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: S4W-23493

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 December 2014
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 12 December 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how many speeding incidents it has recorded on the stretches of the A9 covered by average speed cameras; how many resulted in (a) a fine, (b) a custodial sentence and (c) penalty points, and what the total value is of any fines issued.

Question reference: S4W-23267

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 November 2014
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 2 December 2014

To ask the Scottish Government when it will announce the funding for the Support and Connect Fund for 2015-16.

Question reference: S4W-23119

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 November 2014
Current Status: Answered by Aileen McLeod on 27 November 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how often the Cabinet Sub-Committee on Climate Change plans to meet each year, and what contact the sub-committee has had with the (a) Public Sector Climate Leaders' Forum and (b) Climate Change Delivery Board since June 2014.

The Cabinet Sub Committee on Climate Change plans to meet three to four times annually. The committee met for the first time in October 2014 and a further meeting is planned for December 2014.

The Climate Change Delivery Board (CCDB) and Public Sector Leaders’ Forum (PSLF) have not met formally with the Cabinet Sub Committee. However, they all have an important role to play in ensuring Scotland delivers its world leading climate change targets. The work of the CCDB and PSLF will inform discussion at the Cabinet Sub Committee who will then ensure coordination of important climate change issues at the highest level in government.

Question reference: S4W-22980

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 November 2014
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 13 November 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how many foreign trawlers were identified as being illegally inside the 12 nautical mile territorial limit of the mackerel fishery around Shetland in each of the last three months; how many were subsequently (a) approached, (b) contacted and (c) boarded by the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency, and where they were registered.

We have not identified any foreign trawlers as illegally fishing inside the 12 nautical mile limit around Shetland in each of the last three months.

A foreign trawler being present within the 12 nautical mile territorial limit is not illegal as long as it is not conducting fishing operations, although there are limited exceptions to this.

On 31 October 2014 a Faroese trawler was identified as being within the 12 mile limit and, following contact via VHF radio from Marine Protection Vessel Hirta, was confirmed to be sheltering from the weather.

In addition to this, the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea provides a right to free passage for vessels through UK territorial waters.

Question reference: S4W-22846

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 October 2014
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 6 November 2014

To ask the Scottish Government whether the new entrants scheme will be extended into the coming year as part of its new common agricultural policy arrangements.

In 2013 I announced funding of £2 million for new entrants. The two year scheme saw successful individuals being given an initial payment in October 2013 and a second in April 2014.

From January 2015 Scotland will be implementing a new common agricultural policy, which means that the current new entrant scheme will not be needed. Instead current and future new entrants will be able to apply to a new national reserve for funding. The ability to top up basic payment values and to perform future deductions to replenish the national reserve were major negotiating wins for Scotland. It was a vital goal for Scotland that we secured a fair deal for new entrants.

In addition the new Scottish Rural Development Programme will provide a number of benefits to new entrants and young farmers including start up support of up to £55,000 and separate capital support of up to £25,000.

Question reference: S4W-22107

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 14 July 2014
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 22 August 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what additional financial mechanisms it considers should be deployed to enable the delivery of island grid upgrades, and what steps it has taken to explore them.

Question reference: S4W-22290

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 August 2014
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 19 August 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how many of the Youth Employment Scotland Fund participants have moved, following their placement, to (a) full-time employment, (b) part-time employment, (c) education and (d) training, broken down by local authority area.

Question reference: S4W-22289

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 August 2014
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 19 August 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how many of the 10,000 Youth Employment Scotland Fund places have been filled, broken down by local authority area.

Question reference: S4W-22111

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 14 July 2014
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 15 August 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to a worst-case-scenario timescale for negotiating entry to the EU if it takes longer than 18 months, and how long it considers this would be.

The Scottish Government is confident that its approach will deliver full and timely EU membership for an independent Scotland.

As set out in Scotland’s Future, the Scottish Government will approach EU membership negotiations operating on the principle of continuity of effect: that is a transition to independent membership that is based on the EU treaty obligations and provisions that currently apply to Scotland under its present status as part of the UK, and without disruption to Scotland’s current fully integrated standing within the legal, economic, institutional, political and social framework of the EU.

I would also refer the member to the answers to questions S4W-22109 on 6 August 2014 and S4W-22110 on 11 August 2014.

All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

Question reference: S4W-22245

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 August 2014
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 12 August 2014

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-22029 by Keith Brown on 28 July 2014, how it defines “basic modelling” and whether it will provide full details of the modelling that was carried out.