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: S6W-10474

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 20 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-02377 by Graeme Dey on 13 September 2021, what assessment it has made of the future application of Road Equivalent Tariff (RET) fares to ferry services in Scotland, following the Subsidy Control Act 2022 coming into effect.

On 28 April 2022, the UK’s Subsidy Control Bill received Royal Assent, becoming the Subsidy Control Act 2022 (the Act). Although the UK’s domestic subsidy control regime now has statutory footing, most of the Act has not entered into force, meaning the interim regime based on the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) remains applicable. The new regime is expected to be operational later this year. Officials will continue to work through the UK Government’s proposals to understand the impact on subsidies, including on ferry services.

Question reference: S6W-10482

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 20 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many civil servants Transport Scotland has allocated to work of developing long- and medium-term resilient routes to replace the existing A83 Rest and Be Thankful corridor.

Work to progress the medium and long term solutions for the A83 Rest and Be Thankful is currently being overseen by seven civil servants, including four chartered civil engineers. This is a typical client team resource for a project of this size and the civil servants involved are also responsible for the oversight and management of other projects within Transport Scotland. The member will note that technical consultants have now been appointed to progress the long and medium term options for the Rest and Be Thankful.

Question reference: S6W-10487

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 20 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how much additional funding local authorities (a) have stated they will need to meet demand and (b) will receive to meet demand as a result of the Period Products (Free Provision) (Scotland) Act 2021 coming into effect, in the financial year (i) 2022-23 and (ii) 2023-24.

Scottish Government has allocated £4.9 million to local authorities for expenditure in 2022-23 and intends to allocate the same sum in 2023-24 in relation to making period products available for free. This includes meeting their duties as set out in the Period Products (Free Provision) (Scotland) Act 2021, which came into force on 15 August 2022.

Local authorities have not stated at this point that additional funding will be required in 2022-23 or 2023-24 to meet demand. However, through a bid-in process agreed through COSLA, Scottish Government will make provision for additional funding if this is required to meet costs as a result of increased demand or activities required to implement the Act.

Question reference: S6W-10535

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 20 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its practical policy tests are in relation to its proposed action plan to reverse island depopulation.

The feedback gathered through our engagement on the Islands Bond since October 2021, (including meeting over 100 island residents across 12 island communities in spring 2022), is now being used to shape a range of Practical Policy Tests (PPTs). These in turn will help to inform the development of a new action plan to address depopulation as set out in our 2019 National Islands Plan.

We are carefully considering all options presented to us through the online consultation, meetings with communities and stakeholders, and through the in-person workshops we held in spring 2022. More information will be made available in due course as the PPTs develop.

Question reference: S6W-10538

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 20 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many civil servants were directed to work on the (a) development of the Islands Bond and (b) Islands Bond consultation process.

Question reference: S6W-10537

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 20 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how much it paid Griesbach & Associates for its work in analysing the Islands Bond consultation responses.

Question reference: S6W-10488

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 8 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will confirm whether it has advised local authorities to create temporary accommodation in (a) church halls, (b) village halls and (c) community centres, in light of this being reported in the media.

No it has not. The Scottish Government continues to explore all options to ensure that there is sufficient and safe accommodation for any displaced people from Ukraine arriving in Scotland. This includes contingency plans for emergency accommodation as well as increasing temporary accommodation, by for example getting the second ship, which has now docked in Glasgow, prepared to safely host displaced people from Ukraine.

Question reference: S6W-10490

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 8 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how long it estimates Ukrainian refugees will be temporarily housed on board the (a) MS Victoria I and (b) MS Ambition before permanent housing is secured.

The Scottish Government is clear that we do not want to see people spending more time in temporary accommodation than is absolutely necessary, including on our two passenger ships.

Our priority is to ensure that people who have already arrived, and will arrive from Ukraine, are able to stay in appropriate temporary accommodation and get the right support, then move into safe, sustainable longer term accommodation.

Question reference: S6W-10489

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 8 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether (a) it and (b) local authorities have drawn up a list of potential (i) church halls, (ii) village halls and (iii) community centres to be used as temporary accommodation for Ukrainian refugees, and, if so, whether it can confirm each location.

Question reference: S6O-01373

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 September 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking to improve the reliability and resilience of Scotland’s ferry network.