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-10307

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 July 2017
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 19 July 2017

To ask the Scottish Government by what date the dualling of the A9 between Perth and Inverness will be completed.

Question reference: S5O-01165

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 June 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether the ministerial working group on fire safety will review building standards regulations regarding the provision of automatic fire suppression systems.

Question reference: S5O-01141

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 June 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what initiatives it is supporting to tackle obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Question reference: S5W-09603

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 05 June 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 13 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on the charter agreements that (a) Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd and (b) David MacBrayne Ltd has had with private shipping companies for additional vessels in each year since 2000-01, including what the value was of each agreement.

Question reference: S5W-09601

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 05 June 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 13 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government when it expects to complete its consultation with (a) trade unions and (b) other stakeholders as part of the Ferry Services Procurement Policy Review.

The Scottish Government’s engagement with key stakeholders, including the trade unions, is currently taking place and will continue during the course of the policy review. I have discussed the review with individual trade unions and will shortly be meeting the STUC for a collective discussion, following a meeting between the STUC and Transport Scotland officials on 13 April 2017.

Transport Scotland officials have undertaken a series of six consultative meetings with community representatives across the Clyde and Hebrides and Northern Isles, and will continue to engage with key stakeholders throughout the review process.

The outcome of the consultations will inform the final report which will be made available in Autumn 2017.

Question reference: S5W-09602

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 05 June 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 13 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding Transport Scotland has provided to (a) local authorities and (b) regional transport partnerships for the provision of ferry services in each year since 2006-07.

The Scottish Government does not provide specific amounts of funding to local authorities for the provision of ferry services. Funding is, however, included in the block grant which the Scottish Government provides to all local authorities as part of the annual local government finance settlement. It is then the responsibility of each local authority to allocate the total financial resources available to it on the basis of local needs and priorities having first fulfilled its statutory obligations and the jointly agreed set of national and local priorities including the Scottish Government's key strategic objectives.

The Scottish Government provides the Regional Transport Partnerships (RTPs) with revenue grant funding towards the RTPs running costs and a contribution towards implementation of its Regional Transport Strategy. It is the responsibility of each RTP to allocate the resources to fulfil its statutory obligations.

The following table details the grants paid to Argyle and Bute Council by the Scottish Government in relation to the Craighouse to Tayvallich ferry service.

Scottish Ministers fund 80% of the costs for providing the ferry service, whilst, Argyll and Bute Council fund the remaining 20%. This funding arrangement commenced in 2012-13.

Financial year	Grant Paid
2012-13	£ 44,954
2013-14	£ 40,000
2014-15	£ 40,000
2015-16	£ 40,000
2016-17	£ 40,000

Orkney Islands Council received grants to support their internal ferry services, details of which are as follows:-

Financial year	Grant Paid
2006-07	£800,000
2007-08	£1,049,758

Question reference: S5W-09452

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 May 2017
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 6 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-07008 by Derek Mackay on 23 May 2017, whether it has asked the UK Government to seek an exemption from the EU for passengers flying from Highlands and Islands airports.

Question reference: S5W-09230

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 15 May 2017
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 31 May 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how it will replace the role of the European (a) Commission and (b) Court of Justice in ensuring that the relevant authorities in Scotland are held to account with regard to the enforcement of environmental legislation after the UK leaves the EU.

The environment has been an important area of EU regulation that has allowed Scotland to achieve high levels of pollution control and environmental quality in Scotland and help influence the development of those standards across Europe. As set out in the Scottish Government’s paper 'Scotland's Place in Europe', we remain committed to maintaining, protecting and enhancing our environment.

How relevant authorities are held to account after the UK leaves the EU will depend on the nature of the relationship that the UK negotiates with the EU and the Scottish Government remains committed to full engagement in negotiations with the UK Government to protects Scotland’s interests.

Question reference: S5W-07008

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 23 May 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Air Departure Tax will exempt passengers from Highlands and Islands airports.

As set out in the Scottish Government's response to the Finance and Constitution Committee's Stage 1 report on the Air Departure Tax (Scotland) Bill, the Scottish Government strongly supports having an Air Departure Tax exemption for passengers flying from Highlands and Islands airports. However, after careful consideration the Scottish Government has concluded that such an exemption has to be notified to and assessed by the European Commission under State Aid rules before it is implemented in compliance with European Union law.

The Scottish Government is working closely with the UK Government to resolve this issue and will ensure that the Scottish Parliament and stakeholders are kept regularly updated on the matter.

Question reference: S5W-09195

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 May 2017
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 23 May 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-08819 by Roseanna Cunningham on 2 May 2017, how wider biodiversity impacts of new planting, in particular of non-native commercial timber species and impacts on upland habitats and breeding birds, are taken into consideration to strategically inform new planting proposals and permissions to ensure that the right tree is planted in the right place.

Scottish Local Authorities publish regional forestry and woodland strategies which are used to identify suitable areas for woodland expansion. These strategies aim to deliver a wide range of benefits from new woodland, including conserving and enhancing biodiversity, and the development of habitat networks.

These strategies are informed by other relevant plans and strategies, including Biodiversity Action Plans and Habitat Network Plans. Maps of existing habitat networks and priority species are analysed to inform the identification of potential and preferred areas for a range of woodland creation types illustrated in these strategies. This biodiversity information is also used when assessing applications for woodland creation projects under the Forestry Grant Scheme.

Furthermore, any individual application for Environmental Impact Assessment consent or grant funding for woodland creation submitted to Forestry Commission Scotland is assessed for potential cumulative environmental impacts, due to its proximity to any other woodland creation projects approved or planted in the last 5 years.