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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

Filter your results Hide all filters

Displaying 2224 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S5W-04291

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 21 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has carried out of investor confidence in the energy market following the Brexit vote.

Since the EU referendum, we have been engaging regularly with energy stakeholders to understand the implications of the vote, including the impact on investor confidence.

The Minister for Business, Innovation and Energy has had a series of one-to-one meetings with senior representatives of the energy sector to understand their concerns, and he and the Minister for UK Negotiations on Scotland's Place in Europe jointly hosted an event in Edinburgh for energy stakeholders on 21 September 2016 to hear the sector's views on the challenges, opportunities and way forward following the EU referendum.

At the 17th meeting of the National Economic Forum on 26 October 2016, the First Minister spoke to around 150 business and public sector leaders - including representatives from the energy sector - about the impact of Brexit on Scottish businesses.

Energy stakeholders have highlighted that investor confidence was already low in the renewable energy sector as a result of recent UK Government policy changes, and prolonged uncertainty may see existing or planned energy investments stall. EY's latest Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Index, published in October 2016, saw the UK fall to 14th place - its lowest position yet in the rankings.

We are determined to do everything we can to mitigate the impact of Brexit on the energy industry in Scotland and we will use all the powers and influence available to us to provide the stability that the industry and consumers need.

Question reference: S5W-04321

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 18 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with (a) public, (b) private and (c) third sector providers of immigration advice in Scotland since the EU referendum result, and what assessment it has made of their capacity to provide such advice.

The Scottish Government has met with the CoSLA Strategic Migration Partnership, the Scottish Migrant Network, Glasgow Refugee, Asylum and Migration Network (GRAMnet), Migrant Voice, Feniks, PKAVS Minority Communities Hub and Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) since the EU Referendum results about their general support of and work with migrants but not specifically about their capacity to provide advice services in future years post a UK Brexit.

Scottish Government officials have discussed with TalentScotland the impact the result of the EU referendum has had on the volume of queries received by their Immigration and Visa Support Service.

The Scottish Government fund this service with the aim of helping growing businesses access, attract, recruit and retain skilled, experienced and internationally mobile talent. The service provides business immigration support to Scottish-based business, prospective entrepreneurs, inward investors and individuals with a job offer.

The discussion did not identify any immediate capacity issues.

Question reference: S5W-04189

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 17 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how many staff have been allocated to the Minister for UK Negotiations on Scotland's Place in Europe.

Staff across the Scottish Government Directorates are working in support of Ministers and Cabinet Secretaries on Scotland’s place in Europe.

In addition to Private Office staff, there are currently 58 staff working in the Directorate for External Affairs in Scotland, which is the main Directorate supporting the work of the Minister for UK Negotiations on Scotland’s Place in Europe. This number does not include the staff in our offices overseas who support the work of all Scottish Ministers.

Question reference: S5W-04458

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 17 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government under what circumstances payments for chartering MS (a) Helliar and (b) Hildasay from Seatruck can be withheld under the current contract.

Question reference: S5W-04202

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 17 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis of a bespoke, bilateral free trade deal with the EU and its impact on Scotland it has commissioned since the EU referendum result.

The Scottish Government is exploring all options to secure Scotland’s interests, and to protect its relationship with the EU and our place in the single market.

As part of this, the Scottish Government is currently undertaking a range of analyses to understand the potential implications of the UK exiting the EU across various policy areas and scenarios. These draw on Scottish Government in-house work, analysis commissioned by others and advice by its expert Standing Council on Europe.

In the coming weeks the Scottish Government will table specific proposals that would allow Scotland to stay in the single market and to preserve aspects of our relationship with the EU.

Question reference: S5O-00366

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 November 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what impact the reported reduction to revenue grants from the Scottish Funding Council has had on the University of Aberdeen and Robert Gordon University.

Question reference: S5W-04275

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by James Wolffe on 16 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government which Lot of its Legal Services Framework it uses to obtain legal advice relating to Scotland's place in Europe.

Question reference: S5W-04376

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 16 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that all seafarers who work on freight vessels that it time charters for Northern Isles ferry services from May 2018 are employed by companies that have Living Wage Employer accreditation.

The Scottish Ministers are currently considering all available options to promote fair work practices, including payment of the National Minimum Wage and, where possible, the Scottish Living Wage in their contracts. Under the current devolution settlement, responsibility for matters relating to employment rights and duties, including the National Minimum Wage, are reserved to the UK Government. The Minister has written to the UK Government to urge them to take action on the National Minimum Wage in respect of seafarers rates of pay.

Question reference: S5W-04276

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by James Wolffe on 16 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent under each Lot of its Legal Services Framework since May 2016.

Where the Scottish Government Legal Directorate (SGLD) does not provide legal advice to the Scottish Government then the Scottish Government procures its legal advice from existing legacy contracts awarded under SGLD Frameworks (e.g. the SGLD Legal Services Framework 2007 and 2011) as well as the Scottish Government Collaborative Framework Agreement for Legal Services 2015 (the SG Collaborative Framework). The spend under each Lot since May 2016 shows the spend under existing legacy contracts as well as the Scottish Government spend under the SG Collaborative Framework.

Framework 2015

Lot 1 – Contract, commercial and corporate	£62032
Lot 2 – Debt Recovery	£56874
Lot 3 – Litigation, Reparation, Employment and Inquiries	£43261
Lot 4 – Major Projects	£0
Lot 5 – Property and related matters	£212255
Lot 6 – One Stop Shop	£68559

Framework 2011

Lot 1 – Contract, commercial and corporate	£147832
Lot 2 – Debt recovery	0
Lot 3 – Litigation, Inquiries and Employment	£230348*
Lot 4 – Major Projects	£9324
Lot 5 – Property	£79886

*AIB contract included within Lot 3 although was contracted under Lot 3 and 5.

Framework 2007

Contract 8: Property Services	£2398
Contract 9: Accountant in Bankruptcy	£8248

Question reference: S5W-04273

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by James Wolffe on 16 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-01163 by Fiona Hyslop on 29 July 2016, in light of the cabinet secretary's comment that "the Scottish Government has committed to being as open and as frank as possible – with the Scottish people, as well as with the Scottish Parliament – as it explores all options to protect Scotland’s relationship with the EU", what information it can provide regarding the legal advice that it has (a) commissioned and (b) received regarding the Brexit process.

The Scottish Government receives legal advice on this and other EU matters on an on-going basis and will continue to do so as appropriate as it explores all options to protect Scotland’s interests and relationship with the EU.

The Scottish Ministerial code is clear that Ministers must not divulge either the source or content of legal advice. However, this will not undermine Scottish Government commitment to provide regular updates to the Scottish Parliament on the work undertaken in response to the result of the EU referendum.