Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S5W-27179

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 03 February 2020
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 6 February 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made in extending the current Northern Isles Ferry Services contract, and how long the extension will be.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-27316 on 6 February 2020. 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 .

However, to assist the member, I repeat the answer here below:

C alMac Ferries withdrew its legal action on 31 January, with no financial payment due to either party. Additionally, Transport Scotland has completed its engagement with the European Commission in relation to outstanding State Aid issues, with the Commission having reaffirmed that they do not consider the public subsidy offered in support of the Northern Isles Ferry Service, under the proposed public service contract, constitutes State Aid.

Transport Scotland will now move to conclude the award of contract for the delivery of the ferry services to Serco NorthLink Ferries. We currently anticipate that the contract should be awarded by the end of March, allowing a three-month mobilisation period before the new contract takes effect from the end of June.

To ensure continuity of service during this timeline, the current contract has been extended and will run for a period of up to six months from 31 January.

Following the commencement of the new contract, a non-commercially sensitive copy will be published on Transport Scotland’s website.

Question reference: S5W-27139

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 24 January 2020
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 4 February 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides for island musicians to attend events on the mainland and for musicians to visit the islands.

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of musicians being able to travel to and from the mainland to undertake their work. The importance of music on the islands was recently set out in the first ever National Islands Plan in December 2019, the implementation of which will build on existing culture and language policies and approaches.

Specific support for musicians to travel, perform and showcase is provided by Creative Scotland and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. Opportunities from Creative Scotland include its Open Project Fund, the Youth Music Initiative, and the Made in Scotland Showcase Fund/Onward International Touring Fund. Its island-based Regularly Funded Organisations can provide assistance to bring in musicians and other artists from other areas. The Touring network operates a Go See Fund for promoters in the Highlands and Islands. Highlands and Islands Enterprise also provides a range of assistance, including support for musicians and artists to maximise opportunities to engage with industry specialists and mentors so that they can get to the next stage of their development. It also works with islands based musicians through Feisean nan Gaidheal.

Question reference: S5W-26932

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 10 January 2020
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 22 January 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-25733 by Paul Wheelhouse on 30 October 2019, whether it will provide an update regarding by what date section 14 of the Islands (Scotland) Act 2018 will come into force.

Guidance and templates relating to Section 14 of the Islands (Scotland) Act 2018, which refer to retrospective Island Communities Impact Assessments (ICIAs), are being developed.

We have analysed the responses received during the extensive consultation process, and policy instructions are now being drafted. Officials are also working to finalise an illustrative timetable and, ideally, the regulations will come into force prior to the Summer recess.

Question reference: S5W-26863

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 January 2020
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 22 January 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of premises in the R100 North Lot will be reached through aligned interventions.

On 21 November 2019, I confirmed that BT plc had been selected as the preferred bidder for the north lot of the R100 procurement. However, you are likely aware that this decision has subsequently been challenged by Gigaclear Limited, putting contract signature on hold. Until that challenge is resolved, we cannot discuss what that contract might deliver and, as a result, which premises will require to be reached through the voucher scheme.

Anyone who will not be able to access superfast broadband by the end of 2021 – regardless of whether or not build through the R100 contracts will ultimately reach them – will be eligible for that voucher scheme.

The voucher scheme will launch later this year and will provide grants to broadband customers in non-domestic and domestic premises, offering support to access a range of technologies and suppliers.

Question reference: S5W-26822

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 23 December 2019
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 14 January 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when the final National Islands Plan will be published.

Question reference: S5T-01947

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 13 January 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 14 January 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that the number of primary schools exceeding their capacity has increased by a third since 2009.

Question reference: S5W-26737

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 16 December 2019
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 10 January 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills to the Education and Skills Committee, which was referred to at the meeting of the Public Petitions Committee on 19 September 2019 (Official Report, c.10), whether officials have reviewed the guidance on home education, which the Cabinet Secretary indicated would be undertaken in 2019, and whether any changes have been made.

My officials are continuing to review the current Home Education guidance. Officials met and corresponded with local authorities and representatives of home education organisations during 2019. Their views are currently being considered and an updated version of the guidance will be prepared for consultation in 2020.

I wrote to Johann Lamont MSP, Convener of the Public Petitions Committee on 19 October 2019 and confirmed that my officials will inform the Committee when a revised version of the Home Education Guidance is published for consultation.

Question reference: S5W-26427

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 18 November 2019
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 28 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the details about which organisation has submitted the most competitive bid not being publicly available, for what reason a spokesperson for David MacBrayne Ltd was able to comment in The Herald on 12 October 2019 that CalMac had "won the tender for the Northern Isles ferry services on price".

The purpose of the tender is to attract the Most Economically Advantageous Tender, based on an evaluation criteria of 65% price and 35% quality. This was explained in the Invitation to Tender, issued to bidders on 17 January 2019. The instructions to participants, also issued to bidders on 17 January 2019, made clear how tenders would be evaluated.

As the procurement procedure remains ongoing until the contract is formally awarded, there is a limit on what we can say due to the commercially sensitive nature of the competition.

We will publish the contract on Transport Scotland's website following the completion of the procurement process, redacted as appropriate to protect matters of commercial confidentiality.

Question reference: S5W-26338

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 11 November 2019
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 27 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made on the business case submitted by Shetland Islands Council for funding to replace the ferry, Good Shepherd IV, and associated infrastructure upgrades, which connects Fair Isle to mainland Shetland.

Shetland Islands Council (SIC) is wholly responsible for the inter-island ferry services which it provides. Consequently, SIC currently remains wholly responsible for its vessels and infrastructure, and for planning for their replacement.

However, the Scottish Government understands that significant financial challenges can fall on individual local authorities such as Shetland and, in these exceptional circumstances, we have provided additional one-year funding to SIC of £5.0m in 2018-19 and £5.2m in 2019-20, or a total of £10.2m in the last two financial years, to support the operation of SIC’s internal ferry services, in addition to grant-in-aid funding through the annual financial settlement for local government.

Transport Scotland, on the behalf of the Scottish Ministers, continues to discuss long term solutions with both SIC and Orkney Islands Council (OIC). We are now considering, the final report from the officials working group which we established to examine these issues. This report included SIC’s preferred option and estimated capital costs for investment in ensuring the sustainability of the Fair Isle service. SIC expects to finalise, and submit, its more detailed Outline Business Case for the replacement of their Fair Isle vessel in the coming weeks and we will continue to engage with SIC on the financial sustainability of Shetland’s internal ferry services.

Question reference: S5W-26339

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 11 November 2019
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 26 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the progress of the Shetland sites included in the 4G infill programme.

The Scottish 4G Infill (S4GI) Programme is working to deliver three sites in the Shetland Isles: Reawick, Foula and Bruray. A fundamental requirement for progressing any S4GI site to build is gaining commitment from at least one mobile network operator to use the mast. In addition, we also require agreements with landowners as well as securing planning permission.

At Raewick, agreement with a mobile network operator has been reached and we anticipate site build to commence in early 2020. However at this stage no firm timescale for the availability of 4G services can be provided.

Whilst the site at Foula yielded some initial interest from a mobile network operator, no definite commitment can be confirmed at this time. At present, no mobile network operator has shown interest in using the Bruray site.

Progress updates to the programme will be published on the Scottish Government’s website.