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-19247

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 05 October 2018
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 23 October 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve its performance against the 13 indicators in relation to its 2020 Aichi biodiversity target on which progress is reported as "insufficient" or "moving away from target", and what additional resources it is providing to (a) Scottish Natural Heritage and (b) other delivery partners to support this.

The Scottish Government has asked Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) to undertake an analysis of further actions that may be required, in addition to work which SNH is coordinating under the 2020 Challenge for Scotland’s Biodiversity and the associated Route Map, to help Scotland progress the Aichi targets. This analysis will include discussion with partners in the public, private and third sectors who are contributing to delivering Scotland’s biodiversity strategy.

In the recently published Programme for Government, the Scottish Government announced a Biodiversity Challenge Fund of up to £2 million which will contribute to the progress of the Aichi targets in Scotland. Details of the Challenge Fund will be announced in due course.

Question reference: S5W-18922

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 September 2018
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 19 October 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what assurances it can provide that there will be no excess construction charges for premises to connect to R100 programme infrastructure.

The Scottish Government does not have powers in relation to regulation of telecommunications markets, as this remains reserved to the UK Ministers. However, our understanding is that the vast majority of broadband or phone line installations involve some form of connection charge. The Scottish Government's Reaching 100% (R100) programme – in seeking to address the poor coverage in rural areas resulting from a market-driven UK model – will benchmark these at a wholesale level. It will then be a decision for individual Internet Service Providers (ISPs) whether they pass any such charges onto the consumer.

Question reference: S5W-18924

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 September 2018
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 19 October 2018

To ask the Scottish Government when an aligned intervention scheme will commence for areas or premises not given access to superfast broadband through the R100 programme.

An aligned intervention scheme is being developed in parallel with the ongoing initial procurement exercise for the Scottish Government’s
‎ £600 million Reaching 100% (R100) programme. However, the need for – and scale of – such a scheme will only be determined by the outcome of this initial procurement which will identify gaps in coverage that will remain. Further plans for any aligned interventions will be announced in 2019, following the award of the R100 contracts.

Question reference: S5W-18921

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 September 2018
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 11 October 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether internet providers will be obligated to connect premises in a way that delivers 30Mbps as part of the R100 programme.

Under the Scotland Act 1998, the legal and regulatory responsibility for telecoms in the UK rests solely with the UK Parliament and UK Ministers. On that basis, the Scottish Government has no powers to obligate Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to provide services to premises in Scotland.

We are using our economic development powers to subsidise a supplier (or suppliers), through the Scottish Governments £600 million Reaching 100 Percent or R100 programme, to deliver a wholesale broadband network capable of delivering speeds in excess of 30Mbps in areas that would not otherwise be served by a commercial service and, in this way we are addressing and helping to overcome market failure. The chosen supplier(s) will be obligated to have an anchor service provider in place and to encourage a wide range of Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to use the network.

Question reference: S5W-18919

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 September 2018
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 11 October 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what the criteria are for premises to connect to R100 programme infrastructure.

Question reference: S5W-18920

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 September 2018
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 11 October 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how it defines "capable" in relation to broadband delivery through the R100 programme.

Question reference: S5W-18923

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 September 2018
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 11 October 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether excess construction charges will be extended to internet providers supplying services through R100 programme infrastructure.

Question reference: S5W-18674

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 10 September 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 25 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what consultation was undertaken regarding the installation of a pedestrian crossing in Crocketford and with whom.

A meeting was held with residents of Crocketford and Springholm on 21 March 2017. Mr Humza Yousaf, Minister for Transport and the Islands attended the meeting alongside representatives from Transport Scotland and Police Scotland.

At this meeting the Crocketford residents requested that, along with additional speed reducing measures, a pedestrian crossing be provided. Transport Scotland subsequently commissioned Scotland TranServ (STS) to investigate if there was a demand for a crossing based on current assessment criteria. The investigation found that the most effective crossing facility for the A75 in Crocketford is an uncontrolled pedestrian crossing. Two uncontrolled crossings are programmed to be installed in Crocketford by the end of November 2018.

Question reference: S5O-02391

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 September 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what contact it has had with the Welsh Government since the recent Joint Ministerial Committee meeting.

Question reference: S5O-02383

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 September 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its commitment to fund the regeneration of the Stranraer Waterfront.