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-06369

Asked by: Alex Fergusson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 March 2012
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 10 April 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the changes being made to the structure and remit of the Inshore Fisheries Groups (IFG), whether stakeholders will be invited to (a) contribute to inshore fisheries management (i) in any revised IFG structure and (ii) through the National Fisheries Management and Conservation Group and (b) the proposed national conference on inshore fisheries management.

Question reference: S4W-06371

Asked by: Alex Fergusson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 March 2012
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 10 April 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what (a) research and (b) impact assessments have been carried out on the impact of offshore (i) wind, (ii) wave and (iii) tidal installations on the marine biodiversity of the west coast, including migrating sharks and the breeding cycles and habitats of fish species, and whether this information is publicly available.

<>The Scottish Government has published a Research Implementation Strategy to inform the development of offshore renewable energy in Scottish waters. The strategy aims to address the gaps in current knowledge that have been identified through the ongoing programme of work to support the development of offshore renewable energy – wind, wave and tidal energy. We will continue to develop this research strategy to tackle issues and identify solutions towards the sustainable development of offshore renewable energy in Scottish waters. The strategy is available to view at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/marine/marineenergy/ris.

The Scottish Government has also undertaken a national level Sustainability Appraisal assessment of the Sectoral Marine Plan for offshore wind in Scottish territorial waters. This assessment process includes Strategic Environmental Assessment and Habitats Regulations Appraisal which consider potential effects from proposed offshore energy developments on migratory shark and fish species. The Strategic Environmental Assessment and Habitats Regulations Appraisal are available for public viewing on:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/marine/marineenergy/wind.

A similar exercise for wave energy and tidal energy is currently underway.

Scottish Ministers consent conditions for the Robin Rigg offshore wind development in the Solway Firth included a schedule of potential impacts. This schedule formed the basis of the Marine Environment Monitoring programme for the development and was fully adopted by the developer, E.ON UK. The programme includes monitoring of seabird and marine mammal interactions with the pre-construction, construction and post-construction periods associated with the development of Robin Rigg. A summary of the Marine Environment Monitoring Programme for Robin Rigg can be viewed at http://www.naturalpower.com/sites/default/files/images/MEMP-ECOPY.pdf.

In response to continuing concerns regarding the recovery of west coast marine ecosystems, Marine Scotland commissioned a review of all available science related to oceanography, biological productivity, fish related habitats and ecology and current fisheries management of the area. The results were placed into a framework of the linked marine food-web using a structured ecosystem model. The resulting report may be found at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/marine/science/Publications/publicationslatest/Science/MSSR/2011Reports/MSSR0911.

The issue of potential effects on migratory fish species, notably salmon, sea trout and European eel, are considered at a national scale. The Scottish Government commissioned a review of migratory fish movement and behaviour in 2010 and this is available for public viewing at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/marine/science/Publications/publicationslatest/Science/SMFS/2010Reports/SMFS0114.

Question reference: S4O-00810

Asked by: Alex Fergusson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 March 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 15 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive when Scottish Natural Heritage will publish further guidance on the "cumulative impact [of wind farms] and a range of additional guidance on siting and landscape matters" to which the Minister for Energy, Enterprise and Tourism referred in the Members' Business debate on 1 December 2011.

Question reference: S4F-00492

Asked by: Alex Fergusson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 February 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 March 2012

To ask the First Minister what steps have been taken to deal with Schmallenberg virus if it spreads to Scotland.

Question reference: S4O-00719

Asked by: Alex Fergusson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 February 2012
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 23 February 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to improve access to treatments for people with Tourette's syndrome.

Tourette’s syndrome usually appears in childhood and adolescence, and is normally treated in a multi-disciplinary CAMHS team. This provides thorough bio-psycho-social assessment, and appropriate treatment which can include behavioural and pharmacological intervention.

We have invested £6.5 million over a three year period to increase the number of psychologists working in specialist CAMHS - £3.5 million in the current financial year.

As a result of this investment, the overall specialist CAMHS workforce has grown by approximately one third since September 2008.

Question reference: S4O-00514

Asked by: Alex Fergusson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 December 2011
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 December 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive when the Dunragit bypass on the A75 will be completed.

Question reference: S4W-04405

Asked by: Alex Fergusson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 December 2011
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 9 December 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what the annual income from licensing fees has been in each year since 2009, broken down by (a) local authority and (b) rateable value category.

Data on income from licensing fees for the financial year 2009-10 is in the public domain and is contained within Annex F of the Scottish Local Government Financial Statistics. It can be found on the Scottish Government website at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Local-Government-Finance/PubScottishLGFStats/Q/EditMode/on/ForceUpdate/on.

Data broken down by rateable value is not centrally available.

Question reference: S4F-00331

Asked by: Alex Fergusson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 December 2011
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 December 2011

To ask the First Minister what percentage of the £60 billion that the Scottish Government has allocated for infrastructure projects over the next 15 years will be spent on roads.

Question reference: S4O-00394

Asked by: Alex Fergusson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 November 2011
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on Scottish Natural Heritage's proposal to remove the site of special scientific interest designation from Pibble Mine in Wigtownshire.

Question reference: S4W-03924

Asked by: Alex Fergusson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 November 2011
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 15 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to amend the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 to place a general duty on licensing boards to promote the Act's licensing objectives.