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-07488

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 3 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what criteria it used to select invitees to the Employability Summit that it hosted on 23 November 2016; whether it will publish the minute or notes of the summit; what actions are being taken forward from it, and how many of the attendees have since secured permanent jobs.

The Ministerial Summit on Employability provided a forum for people with an interest in the employment support landscape in Scotland to share views, expertise and insight as the Scottish Government move towards the design and delivery on new devolved services from April 2017. Representatives were invited from a range of organisations comprising third sector, local government, social enterprise, existing service providers, health, justice, employers and others (including people with experience of using services) in order to provide a broad perspective on employment support related matters in Scotland.

On 9 February 2017 I held a further roundtable meeting with some of these organisations who had been unable to attend the Employability Summit on
23 November 2016.

Information and outputs, including notes on the outcome of the roundtable discussions related to the Summit will be posted on the Employability in Scotland website: http://www.employabilityinscotland.com/policy-and-partnership/scotlands-devolved-employment-services/ministerial-summit-on-employability-2016/

These outputs are being used to build upon what we heard during the 2015 consultation “Creating a Fairer Scotland: Employability Support and to inform ongoing engagement with stakeholders and people who use services. They are also helping us to develop our approach for better integration and alignment of employability services.

Question reference: S5W-07485

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 2 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what research Transport Scotland has commissioned on (a) demand management, (b) active travel and (c) modal shift in each of the last 10 years.

2007-08

Nil

2008-09

Mitigating transport’s climate change impacts In Scotland (Atkins)

Smarter Choices, Smarter Places monitoring and evaluation (3 years) (DHC and University of Aberdeen)

2009-10

Nil

2010-11

Nil

2011-12

Park and Ride (ARUP)

Hands Up Scotland (Sustrans)

2012-13

Hands Up Scotland (Sustrans)

Research on Mobile and Flexible Workings (MVA)

2013-14

Energy Saving Trust - Scottish Transport Evaluation

Hands Up Scotland (Sustrans)

2014-15

Energy Saving Trust - Scottish Transport Evaluation

Car Clubs (Scottish Report)

Hands Up Scotland (Sustrans)

2015-16

Car Clubs (Scottish Report)

Energy Saving Trust - Scottish Transport Evaluation

Hands Up Scotland Survey (Systra)

2016-17

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Potential in the Scottish Transport Sector From Recent advances in Transport, Fuels and Fuel Technologies (Element Energy)

Review of Active Travel Policy Implementation (JMP)

Car Clubs (Scottish Report)

Energy Saving Trust - Scottish Transport Evaluation

RPP3: Additional technical analysis (Element Energy)

Monitoring of Switched On To EVs (Energy Savings Trust)

Question reference: S5W-07124

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Mark McDonald on 28 February 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that everyone who works with children and vulnerable people goes through the appropriate disclosure checks and has valid Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme accreditation.

According to section 35(1) of the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007, it is a criminal offence for an employer to offer regulated work with children and / or protected adults to an individual who they know to be barred from engaging in the relevant type of regulated work. The barred individual would commit an offence by seeking or doing regulated work even if the employer did not know they were barred.

According to regulations made under section 35(2) of the 2007 Act, it is an offence for an organisation to fail to remove an individual from regulated work upon being advised by Scottish Ministers that the individual is barred from that type of regulated work.

An employer can determine whether an employee is barred or not by asking them to join the PVG Scheme, or by receiving notification from Disclosure Scotland under section 30 of the 2007 Act that the employee has been barred. Membership of the PVG Scheme is non-mandatory and making use of it is a matter for employers. During PVG Scheme membership, presently for life, Disclosure Scotland actively monitors the record of the individual to check that information has not been added that means it may be appropriate to bar the individual from doing regulated work.

Question reference: S5W-06899

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 06 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 28 February 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what information it (a) had in advance and (b) has obtained since regarding a nuclear convoy reportedly travelling from Burghfield in England to Coulport using the M8 through Glasgow and crossing the Erskine Bridge despite reported warnings of high winds.

Powers over nuclear safety are reserved to the UK Government. The responsibility for the transportation of defence nuclear material lies with the Ministry of Defence.

Police Scotland is always notified in advance of a convoy being routed through their area. The police can then advise of any local traffic problems. Police Scotland may advise the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service of the presence of the convoy.

Question reference: S5W-07021

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 24 February 2017

To ask the Scottish Government further to the answer to question S5W-05888 by Joe FitzPatrick on 19 January 2017, what its position is on whether there being no requirement to record when the policy is adopted reflects best practice

The Unacceptable Actions Policy offers members of the public and Scottish Government staff guidance, support and clarity on expectations of acceptable behaviour. All restricted contact is supported by senior management and is recorded locally related to the correspondence matter and retained for a period in line with business requirements. The Scottish Government Unacceptable Actions Policy is in line with current guidance made available by the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman, however as previously advised a review is currently in progress as part of a process of continuous improvement.

Question reference: S5W-07022

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 24 February 2017

To ask the Scottish Government further to the answer to question S5W-05888 by Joe FitzPatrick on 19 January 2017, what the minimum period is for the retention of records, and who determines this.

Question reference: S5W-06941

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 24 February 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what impact the review into the procurement of Scottish ferry services that it announced on 2 February 2017 will have on the Harbour Operating Agreement between the operator and infrastructure owner on the existing contract for Clyde and Hebrides ferry services.

Question reference: S5W-06920

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 22 February 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-05743 by Roseanna Cunningham on 17 January 2017, for what reason the subsidy provided to Highlands and Islands Airports Limited (HIAL) increased by a greater margin between 2013-14 and 2014-15.

HIAL receives both revenue and capital subsidy from the Scottish Government. In 2013-14 HIAL’s revenue subsidy was lower than trend as a proportion of the operating cost deficit was met from the use of cash reserves that HIAL had built up over a number of years. In 2014-15 the revenue subsidy reverted to trend. There was a significant increase in HIAL’s capital subsidy between 2013-14 and 2014-15. This primarily related to repairing the runway at Sumburgh Airport.

Question reference: S5W-06674

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 27 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 13 February 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what role Skills Development Scotland has in implementing the policy to respond to the skills needs of employers, as set out in the Draft Budget 2017-18, and what action it can take to ensure that this applies to employers in the ferries sector.

Skills Development Scotland (SDS) will play a key role in the delivery of the Scottish Government's commitment to meeting the skills needs of employers with the expansion of the Modern Apprenticeship programme as we move towards delivering 30,000 Modern Apprenticeships by 2020.

SDS actively works with partners on a sectoral basis through Industry Leadership Groups to tailor its services to the needs of sectors, and on a regional basis with partners to ensure that employment and skills opportunities which drive economic growth are addressed in an effective and efficient way.

Question reference: S5W-06670

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 27 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 10 February 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what role Skills Development Scotland has in implementing (a) the policy to increase the number of modern apprenticeship starts in each year to 2020, (b) the Modern Apprenticeships Equality Action Plan and (c) Developing Scotland’s Young Workforce Programme, as set out in the Draft Budget 2017-18.

Skills Development Scotland plays the lead role in the expansion of Modern Apprenticeships by contracting with training providers, monitoring delivery and promoting the benefits of Modern Apprenticeships to employers and young people.

Skills Development Scotland has lead responsibility in implementing its Modern Apprenticeship Equality Action Plan, published in December 2015.

Skills Development Scotland plays a significant role in Developing Scotland’s Young Workforce through the expansion of Modern Apprenticeships, development of Foundation and Graduate Level Apprenticeships and supporting the implementation of the Career Education Standard (3-18).