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-15868

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 April 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 10 May 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many members of the board of Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd (HIAL) have a registered home address on an island, also broken down by which island.

Question reference: S5O-02094

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 May 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 May 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how it encourages non-departmental public bodies to promote and facilitate public participation in their decisions and activities.

Question reference: S5W-15861

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 April 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 9 May 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-15396 by Humza Yousaf on 26 April 2018, on what dates the minister (a) has met and (b) plans to meet the chair of the HIAL board to discuss the introduction of car parking charges at Sumburgh, Kirkwall and Stornoway airports.

Question reference: S5W-15858

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 April 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 9 May 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-15397 by Humza Yousaf on 26 April 2018, on what date the board of HIAL agreed to carry out the consultation on the introduction of car parking charges at Sumburgh, Kirkwall and Stornoway airports, and when ministers were informed of the plan to consult.

Question reference: S5W-16188

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 April 2018
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 8 May 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what data it collects or collates on the ethnicity of students on teacher training courses.

The Scottish Government does not collect or collate data on the ethnicity of students on teacher training courses.

We want to encourage action to address the under-representation of minority ethnic groups in teaching and through the Strategic Board for Teacher Education have established a working group on diversity in the teaching profession. The group, chaired by Professor Rowena Arshad, is expected to make recommendations in the coming months including in respect of how data in respect of teacher education courses can be gathered more consistently.

Question reference: S5W-16183

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 April 2018
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 8 May 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the General Teaching Council of Scotland regarding increasing the number of minority ethnic teachers.

Question reference: S5W-16207

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 April 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 8 May 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to investigate the options that are available to address the reported growing capacity problems on the lifeline ferry routes to Shetland, including considering whether new larger ferries should be provided.

The Northern Isles Ferry Services (NIFS) Study report was published on the Transport Scotland website on 25 April. The Study assessed the potential impact of reduced passenger and car fares and considered supply-side options to provide additional capacity to alleviate the expected demand pressures, such as additional daytime sailings.

Options for the Aberdeen routes appear to be challenging with the existing tonnage. However, once members of the NIFS Study Working Group have formally responded to the report we will work with them to consider the next steps for the future of the services and to identify affordable longer-term solutions to the capacity issues. This includes consideration of all possible options.

Transport Scotland works closely with the existing operator and industry to ensure both current and future demand can be met.

Question reference: S5W-16185

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 April 2018
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 8 May 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it provides guidance to (a) local authorities and (b) education authorities regarding monitoring the ethnicity of staff.

The Scottish Government does not provide guidance to local authorities regarding the monitoring of the ethnicity of staff.

The Equality Act 2010 (the 2010 Act) requires public authorities to: eliminate discrimination, harassment and victimisation; advance equality of opportunity; and to foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and those who do not. This is known as the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED).

Through the Equality Act 2010 (Specific Duties) (Scotland) Regulations 2012 the Scottish Government has introduced a number of measures to ensure that public authorities comply with the Equality Act’s provisions. These include enhanced data collection, greater transparency and the assessment of new, revised and existing policies.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission is responsible for compliance with the Act, and the Scottish Government works closely with the Commission who have produced a suite of technical guidance on the delivery of the public sector equality duty in Scotland that can be found at:

https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/publication-download/technical-guidance-public-sector-equality-duty-scotland

Question reference: S5W-16066

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 23 April 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 8 May 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Minister for Transport and the Islands (a) has hosted or (b) plans to host a summit with ferry operators regarding services between Scotland and Scandinavia.

Question reference: S5W-16209

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 April 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 8 May 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has asked Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL) to assess the freight capacity of the freighters operating between Lerwick and Aberdeen.

Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL) has a bareboat charter arrangement with the owners of the current freight vessels (MV Helliar and MV Hildasay) that are utilised on the Lerwick, Kirkwall and Aberdeen routes. These vessels are currently sub-chartered to Serco Northlink Ferries. Discussions are on-going regarding the future freight vessel requirements and involve Transport Scotland, CMAL and the operator who are working together to consider the future freight demand for the Northern Isles.

The MV Helliar and the MV Hildasay each provide 885 lane metres of capacity per sailing. Average deck utilisation of the freighters in 2017 was 56%. Average deck space utilisation of the freighters in the first quarter in 2018 was 59%. Serco NorthLink Ferries works closely with industry to monitor trends and analyse capacity to ensure that freight capacity is available to meet both current and future demand.