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-20275

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 March 2014
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 3 April 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what assurances it has received from Serco NorthLink that it will introduce measures to improve its communications strategy, in relation to dealing with vessel failure, with (a) island communities, (b) passengers, (c) trade unions and (d) businesses; what those measures will be, and when they will be introduced.

Serco Northlink Ferries Ltd consistently review their communications strategy and provide regular updates to Transport Scotland.

The daily and key recipient briefings introduced during the Hamnavoe service interruption have been captured in the contract business interruption processes. These were further reviewed after the Hamnavoe returned to service and categorised by sector, for instance tourism/freight/hotelier/operator. They are regularly reviewed and updated by the operator to ensure all key contact details remain current.

Resilience planning is discussed by the operator at both the Orkney emergency group committee and Caithness transport forum meetings which are attended by both NorthLink’s customer care manager and freight manager. The operator attends Zetrans on a quarterly basis and likewise meets both trade unions and business stakeholders from both the passenger and freight sectors on a regular basis. Its most recent public forum held on the Hamnavoe on Thursday 6 February 2014 was attended by over 80 representatives of Orkney businesses and local interest groups.

Question reference: S4W-20276

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 March 2014
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 3 April 2014

To ask the Scottish Government whether the proposed closure of the upper level tunnel at Glasgow Queen Street station will coincide with work being carried out at the Winchburgh tunnel.

Question reference: S4O-03065

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 March 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 March 2014

To ask the Scottish Government on what basis it considers that its childcare plans for an independent Scotland would create a 6% rise in female employment.

Question reference: S4W-19964

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 February 2014
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 13 March 2014

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-15727 by Keith Brown on 28 June 2013, when the report will be published.

Question reference: S4W-19967

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 February 2014
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 13 March 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with Serco NorthLink regarding procedures in the event of a vessel breaking down on its Northern Isles' services.

Question reference: S4W-19965

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 February 2014
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 13 March 2014

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-15728 by Keith Brown on 28 June 2013, what the final cost was of the vessel breaking down, and how much of this will be met by (a) the public sector and (b) Serco NorthLink.

Question reference: S4W-19966

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 February 2014
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 13 March 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what the cost was to the public sector of the first year of the 2012-18 Serco NorthLink contract to the Northern Isles.

Question reference: S4W-19968

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 February 2014
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 13 March 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what lessons it has learned from (a) Serco NorthLink's and (b) Transport Scotland’s response to the breakdown of MV Hamnavoe in April 2013.

Question reference: S4T-00612

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 03 March 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 March 2014

To ask the Scottish Government when the Glasgow Airport Strategic Transport Network Study will be published.

Question reference: S4O-02970

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 February 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 March 2014

To ask the Scottish Government whether Police Scotland has informed the Cabinet Secretary for Justice of the number of respondents to the consultation on public counter services.