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: S4W-20245

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Independent
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 March 2014
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 27 March 2014

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-19852 by Keith Brown on 3 March 2014, on what date the 2013 information will be published on the websites.

Question reference: S4O-03057

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Independent
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 March 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 March 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what it does to promote the use of technology to assist teaching in schools.

Question reference: S4W-19997

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Independent
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 March 2014
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 13 March 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what assistance sportcotland provides to help ensure that there is an adequate provision of full-size shinty pitches.

sportscotland, the national agency for sport, has over the past five years invested £272,410 on the development of shinty pitches in the Highlands and Argyll and Bute areas and discussions are on-going with a number of clubs with regard to further shinty pitch developments.

sportscotland works closely with the Camanachd Association and has offered its support for the development of a pitches strategy. It has also highlighted the funding opportunities available to any club to apply to upgrade or build new facilities as required. At a local level, sportscotland continues to have strategic discussions with local authorities about facilities development. Sport specific needs are part of those discussions to ensure any development, where relevant, will realise the potential for the sport of shinty as well as other sports.

Question reference: S4W-19626

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Independent
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 February 2014
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 5 March 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has for the treatment and care of people in the Highlands and Islands with a brain injury.

The treatment of acquired brain injury (ABI) requires a multidisciplinary approach involving a wide range of services from different specialities including accident and emergency, general surgery, orthopaedic surgery, neurosurgery, neuro-rehabilitation and psychiatric services.

We understand that co-ordination of care for such complex needs is challenging. We continue to support the National Managed Clinical Network for ABI in order to promote consistency of treatment across Scotland and improve the quality of services for children and adults with ABI.

Question reference: S4W-19847

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Independent
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 February 2014
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 3 March 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how many winter sailings on (a) Clyde and Hebrides and (b) Northern Isles ferry routes were cancelled between 1 October 2013 and 16 February 2014.

Performance information in respect of the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Service is available on the CalMac website by following the link:

http://www.calmac.co.uk/corporate-calmac/Route-Performance-Figures/

The information details on a route by route basis the number of scheduled sailings, the number of cancelled sailings as well as any additional sailings operated by CalMac. Information for January 20414 and February 2014 is not yet available, but will be published by CalMac shortly.

During the period 1 October 2013 to 16 February 2014 the total number of scheduled sailings on the Northern Isles Ferry Service was 1012, with 70 cancellations and no additional sailings.

Question reference: S4W-19952

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Independent
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 February 2014
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 3 March 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to review the Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2011.

Question reference: S4W-19851

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Independent
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 February 2014
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 3 March 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how regularly vessels operating on the (a) Northern Isles and (b) Clyde and Hebrides ferry routes undergo a full engine overhaul when dry docked, and when each vessel currently licensed to work on these routes last underwent such an overhaul.

Under the requirements for surveys by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) and the Classification Society (Lloyds Register) each ship must be surveyed every year for renewal of their Passenger Ship Safety Certificate.

The three vessels operating on the Northern Isles ferry service undergo dry docking every second year with in water surveys being carried out every alternate year. These vessels were, or are planned to be, in dry dock between January 2014 and March 2014.

All the vessels operating on the Clyde and Hebrides network have been, or will be, dry docked during winter 2013-2014. The vessels which operate on the Clyde and Hebrides ferry service network are dry docked every year

All machinery on the vessels, including the engines, is maintained to the manufacturer’s instructions and satisfaction of the MCA and Lloyds Register.

Question reference: S4W-19853

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Independent
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 February 2014
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 3 March 2014

To ask the Scottish Government when it will next review the impact of the Road Equivalent Tariff (RET) formula for setting passenger fares for ferry services; when it last reviewed the impact of RETs on passenger fares, and what the main outcomes were.

The Scottish Government commissioned Halcrow Group Limited to assess the impact of the RET pilot on routes to the Western Isles, Coll and Tiree. A report was published in July 2011 and can be found on the Transport Scotland website:

http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/files/documents/water/ferries/Assessment_of_the_Impacts_of_the_RET_Pilot_-_Final_Report.pdf

On 29 November 2011, I announced that RET for passengers, cars, small commercial vehicles and coaches would be a permanent feature on routes to the Western Isles, Coll and Tiree.

RET was introduced as a pilot on Islay, Colonsay and Gigha in October 2012, and will be introduced on Arran in October 2014. Monitoring and evaluation work on the impact of the RET pilot on Islay, Colonsay and Gigha is currently underway and we will publish a report of the findings in due course.

Question reference: S4W-19845

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Independent
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 February 2014
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 3 March 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what developments in European Union public procurement policy in 2013 will influence its policies on tendering public contracts for passenger (a) ferry and (b) rail services, and whether it will set out changes to its public procurement policies in these sectors.

A new Procurement Directive was formally adopted by the European Parliament on 15 January 2014 and the European Council on 11 February 2014. The Scottish Government will have 24 months from the date the Directives come into force to transpose it into national legislation.

The new public procurement legislation approved by the European Parliament will provide numerous policy options. The Scottish Government will consult on these options with a view to bringing forward new procurement regulations next year.

Prior to implementation, the procurement of public contracts for ferry and rail services will continue to be carried out in accordance with the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2012 and other applicable legislation.

Question reference: S4W-19852

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Independent
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 February 2014
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 3 March 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) foot and (b) freight passengers were carried on each (i) Clyde and Hebrides and (ii) Northern Isles ferry route in each year between 2009 and 2013.

The publication Scottish Transport Statistics provides a comprehensive summary of trends over the past 10 years and No. 32, 2013 Edition was published on Wednesday 26 February 2014. This covers the period 2002–2012. This edition was made publicly available via the Transport Scotland website.

In addition CalMac and Serco NorthLink Ferries Limited will shortly be publishing on their respective websites carrying information for 2013 in respect of passengers, cars, coaches and commercial vehicles and lane metres on the Clyde and Hebrides and Northern Isles ferry services.