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: S4O-00786

Asked by: Jamie McGrigor, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 February 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what support it provides to the University of the Highlands and Islands.

Question reference: S4W-05285

Asked by: Jamie McGrigor, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 27 January 2012
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 7 February 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to introduce new guidance relating to advertising signage being erected at the side of roads and, if so, how it will ensure that businesses with existing advertising signs are not disadvantaged by any such guidance.

Question reference: S4W-05026

Asked by: Jamie McGrigor, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 16 January 2012
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 25 January 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to reintroduce new passenger and vehicle vessels under the public service obligation contract with Argyll Ferries Limited.

A public service contract for the delivery of ferry services between the town centres of Gourock and Dunoon was awarded by the Scottish Government to Argyll Ferries Ltd, with the new service coming into operation on 30 June 2011. The contract was tendered in line with the Decision of the European Commission (Decision (2009) 8117) following its in-depth State Aid investigation of subsidies paid for the provision of ferry services in Scotland. The Decision included the stipulation that subsidy for the Gourock to Dunoon service should be for passengers only, with any vehicles carried at the commercial risk of the operator. Whilst we would have preferred a vehicle service to have continued, none of the bids proposed this.

The passenger ferry service provided by Argyll Ferries Ltd has improved significantly in recent months and an improvement plan was published on 22 January 2012. We will continue to monitor performance and work with the operator and other interested parties to ensure that the passenger ferry service is the best it can be.

The government therefore has no plans to introduce new passenger and vehicle vessels to the route.

Question reference: S4W-05027

Asked by: Jamie McGrigor, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 16 January 2012
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 25 January 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the European Commission regarding the public service obligation contract with Argyll Ferries Limited since 1 July 2011.

The public service contract with Argyll Ferries Ltd was awarded by the Scottish Government in line with the requirements of EU maritime cabotage and State Aid rules and the parameters set by the Commission’s Decision on subsidies paid for the provision of ferry services in Scotland. There has therefore been no need for further contact with the Commission other than to inform them of the outcome of the tendering exercise, which was done following the award of the contract to Argyll Ferries Ltd on 7 June 2011.

Question reference: S4W-04901

Asked by: Jamie McGrigor, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 January 2012
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 20 January 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what support it will provide to help the Scottish nephrops fleet to deliver the highly selective gears that will allow it to continue to catch whitefish.

The Scottish Government has worked closely with nephrops fishing vessels and their representative associations to assist the development of selective fishing gears that aim to reduce unwanted catches of whitefish. In 2011, the government allocated additional fish and nephrops quotas and time at sea to vessels taking part in trials of new gear designs, to partly offset the operating costs of trial voyages.

Trials of two new gear designs commenced in 2011. One set of trials has now been completed, with positive results. It is now expected that this new gear will be introduced into the Scottish “Conservation Credits” scheme, which sets days at sea limits for nephrops trawlers, and will allow fishermen to access additional days at sea. Trials will continue in 2012 and the Scottish Government will aim to offer incentives to fishing vessels to use more selective gears.

Question reference: S4W-04684

Asked by: Jamie McGrigor, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 December 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 12 January 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive how much it will invest in and how any funding will be spent on (a) preventing further landslides on and (b) upgrading the A83.

Since the previous landslides at the Rest and Be Thankful in 2007 and 2009, we have invested approximately £700,000 at this location on mitigation measures including the installation of flexible flow netting, a new culvert and drainage system at a previous landslide site and geotechnical monitoring equipment. An early warning system has also been put in place which activates Wig-Wag flashing amber lights when severe weather warnings are received from the Met Office. We will continue to deliver the landslide mitigation programme, investing approximately £500,000 per year across the network, including the A83.

The Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR) identified the A83 as a route that would be maintained and safely operated within the general remit of Transport Scotland, but identified no specific improvement schemes. Transport Scotland continues to manage and maintain the route.

In the last three years, we have invested over £16 million on the maintenance of the trunk road section of the A83. For example, Transport Scotland has carried out a route accident reduction plan study along the entire length of the A83 trunk road from Arrochar to Furnace. The resulting scheme was broken down into three phases to allow construction over a two year period, to the value of £615,000. The works installed included surfacing, high friction surfacing, signing, lining and bend assessment works to provide drivers with a consistent message when approaching challenging bends along the route.

Question reference: S4O-00590

Asked by: Jamie McGrigor, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 January 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 January 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to upgrade the A83 and prevent future landslips from closing the road.

Question reference: S4W-04553

Asked by: Jamie McGrigor, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 12 December 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 11 January 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason Mull will not be included in the extension of the road equivalent transport scheme from October 2012 and what its response is to reported concerns that this might place Mull at a competitive disadvantage.

In our announcement on 29 November on the future roll-out of RET we confirmed that RET would be rolled out to Mull within the term of this Parliament. This is consistent with the Government’s Manifesto commitment.

The main ferry route to Mull, Oban to Craignure, is a busy one, and we anticipate that the introduction of Road Equivalent Tariff (RET) could result in a significant increase in carryings on the route. As stated in the recently published Scottish Ferry Services - Draft Plan for Consultation, it is our intention to upgrade the Oban to Craignure ferry service to a two-vessel service operating a more frequent shuttle service through to late evening. We expect that it will be possible to do this within the next Clyde and Hebrides ferry services contract (2013-19), although the timing will be dependent on the vessel replacement programme being implemented by Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd. This will ensure that we are able to deal with the expected additional pressure on vessel capacity.

In addition we consider that it is sensible to wait until we have had the chance to learn any lessons from the roll-out of RET to other busy routes, particularly Kennacraig – Port Askaig (Islay).

In terms of competition with other routes, we know from the evaluation of the RET pilot that the majority of additional tourist visits were new business rather than the result of displacement from other routes. Mull is deservedly a popular tourist destination and we expect it to remain so.

Question reference: S4W-04685

Asked by: Jamie McGrigor, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 December 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 10 January 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what its response is to concerns about the 6.5% increase in commercial vehicle fares on CalMac services.

Question reference: S4W-04637

Asked by: Jamie McGrigor, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 16 December 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 10 January 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what funds have been set aside by (a) it, (b) David MacBrayne Ltd and (c) Argyll Ferries Ltd to purchase or charter new vessels.