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: S5O-02136

Asked by: Andy Wightman, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 May 2018
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 23 May 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what information it collects to assess the extent and nature of behavioural responses to income tax policy.

The Scottish Fiscal Commission produce independent income tax revenue forecasts for Scotland and in March 2018 published a paper setting out its approach to modelling taxpayer behaviour change in response to changes in income tax policy. The Scottish Government’s Chief Economist published a report in December 2017 informed by advice from the Council of Economic Advisers on the potential behavioural impacts of increasing the top rate of tax.

HMRC is entirely responsible for the operation of Scottish income tax, including the management of taxpayer data. HMRC is bound by taxpayer confidentiality and the Scottish Government has no access to its systems. However, as more data becomes available over time we will continue to review the impact of tax policy on behavioural change and revenue.

Question reference: S5W-16463

Asked by: Andy Wightman, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 04 May 2018
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 15 May 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Office for Nuclear Regulation regarding safety at Torness Power Station, in light of the recently reported issues at Hunterston B.

Scottish Government officials are in regular contact with the nuclear safety and security regulator, the Office for Nuclear Regulation, (ONR) in respect of safety matters at all Scottish Civil Nuclear Sites.

The latest contact between the Scottish Government Resilient Essential Services team and ONR was on 11 May 2018, when ONR briefed Scottish Government officials in respect of matters relating to the shut down of generation at Reactor 3, Hunterston, and relating to safety at Torness.

Question reference: S5W-16288

Asked by: Andy Wightman, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 April 2018
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 15 May 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on the number of letting agencies that continue to charge prohibited fees following the implementation of the Private Rented Housing (Scotland) Act 2011.

Question reference: S5W-16287

Asked by: Andy Wightman, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 April 2018
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 4 May 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to enforce the prohibition of certain fees charged by letting agencies following the implementation of the Private Rented Housing (Scotland) Act 2011.

The charging or receiving of an illegal premium is a criminal offence and enforcement is therefore a matter for Police Scotland.

Where a tenant has paid an illegal premium, they can make an application to recover the fee paid at the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland (Housing and Property Chamber).

More broadly, to help raise standards of practice within the letting industry, the Scottish Government has introduced a robust framework for the regulation of letting agents.

Question reference: S5W-16286

Asked by: Andy Wightman, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 April 2018
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 4 May 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many letting agencies have received penalties for charging prohibited fees in each year since 2011, also broken down by the level of penalty on the standard scale of fines.

Question reference: S5W-15295

Asked by: Andy Wightman, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 1 May 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many of the licences to fish in the razor clam electrofishing trial have been granted to individuals (a) in receipt of Fixed Penalty Notices or (b) who have been convicted for offences relating to electrofishing for razor clams.

Applications for the trial were accepted from all UK registered fishing vessels. All applications were considered on an objective basis, as per the published scoring criteria, with safety being of paramount importance. During the sift of applications points were deducted for any fisheries related convictions or Fixed Penalty Notices (FPN), including for electrofishing related offences. Two of the applicants awarded a place on trial had previously received FPNs for electrofishing, one has been convicted of electrofishing related offences, and one has both an FPN and a subsequent conviction. These individuals have paid their Fixed Penalties and there are no outstanding convictions.

Question reference: S5W-15312

Asked by: Andy Wightman, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 26 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the five-year average catch for unlicensed razor clam fishing being 612 tonnes, and the commitment in the letter of 8 December 2017 from the Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy and Connectivity to the Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee "to take a cautious approach to the catch limit for the trial", whether an annual total allowable catch has been set for the razor clam electrofishing trial and, if so, what this is.

It is not correct to state that fishing for razor clams undertaken prior to 1 February 2018 was “unlicensed”. UK fishing vessels landing razor clams prior to this date did so further to the authority granted them under their sea fisheries licence and, in the case of Scottish fishing vessels, a bespoke razor fish licence.

An annual total allowable catch has not been set for the razor clam electrofishing trial. Vessels have initially been set a daily catch limit (450 kilogrammes) and a limit on days at sea in a 12 month period (110 days) has also been introduced. Marine Scotland is monitoring catch uptake and reserves the right to adjust the conditions set during the trial.

Question reference: S5W-15317

Asked by: Andy Wightman, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 26 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether the vessels licensed to participate in the razor clam electrofishing trial can fish in all 12 trial sites, or whether they are restricted to particular sites.

Question reference: S5W-15298

Asked by: Andy Wightman, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 26 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many of the vessels licensed to fish in the razor clam electrofishing trial are fitted with operational vessel monitoring systems.

Under present EU law vessels of length overall 12 metres and over must have installed an operating and tamper proof vessel monitoring system. It is planned however that all vessels participating in the trial will have installed on-board an additional and bespoke monitoring system, which will confirm both vessel position and also when specified electrical equipment is being used. Installation of this equipment is a condition of the derogation that authorises participation in the trial. The installation of this equipment will allow for real time access to the on-board system for Compliance Officers. This system has been trialled and gives clear indication of vessel activities, including the vessel’s position every 10 seconds.

Question reference: S5W-15314

Asked by: Andy Wightman, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 26 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the requirements set out by the October 2016 plenary session of the EU Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries, what framework has been agreed for monitoring the (a) short- and (b) long-term impacts of electrofishing for razor clams during the trial in Scottish waters.

Fishing vessels participating in the trial are required to gather information specified by Marine Scotland. The gathering of information may require the installation of electronic equipment, including cameras. A protocol for the gathering of information to further monitor the fishery, local catch rates and the electrofishing method is being developed and will be introduced into the derogation. Vessels will be required to provide information about catches, in terms of location and rates of catch, which will assist in building an evidence base about razor clam stocks in the trial areas. The Government will keep under review, as the trial progresses, rates of catches from the different areas in the trial. The Government reserves the right, in particular, to close further areas to fishing or introduce specific conditions for different trial areas.