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-04889

Asked by: John Lamont, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 21 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 7 December 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how many full-time equivalent staff have been employed in its Communications and Ministerial Support Directorate in each year since 2007.

The Directorate for Communications and Ministerial Support was formed in December 2013. It is therefore not possible to provide earlier figures. The Directorate currently contains 4 Divisions; Communications, Ministerial Private Office, Facilities Services (which includes Security, Reception, Health and Safety staff) and Smarter Workplaces. The Directorate currently has 384 staff. It is not possible to draw an annual comparison on the staffing numbers because the composition of the Directorate has changed since it was established.

Question reference: S5W-04888

Asked by: John Lamont, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 21 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 7 December 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to increase the number of staff working in its Communications and Ministerial Support Directorate.

Question reference: S5W-04892

Asked by: John Lamont, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 21 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 5 December 2016

To ask the Scottish Government when it expects to publish its next declaration of ministerial car journeys, under the terms of the Scottish Ministerial Code.

Question reference: S5O-00450

Asked by: John Lamont, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 November 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 December 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to concerns regarding the future of the Jim Clark Rally.

Question reference: S5W-04803

Asked by: John Lamont, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 30 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on trunk road improvements in the Scottish Borders since 2007, broken down by (a) year and (b) road.

The Scottish Government has invested over £10 million on trunk road improvement activities in the Scottish Borders since 2007. The figures provided are for the whole length of the route mentioned because it is not possible to separate the expenditure for the discrete parts of the route(s) falling within Scottish Borders local authority boundary.

Spend per Financial Year on Trunk Road Improvements

Route	A1	A6091	A68	A702	A7	Total
2007-08	£374,906	£3,946	£131,160	£461,381	£58,175	£1,029,569
2008-09	£152,882	£12,041	£375,100	£825,608	£161,805	£1,527,435
2009-10	£256,588	£45,421	£614,217	£432,248	£1,271,991	£2,620,465
2010-11	£540,062	£164,849	£248,510	£403,838	£0	£1,357,259
2011-12	£272,649	£20,256	£273,294	£208,639	£240,887	£1,015,725
2012-13	£134,263	£0	£221,161	£98,908	£134,938	£589,270
2013-14	£67,429	£0	£293,273	£54,103	£146,436	£561,241
2014-15	£64,900	£0	£86,354	£71,044	£199,752	£422,050
2015-16	£505,807	£8,463	£159,738	£313,865	£214,167	£1,202,040
Total	£2,369,487	£254,976	£2,402,806	£2,869,633	£2,428,151	£10,325,053

In addition, the Scottish Government has spent a further £85 million in the maintenance and operation of these routes over the same nine year period. Furthermore the Scottish Government has invested £48 million on the Dalkeith bypass improvement scheme for the A68 route between Edinburgh and the Scottish Borders. Although this scheme lies within the Midlothian local authority area, it generates significant benefits for the Scottish Borders area.

Question reference: S5W-04743

Asked by: John Lamont, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 29 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government by what date Scottish Water will complete the repairs to the public sewer in Hawick that was damaged by a storm in December 2015, and what the reason has been for the delay.

In order to ensure the safety of its contractors, Scottish Water has had to re-evaluate how the new sewer is installed under the river Tweed following the discovery of an unexpected obstruction within the river bank. It is working closely with SEPA and the contractor on these revised plans. It expects Mansfield Road to be open to vehicular access by the end of November 2016 and, weather permitting, to complete all works shortly.

Question reference: S5W-04744

Asked by: John Lamont, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 29 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the vision set out by Scottish Water in its report, Delivery Plan 2015 to 2021, that it should be “trusted to care for the water on which Scotland depends”, what discussions it has had with the company regarding the delay in completing the repairs to the public sewer in Hawick that was damaged by a storm in December 2015, and what its position is on the (a) delay and (b) reports that, until the work is completed, the majority of the town’s sewage will be pumped overland.

The storms of December 2015 caused significant damage to Hawick’s wastewater infrastructure. The Scottish Government was kept fully informed of the scale of the damage. It expected Scottish Water to focus on restoring services as quickly as possible and to take all necessary measures to ensure that sewage did not pollute the River Tweed. It accepts that this meant that temporary arrangements had to be put in place whilst permanent and durable repairs are undertaken.

Question reference: S5W-04805

Asked by: John Lamont, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 28 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting town centre regeneration in the Scottish Borders.

The Town Centre First Principle that was agreed by the Scottish cabinet and COSLA leaders, together with the measures set out in the Town Centre Action Plan, sets the conditions and supports activity across the wider public, private and community sectors to tackle the key issues in town centres across Scotland. We also deliver the most competitive business tax environment in the UK, with two in five properties in Scotland paying zero or reduced rates under the Scottish Government’s Small Business Bonus Scheme and relief also available under Fresh Start. Many of these businesses are within town centres.

Local authorities remain responsible for local regeneration and local economic development. They are best placed to respond to local circumstances, working with their communities to develop the right vision for their town centres.

Question reference: S5W-04804

Asked by: John Lamont, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 25 November 2016

To ask The Scottish Government whether it has any plans to change the Scottish Parliament elections voting system.

Question reference: S5O-00419

Asked by: John Lamont, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 November 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 December 2016

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish details of the proposed single national board to oversee economic development and skills funding.