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-27860

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 March 2020
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 6 April 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what the cost is of the existing annual subsidy for the Gourock to Kilcreggan ferry service, which is provided by Clyde Marine Services Limited, under contract with SPT, and what the projected annual subsidy cost is when it is transferred to CalMac Ferries Limited.

In the 12 months to end March 2020 the total subsidy cost of operating the Gourock to Kilcreggan ferry service (operated by Clyde Marine Services Limited under contract to SPT) was £504,500. This figure includes a contribution from Transport Scotland for the 6 months to end March 2020.

Going forward, in the first full year under CalMac’s contract with Transport Scotland the subsidy cost of operating the Gourock - Kilcreggan service is anticipated to be some £857,000. Of this subsidy cost, SPT will contribute an increased amount of £387,500 per annum. This increase in operating costs includes the full cost of CalMac Ferries Limited chartering the vessel ‘Chieftain’ from Clyde Marine Services and all other relevant costs such as staffing provisions and maintenance.

After the first year of operation the costs of operating this service will be incorporated into the wider Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services subsidy provided by Scottish Ministers to CalMac.

Question reference: S5O-04332

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 March 2020
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 26 March 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to IAM RoadSmart’s survey, which found that 90% of motorists in Scotland have been affected by potholes in the last year.

We appreciate the challenges facing road maintenance across Scotland and the importance of a safe, well performing road network. The Scottish Government expects to invest £471 million in managing, maintaining and safely operating the trunk road network in 2020-21, as set out in the Budget.

Local road maintenance is the responsibility of local authorities who allocate resources based on local priorities. Despite an £840 million real terms cut by the UK Government to Scotland’s discretionary resource budget since 2010-11, we have ensured that local government receives a fair funding settlement to support vital public services.

Question reference: S5W-27861

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 March 2020
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 20 March 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether Road Equivalent Tariff (RET) fares will be applied to the Gourock to Kilcreggan ferry route when the service is transferred to CalMac Ferries Limited.

Question reference: S5O-04271

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 March 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 March 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the firefighter pay negotiations.

Question reference: S5O-04250

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 March 2020
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 11 March 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how the Agriculture Transformation Programme will spend its 2020-21 Budget allocation.

Question reference: S5F-03975

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 17 February 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 February 2020

To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking in response to reports that the number of people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes has risen by 40% in the last 10 years.

Question reference: S5O-04138

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 February 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 February 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether all existing commitments from current and previous ministers to give evidence to parliamentary committees will be met.

Question reference: S5W-27069

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 January 2020
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 30 January 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) social and (b) affordable houses have been built in the Cunninghame North constituency in each year since 2007.

This information is not held by constituency areas. The following table shows the number of (a) social and (b) affordable homes delivered in each year since 2007 in the North Ayrshire council area.

Of the 1640 homes delivered, 1400 are new build homes, with the remainder being a mixture of rehabilitation projects and off-the-shelf purchases:

Financial year	Social	Affordable	Total
2007-08	136	14	150
2008-09	86	33	119
2009-10	97	27	124
2010-11	114	8	122
2011-12	123	3	126
2012-13	104	16	120
2013-14	102	15	117
2014-15	236	16	252
2015-16	36	5	41
2016-17	36	2	38
2017-18	154	5	159
2018-19	270	2	272
*2019-20	0	0	0
Total	1494	146	1640

* Covers figures up to 30 September 2019 (Quarters 1 and 2)

Question reference: S5O-04083

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 January 2020
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 30 January 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has undertaken regarding the reported rise in student debt.

Student Loans Company statistics show average student loan debt in Scotland is £13,800. This compares with £35,950 in England, £22,920 in Wales and £23,550 in Northern Ireland.

Scottish students continue to have the lowest debt in the UK and since 2010, have had the smallest increase in debt when compared to students domiciled in the other UK administrations.

Our continued commitment to free tuition has played a major part in this, ensuring that Scottish students studying in Scotland do not incur the additional expense of up to £27,000 over 3 years that other students in the rest of the UK have to.

Question reference: S5O-04091

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 January 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 February 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how much time and money it plans to spend producing an alternative to the GERS figures.