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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-21386

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 04 February 2019
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 6 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to the third supplementary to question S5F-03014 by Nicola Sturgeon on 31 January 2019 (Official Report, c. 16), whether it held any discussions with Talk Talk when it announced the planned closure of the call centre and, if so, what the outcome was.

The Scottish Government and our economic development agency, Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), are in continuous contact with HIE and TalkTalk with a view to mitigating against job loss, and exploring what support we can offer staff affected.

I have written to the CEO of TalkTalk seeking a meeting to discuss their decision to close the call centre. HIE have met with TalkTalk on two occasions and on the 14 th of February the Deputy First Minister met with them to discuss the ongoing situation.

Question reference: S5W-21276

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 January 2019
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 26 February 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it plans to provide a continuous level of rural payments for farmers after 2020.

Rural payments for farmers will stay the same until 2021.

Between 2021 and 2024, broadly the same CAP system will be in place with changes to simplify and streamline where appropriate. These changes are currently being developed by the Simplification Taskforce.

Our ability to provide a continuous level of rural payments depends on the level of funding we receive from the UK Government. At the moment they have committed to maintaining the same cash total in funds for “farm support” until 2022. While this commitment is welcome, they have yet to provide clarity on precisely what is meant by “farm support”, and whether it would cover CAP Pillar 2 schemes such as LEADER. They have also yet to clarify how this will fit with their proposed Shared Prosperity Fund. I have repeatedly pressed the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on this matter, and will continue to do so.

Question reference: S5O-02886

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 February 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 February 2019

To ask the Scottish Government for how many hours on-call ambulance drivers can safely work in addition to their dayshift.

Question reference: S5O-02878

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 January 2019
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 7 February 2019

To ask the Scottish Government when it expects to publish the Forestry Strategy, and by what means it will be laid before the Parliament.

Question reference: S5W-20998

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 January 2019
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 1 February 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to fulfil the commitment that was made by the then First Minister in August 2008, following a Cabinet meeting in Inverness, to reduce train journey times between Inverness and Edinburgh to at least two hours 45 minutes, and an average of three hours, with the aim of making “railway travel to the heart of the Highlands, in terms of time, competitive with roads… by a mixture of projects, including line improvement, additional passing loops, double-tracking and signalling upgrades”; what improvements projects were introduced, broken down by what progress has been made with each, and, in light of the comment that “the timescale for implementation is 2011-12”, for what reason the target date was not met, and by what date this level of service will be operational.

The Scottish Government’s Infrastructure Investment Plan, published in 2011, stated that the Highland Main Line Rail Improvement project would be completed in phases between 2014 and 2025.

Phase one was delivered as planned in December 2012, increasing services from 9 to 11 trains per day in each direction, and reducing journey times by an average of 6 minutes at a cost of £1.2 million.

Phase two, which is currently scheduled to be completed in December 2019, will see a £57 million investment providing an hourly service between Perth and Inverness, delivery of a reduction in average journey times by around 10 minutes and more efficient freight operations. A fleet of refurbished High Speed Trains is planned to be used for this new timetable offering customers greater comfort and more capacity. We are engaged with local communities regarding calling points with the aim of providing calls at stations which represent maximum benefit for users of the service. The new timetable will also include improvements to the first and last trains. Overall, these plans will provide passengers with better connectivity with the Central Belt and Inverness whilst boosting the economic growth for the whole of Scotland.

The long term aspiration remains to deliver a fastest journey time of 2 hours 45 minutes between Inverness and the Central Belt.

Question reference: S5W-20631

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 17 December 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 10 January 2019

To ask the Scottish Government when the funding for the Berriedale Braes road improvement scheme will become available, and by what date construction will start.

The funding for the A9 Berriedale Braes Improvements is already available. I am pleased to advise that the successful and unsuccessful tenderers were notified on 20 December 2018 and, subject to a 10 day mandatory standstill period, my officials intend to award the contract to R J McLeod.

The project remains on programme with commencement of the works anticipated in Spring 2019 and construction expected to be complete by Spring 2020, subject to any unforeseen circumstances such as exceptional adverse weather.

Question reference: S5W-20047

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 November 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 12 December 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported increase in tourism traffic using the route, what its position is on making the A890 Stromeferry bypass a trunk road.

Question reference: S5W-20076

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 November 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 6 December 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has carried out a trunk road review of the route between Dingwall and Uig via the A890 and, if so, what the outcome was.

Question reference: S5W-20044

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 November 2018
Current Status: Answered by Ash Denham on 4 December 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to make a submission to the UK Government regarding the consultation on the restriction of the sale of fireworks, and what information it has regarding the timeline of the consultation.

In September I wrote to the UK Minister for Small Business, Consumers and Corporate Responsibility to request an update on any actions being taken on Fireworks at Westminster. I was advised that while the Office for Product Safety and Standards are reviewing the guidance material available to consumers on the safe and responsible use of fireworks, no changes to legislation at a UK level are being considered at this time.

I have recently confirmed that the Scottish Government will undertake a consultation on the use and regulations of fireworks in Scotland. This consultation will take place early next year. I will write again to the UK Government to inform them of the details of the consultation in due course.

Question reference: S5W-20030

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 19 November 2018
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 4 December 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what highest level of swell the MV Loch Seaforth can sail in legally; how his compares with the highest level it can technically operate in, and what other maritime restrictions are placed on the craft.

Vessel stability is assessed to a standard known as the ‘Stockholm Agreement’. That standard assesses stability in sea and swell conditions of up to 4 metres. In relation to certification, 4 metres is not an upper limit as there is effectively no regulatory limitation on sea and swell conditions that a vessel can sail in. The decisions as to whether a vessel sails, given prevailing conditions, are taken by the Ship's Master and cannot be challenged by CalMac Management or Ministers.

MV Loch Seaforth’s certification restrictions allow her to serve solely between Stornoway and Ullapool.