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-01476

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 November 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 November 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had regarding the roll-out of the Freestyle Libre glucose monitoring system, in light of it being available in the NHS in England and Wales.

Question reference: S5W-12208

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 8 November 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to ensure adequate signage is in place between the new dualled sections of the A9 and the single carriageways to alert drivers to the changed road layout, and whether it plans to install temporary signage.

The Scottish Government has procedures in place to ensure that the signage on all new sections of road must meet the required design and road safety standards and be independently certified as compliant. Prior to opening to traffic, any new section of road, including those on the A9, must undergo a safety audit which includes a thorough review of signage. The audit team, led by a competent road safety auditor, includes representatives from Police Scotland, Transport Scotland and the contractor.

Question reference: S5W-12074

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 7 November 2017

To ask the Scottish Government when the review of fares for commercial freight customers on Scottish ferry services commenced, and when it expects to bring forward proposals to reform fares for those ferry users.

The first meeting of the Freight Fares Review Working Group was on 24 February 2014. Minutes from all the Freight Fares Review Working Group meetings are available on Transport Scotland’s website. There has never been any commitment on the timing of any changes. However an announcement on the Freight Fares Review will be made in due course.

Significant progress has been made. I am currently considering several issues raised by the review. Accordingly, I am not yet in a position to make a firm announcement at this time, but hope to do so once these issues have been fully worked through and conclusions reached.

Question reference: S5W-12072

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 7 November 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will list the increase in fares for commercial freight on each route on the Northern Isles Ferry Service network that will come into effect from 1 January 2018.

Question reference: S5W-12073

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 7 November 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential savings and costs to commercial freight customers by including them in the introduction of road equivalent tariff on all Northern Isles ferry service routes in 2018.

Question reference: S5W-11982

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 1 November 2017

To ask the Scottish Government by what date the performance monitoring report for year five of its current contract with Serco NorthLink Ferries will be published.

Question reference: S5W-11981

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 1 November 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) passengers and (b) (i) commercial and (ii) non-commercial vehicles were carried on each ferry route in 2016.

The information requested is publically available and can be found on both the CalMac Ferries Limited and Serco NorthLink Ferries websites and can be accessed by following the links: https://www.calmac.co.uk/corporate/carrying-statistics

http://www.northlinkferries.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/2016-Carrying-Statistics.pdf

Argyll Ferries Ltd operates a passenger only service on the Gourock – Dunoon route and annual carryings for 2016 amounted to 303,428

These figures are routinely published in Transport Scotland’s Scottish Transport Statistics. The 2017 Edition which will include 2016-17 figures is yet to publish.

Question reference: S5W-11816

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 25 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the availability of the glucose monitoring system, Freestyle Libre, and when this will be made available on prescription.

Question reference: S5O-01368

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 October 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the importance of sprinklers in preventing deaths from fire.

Question reference: S5W-11427

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 September 2017
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 2 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government when the Ministerial Working Group on Building and Fire Safety will report back to the Parliament.

I last updated Parliament on the work of the Ministerial Working Group on Building and Fire Safety on 20 September when I wrote to the Local Government and Communities Committee and again during an evidence session on 27 September. The Ministerial Working Group's aim is to be transparent and open in its work and full details of the programme of work, minutes and action points for the Ministerial Working Group can be found on the Scottish Government website, https://beta.gov.scot/groups/building-and-fire-safety-working-group/ and will be updated regularly.