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-20328

Asked by: Jamie McGrigor, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 March 2014
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 3 April 2014

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a (a) breakdown and (b) explanation of any payments made to Argyll Ferries Limited since July 2011 in addition to the contractually agreed payments for the provision of the Gourock to Dunoon ferry service.

All payments made to Argyll Ferries Ltd since July 2011 are under the terms of their public services contract with the Scottish Ministers.

Argyll Ferries Ltd annual accounts, which detail the subsidy payments received during each financial year, are published on the David MacBrayne Ltd website and they can be found at: http://www.david-macbrayne.co.uk/reports/

Transport Scotland publishes expenditure over £25,000 on a monthly basis on its website and these monthly reports include the grant payments made to Argyll Ferries Ltd. The reports can be found at: http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/about-us/expenditure/reports

Question reference: S4W-20187

Asked by: Jamie McGrigor, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 14 March 2014
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 28 March 2014

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the days-at-sea restrictions, what support it will provide to the skippers of the west coast nephrops fleet who want to purchase updated or new vessels.

EU state aid rules strictly limit the amount of government aid which can be provided to fishing vessels to a relatively small “de minimis” amount. Additionally the reformed Common Fisheries Policy does not permit aid to be provided towards the purchase or construction of fishing vessels.

The only exception to this position is the ability to assist young fishers to enter the sector. This was an important issue for Scotland during the new European Maritime and Fisheries Fund negotiations, and one that I pressed strongly for inclusion in the final agreement.

Question reference: S4O-03069

Asked by: Jamie McGrigor, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 March 2014
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 26 March 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to the University of the Highlands and Islands.

Question reference: S4W-20131

Asked by: Jamie McGrigor, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 March 2014
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 25 March 2014

To ask the Scottish Government whether, as part of the decision to deploy the MV Coruisk on the Gourock to Dunoon route, the Deputy First Minister or Transport Scotland issued instructions to Argyll Ferries regarding the timetable and duration of crossings.

Under the terms of the contract between Scottish Ministers and Argyll Ferries Limited, Transport Scotland issued a contract variation notice to Argyll Ferries Limited on 17 December 2013. This contract variation notice covered the operational period of the MV Coruisk on the Gourock-Dunoon route over winter 2013-14. This contract variation included departure times for the MV Coruisk from Gourock and Dunoon.

Question reference: S4W-20128

Asked by: Jamie McGrigor, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 March 2014
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 25 March 2014

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to questions S4W-17786, S4W-19755 and S4W-19947 on 11 October 2013, 26 February 2014 and 11 March 2014 respectively and in light of the answer to S4W-17768, which stated that "the Deputy First Minister has indicated that she intends to reach a conclusion on the way forward by the end of the year", whether a conclusion was reached by then and, if so, when this will be communicated and, if not, what the reason is for the delay.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-19947 on 11 March 2014, to S4W-19755 on 26 February 2014, to S4W-17786 on 6 November 2013 and to S4W-17356 on 3 October 2013. I have no further information to provide at this time. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

I note that “S4W-17768” is a clerical mistake.

Question reference: S4W-20119

Asked by: Jamie McGrigor, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 March 2014
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 21 March 2014

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish the advice that it has received on the suitability of using the MV Coruisk on the Gourock-Dunoon route, in light of the incident involving the vessel at the Dunoon linkspan on 11 March 2014.

Question reference: S4W-20052

Asked by: Jamie McGrigor, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 March 2014
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 13 March 2014

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-19909 by Roseanna Cunningham on 6 March 2014, for what reasons it did not propose the abolition of honorary sheriffs in its consultation on the Courts Reform (Scotland) Bill and how many respondents to the consultation called for their abolition.

The proposals in the draft Courts Reform (Scotland) Bill consulted upon in 2013 included restricting the civil competence of the honorary sheriff to that of the new summary sheriff.

The Scottish Government has listened to the representations it has received on its proposals in relation to honorary sheriffs and amended its proposals accordingly.

There were several negative comments from stakeholders responding to the consultation. In particular, there were comments that the appointment process for honorary sheriffs was not considered transparent, that honorary sheriffs may not be suitably qualified to deal with family law cases, and that the post of honorary sheriff should not be elevated to a statutory judicial office. One consultee said that no person should be allowed to sit as a sheriff in civil cases involving child welfare and domestic abuse unless they had 10 years legal qualification (i.e. this would preclude honorary sheriffs from doing so). Another body said that some of its members thought that honorary sheriffs had no place in our system and that the proposals should be reconsidered.

The Scottish Government will not abolish honorary sheriffs until alternative arrangements including summary sheriffs and technology are in place.

Question reference: S4W-19947

Asked by: Jamie McGrigor, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 February 2014
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 11 March 2014

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-19755 by Keith Brown on 26 February 2014, whether it will provide the information requested.

I refer the member to the answer I gave on 26 February 2014 to S4W-19755 and on 6 November 2013 and 3 October 2013 to S4W-17786 and S4W-17356. I have no further information to provide at this time. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

Question reference: S4T-00631

Asked by: Jamie McGrigor, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 10 March 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 March 2014

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recent breakdown of mackerel quota talks, what steps it is taking to support fishermen.

Question reference: S4W-19909

Asked by: Jamie McGrigor, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 February 2014
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 6 March 2014

To ask the Scottish Government for what reasons it plans to abolish the post of honorary sheriff.