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-07467

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 2 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to introduce the road equivalent tariff for the Northern Isles.

The Scottish Government’s Ferries Plan 2013-2022, published in December 2012, was clear that introducing Road Equivalent Tariff (RET) at that time or in the next few years would mean an increase on a range of available fares. Therefore the Ferries Plan stated that the intention was to phase in RET to the Northern Isles over a much longer time-frame, beyond the term of the 2011-2016 Parliament.

This Government was elected in 2016 with a clear manifesto commitment to take action to reduce ferry fares to the Northern Isles.

Shortly after taking up post I visited Orkney and Shetland and met with elected members, local authorities and other stakeholders to hear their views. I also commissioned a public consultation which took place at the end of 2016.

Consideration is currently being given to the views expressed as part of that consultation. Decisions on future fare levels will be taken in due course.

In the meantime ferry fares to the Northern Isles were frozen for 2017, the second consecutive year that prices have been kept on hold.

Question reference: S5W-07461

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 2 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its ongoing review of the tendering process for ferry routes, what it means by the term, "in house operator".

Question reference: S5W-07465

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 2 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether the data collected by the review into ferry tendering announced by the Minister for Transport and the Islands on 2 February 2017 will be put into the public domain after the conclusion of the review.

Question reference: S5W-07463

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 2 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government which individuals are undertaking the review into ferry tendering as announced by the Minister for Transport and the Islands on 2 February 2017, and what experience they have in (a) the ferry industry and (b) competitive tendering processes.

I will oversee the review which will be conducted by officials with the relevant expertise from across Transport Scotland and Scottish Government. In my statement to Parliament I made clear that I am fully committed to keeping everyone informed about the purpose and progress of the review, including ferry users, local authorities, local communities, ferry operators, trade unions and members of Parliament.

Question reference: S5W-07466

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 2 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government when its freight fares review for the Northern Isles will be completed.

Following a commitment made in the Ferries Plan 2013-2022, Transport Scotland, under guidance of a working group of key stakeholders, is currently conducting a comprehensive review of ferry freight fares. The aim of the review is to develop an overarching policy for freight fares across Scotland’s entire ferry network, including the Northern Isles Ferry Services.

A substantial amount of work has taken place and a potential preferred option for setting freight fares has now been identified. I have asked Transport Scotland officials to undertake further detailed analysis in order to fully understand the impact of implementing this option.

We have always been clear that the exact timing of the introduction of a new freight fares structure will be decided only after careful consideration of all relevant factors. It is important that this work is done properly and thoroughly. I hope to be in a position to provide more information on timing following the conclusion of the detailed analysis of the preferred option.

Question reference: S5W-06999

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 2 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many scheduled ferry sailings were cancelled in each month in 2016 due to weather conditions, broken down by route.

Information in respect of cancelled and delayed sailings on the Northern Isles Ferry Services, operated by Serco NorthLink Ferries can be found on their website by following the link below. http://www.northlinkferries.co.uk/information/publications/

In relation to information in respect of cancelled and delayed sailings on the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services, operated by CalMac, and on the Gourock-Dunoon Ferry Service, operated by Argyll Ferries, that data has been collated and a copy has been placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib number 58550.)

Question reference: S5W-07000

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 2 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many delays to scheduled ferry sailings there have been in each month since January 2016, broken down by (a) route and (b) reason for the delay, and what it considers to be a delay in this context.

Question reference: S5O-00755

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 March 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the proposed integration of the British Transport Police in Scotland into Police Scotland.

Question reference: S5W-07358

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 1 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has in place to improve safety at the Laurencekirk Junction on the A90 over the next two years.

Our most recent statistics show that there have been no fatal or serious accidents at the southern Laurencekirk junction since 2005. As such, we have no plans for further measures at this time, however we will continue to monitor road safety.

In the longer term, Transport Scotland is developing the design of the A90/A937 Laurencekirk Junction Improvement, which will bring improved road safety and economic benefits to road users and the local community in Laurencekirk and the wider north east.

Question reference: S5W-07359

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 1 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what impact the average speed cameras on the A9 have had on the number of (a) offences and (b) accidents.