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: S4F-02957

Asked by: Rob Gibson, MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 14 September 2015
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 September 2015

To ask the First Minister what involvement the Scottish Government will have in the UN Sustainable Development Summit 2015.

Question reference: S4O-04592

Asked by: Rob Gibson, MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 September 2015
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 September 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Scotland's Rural College regarding plans to close the Inverness veterinary laboratory since the Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environment Committee meeting on 2 September 2015.

Question reference: S4W-26994

Asked by: Rob Gibson, MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 07 August 2015
Current Status: Answered by Aileen McLeod on 8 September 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what the outcome of scientific studies has been concerning the number of wild salmon that die as a result of the catch and release policy on rivers.

Question reference: S4W-26996

Asked by: Rob Gibson, MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 07 August 2015
Current Status: Answered by Aileen McLeod on 8 September 2015

To ask the Scottish Government how it collects the figures from anglers for the number of salmon caught and released or killed each year.

Salmon and sea trout fishery statistics are obtained from returns made in response to an annual questionnaire sent to the proprietors or occupiers of all known salmon and sea trout fisheries under the provisions of section 64 of the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries (Consolidation) (Scotland) Act 2003. Currently each fishery is required to provide the numbers and total weights of both wild and farmed salmon and grilse caught and retained in each month of the fishing season. In addition, rod and line fisheries are currently required to provide the monthly numbers and total weights of those salmon and grilse which were caught then released back into the river (catch and release). Marine Scotland Science has produced a topic sheet which describes how the annual survey of salmon and sea trout fisheries is carried out. Topic Sheet 67 Collecting the Marine Scotland Salmon and Sea Trout Fishery Statistics may be downloaded at: http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0047/00475539.pdf

Question reference: S4W-26993

Asked by: Rob Gibson, MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 07 August 2015
Current Status: Answered by Aileen McLeod on 8 September 2015

To ask the Scottish Government how it calculates the number of wild salmon killed annually by anglers.

The number of wild salmon killed annually by anglers is estimated from the annual reported catch. Total numbers killed by anglers consist of two components, direct and indirect mortality. The direct mortality is estimated as the reported number of retained fish. No account is currently taken of unreported catch. Indirect mortalities are those released fish that subsequently die as a result of the catch and release process. The assumed catch and release mortality varies between countries and falls between 0 and 20%. In current models Marine Scotland Science assumes a catch and release mortality of 10%.

Question reference: S4W-27002

Asked by: Rob Gibson, MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 07 August 2015
Current Status: Answered by Aileen McLeod on 8 September 2015

To ask the Scottish Government when it will introduce legislation relating to licences to kill wild salmon.

Question reference: S4W-27001

Asked by: Rob Gibson, MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 07 August 2015
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 4 September 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what scientific process it uses to calculate the feed sources of a growing seal population around the coasts.

The Scottish Government commissions expert scientists to investigate seal diet and they develop an appropriate methodology for estimating the diet of both individual seals and wider seal populations.

The examination of fish ear bones or otoliths found in seal faeces provides information on both the species and the size of fish being eaten by individual seals. If sufficient such individual samples are collected, it is possible to estimate the diet of the wider population of seals.

This process was used to estimate the diet of grey seals in the published study MF-0319 Grey seal diet and fish consumption in the North Sea, which can be found through the following link:-

http://randd.defra.gov.uk/Default.aspx?Menu=Menu&Module=ProjectList&Completed=0&ContractorID=716

A new study of seal diet commissioned by the Scottish Government using a similar methodology is due to be published later in 2015.

Question reference: S4O-04543

Asked by: Rob Gibson, MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 August 2015
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 September 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with NHS Highland regarding staff shortages and hard-to-fill posts.

Question reference: S4O-04494

Asked by: Rob Gibson, MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 June 2015
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 June 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what impact the use of video conferencing and other remote learning facilities can have in helping smaller secondary schools broaden the range of subjects offered at all levels.

Question reference: S4O-04484

Asked by: Rob Gibson, MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 June 2015
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 June 2015

To ask the Scottish Government how much land and forest has been bought and sold by Forestry Commission Scotland since 2010 and at what cost.