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-07164

Asked by: Jamie McGrigor, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 11 May 2012
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 25 May 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4W-06754 by Keith Brown on 1 May 2012, under what circumstances the ferries regulator would regulate pricing and what legislation would be required to achieve this.

We have noted in the response to S4W-06754 that a Ferries Regulator could regulate the pricing and provision of ferry services not provided under contract to the Scottish Government. Our intention is to keep the need for a Ferries Regulator under review and to explore the legislative provision required to achieve this. Again as noted in the previous response, we will make further details available in the Final Ferries Plan, to be published later in 2012.

Question reference: S4W-07161

Asked by: Jamie McGrigor, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 11 May 2012
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 25 May 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4W-06757 by Keith Brown on 1 May 2012, for what reasons road equivalent tariff status was omitted for (a) Argyll Ferries’ Gourock to Dunoon service and (b) the Calmac Tarbert to Portavadie service in appendix 3 of the Draft Ferries Plan.

Question reference: S4W-07162

Asked by: Jamie McGrigor, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 11 May 2012
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 25 May 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4W-06756 by Keith Brown on 1 May 2012, for what reason its policy preference is for the service between Gourock and Dunoon to carry both vehicles and passengers.

Question reference: S4W-07163

Asked by: Jamie McGrigor, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 11 May 2012
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 25 May 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4W-06755 by Keith Brown on 1 May 2012, what the percentage increase has been in (a) fuel usage and (b) emissions by the MV Finlaggan.

As set out in my reply to question S4W-06755, the MV Finlaggan has a much increased carrying capacity compared to the MV Isle of Arran so a direct comparison of fuel usage and emissions is misleading.

The MV Finlaggan uses around 87% more fuel per hour of sailing than the MV Isle of Arran. However, the MV Finlaggan can carry 250% more freight (by weight) than the MV Isle of Arran. The MV Finlaggan is therefore much more efficient in this respect than the MV Isle of Arran.

Changes in carbon emissions are largely consistent with fuel consumption. In terms of other emissions, the MV Finlaggan’s more modern engines mean that NOx emissions are lower than those of the MV Isle of Arran. SOx emissions are higher, though still within regulatory limits, because the MV Finlaggan uses different, less expensive fuel than the MV Isle of Arran.

Question reference: S4O-01087

Asked by: Jamie McGrigor, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 May 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 31 May 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive how it is supporting further and higher education in the Highlands and Islands.

Question reference: S4O-01047

Asked by: Jamie McGrigor, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 May 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 May 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to build affordable housing in the Highlands and Islands.

Question reference: S4O-01004

Asked by: Jamie McGrigor, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 May 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 May 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the potential impact on the construction industry, what its position is on the UBC Group entering administration.

Question reference: S4W-06759

Asked by: Jamie McGrigor, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 April 2012
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 1 May 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it plans to introduce to encourage competition for the provision of ferry services.

Question reference: S4W-06757

Asked by: Jamie McGrigor, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 April 2012
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 1 May 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive when the road equivalent tariff (RET) pilot will be extended to the service provided by Argyll Ferries and whether RET fares will apply to the service provided by Western Ferries.

Question reference: S4W-06755

Asked by: Jamie McGrigor, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 April 2012
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 1 May 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what the reduction in fuel usage has been for the MV Finlaggan compared with the MV Isle of Arran.

The MV Finlaggan has a much increased carry capacity compared to the MV Isle of Arran so any direct comparison of fuel usage would be misleading. Despite only being some 5m longer, the MV Finlaggan can carry 25% more cars, 19% more passengers and, most significantly, 2.5 times more freight (by weight) than the MV Isle of Arran. The additional power requirements associated with this increased capacity mean that the MV Finlaggan consumes more fuel on the Kennacraig-Islay route than the MV Isle of Arran.