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: S4T-00521

Asked by: Mike MacKenzie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 25 November 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 November 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what was discussed at the recent meeting of the Island Areas Ministerial Working Group.

Question reference: S4O-02620

Asked by: Mike MacKenzie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 November 2013
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 21 November 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the interim report by Sir Ian Wood on the oil and gas industry.

The Scottish Government is fully supportive of the recommendations within Sir Ian Wood’s report. We believe that It is essential that the recommendations are implemented with speed, and that a shadow body be set up rather than await the outcome of primary legislation. This body should be financed solely by Industry, and should be located in Aberdeen

Sir Ian’s report estimates that the prize from increased and effective collaboration could be an additional 3-4 billion barrels of oil equivalent over 20 years, worth £200 billion. By addressing the challenges facing the industry and harnessing the opportunities, enormous benefits can be reaped by the industry and in tax revenues.

Question reference: S4W-18047

Asked by: Mike MacKenzie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 31 October 2013
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Keith Brown on 1 November 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what the status is of the ScotRail Franchise Renewal Programme.

I am delighted to advise that we remain on schedule. The Final Invitation to Tender for the Caledonian Sleeper franchise was published on 28 October and the bidders, Arriva, First Group and Serco, are to set out their proposals in their response to the Final Invitation to Tender by 12 December. In regard to the ScotRail franchise, I am pleased to advise, as a consequence of a successful pre-qualification questionnaire (PQQ), that I have invited five experienced rail companies to bid. Those companies are Abellio, Arriva, First Group, MTR and National Express, each of whom demonstrated in its response to the PQQ an understanding of, and a commitment to realise, our ambitions for a transformed rail service. I am convinced that this strong competition will deliver a great public rail service for the people of Scotland. The Draft Invitation to Tender, which sets out our specification for the ScotRail franchise, will be published on 19 November.

Question reference: S4O-02435

Asked by: Mike MacKenzie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 September 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 September 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the Department of Energy and Climate Change’s consultation on providing additional support for renewables on Scotland’s islands.

Question reference: S4T-00448

Asked by: Mike MacKenzie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 16 September 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 September 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what benefits the recently announced development in the Pentland Firth of the largest tidal array in Europe will bring to the marine renewable energy industry.

Question reference: S4O-02405

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S4T-00435

Asked by: Mike MacKenzie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 September 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 September 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recent Bank of Scotland Purchasing Managers' Index survey.

Question reference: S4O-02328

Asked by: Mike MacKenzie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 August 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 September 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what opportunities it considers independence would bring for increased consumer protection.

Question reference: S4W-16698

Asked by: Mike MacKenzie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 12 August 2013
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by John Swinney on 13 August 2013

To ask the Scottish Government when it will set out its proposals for a system of consumer protection and representation in an independent Scotland.

The Scottish Government will publish a discussion paper on possible options for consumer protection and representation in an independent Scotland on 13 August 2013. A copy will be lodged with SPICe under bib number 55162.

We have already set out proposals demonstrating how we could improve the system of economic regulation in areas like telecoms, postal services, transport, energy and competition to better serve Scotland. In this paper, we will build on those proposals and set out the ways in which the system of regulation and protection for consumers could be improved with independence.

Question reference: S4W-16063

Asked by: Mike MacKenzie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 June 2013
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 25 July 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what the timeline is for the implementation of Ofgem's reforms to Project TransmiT and what assessment it has carried out of what the impact would be of any delays to this.

The conclusion and implementation of Project TransmiT is a matter to be determined by the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem). Ofgem is reviewing a final set of recommendations which were published in June 2013 by the industry led Connection and Use of System Code (CUSC) panel. Ofgem will consider the CUSC panel’s recommendation on timescales-that Ofgem implement its final decision between 1 April 2014 and 1 April 2015. The Scottish Government has long supported this review of the transmission charging regime and our position remains that we wish to see a positive outcome, as swiftly as possible, that will further support new low carbon energy technologies and developments throughout the country.