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-13410

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 December 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 3 January 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what plans its has to promote moving freight from road to rail.

The Scottish Government's approach to supporting rail freight is outlined in the rail freight strategy, Delivering the Goods, which was published in March 2016. This is backed by significant investment in our railways including a
£30 million ring-fenced Scottish Strategic Rail Freight Investment Fund which is helping to unlock opportunities for rail freight across the country. Looking ahead, we have set regulatory targets for Network Rail through our High Level Output Specification (published in July 2017) to work with industry partners to attract new freight and grow existing markets. Whilst decisions on moving goods and the development of freight handling facilities are a matter for the commercial sector, the Scottish Government continues to operate EC state aid approved modal shift grant schemes which aim to remove freight from road to the more sustainable modes of rail and water, these grant schemes have enabled rail freight services to remove millions of lorry miles from our roads.

Question reference: S5W-13412

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 December 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 3 January 2018

To ask the Scottish Government which stops on the Borders Railway have been skipped each year, broken down by how many times.

Question reference: S5W-13415

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 December 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 3 January 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether the (a) terms and conditions and (b) pensions of British Transport Police officers will be affected by the merger with Police Scotland.

Question reference: S5W-13414

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 December 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 3 January 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has carried out of the possible (a) advantages, (b) disadvantages and (c) costs of the proposed merger of British Transport Police and Police Scotland.

The benefits of integration were identified in the Policy Memorandum to the Railway Policing (Scotland) Bill:

- ensuring that railway policing in Scotland is accountable, through the Chief Constable and the SPA, to the people of Scotland;

- enhancing railway policing in Scotland through direct access to the specialist resources of Police Scotland;

- future-proofing the infrastructure policing model in Scotland against changes that may arise from the review of infrastructure policing in England and Wales.

Alongside the Policy Memorandum, the Scottish Government published a report compiled by an independent research company that summarised the views of respondents to the Scottish Government consultation, including benefits and disbenefits. The Financial Memorandum set out projected costs associated with the Bill.

The Joint Programme Board which is overseeing the programme has continued to develop its understanding of benefits, risks and costs as more detailed work on integration has progressed.

Question reference: S5W-13422

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 December 2017
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 22 December 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce obesity levels among children.

The Scottish Government wants all children and their families to eat healthily, have a healthy weight and enjoy the same healthy life expectancy no matter where they live. We recognise there is no simple solution and are presently consulting on a bold new diet and obesity strategy. This proposes a package of measures to improve the food environment and improve children’s diet including limiting the promotion of products high in fat, sugar and salt and tackling advertising. The consultation on A Healthier Future - Action and Ambitions on Diet, Activity and Healthy Weight' runs until 31 January 2018.

Through the Curriculum for Excellence, every school pupil is entitled to learn about food and health, not just practical cooking skills but also nutrition, hygiene and making choices alongside the influence of advertising. We are also supporting children to eat a healthy balanced diet throughout their school day including free school meals for Primary 1-3. Between 2015-19 we are investing £50 million in Active Schools.

Question reference: S5W-13417

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 December 2017
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 22 December 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the proposal by the SQA to phase out hand-written exams.

Question reference: S5W-13420

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 December 2017
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 21 December 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in response to reports that there is an infestation of bed bugs in the Govanhill area of Glasgow.

Question reference: S5W-13423

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 December 2017
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 21 December 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the article in The Scotsman on 8 December 2017, which suggests that the number of crimes involving hunting dogs has more than doubled in the last year.

The source of the statistic provided by The Scotsman article in question is the Scottish Government's 2016 Annual Report on Wildlife Crime in Scotland which is available via the following web link: http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2017/12/7653.

Hare coursing, an offence covered by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and the Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Act 2002, accounted for 38 of the 44 offences involving hunting with dogs in 2015/16. A significant element of the increase in this crime is attributable to greater awareness of the offence and improved reporting of suspicious activity.

Police Scotland recognises hare coursing as a Wildlife Crime Priority (noting that it is often linked with other types of rural crime) and is considering ways to further address it in 2018. Anyone witnessing suspicious activity should report it to Police Scotland by dialling 101 or 999 if a crime is in progress.

Question reference: S5W-13431

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 December 2017
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 21 December 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what main environmental impacts of the A9 dualling project between Killiecrankie and Glen Garry were recorded in the recent assessment by Jacobs.

The Environmental Statement for the A9 Dualling Killiecrankie to Glen Garry project was published on 28 November 2017. This provides full details of the environmental impacts, mitigation and residual impacts associated with the project. It is publicly available and can be viewed on the Transport Scotland website at https://www.transport.gov.scot/projects/a9-dualling-perth-to-inverness/a9-killiecrankie-to-glen-garry/

Question reference: S5W-13579

Current Status: Withdrawn