Seòmar agus comataidhean

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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

Criathragan Hide all filters

Displaying 2190 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S5W-02876

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 16 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 30 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of the modelling that is referred to at page 12 of the August 2016 Audit Scotland Report, Superfast broadband for Scotland: A progress update that BT is considering to increase broadband coverage.

The Digital Scotland contracts agreed between the Scottish Government, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and BT contain clauses that generate revenue for the public sector if broadband take-up on the new infrastructure exceeds a certain level. BT brought forward almost £18 million of this so-called Gainshare funding in 2015 which can be reinvested in the contracts. BT has modelled this funding, alongside other residual funding within both contracts, in recent months in line with criteria laid out by public sector partners. This process is not yet complete across both contracts. We will announce further details of the coverage impacts arising from the modelling in the coming weeks.

Question reference: S5W-02875

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 16 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 30 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with BT regarding how the savings referred to at page 10 of the August 2016 Audit Scotland Report, Superfast broadband for Scotland: A progress update will be used to increase broadband coverage.

Question reference: S5W-02879

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 16 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 30 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the shortfall in European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) support that is referred to at page 10 of the August 2016 Audit Scotland Report, Superfast broadband for Scotland: A progress update.

The Scottish Government’s original application for European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) resources sought £20.5 million for the Rest of Scotland Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband project. The Scottish Government subsequently reduced the funding sought from the ERDF programme in light of revised criteria for calculating eligible capital expenditure. £12 million was subsequently drawn down.

Question reference: S5W-02877

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 16 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 30 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the £14 million in savings arising from conditions in the contract that is referred to at page 10 of the August 2016 Audit Scotland Report, Superfast broadband for Scotland: A progress update.

Question reference: S5W-02872

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 16 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 30 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how many premises in each Scottish Parliamentary constituency will have access to broadband speeds of (a) up to and (b) above 40mb/ps by 2018.

At least 95% of premises across Scotland will have fibre broadband access by the end of 2017, as a result of our investment in the Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband programme and commercial rollout.

It is not possible to state definitively at this stage what speeds will be accessible by 2018. Much of this is dependent upon the commercial deployment of superfast broadband, which the Scottish Government does not hold information on.

The Scottish Government plans to launch an Open Market Review, ahead of new procurement activity in 2017, to determine (a) what has been delivered commercially and (b) what will be delivered commercially over the next 3 years. This will require suppliers to provide speed information at premise level. We will use this information to define a new intervention area for future public investment in broadband.

Question reference: S5W-02878

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 16 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 30 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how BT calculated the estimated 30% take-up rate of broadband that is referred to at page 10 of the August 2016 Audit Scotland Report, Superfast broadband for Scotland: A progress update.

Question reference: S5W-02894

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 16 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 30 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what level of simultaneous use would cause an appreciable break or slowdown in broadband service.

Question reference: S5W-02874

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 16 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 30 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of how it calculated the savings set out at page 10 of the August 2016 Audit Scotland Report, Superfast broadband for Scotland: A progress update.

The savings outlined on page 10 of the Audit Scotland report emerged due to BT’s actual costs being lower than expected. These calculations were made by BT not by the Scottish Government or Highlands and Islands Enterprise. The budget freed up by lower than expected actual costs will be redirected into extending the coverage footprint of both projects further, reaching more premises than originally anticipated.

Question reference: S5W-02896

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 16 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 30 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what meetings it has had with the UK Government regarding the negotiations for a universal service obligation for broadband suppliers.

Question reference: S5W-02895

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 16 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 30 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that the copper connections used by BT are adequate for the roll-out of superfast broadband.

The Scottish Government continues to press BT to ensure that broadband speeds delivered over copper connections are maximised. BT is currently testing new technologies aimed at maximising broadband performance over copper, including a Long Reach VDSL trial on the Isle of Lewis. If successful, this should improve speeds across rural Scotland.

Any premise unable to receive superfast broadband speeds following the completion of the Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband programme, and not part of commercial deployment plans, will be eligible for future phases of public investment to extend superfast access.