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-00019

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 May 2016
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 31 May 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, further to its signing of the memorandum of understanding with China Railway No.3 Engineering Group and SinoFortone signed on 21 March 2016, how many hours of its officials’ time has been spent on work associated with the signing of the memorandum and at what cost; what support it will provide to the companies and at what cost, and whether they will receive privileged access to information not already publicly available.

Information on the number of hours of officials’ time spent on work associated with the memorandum of understanding and the associated cost is not recorded.

The Scottish Government’s work with China Railway No.3 Engineering Group and SinoFortone is part of a much broader approach by the Government and its agencies to welcome and encourage investment which delivers benefits for Scotland. This involves working with a wide range of businesses and investors to, for example, help them understand the Scottish context; connect with potential partners; and to identify opportunities and possible funding.

Question reference: S5W-00012

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 May 2016
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 31 May 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what projects it or China Railway No.3 Engineering Group and SinoFortone have identified as opportunities for investment in (a) affordable housing, (b) communities, (c) clean energy, (d) industry and business parks, (e) transportation infrastructure and (f) any other areas.

The memorandum of Uuderstanding between the Scottish Government, China Railway No.3 Engineering Group and SinoFortone is focused on developing a working relationship to explore possible investment in Scotland.

At their meeting on 3 February 2016, SinoFortone expressed an interest in areas including affordable housing, energy and infrastructure, the First Minister noted SinoFortone’s interest in these areas.

The Scottish Government has not identified any specific projects for potential investment.

Scottish Government officials introduced SinoFortone to Falkirk Council and Loudon Castle Developments to help them understand and explore potential investment opportunities. No projects have been confirmed for investment by Sinofortone or China Railway No.3 Engineering Group.

Question reference: S5W-00026

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 May 2016
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 31 May 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers it appropriate to enter into agreements with companies that have been allegedly implicated in human rights abuses or present a risk of gross corruption.

Question reference: S5W-00027

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 May 2016
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 31 May 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on Amnesty International’s allegation that one of China Railway Group’s subsidiaries was involved in illegal forced evictions in the Democratic Republic of Congo and whether the Scottish Government will take this into consideration in deciding how to proceed following its signing a memorandum of understanding with China Railway No.3 Engineering Group and SinoFortone on 21 March 2016.

As the memorandum of understanding does not involve any legal, contractual or funding obligations or commitments on behalf of the Scottish Government full due diligence was not undertaken prior to the signing of the memorandum. The Scottish Government was therefore not aware that the Council of Ethics for the Norwegian Government Pension Fund Global had recommended in 2014 that China Rail Group Ltd, the parent company of China Railway No.3 Engineering Group, be excluded from the investment universe of the fund. Nor was it aware of Amnesty International’s allegation that the Congo International Mining Corporation, a subsidiary of China Railway Group, was involved in illegal forced evictions in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

In the event of any specific investment proposals being confirmed or any proposals for legal or contractual agreements being brought forward both reports will be considered as part of the full due diligence that will take place.

Question reference: S5W-00011

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 May 2016
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 31 May 2016

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure, Investment and Cities said on Scotland 2016 on 4 April 2016 that the Scottish Government, China Railway No.3 Engineering Group and SinoFortone were "not at the stage of discussing particular projects", and whether it considers that this was contradicted by Sir Richard Heygate in an interview on Good Morning Scotland on 8 April 2016.

Question reference: S5W-00002

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 May 2016
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 31 May 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will place in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe) a copy of the memorandum of understanding with China Railway No.3 Engineering Group and SinoFortone, which was signed on 21 March 2016, and for what reason the Parliament was not informed about the agreement at the time.

Question reference: S5W-00016

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 May 2016
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 31 May 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what representations it made on behalf of China Railway No.3 Engineering Group with regard to affordable housing in Falkirk in 2015.

Question reference: S5W-00013

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 May 2016
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 31 May 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether the First Minister expressed a preference that China Railway No.3 Engineering Group and SinoFortone invest in (a) affordable housing and (b) clean energy during discussions, as stated by Sir Richard Heygate on Good Morning Scotland on 8 April 2016, and whether she indicated that she would "like to get something moving this year" and, if so, on what date this occurred.

Question reference: S5W-00025

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 May 2016
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 31 May 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what its due diligence of foreign companies involves.

Question reference: S5W-00009

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 May 2016
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 31 May 2016

To ask the Scottish Government with what foreign companies it has signed memorandums of understanding in each year since 2007-08; on what dates each was signed; how many led to the intended collaboration and financial investment, and whether each was announced on the Scottish Government’s website.