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-24117

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 01 July 2019
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 11 July 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it or its agencies have made of the practice of shared space for pedestrians and cyclists.

Shared space is a general concept rather than a defined design. The approach is broad and may involve a variety of design features such as level surfaces, reduced signage and informal crossings. There is no designation of schemes as shared space and on this basis, no specific assessment has been made by the Scottish Government or its agencies of the practice of shared space for pedestrians or cyclists.

However, Scottish Ministers are aware of the impact of schemes which employ some of the techniques commonly found in shared space approaches on the accessibility of local areas for communities, and in particular for disabled people. Decisions on the design and implementation of schemes to alter or improve streets in local areas are matters for local authorities. To this effect, I, and the Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning, wrote to the Chief Executives of all Scottish local authorities and National Park Authorities in October 2018 to raise awareness of this issue and to highlight duties in relation to equality legislation.

Additionally, we have committed to develop improved national guidance on inclusive design and have established a stakeholder working group to inform and co-produce this guidance. In order to inform the development of guidance, work is now in hand to commission research into inclusive design and is expected to report by the end of 2019.

Question reference: S5W-23121

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 May 2019
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 14 June 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-22844 by Paul Wheelhouse on 10 May 2019, for what reason the trades unions will be engaged only in discussions with the advisory board but not be represented on it, and what its response is to calls for it to review the membership of the board, including to consider inviting union participation.

As explained in the answer to the member’s previous question (S5W-22844), I meet with the STUC, and all the key unions with an interest in ferry services on a quarterly basis to discuss a range of relevant matters. That important engagement will continue and enables the trades unions to input advice directly to me.

We will also be consulting the trades unions on our next Vessel Replacement and Deployment Plan report and are engaging with them, through CalMac, on the specification of the new Islay ferry. Looking ahead, I expect discussion of the next Ferries Plan to be a recurring item in our ongoing dialogue with the trades unions.

Following consideration, the decision was taken to retain the membership of the previous Expert Ferry Group when it was renamed the Ferry Industry Advisory Group.

Question reference: S5W-23545

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 May 2019
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 7 June 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what ongoing assessment it has made of the responses by public bodies to the fatalities in January 2005 on the South Ford Crossing on South Uist to ensure that there is no repetition.

Question reference: S5W-23544

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 May 2019
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 7 June 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of it declaring a climate emergency and committing to review all its policies, how long it expects this assessment to take and for action to be taken to ensure that coastal communities in the Western Isles are adequately protected.

We are reviewing policies across government to feed into the update of the Climate Change Plan, which we have committed to publishing within six months of the Climate Change Bill receiving Royal Assent.

We will also build on our world-leading ambition and achievements on climate change by publishing a second Scottish Climate Change Adaptation Programme (SCCAP2) in autumn 2019 to ensure our communities, economy, natural and historic environment are resilient to Scotland’s already changing climate. SCCAP2 includes policies and proposals to help our coastal communities, such as the Scottish Government’s Dynamic Coast 2 project. This project, which will be launched in 2020, will assess the impacts of climate change on accelerating erosion rates. It will include developing mitigation, adaptation and resilience plans at seven super sites, including Tiree.

The Islands (Scotland) Act 2018 provides a number of areas for improving outcomes for island communities including environmental wellbeing. The Act also includes provisions to develop a National Islands Plan and a duty for certain authorities, including Scottish Ministers, to have regard to island communities in carrying out their functions. We are currently conducting a wide consultation process taking into account the unique context of each island, whilst addressing the particular challenges faced by islands and their communities. The National Islands Plan also seeks to safeguard nature on the islands, by highlighting the importance of environmental protection.

Question reference: S5O-03394

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S5W-23299

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 May 2019
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 4 June 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is putting in place to ensure that Ocean Certification will be able to certify the work that is carried out by Warmworks to deliver the Warmer Homes Scotland initiative.

Question reference: S5W-23120

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 May 2019
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 30 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-22843 by Paul Wheelhouse on 10 May 2019, how it defines “in due course”, and whether it will confirm by what date the work on updating the Transport Scotland website will (a) commence and (b) be completed.

Question reference: S5W-23242

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 May 2019
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 23 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to make an assessment of the benefits of a freight rail siding at Corpach harbour.

The Fort William Sustainable Transport Study ‘Case for Change’ (2018) commissioned by HITRANS, is a useful evidence base for the Scottish Government’s second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2). One of the Study options is a freight management package to explore and support local initiatives to develop freight transport by rail and water, including at Corpach harbour. STPR2 will provide a strategic investment plan for transport in Scotland for the next 20 years.

In parallel the remit for the West Highland Rail Lines Review Group (established in 2018 and chaired by Transport Scotland) includes freight haulage opportunities (current, planned and potential) on all the routes on the West Highland Lines, and plans are at an advanced stage for the project to haul timber from the Rannoch area to the rail sidings at Corpach which serve the saw mill.

Question reference: S5W-22846

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 26 April 2019
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 22 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government who the members are of its recently-established ferry industry advisory board; when they were appointed, and whether they served on the Expert Ferry Group.

Question reference: S5W-23119

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 May 2019
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 22 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-22841 by Paul Wheelhouse on 10 May 2019, whether it will consider reviewing the remit of the group so that it must consider and provide advice on aspects of the design and procurement of new ferries, including those serving Orkney and Shetland inter-island routes, and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

As explained in the answer to the previous question S5W-22841, the Scottish Government will request advice from the Ferry Industry Advisory Group on key strategic issues affecting ferry services in Scotland. The Group will also have the ability to recommend other issues that it wishes to consider and provide advice on.

This may include aspects of the design and procurement of new ferries. Indeed the Expert Ferry Group has previously discussed these issues.

I am aware of the important work that both Orkney Islands Council and Shetland Islands Council are undertaking with respect to identifying future capital requirements and priorities. The Scottish Government and Transport Scotland officials engage with both Councils regularly. That collaborative working and engagement will continue. The Ferry Industry Advisory Group is there to advise Ministers whereas Orkney Islands Council and Shetland Islands Council are currently responsible for investment decisions regarding their inter-island routes.