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: S4O-03361

Asked by: Rob Gibson, MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 June 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 June 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what importance it places on using traditional music to promote Scottish culture around the world.

Question reference: S4O-03302

Asked by: Rob Gibson, MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 May 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 June 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how the Agricultural Holdings Legislation Review Group can take account of the final report of the Land Reform Review Group, The Land of Scotland and the Common Good, in addressing calls for the right to buy for 1991 farm tenants.

Question reference: S4O-03281

Asked by: Rob Gibson, MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 May 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 May 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to use tax powers to tackle wealth inequalities.

Question reference: S4W-20967

Asked by: Rob Gibson, MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 May 2014
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 20 May 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what the consequences are of importing smolts from Norway into Shetland waters without quarantine.

Question reference: S4W-20965

Asked by: Rob Gibson, MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 May 2014
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 20 May 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what issues arise from the import of smolts to Shetland waters from Norway.

Whilst Norway is a country of overall lower fish health status than the UK, it has approved zones and compartments which are of equivalent or higher status than the UK. Smolts from these areas can be legally imported into the UK, as was the case with the recent import from Norway to Shetland.

The importation of smolts from Norway was carried out in compliance with the legislative requirements. The smolts were certified as free from the listed diseases viral haemorrhagic septicemia, infectious haematopoietic necrosis, infectious salmon anaemia, gyrodactylus salaris and bacterial kidney disease.

While there is no statutory requirement to quarantine legally imported smolts from Norway into the UK, the industry’s Code of Good Practice does stipulate this as a requirement. The Scottish Government strongly encourages compliance with the Code which is overseen by the Code of Good Practice Management Group. The deliberate non-compliance with the Code resulting from the import of live fish without quarantine was, therefore, particularly disappointing.

The Scottish Government notes that, as a consequence of Hjatland Seafarms refusal to comply with the requirements of the Code in respect of quarantine of imported smolts, Hjatland Seafarms have been expelled from the Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation (SSPO) by the membership of the SSPO.

The Scottish Government is now considering whether there are any broader, future implications arising from the import of smolts to Shetland from Norway.

Question reference: S4W-20966

Asked by: Rob Gibson, MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 May 2014
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 20 May 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the quote by Greig Seafood Hjaltland that the freshwater smolts imported from its partners in Norway to Shetland waters have "the same health status or even better than the Scottish fish".

Question reference: S4W-20968

Asked by: Rob Gibson, MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 May 2014
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 20 May 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what the implications are for the Code of Good Practice for Scottish Finfish Aquaculture of importing smolts to Shetland waters from Norway.

Question reference: S4O-03212

Asked by: Rob Gibson, MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 May 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 14 May 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made in support for the use of the Scots language in the curriculum for excellence.

Question reference: S4O-03202

Asked by: Rob Gibson, MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 April 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 May 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on reports that, at a recent EU environment council meeting, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs breached an agreement to raise Scotland’s position on genetically modified crops.

Question reference: S4O-03157

Asked by: Rob Gibson, MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 April 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 April 2014

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met the Scottish Ambulance Service to discuss crewing in remote communities.