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-17317

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 18 June 2018
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 23 July 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what the criteria are for assessing the impact of the pilot project to recruit wildlife and rural crime special constables for the Cairngorms National Park, and how this scheme will be extended to other parts of Scotland.

The criteria for assessing the impact of the pilot project to recruit wildlife and rural crime Special Constables for the Cairngorms National Park are still being developed as set out in the answer to question S5W-17314 on 23 July 2018. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:
‎ http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/ormain.aspx .

The Scottish Government will review the operation of the project with Police Scotland and the Cairngorms National Park Authority within two years of the start of the project to assess whether it should be extended to other parts of Scotland.

Question reference: S5W-17316

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 18 June 2018
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 23 July 2018

To ask the Scottish Government which non-statutory partners, agencies and other stakeholders are being consulted regarding the delivery of the pilot project to recruit wildlife and rural crime special constables for the Cairngorms National Park, and how they are being involved in the process.

Question reference: S5W-17318

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 18 June 2018
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 23 July 2018

To ask the Scottish Government which stakeholders, other than Police Scotland, were consulted prior to its decision on whether a pilot project to recruit wildlife and rural crime special constables for the Cairngorms National Park would be an effective use of resources.

Question reference: S5W-17319

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 18 June 2018
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 23 July 2018

To ask the Scottish Government which specific functions have been given to the new wildlife and rural crime special constables for the Cairngorms National Park in order to maximise opportunities for tackling wildlife crime.

Operational decisions on the deployment of the new wildlife and rural crime Special Constables for the Cairngorms National Park are a matter for Police Scotland. Specific functions for these Special Constables will include:

Developing relationships and contacts in key areas so the Special Constables are known and trusted. Special Constables are currently meeting stakeholders and partners operating within the Cairngorms National Park;
Gathering background intelligence relevant to wildlife and rural crime;
Involvement in crime prevention initiatives.

Question reference: S5W-17379

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 June 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 20 July 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what recent developments there have been in EU-funded projects in the Scottish shipbuilding industry.

Port Glasgow-based Ferguson Marine Engineering Limited has successfully led a European consortium in a successful bid for EU funding support to pave the way for the building and launch of the world’s first sea-going car and passenger ferry fuelled by hydrogen. The supported development of the construction and testing of a hydrogen-powered maritime drivetrain for future deployment within a ferry is expected to cost around 12.6 million, of which 9.3 million has been awarded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation fund.

Question reference: S5W-17561

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 29 June 2018
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 20 July 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when the Scottish Food Commission's recommendations for a Good Food Nation Bill will be progressed.

Question reference: S5W-17382

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 June 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 19 July 2018

To ask the Scottish Government when the two dual-fuel ferries ordered by Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd from Ferguson Marine will enter service on Clyde and Hebrides routes operated by Caledonian MacBrayne.

Ferguson Marine Engineering Ltd (FMEL) have notified Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL) of delays to the construction of these new vessels. A revised delivery programme is currently being discussed by FMEL and CMAL. We will inform Parliament when revised timescales have been agreed in the next few weeks.

Following delivery, CalMac Ferries Ltd require around two months for trials and crew familiarisation before each vessel is fully deployed on the Clyde and Hebrides ferry network.

Question reference: S5W-17384

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 June 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 19 July 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on the HySeas III Hydrogen Ferry Consortium.

Question reference: S5W-17363

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 June 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 19 July 2018

To ask the Scottish Government when the final report from the Ferry Services Procurement Policy Review will be published.

Question reference: S5W-17364

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 June 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 18 July 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the (a) procurement approach and (b) financing mechanism used by Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd for the MV Loch Seaforth, and which of these processes will be considered in its future ferry procurement exercises.

Every two years Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL) are subject to a Procurement and Commercial Improvement Programme (PCIP) review by the Scottish Procurement and Commercial Directorate of the Scottish Government. Whilst these reviews do not provide specific information on individual projects, they do give Ministers assurance on the company's overall procurement approach.

In addition, CMAL are required to follow the Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014, which provides a national legislative framework for sustainable public procurement that supports Scotland’s economic growth through improved procurement practice.

As stated in the Scottish Ferries Services Plan (2013-2022), “our preference for the planned vessel replacement programme is therefore to fund these replacements through capital loans from the Scottish Government to CMAL.”