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: S5F-00874

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 06 February 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 February 2017

To ask the First Minister what steps the Scottish Government is taking to reduce the number of delayed discharges from hospitals.

Question reference: S5W-05722

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 December 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 10 January 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what consultation has taken place with local authorities on roundabout upgrades for wind turbine movement.

Consultation regarding abnormal load movements is the responsibility of the wind farm developer or the logistics company employed to move the abnormal load. They may be required to liaise with a number of stakeholders including the Police, Transport Scotland (if trunk roads are affected) and local authorities (if local roads are affected).

For wind farm developments, which have secured the necessary planning consents, the Scottish Government through Transport Scotland works with wind farm developers, hauliers and local authorities across Scotland to manage the impacts of abnormal load movements. Our objective is to ensure the needs of industry are met while minimising the risk to road safety and delays to other road users, and also safeguarding bridges from damage by overweight or over-height vehicles.

For example, Transport Scotland has had regular discussions with hauliers and Dumfries and Galloway Council during 2016 regarding wind turbine movements and the associated requirement for any trunk road network roundabout alterations.

Question reference: S5W-05721

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 December 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 10 January 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many roundabout upgrades have taken place to allow for wind turbine movement.

Question reference: S5W-05720

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 December 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 10 January 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what consultation took place with Dumfries and Galloway Council prior to roundabout upgrades on the A75 and A76 for wind turbine movement.

Question reference: S5W-05724

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 December 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 10 January 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what costs were associated with roundabout upgrades in Scotland for wind turbine movement, how these costs were met and by whom.

Question reference: S5W-05723

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 December 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 10 January 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what costs were associated with roundabout upgrades on the A75 and A76 in Dumfries and Galloway for wind turbine movement, how these costs were met and by whom.

Question reference: S5W-05669

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 16 December 2016
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 21 December 2016

To ask the Scottish Government when a survey of school estates in Dumfries and Galloway (a) was last and (b) will next be conducted, and which schools were considered fit to deliver the curriculum for excellence at the last survey.

Question reference: S5O-00505

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 December 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 21 December 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether its common agricultural policy IT system is fully compliant with EU regulations.

The CAP IT system is used to administer subsidies under the new EU Common Agricultural Policy and is an EU requirement. This system will provide the capability required to be CAP compliant, supplemented by some functionality from legacy IT systems and some additional manual processes.

As a result of the complexity of the new CAP, it would have been impossible to deliver CAP compliance on schemes configured to Scotland’s needs without a bespoke IT system.

Question reference: S5W-05447

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 December 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 19 December 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how many people in (a) Dumfries and Galloway and (b) the rest of Scotland have been (i) prosecuted and (ii) convicted for offences related to electro-fishing in each of the last three years.

Marine Scotland Compliance records show that across Scotland, during the years 2014 - 16 inclusive, there were five convictions for offences related to electro fishing. Four of these convictions were in 2016 and the remaining one was in 2015. Of the five convictions, one was in the Dumfries and Galloway region.

Those records also show that there are a further 4 cases related to electro-fishing currently with the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) for consideration of prosecution. Of these cases, three are within the Dumfries and Galloway region.

In addition to this, prosecution of one case was marked for no further proceedings by the COPFS in 2016.

Question reference: S5W-05168

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 8 December 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how it engages with local communities when implementing the Scottish Safety Camera Programme.

Local governance and scrutiny of Scottish Safety Camera Programme activity and operations is realised through existing Community Planning structures, associated Community Safety Partnerships, or other relevant bodies (e.g. Local Authority-led Road Safety Forums) as agreed at a local level with partners in the Local Authority area. Police Scotland is responsible for the operational delivery of the Programme, through Units in three enforcement Areas.

Local policing plans ensure that policing activity across Scotland is directed at local issues and reflects the needs of the community. In their meetings to discuss these plans with Local Authority Chief Executives, Police Scotland Commanders may address any concerns regarding local safety camera activity. Area Safety Camera Managers must liaise with their Police Scotland colleagues and address emerging concerns as they arise.

Area Safety Camera Managers must also be available to address any specific concerns raised by partners with a road safety interest regarding the activity and operation of the Programme in their area.

Information is provided proactively about safety cameras, including their deployment and performance, as part of the wider approach to road safety-related communications. Information about sites is updated on relevant web pages and through social media and press releases.