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-25179

Asked by: Mike Rumbles, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 September 2019
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 17 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made in developing a support system to replace or continue the Less Favoured Area Support Scheme (LFASS) after 2020.

I have made my ambition clear, to maintain funding to the LFA in recognition of the hardship that those farming in our remote and fragile areas face. This continues to be very challenging as we do not know what rules will apply, what legal powers we will have or details of replacement funding from UK Government. Scotland is the only part of the UK to offer income support to those farming in constrained areas, that is why we need the ability to design support best suited to Scotland’s needs.

Uncertainties around Brexit mean that the Scottish Government, but more importantly our farmers, crofters, foresters, land managers and rural businesses are unable to plan with any certainty for the future. That is why my short term priority of stability and simplicity through until 2024 will continue to deliver rural and agricultural support through CAP Schemes throughout this period.

I have welcomed the UK Government’s announcement that the £160m historic CAP convergence funds will be repatriated to Scotland. I have made it clear that it is only right and proper, given its origins, that this money be ring-fenced for agriculture and land management. I am calling on the UK Government to return this money immediately and to respect the fact that this funding must be fully devolved to Scotland, with no conditions attached.

Question reference: S5O-03554

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S5T-01760

Asked by: Mike Rumbles, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 09 September 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether it can confirm how much Prestwick airport has received from the US military for its operations.

Question reference: S5W-24618

Asked by: Mike Rumbles, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 05 August 2019
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 29 August 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how many breaches of the General Data Protection Regulation it reported to the Information Commissioner’s Office between 25 May 2018 and 25 May 2019.

The Scottish Government takes the right to privacy and the protection of personal data very seriously. We have a comprehensive set of personal data breach notification procedures to ensure we comply with the mandatory breach reporting to the Information Commissioner’s Office, when required.

Four breaches of the General Data Protection Regulation by the Scottish Government were reported to the Information Commissioner’s Office between 25 May 2018 and 25 May 2019.

Question reference: S5W-24619

Asked by: Mike Rumbles, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 09 August 2019
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 29 August 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, further to its decision in August 2018 to retain free concessionary bus travel for over 60s, whether it can confirm that it has no plans to review this policy.

The Scottish Government has no plans to review its decision to retain free concessionary bus travel for those over the age of sixty. Under the National Concessionary Bus Travel Scheme for Older and Disabled People, those resident in Scotland age sixty and over will continue to be eligible for free bus travel on local and long distance registered bus services throughout Scotland as they are at present.

Question reference: S5W-24620

Asked by: Mike Rumbles, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 August 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 29 August 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-24211 by Clare Haughey on 18 July 2019, what action it has taken to locate and support people with mental health issues specifically in rural, remote or isolated areas.

The Scottish Government announced in June 2019, £50,000 of funding to support the National Rural Mental Health Forum to continue their work to support the mental health of those in rural, remote and isolated communities.

In addition to utilising their 110 members to promote the help and support available to rural communities, the Forum is currently piloting a package of community support in Argyll and Bute and the Western Isles, which includes the use of technology to support those with mental health issues. The project is due to be completed by February 2020 and findings will be shared with rural communities across Scotland.

As part of their 2019 - 2020 work plan, the Forum are also making links with all rural Integrated Joint Boards (IJBs) to discuss local plans and how the National Rural Mental Health Forum can support IJBs to reach remote and isolated people.

Question reference: S5O-03466

Asked by: Mike Rumbles, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 August 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the 12-point plan published by the Climate Emergency Response Group on 26 August 2019.

Question reference: S5W-24621

Asked by: Mike Rumbles, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 August 2019
Current Status: Answer expected on 3 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-24211 by Clare Haughey on 18 July 2019, whether it has carried out research into the mental health and wellbeing, including the risk of suicide, of other types of farm or agricultural workers besides farmers, and, if so, whether it will provide this information.

Question reference: S5W-24368

Asked by: Mike Rumbles, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 July 2019
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 2 August 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how much compensation, through the Delay Repay Scheme, ScotRail has paid to passengers travelling from Milngavie in each month since April 2018.

Question reference: S5W-24367

Asked by: Mike Rumbles, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 July 2019
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 1 August 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how much SQUIRE funding has been spent improving Milngavie railway station and services from it.

Scottish Government does not hold the level of detail you have requested regarding specific spend from the SQUIRE Investment Fund (SQIF) at Milngavie Station, as enhancements, improvements or new equipment would be included in wider packages of works carried out throughout the network.

Milngavie has benefitted from enhancements to facilities such as smart enabled ticket office equipment, upgrading of public announcement equipment and the software to enhance the information provided for customers on station monitors, all of which were funded though the SQIF.

Additional funding has also been agreed to install a new Customer Information Screen (CIS) at the station, which is planned for September.