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: S5W-04381

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 14 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will list all of the (a) waterborne freight and (b) freight facilities grants that have been given to Forth Ports for the development of freight services at Rosyth Port in each year since 2009-10.

There have been no Scottish Government waterborne freight or freight facilities grants given to Forth Ports for the development of freight services at Rosyth Port since 2009-10. Norfolkline Shipping BV were awarded 2 million in 2009 for the movement of containers or road freight units between Rosyth and Zeebrugge. Tables of all freight grants are published on the Freight Grants webpage which can be viewed using the following link http://www.transport.gov.scot/road/freight/freight-grants

Question reference: S5W-04335

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 14 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether Scotland would continue to participate in EU-wide health initiatives post-Brexit.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-03158 on 7 October 2016. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

To continue to participate in the EU health initiatives post-Brexit, which extend to European Economic Area countries, Scotland must remain a member of the single market. The Scottish Government will do everything in its power to retain its membership of the single market and the considerable benefits this brings.

Question reference: S5W-04336

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 14 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether Scotland would continue to adhere to EU-wide medicines regulation post-Brexit.

Question reference: S5W-04293

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 11 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what estimates it has made regarding whether (a) businesses and (b) residential premises in Scotland will lose out on the EU pledge to introduce free wifi into major EU cities by 2020.

The Scottish Government is working to avoid a situation where Scottish projects lose out on support from the WiFi4EU initiative. As the associated funding will be available from 2017, there is likely to be a window of opportunity for Scottish projects to benefit.

The EC initiative mirrors our Public Wireless Programme, which seeks to ensure publicly accessible buildings and spaces provide freely accessible wireless broadband. The Programme aims to ensure any wireless broadband solutions are sustainable and are designed to meet local needs.

Question reference: S5W-04257

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 11 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether funding for the fishing sector through the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund will be maintained.

Question reference: S5W-04282

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 10 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the estimates made by the Fraser of Allander Institute in its report to the Culture, Tourism, Europe and External Relations Committee regarding the economic implications of Brexit for Scotland.

Evidence published by the Culture, Tourism, Europe and External Relations Committee based on analysis by the Fraser of Allander Institute confirms the risks that leaving the EU poses to Scotland’s economy.

The analysis forecasts that GDP could be more than 5% (£8 billion in 2015-16 terms) lower than would otherwise be the case after 10 years. The report also indicates that exports could be more than 11% lower, and that there could be 80,000 fewer jobs, compared to a scenario where the UK remains a member of the EU.

Question reference: S5W-04267

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 10 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will guarantee the £20 million of funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) for digital connectivity in the Highlands and Islands if contracts cannot be secured by the date of the Autumn Statement.

Derek Mackay, Scottish Government’s Finance Secretary has announced that he will be passing on the UK Government’s guarantee on European funding in full. Following the Chancellor’s statement on 3 October, that guarantee now extends to all projects formally approved prior to the UK leaving the EU. The £20 million of ERDF for digital connectivity in the Highlands and Islands is being assessed for approval by the end of this year, and is therefore expected to be covered in full by the guarantee.

Question reference: S5W-04294

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 10 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on whether Scottish businesses will be able to roll out 5G by 2025 post-Brexit.

5G is the next generation of mobile technology which is currently being developed by the mobile industry - on a global basis - and which is expected to be rolled out commercially by the mobile operators in the UK from around 2020. A key aim of our World Class digital infrastructure policy development is to ensure that Scotland has the underlying connectivity infrastructure that can support the future evolution of digital technologies such as 5G. The implications of Brexit on the mobile operators' investment plans for Scotland are not yet known.

Question reference: S5W-04271

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 10 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether Police Scotland would continue to have access to the European Arrest Warrant system post-Brexit.

The Scottish Government is clear that, if we leave the EU without putting successor arrangements in place for the European Arrest Warrant, the advantages of speed and the streamlined process that the European Arrest Warrant provides and which benefit all parties will be lost.

As I outlined in Parliament on 1 November, there is no current clarity on this matter. Arrangements relating to the European Arrest Warrant are reserved so it is a matter for the UK Government to ensure appropriate arrangements continue post-Brexit for Scotland as well as the rest of the UK.

Question reference: S5W-04332

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 10 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of NHS employees in Scotland are (a) UK citizens, (b) EU citizens and (c) from other countries.

The Scottish Government assures EU and non-EU citizens working in Scotland that we want them here, we value their contribution, and we will be doing everything we can to make sure they can continue with us without detriment.

Information on how many NHS staff are Scottish, non-EU and EU citizens is not held centrally. We have previously estimated on the basis of information from ONS that around 5% of the NHS Scotland workforce are from the rest of the EU. However a SPICE Briefing paper published (via ONS) on 3rd November 2016 ‘EU Nationals living in Scotland’, available at the link below http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/101937.aspx records that the health and social work sector in Scotland employs 12,000 EU nationals, accounting for 3% of total employment in this sector.