Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government and Scottish Enterprise are in regular contact with Babcock. In addition to Babcock’s major role in the build of the Royal Navy’s new Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers, the company has been pursuing a plan to secure work in key commercial markets which utilise key facilities and engineering skills at Rosyth. A recent example of this is their contract with BP to build over 70 subsea modules, as part of their QUAD 204 project in the North Sea.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-15951 on 30 August 2013. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-15951 on 30 August 2013. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-15876 on 30 August 2013. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT

including published papers and speeches. This site will be regularly updated with additional material including the Scottish Government’s white paper in the run up to the referendum.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-16000 on 30 August 2013. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

The Scottish Government takes its search and rescue responsibilities extremely seriously and we disagreed strongly with the UK Government’s decision in 2010 to cancel the Nimrod MRA4 programme, leaving the UK with no current maritime patrol aircraft capability. The Scottish Government will ensure that appropriate arrangements for search and rescue (SAR) will continue in an independent Scotland (including cross border agreements), based on capabilities currently its responsibility under devolved arrangements and a process of transition from current arrangements, where those are currently the responsibility of the UK Government.

Police Scotland are responsible for co-ordination of land-based SAR operations and in a SAR emergency the individual Mountain Rescue Teams are tasked by, and operate on behalf of, Police Scotland to undertake any mountain SAR service required, assisted by the military as necessary. The Department for Transport recently announced that the contract for the provision of UK SAR helicopter services has been awarded to the Aberdeen-based company, Bristow Helicopters Ltd. The new contract is due to commence progressively from 2015, with a term of up to 10 years, with nine helicopters based across Sumburgh, Stornoway, Prestwick and Inverness. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency is currently responsible for SAR at sea.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-15187 on 03 June 2013. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

As I said at the Foreign Affairs Committee on 28 January 2013, there would be a very close relationship between Scotland and the rest of the UK. It would clearly be in the interests of the rest of the UK and Scotland to work together to ensure the continued security of our shared island.