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: S5O-03749

Asked by: Dr Alasdair Allan, MSP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 November 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 13 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to review the conditions for firearms certificates.

Question reference: S5O-03676

Asked by: Dr Alasdair Allan, MSP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 October 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 October 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the replacement of St Brendan's Hospital and Care Home on the Isle of Barra.

Question reference: S5W-25434

Asked by: Dr Alasdair Allan, MSP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 20 September 2019
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 4 October 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how many vessels are listed by the Scottish Salmon Producers' Organisation as "catching wrasse for supply to the salmon farming sector", in accordance with the measures set out in Voluntary control measures for the live capture of Scottish wild wrasse for salmon farms.

Question reference: S5W-25403

Asked by: Dr Alasdair Allan, MSP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 September 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 30 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government when it anticipates a decision will be reached regarding options for the replacement of St Brendan's Hospital and Care Home on the Isle of Barra.

Question reference: S5W-25322

Asked by: Dr Alasdair Allan, MSP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 September 2019
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 23 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has invested in (a) building and (b) refurbishing schools since 2007, broken down by local authority.

Through the £1.8 billion Scotland's Schools for the Future programme, the Scottish Government has invested the below in building and refurbishing schools across Scotland. A new school project is being delivered in every local authority area in Scotland:

Aberdeen (a) £35.9m (b) £0

Aberdeenshire (a) £69.2m (b) £260k

Angus (a) £51.1m (b) £310k

Argyll & Bute (a) £39.6m (b) £5m

City of Edinburgh (a) £63.8m (b) £200k

Clackmannanshire (a) £9.65m (b) £800k

Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (a) £4.6m (b) £150k

Dumfries & Galloway (a) £16.2m (b) £8.6m

Dundee City (a) £48.9m (b) £0

East Ayrshire (a) £45m (b) £100k

East Dunbartonshire (a) £10.2m (b) £0

East Lothian (a) £9.5m (b) £290k

East Renfrewshire (a) £32.9m (b) £7.3m

Falkirk (a) £11.7m (b) £500k

Fife (a) £57.4m (b) £80k

Glasgow City (a) £30.4m (b) £300k

Highland (a) £50.5m (b) £12.75m

Inverclyde (a) £8.4m (b) £2.1m

Midlothian (a) £50.8m (b) £300k

Moray (a) £41.5m (b) £12.9m

North Ayrshire (a) £44.1m (b) £400k

North Lanarkshire (a) £54.9m (b) £170k

Orkney Islands (a) £1.4m (b) £0

Perth & Kinross (a) £35m (b) £300k

Renfrewshire (a) £15.9m (b) £0

Scottish Borders (a) £40.2m (b) £4m

Shetland Islands (a) £35.9m (b) £1.3m

South Ayrshire (a) £31.4m (b) £18.5m

South Lanarkshire (a) £14.2m (b) £250k

Stirling (a) £7.5m (b) £2.15m

West Dunbartonshire (a) £36.9m (b) £140k

West Lothian (a) £22.5m (b) £1.55m

In addition, on 9 September, the First Minister, Deputy First Minister and Councillor Macgregor announced the first phase of school projects to benefit from the new £1 billion Learning Estate Investment Programme.

Question reference: S5W-25203

Asked by: Dr Alasdair Allan, MSP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 September 2019
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 20 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what contingency plans it understands are in place for the live shellfish sector in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

The Scottish Government is aware the significant risks to the live shellfish sector in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

The Scottish Government is not aware of any contingency plan by the UK Government for Scotland's shellfish. We have repeatedly urged the UK Government to consider special arrangements for hauliers of perishable goods, such as live shellfish, so that vehicles carrying products are prioritised on the way to the border in order to reduce delays.

The Scottish Government has also made numerous representations to Defra to seek a temporary derogation from the EU for Export Health Certificate requirements in the event of a no-deal and to meet the increased costs, including when I most recently met with George Eustice, Minister of State for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and Theresa Villiers, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, on the 9 of September.

The live Shellfish sector in particular are facing huge implications due to the ‘just in time’ nature of the supply chain and the Scottish Government is working closely with the Seafood Industry to mitigate these as far as is possible, working with stakeholders and the UK Government, for example on certification, routes to market and importantly a prioritisation of perishable goods being transported to France. In doing so we are pressing the UK Government hard to prioritise seafood consignments and are looking at the capacity issues arising around suitable container provision for those consignments.

We continue to urge the United Kingdom Government to put in place the necessary contingency plans which will allow the Scottish live shellfish sector to survive a no-deal Brexit

Question reference: S5W-25204

Asked by: Dr Alasdair Allan, MSP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 September 2019
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 19 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what its long-term plans are for regulating the harvesting of razor clams.

The Scottish Government considers that there is significant potential for positive economic benefit to coastal communities from an appropriately and satisfactorily managed razor clam fishery. A scientific trial of electrofishing for razor clams is currently running and will provide useful evidence about how this fishery can be managed effectively and sustainably. The findings from the trial will be carefully considered before any decision is made about the future approach to such fishing.

Question reference: S5O-03497

Asked by: Dr Alasdair Allan, MSP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 August 2019
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 5 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides to hospices.

The Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Scotland) Act 2014, makes clear that it is the responsibility of Integration Joint Boards to plan and commission services for their area using the integrated budget under their control. This includes hospice, palliative and end of life care services.

Earlier this year representatives from the IJB Chief Officers Group and independent Hospices agreed a national level Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between IJBs and Independent Scottish Hospices. A central tenet of the MOU is to establish effective, reciprocal relationships between IJBs and Hospices to help provide sustainability for hospice services and move away from a transactional relationship. Scottish Government officials are providing support in this work.

Question reference: S5O-03511

Asked by: Dr Alasdair Allan, MSP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 September 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the impact on Scotland of constitutional developments in the House of Commons.

Question reference: S5W-24411

Asked by: Dr Alasdair Allan, MSP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 22 July 2019
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 23 August 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs may have contingency plans for a mass-cull of livestock in the event of a no-deal Brexit, what its understanding is of the impact of a no-deal Brexit on the sheep industry in Scotland, and what information the UK Government has shared with it about its plans to deal with that impact.

We are aware of reports that contingency plans for a mass cull of livestock may be being planned in the event of a no-deal Brexit but the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs have not shared any such plans with the Scottish Government. The UK Government has published updated advice for livestock sectors across the UK on how to prepare for Brexit including the possibility of a no deal and this is available here, https://www.gla.gov.uk/media/4597/eu-exit-a4-livestock-newsletter_farming_250419.pdf

If Scotland has to leave the EU as part of the UK without a deal, this would have a potentially devastating impact on Scotland’s sheep sector and particularly, for exports of Scotch lamb. With UK sheep meat exports worth £390m a year, of which almost all goes to the EU, the prospect of 40-50% tariffs being imposed on these exports would be devastating for the Scottish Sheep Sector, and to cap that off autumn is the worst possible time for the Scottish sector.

Ministers from all governments and administrations in the UK have agreed in principle to create a potential compensation scheme for the sheep sector should no deal scenario lead to a collapse in the market. Officials are working together on the details of that and such a scheme would be delivered separately by each administration, with the costs involved funded entirely by the UK Government.

The Scottish Government is clear that it is for the UK Government to meet all the costs arising from no deal Brexit for Scotland’s sheep sector, and indeed all parts of the rural economy impacted by no deal and the previous Secretary of State Michael Gove agreed to this.

Scottish Ministers and officials continue to liaise closely with Defra and devolved administration officials on rural matters relating to Brexit, including planning for a no deal. To date, the UK Government have not shared contingency plans directly with the Scottish Government.