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: S5O-01372

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 26 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the research by Sustrans, which suggests that around one million people in Scotland live in areas at risk of transport poverty.

Question reference: S5W-11640

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 29 September 2017
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 25 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of whether there are any potential additional threats posed to communities that contain premises involved in the design, manufacture or sale of armaments.

Any premises involved in the manufacture or sale of armaments in Scotland will have been evaluated by Police Scotland as part of the licensing process under the Firearms Act 1968, as amended. The security of these premises would be considered as part of the evaluations since safety of the public is a matter of paramount importance for Police Scotland and the Scottish Government.

The licensing controls under the firearms legislation apply to persons involved in the design of firearms only if their design trade or business also involves the manufacture, sale, transfer or testing of firearms or any other type of regulated transaction.

Question reference: S5W-11641

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 29 September 2017
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 24 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether its support for companies involved in the design, manufacture or sale of armaments is consistent with its position on the Trident weapons system.

While matters of defence are currently reserved to the UK Government, the Scottish Government believes that it is of paramount importance to ensure that appropriate defence and security capabilities are maintained, and that companies operating in Scotland have the opportunity and support to compete for defence contracts.

The Trident weapons system is a quite separate issue. The Scottish Government’s stance on nuclear weapons is well known: we are firmly opposed to the possession, threat and use of weapons of mass destruction such as nuclear weapons and we remain committed to pursuing the safe and the complete withdrawal of all nuclear weapons from Scotland.

Question reference: S5W-11642

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 29 September 2017
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 24 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment (a) it and (b) Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) has made of the impact on the reputation of the Highlands and Islands of HIE hosting a free workshop to promote defence industries.

Question reference: S5T-00720

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 23 October 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports of institutional racism in Police Scotland.

Question reference: S5W-11062

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 September 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 16 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what the annual (a) operating costs and (b) passenger fare revenues were for Orkney Ferries in each year since 2010-11.

Question reference: S5W-11061

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 September 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 13 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) staff and (b) passengers it estimates would be affected by adding the inter-island ferry services on the Orkney Isles that are currently provided by Orkney Ferries to the routes in the public contract for Northern Isles Ferry Services.

Responsibility for Orkney’s internal ferry services rests with Orkney Islands Council. Orkney Ferries is owned by Orkney Islands Council.

Annual passenger carrying figures are published in Table 9.14(b) of Scottish Transport Statistics 2016 edition https://www.transport.gov.scot/publication/scottish-transport-statistics-no-35-2016-edition/SCT01171871341-12.

Information on staff numbers will be available from Orkney Ferries or Orkney Islands Council.

Question reference: S5W-11334

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 18 September 2017
Current Status: Answered by James Wolffe QC on 3 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-10992 by James Wolffe QC on 24 August 2017, for what reason the Crown Office decided against prosecuting the football supporters from the Netherlands who were accused of assault and vandalism in Glasgow in November 2015 in favour of them being prosecuted in the Netherlands.

This case was fully investigated by Police Scotland and COPFS. After liaison with the Dutch authorities and full consideration of all the facts and circumstances, a report was submitted for Crown Counsel’s consideration and a decision made that the Dutch authorities would be best placed to deal with this matter. The work with the Dutch authorities is presently underway with a view to the transfer of this case.

The approach which is taken to cases such as the decision making in circumstances such as this case have been clearly set out in previous answer to question S5W- 10517 on 24 August 2017

All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

Question reference: S5W-11444

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 September 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 29 September 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many times the Expert Ferry Group has met since 2013, and on what date it will next meet.

Question reference: S5W-11446

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 September 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 29 September 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that the views of trade unions are represented on the Expert Ferry Group.

Membership of the Expert Ferry Group is on the basis of an individual’s knowledge and expertise rather than as a representative of a particular stakeholder group. Members of the Expert Ferry Group includes key transport professionals, academics and operators of ferry services.

The trade unions are not represented on this group, with separate arrangements applying to allow dialogue between the Minister for Transport and the Islands and the trade union on matters of relevance to the trade unions. The Minister meets regularly with the relevant trade unions and the STUC.