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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: S5F-02662

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 01 October 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 October 2018

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government is doing to ensure that all historic complaints of harassment within its workplace are properly investigated and dealt with.

Question reference: S5W-18810

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 September 2018
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 28 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has applied to the EU for a derogation from state aid rules regarding support for the Skye and Lochalsh Micro Abattoir Project and, if so, what the outcome was.

While funding for abattoir projects can generally be considered for Food Processing, Marketing and Co-operation (FPMC) assistance, the rules that govern the scheme limit the maximum rate of grant to 40% of eligible costs – irrespective of the status of the applicant.

The aid-intensity rules are derived from the EU’s guidelines on SMEs and the EU state aid rules that apply to measures funded through the Scottish Rural Development Programme. In addition, it is necessary to take into account the type of activity to be undertaken and there is no scope to deviate from this.

The Government continues to work with other public agencies, industry stakeholders and others to consider how best to secure adequate livestock slaughter capacity throughout Scotland.

Question reference: S5O-02404

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 September 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to support tourism on Skye.

Question reference: S5W-17758

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 July 2018
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 6 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to roll-out the Scottish Scenic Routes initiative to other areas of the Highlands and Islands following previous pilot schemes, and for each of the pilot areas, what (a) route they covered, (b) their budget was and (c) the outcome of the pilot was.

The Scottish Scenic Routes initiative was launched in July 2013 as a pilot project to explore the creation of innovatively designed, bespoke viewpoints at selected stopping points on tourist routes, to support tourism whilst also providing opportunities for architectural innovation by young architects.

The Scottish Government allocated £500k per annum for the initiative over a period of 3 years between 2013 and 2016. The pilot was delivered in partnership with the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park Authority, the Cairngorms National Park Authority and Scottish Canals on land either owned by these bodies or where an agreement was reached with a local landowner.

There are three installations in the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park:

Off the A82 on the west side of Loch Lomond at Inveruglas (£262k)
Off the A82 at the Falls of Falloch; and
Beside Loch Lubnaig on the A84 (two installations which total £271k).

There is also a mobile structure on Loch Voil at Balquhidder (£24k).

There are three installations in the Cairngorms National Park, which are part of the ‘Snow Roads Scenic Route’ from Blairgowrie to Grantown-on-Spey:

Lay-by site at Corgarff on the A939 road (£110k)
At the Devil’s Elbow adjacent to the A93 (£110k)
At Tomintoul on the A939 (£110k).

There is one site on the Caledonian Canal at Laggan (£452k) and a mobile structure at Banavie (£24k).

No formal evaluation of the pilot projects has been undertaken but consideration of the operation of the scheme to date and its future is ongoing. This should not discourage local authorities and others who may be interested in developing a similar project in their areas.

Question reference: S5O-02324

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 August 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to investigate the financing of the Calmac vessel, MV Loch Seaforth, which is now owned by Lloyds Banking Group after a lease deal was agreed at a reported cost to the public purse of £53 million.

Question reference: S5W-17358

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 June 2018
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 16 July 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what regulatory measures are in place to avoid potential conflicts of interest between advisory groups appointed by Audit Scotland and the sectors being audited.

The Auditor General for Scotland was established under section 69 of the Scotland Act 1998 as an individual appointed by the Crown on the recommendation of the Scottish Parliament. In the exercise of any of her functions she is not subject to the direction or control of either the Scottish Government or the Parliament.

My understanding is that the role of advisory group members is to provide independent specialist advice and feedback to audit teams in the course of an audit, but the detailed governance of those advisory groups would be a matter for Audit Scotland to comment on.

Question reference: S5O-02234

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 June 2018
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 14 June 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that some of its and its agencies' staff have clauses in their contracts that prohibit them from speaking out or whistleblowing.

There is nothing in Scottish Government contracts of employment which prevents employees raising concerns. Our policy on raising a concern under the Civil Service Code and Whistleblowing ensures that staff are fully informed about how to raise different types of concern and what support is available to them during this process. The policy also ensures that managers are aware how to respond to any concerns raised and clearly sets out the roles of individuals, managers, investigating officers, nominated officers and the Integrity Group as well as the Civil Service Commission. There are no circumstances under an employment contract which could legally prevent someone from making a protected disclosure.

In addition, advice is provided to all Board members of executive agencies to highlight their responsibilities under the Public Interest Disclosure Act to ensure that the body has appropriate policies and procedures in place to allow staff to raise concerns and links to guidance from Audit Scotland on whistleblowing.

Question reference: S5O-02199

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 May 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 June 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to reduce waiting times for children’s health services in the Highlands.

Question reference: S5W-16246

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 May 2018
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 15 May 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how the survival rate of people in Scotland with haemophilia compares with the rest of the UK.

Question reference: S5W-16248

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 May 2018
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 10 May 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what action it takes to ensure that the people who were infected by contaminated blood are in receipt of the correct level of benefit and that no person who is entitled to these is left without regular payments, and how it monitors the effectiveness of this.

The payments provided by the Scottish Infected Blood Support Scheme (SIBSS) to those affected by infected NHS blood are not taken into account when calculating a beneficiary's entitlement to means-tested benefits from the Department for Work and Pensions. SIBSS gathers information on benefits claimed when assessing eligibility for income top-up payments or one-off grants and encourages beneficiaries to claim all of the benefits they are, or seem to be entitled to.

SIBSS also directs beneficiaries to financial advice services and has provided grants for a welfare rights advisor to provide detailed advice and assistance to some SIBSS beneficiaries who have appealed against DWP benefits decisions. However, SIBSS does not have information covering the full individual circumstances of any beneficiary and, apart from those beneficiaries seeking income top-up or one-off grant payments, does not have access to data about beneficiaries' benefits; therefore it cannot monitor whether all beneficiaries are accessing the correct benefits.