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: S4W-17018

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 06 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 18 September 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether the traffic lights at the Longman roundabout in Inverness are permanent and, if not, when they will be removed.

Question reference: S4W-16946

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 09 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 12 September 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what the composition is of the management group of the Barra Special Area of Conservation and how it will achieve balanced representation of the communities affected.

No decisions have been made regarding the composition of the community-led management group. The establishment of a community led management group is an innovative step and Marine Scotland have therefore commenced discussions with community interests to listen to their views and these discussions will continue until an appropriate structure, that can deliver balanced representation, is developed.

Question reference: S4W-16795

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 22 August 2013
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 12 September 2013

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish its plans for improvements to Argyll Ferries.

The Scottish Government’s objective is that there shall be a safe, reliable, frequent, commuter ferry service between Dunoon town centre and the rail terminal at Gourock.

Short term measures to improve the reliability of the current service over the coming winter are being investigated.

We are working with the Gourock Dunoon Ferry Services Steering Group, which has representation from Argyll and Bute Council, Inverclyde Council and the Dunoon Gourock Ferry Action Group, to find long-term solutions for the town centre route.

Following the publication of the report into the feasibility of vehicles being carried on the route without subsidy, this government will engage with potential operators and with the European Commission, who maintain a keen interest in ensuring we continue to work within the parameters they have set. The Scottish Government will then be in a position to consider the way forward in the longer-term and looks forward to further discussions with the Gourock Dunoon Ferry Services Steering Group.

Question reference: S4W-16741

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 16 August 2013
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 10 September 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how it monitors whether there are gaps in the availability of defibrillators in remote and rural areas.

The Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) is committed to monitoring the use of defibrillators, including locations in remote and rural areas through their continuing work of defibrillator mapping as part of their community resilience scheme. The SAS report on the scheme’s progress to the Scottish Government, as part of their annual review.

The SAS is working with NHS boards and partners including Caledonian MacBrayne and the British Heart Foundation to develop action plans for remote and rural communities to strengthen their resilience, recognising the different needs of communities they work with.

Further information on the Scottish Ambulance Service’s community resilience work can be found on their website:

http://www.scottishambulance.com/YourCommunity/communityresilience.aspx.

Question reference: S4W-16544

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 July 2013
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 27 August 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to implement a pilot 50 mph limit for HGVs on the A9 between Perth and Inverness.

Transport Scotland will continue to monitor the A9 between Perth and Inverness and will reassess the suitability of a pilot speed limit increase for HGVs over 7.5 tonnes on single carriageways.

Consideration was given by the A9 Safety Group to a pilot increase of the speed limit for HGVs. Accident records, however, show that HGVs are involved in a higher proportion of accidents on single carriageway sections of the A9 than they are on other similar routes and the speed data shows that the vast majority of HGVs are travelling above the speed limit.

Question reference: S4W-15736

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 14 June 2013
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 28 June 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Air Discount Scheme would apply to passengers from the Highlands and Islands using air services from Skye.

Question reference: S4W-15735

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 14 June 2013
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 28 June 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Civil Aviation Authority regarding a possible derogation of statutory obligations in connection with air services from Skye.

Question reference: S4W-15720

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 14 June 2013
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 28 June 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what options it has considered to ensure the continuity of air services between Inverness and London and whether this has included the potential use of RAF Northolt for services from Inverness and other Scottish airports.

I welcome easyJet’s recent announcement of the basing of an aircraft at Inverness which will facilitate early and late connections between Inverness and Gatwick from March 2014. This follows positive engagement between the Airline and Highlands and Islands Airports Limited and is a way forward which should be welcomed throughout the Highlands and Islands.

We have not considered the potential use of RAF Northolt which is not currently available for use by scheduled air services.

At the root of the problems being experienced by regional air services is the punitive Air Passenger Duty levels being imposed by the Treasury which is regularly cited by airlines and airports as an obstacle when it comes to securing new routes and maintaining existing routes. Devolving Air Passenger Duty would enable the development of a regime more suited to Scotland’s needs.

Question reference: S4W-15715

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 14 June 2013
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 28 June 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what meetings (a) it has and (b) its officials have had since 1 March 2013 with European Commission officials to discuss imposing a public service obligation on the air route between London and Inverness Dalcross.

Question reference: S4W-15718

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 14 June 2013
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 28 June 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether it would support an application for imposing a public service obligation on the air route between London and Inverness Dalcross to protect take-off and landing slots, and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.