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: S4W-05995

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 March 2012
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 8 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the Lochboisdale community regarding the (a) reinstatement and (b) trial of a Lochboisdale to Mallaig ferry service.

We have engaged with the South Uist community on the proposed
Mallaig-Lochboisdale ferry service over a number of years. The draft Ferries Plan published on 21 December 2011 makes clear that we accept the strength of feeling held by some of the South Uist community. We have undertaken to further consider the economic viability of this proposed service in the context of other planned improvements to, and within, the Western Isles.

Question reference: S4W-05992

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 March 2012
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 8 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive when a Lochboisdale to Mallaig ferry service trial will commence and how long it will run.

Question reference: S4W-05994

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 March 2012
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 8 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive which ferry has been identified for the purpose of a Lochboisdale to Mallaig ferry service trial.

Question reference: S4W-05477

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 February 2012
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 6 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive whether implementing the Scotland's Digital Future - Infrastructure Action Plan will prevent Highlands and Islands Enterprise from progressing its current broadband procurement process.

Question reference: S4W-05479

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 February 2012
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 6 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive how much Scottish Government funding will be allocated to the Highlands and Islands Enterprise broadband project under the Scotland's Digital Future - Infrastructure Action Plan.

Question reference: S4W-05480

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 February 2012
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 6 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive whether funding of £10 million received from Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) will revert to (a) the Scottish Government and (b) BDUK if the Highlands and Islands Enterprise broadband project does not proceed under the Scotland's Digital Future - Infrastructure Action Plan.

The £10 million allocated by BDUK to the Highlands and Islands Enterprise broadband project forms part of the total £68.8 million allocated to the Scottish Government by BDUK.

The Highlands and Islands broadband project is an integral part of the Scottish Government’s approach to broadband delivery, as set out in Scotland’s Digital Future – Infrastructure Action Plan, published on 31 January 2012. The Scottish Government continues to work collaboratively with Highlands and Islands Enterprise on the ongoing development of its project and has not seen an indication that the project will fail to proceed.

Question reference: S4W-05655

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 February 2012
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 6 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what improvements are planned for the A83 over the next 10 years.

We are investing £1 million to address the problems created by landslips and this will include extending the length of debris flow netting on the hillside. We are also working closely with Forestry Commission Scotland to explore options for making emergency use of forest roads and using vegetation cover to help reduce the risk of landslips. Work on the netting is expected to start in the spring.

This allocation will build on a study which will investigate the feasibility of longer term options and is expected to be completed in the summer.

Transport Scotland is arranging a series of local meetings for local communities in the coming months to explain the recent landslide at the Rest & Be Thankful, what happened, what we did and what we are proposing for the future.

Intervention 5 of the Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR) recommends a series of route management initiatives to maintain the physical condition and safety standards of the A83 trunk road between Tarbet and Kennacraig.

Question reference: S4W-05769

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 February 2012
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 5 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive where fibre optic broadband cables have been laid.

Question reference: S4W-05770

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 February 2012
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 1 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to promote fibre sharing in order to roll out broadband.

The Scottish Government will ensure that fibre infrastructure procured through the implementation of Scotland’s Digital Future – Infrastructure Action Plan will be truly “open access” in nature. This is a stipulation of the current Highlands and Islands broadband procurement and will be a stipulation in the forthcoming procurement for the rest of Scotland. We wish to see the deployment of interoperable, fully “open access” fibre networks as we recognise that networks with these characteristics have the potential to facilitate improved broadband access throughout Scotland.

The requirement to share infrastructure is, however, a regulatory issue which is currently reserved to the UK Government and Ofcom. The Scottish Government therefore has no jurisdiction in this regard.

Question reference: S4W-05478

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 February 2012
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 1 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what impact the implementation of the Scotland's Digital Future - Infrastructure Action Plan will have on the aim of the Highlands and Islands Enterprise broadband project to deliver 100% coverage of next generation broadband by 2020, and what future broadband requirements of the Highlands region it anticipates taking forward on a national basis.

The current Highlands and Islands Enterprise broadband procurement is an integral part of the Scottish Government’s approach to broadband delivery, as set out in Scotland’s Digital Future – Infrastructure Action Plan, published on 31 January. The action plan makes clear the Scottish Government’s commitment to continue to work with Highlands and Islands Enterprise to support the aims of its project. At the same time, we are ensuring that it contributes effectively and economically to the Scottish national strategy.