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: S6O-00121

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 September 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what work it has done to assess how many Afghan refugees can be housed across all local authority areas.

Question reference: S6W-02041

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 02 August 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 27 August 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an annual breakdown of the estimated expenditure on (a) new ferries and (b) infrastructure improvements on the ferries network from 2021-22 to 2025-26, based on the figures contained in its Draft Infrastructure Investment Plan.

Question reference: S6W-02042

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 02 August 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 27 August 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has requested reports from (a) CalMac Ferries and (b) Seatruck Ferries regarding the breakdown of the MV Arrow on the Ullapool-Stornoway freight route on the weekend of 24-25 July 2021.

The operation of the MV Arrow on the Ullapool – Stornoway route is primarily a consideration for operator under the terms of the Time Charter. The Scottish Government has not requested detailed reports regarding the breakdown of the MV Arrow from either CalMac Ferries Ltd or Seatruck Ferries Ltd but was made aware of the situation as it developed.

The MV Arrow was removed from service on 24 July 2021 due to a fishing net or rope having been caught around the port propeller hub causing damage which required repair. The MV Arrow resumed the Ullapool – Stornoway freight only service on the evening of 3 August 2021.

Question reference: S6W-02040

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 02 August 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 27 August 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether the MV Loch Seaforth has been covering freight sailings at night on the Ullapool-Stornoway route since the breakdown of the MV Arrow; how the cost of repairing the MV Arrow will be met, and whether this will be from the public purse.

Question reference: S6W-02131

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 August 2021
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 25 August 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what catch-up plans it has put in place for children who have missed swimming lessons due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Scottish Government is in discussion with key stakeholders involved in the provision of swimming lessons and water safety education. We recognise the importance of swimming lessons in helping to build water confidence and learning to be safe in and around water, as well as the benefits swimming provides to physical and mental health. We would encourage parents/guardians to contact their local swimming lesson provider to discuss when their children are able to attend lessons.

Question reference: S6W-02130

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 August 2021
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 25 August 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to address any barriers due to affordability that children may face when attending swimming lessons, and what progress it has made on this issue since the Health and Sport Committee's Inquiry into Support for Community Sport in 2012.

The Scottish Government works with partners to encourage all forms of sport and physical activity to be made available to all people across Scotland.

We provided £1.72 million of funding to enhance work led by Scottish Swimming and local authorities to provide swimming lessons for primary school children across Scotland between 2011 and 2015. An evaluation of the programme was subsequently carried out.

sportscotland works in partnership with all local authorities to invest in and support the Active Schools Network. Active Schools aims to provide more and higher quality opportunities to take part in sport and physical activity before school, during lunchtime and after school, and to develop effective pathways between schools and sports clubs in the local community. In academic year 2018/19 there were 50,954 swimming visits in 18-19 across 21 local authorities.

We are continuing to work with partners, including Scottish Swimming to consider how the provision of community swimming could be expanded.

Question reference: S6W-02075

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 August 2021
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 24 August 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to establish a public inquiry on its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Scottish Government remains committed both to a public inquiry to be set up this year to consider matters in relation to Scotland’s handling of the pandemic, and to placing bereaved families at the heart of our work to establish an inquiry including in the development of Terms of Reference.

During the first 100 Days of the new administration, the Government has held discussions with the UK Government on its plans for a public inquiry, as well as with stakeholders including representatives of bereaved families. To ensure that lessons are learned, we will now proceed to establish a Scottish public inquiry. The inquiry will be established by the end of this year.

As the beginning of a process of engagement with stakeholders and others with an interest, and to inform development of the Terms of Reference, the Scottish Government has today published a set of draft aims and principles for an independent COVID-19 public inquiry in Scotland under the Inquiries Act 2005: www.gov.scot/publications/covid-19-inquiry-establishment. This document will form the basis of a process which will allow us to listen to the views of those affected by COVID-19, including the bereaved families, on what they wish for a public inquiry to focus on, and marks an important step in the progress of its establishment. Discussions are underway with the Lord President to identify and appoint a chair for the Scottish Covid inquiry, in line with our previous commitment that we would wish it to be led by a judge.

In considering the Terms of Reference for the inquiry, and to ensure that all the areas that need to be considered are covered in a way that gives confidence to bereaved families and others, the Scottish Government will continue discussions with the UK Government on the planned UK inquiry.

Question reference: S6W-02129

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 August 2021
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 23 August 2021

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met Scottish Swimming, and what discussions took place regarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the delivery of (a) swimming lessons and (b) water safety education.

Question reference: S6W-01656

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 July 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 16 August 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to ensure that crew members on the MV Arrow are paid in line with the collective bargaining agreements that are in place between CalMac and the recognised trade unions on Clyde and Hebrides ferry services.

Question reference: S6W-01657

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 July 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 16 August 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what its assessment is of the impact that the fire at Troon railway station may have on (a) ferry services to Arran and (b) the Ardrossan Harbour project.

Arran ferry services were not impacted by the fire at Troon rail station. Rail connections between Glasgow and Ardrossan were maintained throughout the period of closure at Troon and temporary bus replacement links were put in place for passengers making journeys to and from the south.

Following repairs undertaken by Network Rail, the Glasgow Central to Ayr services were re-instated on Monday 26th July from platform two, with Northbound services to Glasgow set to call at the station from Friday 30 July when platform one reopens.

In preparation for the temporary move of the Ardrossan-Brodick/Campbeltown ferry services to Troon for a period of up to 21 months; CalMac Ferries Ltd (CFL) will as part of service continuity planning engage with Transport Scotland and ScotRail to take cognisance of integrated travel with other modes for onward travel connections.

	2021-22	2022-23	2023-24	2024-25	2025-26	5-yr Total
	£m	£m	£m	£m	£m	£m
Vessel Investment	22.3	27.1	59.4	107.0	65.0	280.8
Piers and Harbours / Network Infrastructure Investment	62.8	60.3	50.0	76.1	56.7	305.9
Total	85.1	87.4	109.4	183.1	121.7	586.7