing out the use of cages for gamebirds and quail. We will continue to engage with the industry and stakeholders before making any decisions on how to proceed in order to maintain egg production in Scotland while ensuring the highest standards of animal welfare.
- Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 25 July 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Ivan McKee on 7 August 2024
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason additional grid capacity and infrastructure at Bearholm substation has reportedly been granted planning permission, in light of the Rivox and Scoop Hill Windfarm planning applications reportedly having not yet been determined.
Answer
The decision to grant planning permission for an extension to an existing substation at Bearholm near Moffat was made by the relevant planning authority, Dumfries and Galloway Council.
Planning authorities are required to determine any valid application submitted to them in accordance with the relevant local development plan and National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) unless there are material considerations which justify a departure from the plan. The decision notice of the authority is required to include the reasons for the decision. In addition, as part of the decision-making process the authority is required to produce a report setting out their consideration of the application and the material considerations taken into account. The decision notice and report are published on the planning authority’s website.
Applications for consent for the Rivox Wind Energy Hub and Scoop Hill Community Wind Farm projects are currently with the Scottish Ministers for determination under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989.
- Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 17 June 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom Arthur on 15 July 2024
To ask the Scottish Government when Strengthening Communities Programme funding for the financial year 2024-25 will be released to the Development Trusts Association Scotland to allow local organisations to receive funds.
Answer
Ministers have now made a decision on the final budget to support the Strengthening Communities Programme for 2024-25. The decision has been communicated through the delivery partners, including the Development Trusts Association Scotland, in order to advise all the community anchor organisations involved.
- Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 24 June 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 9 July 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what action is being taken to address the reported sewage discharge in the Kirkconnel/Kelloholm area.
Answer
As this is an operational matter for Scottish Water, and the Scottish Government does not hold this information, I have asked them to respond. Their reply is as follows:
Scottish Water has advised that investigations have been on-going into reports of sewage leaking to a nearby water channel in the area; these investigations have included camera surveys and extensive dye testing of a nearby sewer pipeline. A fault has been identified and a repair made in a buried manhole chamber. Scottish Water has advised that they are continuing to monitor this area and remain in communication with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA).
- Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 31 May 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 14 June 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has received a business case regarding the provision of diabetes technology, and, if so, when it plans to make a decision.
Answer
I refer the member to answer to question: S6W-27895 on 28 May 2024. The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that everyone living with diabetes can access the care that they need to live their lives well. This includes increasing access to diabetes technologies.
Between 2016 and 2022, we invested £29.6 million of additional funding to support the increased provision of diabetes technologies.
I am delighted to confirm that this financial year, up to £8.8 million of funding will be made available to expand access to diabetes technologies in Scotland. The focus will primarily be on providing access to all children that want Closed Loop Systems, but will also allow us to continue increasing access to adults.
This investment will allow us to continue developing innovative care models for diabetes in Scotland that have a focus on digital pathways and peer support.
All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers .
