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-32769

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 26 October 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 9 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-32297 by Jeane Freeman on 23 October 2020, whether it will request that NHS boards accelerate plans to open dedicated clinics that treat the long-term symptoms of COVID-19.

Question reference: S5W-32965

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 02 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 6 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will temporarily re-categorise museums to allow them to be classified as public buildings and remain open in areas under tier 3 restrictions.

The published Coronavirus (COVID-19): local protection levels guidance indicates that for level 3, visitor attractions, such as museums , can remain open with protective measures. This is the same status as that for public buildings for level 3.

The protective measures include ensuring physical distancing and hygiene measures are in place. Face coverings indoors are compulsory for all visitors and staff. All museums should follow the measures set out in the museums, galleries and heritage attractions guidance to ensure the safety of staff and the visiting public.

Question reference: S5W-32772

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 26 October 2020
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 6 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what was discussed at the reported meeting between the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Fair Work and Culture and representatives of BiFab on 19 September 2020, and whether it will publish a minute of the meeting.

The purpose was to raise our concerns about the financial state of the company (about which we needed further information) and the risk to securing the NNG contract because of that. We made it clear that the majority shareholder had responsibilities and we had concerns that there was a risk to our ability to provide more funding or assurance in a state aid compliant way because of the financial situation, and that together we had had to look at all options to see how NNG could be delivered.

Question reference: S5W-32767

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 26 October 2020
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 4 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what legal advice was commissioned in relation to the recent decision to withdraw guarantees from BiFab; who commissioned the advice, and whether it will be published.

Question reference: S5W-32770

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 26 October 2020
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 4 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it sought advice from the EU regarding the application of state aid rules in relation to BiFab.

The Scottish Government does not approach the EU directly for State aid advice. The Government has a State aid team supported by legal advice, which ensures all public interventions are compliant within State aid rules.

Furthermore, Section 57(2) of the Scotland Act 1998 provides that Scottish Ministers have no power to act in a manner which is incompatible with EU law. It is therefore not open to Ministers to act in such a way.

Question reference: S5W-32773

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 26 October 2020
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 4 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has contributed to BiFab in financial support.

Question reference: S5W-32771

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 26 October 2020
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 4 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish all correspondence it has had with BiFab in the last six months.

I am concerned that the cost of locating, retrieving and providing the information would exceed the upper cost limits associated with such requests. This would also consume valuable Scottish Government time and resource, at a time when we rightly focused on working with partners to find a solution. Therefore it would be helpful if you could be more specific by contacting my office on [email protected]

Question reference: S5W-31669

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 September 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 30 October 2020

To ask the Scottish Government which companies have supplied PPE to (a) the NHS and (b) local authorities during the COVID-19 outbreak, broken down by (i) volume, (ii) value and (iii) origin of the items.

Question reference: S5W-31955

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 September 2020
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 30 October 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether Scottish Water's (a) business and (b) domestic customers are subject to any potential liability arising from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the subsidiaries offering services in England that are owned by Business Stream.

Question reference: S5W-31956

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 September 2020
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 30 October 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to S5W-30512 by Roseanna Cunningham on 10 July 2020, what role the OECD has played regarding the Water Industry Commission for Scotland’s Strategic Review of Charges (SRC) since 2018; whether it has a contractual relationship for the 2021 SRC and, if so, (a) what the (i) nature and (ii) value is of this relationship and (b) how it was procured.

The OECD is conducting an independent peer review of the Strategic Review of Charges (SRC) 2021-27. The peers are a group of international experts in the regulatory field and members of the OECD’s Network of Economic Regulators (NER). A report of their findings and recommendations will be produced following the publication of the Final Determination and conclusion of the SRC process.

As an independent body, the OECD’s approach to this type of work is to request a contribution to their annual budget, consistent with the extent of work being carried out and only to cover its costs. The Commission engaged the OECD through its internal authorisation process on the basis of the OECD’s international reputation for independent economic analysis and previous experience of the value of the peer review exercise. Along with the review of the Strategic Review process, the OECD has provided assistance to the Commission on applying behavioural insights to the process and input on worldwide approaches to asset renewal. The total value of the contribution made to the OECD in connection with this work over the course of 4 years is £1,003,143 Euros.