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-30827

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 July 2020
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 13 August 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how many passengers have used Glasgow Prestwick Airport (a) in each year since 2013 and (b) to date in 2020.

Question reference: S5W-30828

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 July 2020
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 13 August 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how much freight has been handled by Glasgow Prestwick Airport (a) in each year since 2013 and (b) to date in 2020.

Question reference: S5W-30552

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 July 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 13 August 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how many agency care workers are employed in the care sector; how many of these have been tested for COVID-19, and how regularly these tests are carried out.

Scottish Government does not hold information on how many agency workers are employed in the care sector, which as the member knows is delivered by a mix of private, independent and local authority providers.

Guidance has been developed to ensure that all staff deployed to care homes for adults and older people from staffing agencies are tested for COVID-19 prior to deployment. Agencies who provide staff to these care homes should utilise the UK Government employee referral portal to proactively ensure that a cohort of staff have been tested who can then be deployed in to care homes at short notice as required.

Agency staff who work in care homes on longer term contracts should be tested in the same way as substantive staff are tested in the care home, every 7 days, regardless of whether there has been a confirmed Covid-19 case in the care home or not.

Symptomatic agency care workers, not working in a care homes, can access key worker testing. More information on testing is available on the Scottish Government website - https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-getting-tested/pages/overview

Question reference: S5W-30857

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 July 2020
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 13 August 2020

To ask the Scottish Government on how many days the work of the Chief Executive of the Water Industry Commission for Scotland has been charged out under contracts entered into with other countries in each of the last five years.

Question reference: S5W-30856

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 July 2020
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 13 August 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Water Industry Commission for Scotland keeps separate accounts for any contracted work that it undertakes in other countries in support of the Hydro Nation initiative.

Question reference: S5W-30847

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 July 2020
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 13 August 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers that the domestic and international air travel undertaken by the Chief Executive of the Water Industry Commission for Scotland in the last five years is consistent with its policy of setting an example in terms of addressing the climate emergency.

The Water Industry Commission for Scotland is committed to conducting its activities in a sustainable way. The Commission currently offsets its carbon footprint by contributing to woodland being planted in Scotland. In the context of the global climate emergency and Scotland’s ambition to reach net-zero emissions, WICS will continue to seek out ways to reduce the impact of its activities, whilst delivering on its duties as effectively as possible.

Question reference: S5W-30855

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 July 2020
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 13 August 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports of the amount of time spent outside of Scotland each year on official duties by the Chief Executive of the Water Industry Commission for Scotland, whether it considers that the post requires to continue to be filled on a full-time basis.

Question reference: S5W-30824

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 July 2020
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 13 August 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether the sale of Glasgow Prestwick Airport is proceeding; what the timetable is for the sale, and, if the potential buyer pulls out, what plans are in place regarding the future of the airport.

Question reference: S5W-30854

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 July 2020
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 13 August 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what the purpose is of the Memoranda of Understanding signed by the Water Industry Commission for Scotland with other countries; how many such memoranda involving the Commission (a) have been completed and (b) are under negotiation; what the average cost of concluding each memorandum was, and what its assessment is of the cost benefits of such arrangements to water consumers.

As a body designated under the Water Resources (Scotland) Act 2013, the Water Industry Commission for Scotland is working to support the Scottish Government’s Hydro Nation initiative. The Commission makes a positive contribution to this initiative through collaborating with other regulators and water industry stakeholders, sharing Scotland’s expertise and best practice and to build capacity in economic regulation and water sector governance. As a founding member of the European Water Regulators Network (WAREG), WICS has built strong working relationships with water regulators across Europe. The Commission’s collaboration with WAREG members has been the foundation for developing memoranda of understanding (MoU) with 8 European water regulators. This allows it to exchange information, share knowledge and build the capacity of staff across organisations. There are no MoUs currently under negotiation.

WICS does not hold detailed information on the average cost of completing each memorandum. However, all revenue generated from international projects makes a significant contribution to the Commission’s overheads. This brings direct benefit to Scottish customers by reducing the levy it would otherwise charge Scottish Water which is money that would ultimately come from customers in the form of higher bills. In addition, the insights learnt from international partners helps the Commission to stay at the forefront of regulatory best practice.

Question reference: S5W-30848

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 July 2020
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 13 August 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what it calculates the carbon use attributable to the domestic and international air travel of the Chief Executive of the Water Industry Commission for Scotland has been in the last five years.

Year	No. days charged out (includes weekend working)
2016	0
2017	0
2018	55.3
2019	33.0
2020	31.3