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: S2W-18861

Asked by: Jim Mather, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 August 2005
Current Status: Answered by Tom McCabe on 26 September 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-18125 by Mr Tom McCabe on 24 August 2005, what percentage of Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland scheme applicants it expects to respond to the questionnaire to be issued by the Relocation Advisory Service and what percentage of responses it requires to ensure that information is accurate.

Targets have not been set for the percentage of successful applicants to the Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland scheme expected to respond to the questionnaire. Return rates will be kept under review and a decision made at a later date as to whether any additional work needs to be done to increase return rates. Targets have not been set for the percentage of successful applicants to the Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland scheme expected to respond to the questionnaire. Return rates and the representation of the respondents will be kept under review and a decision made at a later date as to whether any additional work needs to be done to increase return rates and improve the validity of the results.

Question reference: S2W-18862

Asked by: Jim Mather, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 August 2005
Current Status: Answered by Tom McCabe on 26 September 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-18125 by Mr Tom McCabe on 24 August 2005, whether it will be compulsory for Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland scheme applicants to complete the questionnaire to be issued by the Relocation Advisory Service.

Question reference: S2W-18858

Asked by: Jim Mather, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 August 2005
Current Status: Answered by Tom McCabe on 26 September 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-18124 by Mr Tom McCabe on 24 August 2005, how many individuals applied for the Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland scheme in its (a) first and (b) second month of operation; of these, how many applications were made (i) in person, (ii) from within the UK by post and (iii) from overseas, broken down by country, and how many applications in each category were successful.

Question reference: S2W-18857

Asked by: Jim Mather, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 August 2005
Current Status: Answered by Tom McCabe on 26 September 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-18124 by Mr Tom McCabe on 24 August 2005, on what specific date it will provide details of Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland scheme applications.

Question reference: S2W-18860

Asked by: Jim Mather, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 August 2005
Current Status: Answered by Tom McCabe on 26 September 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S2W-18124 and S2W-18125 by Mr Tom McCabe on 24 August 2005, whether reports on the uptake of the Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland scheme will be compiled by the Home Office or the Executive.

Question reference: S2W-18797

Asked by: Jim Mather, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 29 August 2005
Current Status: Answered by Tavish Scott on 23 September 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive in what way putting Clyde and Hebrides ferry services out to tender will benefit workers currently employed by Caledonian MacBrayne; what direct benefits they will receive as a result of the tendering process, and what guarantees the Executive can offer those workers that they will be in a better position under an employer who is delivering the ferry services as a result of tender than they are under the employment of Caledonian MacBrayne.

The Executive attaches great importance to the future of the Caledonian MacBrayne workforce. Should another operator be successful in the bidding process, the Executive will do everything possible, within EU and domestic legislation, to secure their continued employment and the protection of their terms and conditions, and pension rights.

On 12 September, I published an Information Pack entitled Clyde and Hebrides Lifeline Ferry Services – Scottish Executive’s Consideration of the Requirement to Tender. That document, at Annex C, sets out in detail the Executive’s plans for protecting the existing workforce. The publication has been sent electronically to all MSPs. Copies of the document have been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 37526) and the document has been published on the Scottish Executive website at www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2005/09/09104007/40085.

Question reference: S2W-18796

Asked by: Jim Mather, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 29 August 2005
Current Status: Answered by Tavish Scott on 23 September 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive in what way putting Clyde and Hebrides ferry services out to tender will increase the competitiveness of west coast communities in areas served by these ferry services.

Question reference: S2W-18798

Asked by: Jim Mather, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 29 August 2005
Current Status: Answered by Tavish Scott on 23 September 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive in what way putting Clyde and Hebrides ferry services out to tender will improve the environmental position of the west coast; what environmental standards will be set for any company delivering ferry services as a result of the tendering process, and what level of environmental monitoring of ferry services in the area will be undertaken.

Question reference: S2W-18795

Asked by: Jim Mather, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 29 August 2005
Current Status: Answered by Tavish Scott on 23 September 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive in what way putting Clyde and Hebrides ferry services out to tender will reduce the cost of travel to and from the islands for island residents and how it will make travel to islands more attractive and affordable for tourists.

Question reference: S2W-18794

Asked by: Jim Mather, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 29 August 2005
Current Status: Answered by Tavish Scott on 23 September 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive in what way putting the Clyde and Hebrides ferry services out to tender will produce more frequent services that are more dependable and are of an ever-increasing standard.

The Scottish Executive has concluded that tendering a Public Service Contract for the network of services currently provided by Caledonian MacBrayne is the best way to meet the requirements of European law and thus protect the vital lifeline Clyde and Hebrides ferry services.

The draft service specification for the Clyde and Hebrides lifeline ferry services (which was published for consultation in December 2004) will:

Safeguard the services by prescribing the existing services and timetables as the minimum to be provided by the operator;

Encourage bidders to propose improvements and enhancements to the services during the bidding process;

Require the operator to regularly consult with stakeholders and ferry user groups to discuss improvements and enhancements to the services;

Include a performance regime which the operator will be required to comply with. That regime will include strict punctuality and reliability targets for individual routes;

Set the existing fares as the maximum to be charged during the first year of the contract (to be adjusted thereafter, if necessary, by CPI (Consumer Price Index));

Require the operator to offer the range of fare options for passenger and vehicles as are currently provided. These include all of the concessionary fares that currently exist;

Require the operator to foster tourism by providing comparable products to those currently provided - a key issue for the economic well-being of the Highlands and Islands. The operator will, however, be encouraged to bring forward innovative ideas on marketing initiatives which can facilitate tourism;

Protect the services so that the Executive can continue to subsidise these lifeline services. Ensuring their long term future will contribute to maintaining the social and economic well-being of the island communities, and

Require the operator to provide details on how their Environmental policy will recognise and take into account the environmental factors of the west coast of Scotland. The operator will also be expected to develop their management systems to take into account the unique and special factors that exist in and around the area of operation.