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-00858

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 April 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 April 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what processes are in place to consider a proposal for the designation of a new national park.

Question reference: S5W-08165

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 28 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce the barriers to recruitment of new GPs, such as "last man standing" clauses in their contracts.

The Scottish Government announced on 10 March 2017 that the GP Recruitment and Retention Fund will increase five-fold - from £1 million in 2016-17 to £5 million in 2017-18 as part of the wider £72 million investment to transform primary care services. This increase will fund GP training bursaries; help the expansion of the GP Returners Scheme; and means the GP Retainer reimbursement rate can be increased.

Following the considerations of the GP Premises Short Life Working Group, which examined among other issues, the Last Man Standing scenario, an implementation group has been established. This group, which includes representation from NHS Boards, BMA and Scottish Government, will review and recommend updates, where required, to the legal framework outlined in the Premises Directions. If necessary, changes to the Scottish Government Property Transactions Handbook will also be considered.

Question reference: S5O-00822

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 23 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what it anticipates the opportunities would be for the fishing industry of an independent Scotland joining the EU.

Independent membership of the EU would ensure that, for the first time, the Scottish Government would be able to negotiate directly for Scottish interests and priorities at the top table of Europe. It would also ensure that the Scottish fishing industry is represented by a government that will always champion its interests and, in stark contrast to UK Government, will never cast the industry as “expendable”.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring the sustainable growth of the Scottish fishing sector and will continue to work in close partnership with the industry to achieve that.

Question reference: S5O-00852

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 March 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what upgrades are planned for the A75.

Question reference: S5W-07639

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 16 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what the public liability requirements are for windfarm companies.

Wind farm operators are bound by the Health and Safety Executive Scotland's legislation, as the agency with executive powers in this area of policy, which is an area of policy currently reserved to Westminster although there is a condition for all developments above 50MW to notify Scottish Ministers in times of serious incidents, including notifications of remedial measures taken and or to be taken to rectify the break, within 24 hours of the incident occurring.

Question reference: S5O-00778

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 15 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making in filling vacant GP posts in Dumfries and Galloway and other rural areas.

On Friday, I was invited to address the British Medical Association’s Scottish Local Medical Committee Conference in Clydebank. I was delighted to be able to announce that, next year, an additional £71.6 million will be invested in direct support of general practice, helping transform the way services are delivered in the community.

As part of this, I have increased the size of the GP recruitment and retention fund five-fold, to £5 million. This will help to fund GP bursaries and expand a scheme to encourage retired GPs to return to practice.

GP recruitment and retention in rural areas such as Dumfries and Galloway has some particular challenges. This funding will also continue to support the work of the Scottish Rural Medicine Collaborative. This project, run jointly by NHS Dumfries and Galloway and nine other health boards, is bringing together recruitment strategies and support networks for GPs working in remote and rural areas.

Question reference: S5W-07521

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 24 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 8 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what preparations have been made for Scotland regarding the UK leaving the common agricultural policy.

Scotland’s Place in Europe sets out our proposals for maintaining Scotland’s relationship with Europe, including the detail of a differentiated approach which would allow Scotland to retain European Single Market membership as part of the UK. The First Minister’s speech at the NFU Scotland AGM on 7 February set out further detail of the Scottish Government position and our commitment to supporting and developing the sector as we await further clarity from the UK Government on the implications of leaving the EU for Scottish agriculture. We will continue to work closely with our farming bodies for the good of the sector in Scotland and to achieve the best possible outcome for Scottish farming and farmers.

Question reference: S5W-07524

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 24 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 8 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many officials in its Agriculture, Food and Rural Communities Directorate are working full-time or full-time equivalent on preparing for the devolution to Scotland of EU powers over farming.

Question reference: S5W-07523

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 24 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 7 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many Marine Scotland staff are working full-time or full-time equivalent on preparing for the devolution to Scotland of EU powers over fisheries.

Fisheries are fully devolved and therefore once Scotland is no longer part of the Common Fisheries Policy, we expect that the Scottish Parliament and Scottish Ministers will continue to exercise full control over fisheries management in Scotland, and of all Scottish vessels. Marine Scotland is making preparation for EU exit, although we do not yet know what approach the UK Government will take during the exit negotiations. However, Scotland will continue to manage fisheries in order to ensure a sustainable and vibrant industry now and into the future. As part of good governance and risk management, all Marine Scotland staff are giving due regard to the need to plan for Brexit including, where appropriate, identifying and delivering actions necessary to prepare for the devolution of EU powers to Scotland.

Question reference: S5W-07522

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 24 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 7 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many full-time or full-time equivalent staff it has working on preparing Scotland for the UK leaving the EU.

Staff across the Scottish Government Directorates are working in support of Ministers and Cabinet Secretaries on Scotland’s place in Europe. In addition to Private Office staff, there are currently 64 staff working in the Directorate for External Affairs in Scotland, which is the main Directorate supporting the work of the Minister for UK Negotiations on Scotland’s Place in Europe. This number does not include the staff in our offices overseas who support the work of all Scottish Ministers.