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: S6W-01108

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 28 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 15 July 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what the annual maintenance and repair costs have been for each ferry in the CalMac fleet in each year since 2010.

CalMac invests significantly in vessel maintenance. Each vessel is taken out of service annually to undergo an established programme of inspection and maintenance activities. This includes planned maintenance, preventative maintenance, repair and certification renewal to ensure the continued safety and reliability of the service.

The annual cost of maintenance and repairs by CalMac Ferries Limited on the Clyde and Hebrides ferry services fleet since 2010 is detailed in the following table:

The figures are given as a fleet value rather than per vessel to retain commercial confidentiality of CalMac Ferries Limited.

CHFS1 contract (October 2007 to September 2016) *
CY4	CY5	CY6	CY7	CY8	CY9
2010-11	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15	2015-16
£	£	£	£	£	£
8,773,942	9,740,368	10,913,829	1,256,003	14,586,837	22,676,731

CHFS2 contract (October 2016 to September 2024) *
CY1	CY2	CY3	CY4	CY5
2016-17	2017-18	2018-19	2019-20	2020-21
£	£	£	£	£
14,065,768	17,522,632	15,604,781	18,360,136	17,883,821 **

* Contract Year (CY) is October to September

** CHFS2 CY5 value is a forecast

Question reference: S6W-01037

Asked by: Dr Alasdair Allan, MSP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 15 July 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how the anticipated end to most requirements for physical distancing from 9 August 2021 will apply to ferries, and what plans are being made to prepare for this, including to ensure that the booking system is able to make equitable provision for islanders and tourists.

The First Minister announced on 22 June that on 9 August, subject to confirmation nearer the time, all physical distancing requirements will be removed.

Ferry operators have been planning for the removal of physical distancing in order to increase passenger capacity wherever possible.

Any additional passenger capacity released will be made available on a first come, first served basis, as per the terms of the Clyde & Hebrides and Northern Isles ferry services contracts.

Question reference: S6W-01038

Asked by: Dr Alasdair Allan, MSP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 15 July 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to chartering the MV Arrow to enhance freight capacity on the Stornoway-Ullapool route.

Question reference: S6W-01473

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S6W-01476

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S6W-00809

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 14 July 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to preserve and increase the stock of grey partridge.

Work to preserve and increase the stock of grey partridge has traditionally been led by shooting interests such as the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT).

GWCT lead on the PARTRIDGE project in the UK, supported by the EU via the Interreg North Sea Region programme. It show-cases how new and improved management solutions can improve biodiversity and ecosystem services at 10 demonstration sites across the region. There are two demonstration sites in Scotland at Balgonie Farm in Fife and Whitburgh Farms in East Lothian promoting land management techniques specifically to benefit grey partridge https://northsearegion.eu/partridge/ .

More widely, the protection of Scotland’s biodiversity is a key priority for the Scottish Government, and we are committed to doing more to safeguard our species and habitats. Our high level Statement of Intent on biodiversity, published in December 2020, signalled our ambitions for biodiversity in Scotland, and the development of a new post-2020 biodiversity strategy. We have committed £7 million to date to the Biodiversity Challenge Fund and recently launched a new £10 million Nature Restoration Fund to help finance projects that support nature recovery and address climate change. Action to restore biodiversity is also central to our Green Recovery from Covid-19.

Question reference: S6W-00813

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 14 July 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its review of funding arrangements for student allied health professionals.

Question reference: S6W-00708

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 14 July 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what (a) bodies it has met and (b) discussions it has had regarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on pharmacies and their future operating practices.

The Scottish Government continue to meet and work collaboratively with the recognised representative body for community pharmacy contractors in Scotland, Community Pharmacy Scotland.

Discussions have included the pharmacy networks response to the COVID-19 pandemic, additional support provided to the community pharmacy teams in providing a safe working environment and access to mental health and wellbeing support. The delivery of current and development of future pharmaceutical care service to support the NHS recovery from the pandemic and the impact of the pandemic to the financial sustainability of pharmacy network and the Scottish Drug Tariff.

Officials have also met with NHS Board Directors of Pharmacy to discuss the provision of pharmaceutical care services.

Question reference: S6W-00692

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 14 July 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-00139 by Humza Yousaf on 1 June 2021, whether it will provide an update on what its position is on offering COVID-19 vaccinations to under-18s ahead of the start of the 2021-22 university and college term.

At present we are awaiting Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advice on whether all those aged 12 to 15, and all 16 and 17 year olds should be offered COVID-19 vaccination – and once we have this we will be preparing policy guidance as to how we will operationalise this for Scotland. No 16-17 year olds outwith the previously identified JCVI priority groups will have vaccination prior to the pending JCVI advice.

Question reference: S6W-00605

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 14 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 14 July 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what the basis is for the different COVID-19 restrictions relating to people being allowed to attend Euro 2020 fan zones each day and parents not being permitted to attend nursery school graduation ceremonies.

On 15 June 2021, the Advisory Sub-group for Education and Children’s Issues provided advice on whether groups of parents should be permitted to attend ELC settings for outdoor events such as nursery graduations. Their advice was that groups of parents and carers should not attend end-of-year events in Early Learning and Childcare settings, whether indoors or outdoors. This was a carefully considered decision that weighed up all of the risks involved to safeguard public health.

In relation to the Fan Zone Scottish Ministers have undertaken significant consultation with public health officials and clinicians who have provided advice throughout development of Glasgow City Council’s proposal. The Fan Zone provides an outdoor, highly regulated space for fans to watch the tournament. Although there will be up to 3,000 people in attendance per session, this is in a large, outdoor space with normal capacity for up to 80,000 people. Necessary physical distancing and hygiene measures are in place. In addition, there is comprehensive stewarding, cleaning and contact tracing provisions in place and everyone attending are encouraged to take a lateral flow test prior to the event. Rapid lateral flow test kits are being mailed to all visitors to the Glasgow Fan Zone. This move is part of a series of measures to help reduce the risk of transmission before and after the event.