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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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

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Question reference: S4W-30533

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 March 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 23 March 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what it will do to ensure that wind turbines do not endanger the safe operation of major and minor airports, particularly with regard to emergency landings.

The Scottish Government will continue to administer pre-application and post submission consultation processes on all proposals/applications submitted to Scottish Ministers to ensure that the views of all relevant aviation stakeholders are secured and taken into account. Similar processes exist within planning processes.

Whilst the Scottish Government will continue to work with relevant aviation stakeholders to identify and overcome aviation/radar barriers to deployment, it will never endanger the safe operation of major and minor airports, with regard to emergency landings or other flight operations. All consents and permissions for wind farms/turbines will be subject to adequate radar mitigation as necessary. Otherwise consent/planning permission will not be granted.

Question reference: S4W-30534

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 March 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 23 March 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to ensure that windfarms will not diminish the armed forces’ ability to detect hostile aircraft over and around Scotland using radar.

The Scottish Government will continue to administer pre-application and post submission consultation processes on all proposals/applications submitted to Scottish Ministers to ensure that the views of the MOD are secured in relation to air defence radar and taken into account. Similar processes exist within planning processes.

Whilst the Scottish Government will continue to work with the MOD to identify viable mitigation solutions to air defence radar problems, it will never seek to diminish the air defence radar capability. All consents and permissions for wind farms or wind turbines will be subject to adequate radar mitigation where this has been deemed to be necessary. Otherwise consent/planning permission will not be granted.

Question reference: S4W-30535

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 March 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 23 March 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it gave to turbulence issues arising from industrial wind turbines and their effects on air traffic safety prior to the approval of Whitelee Windfarm.

Aviation stakeholders were consulted in the original consent for Whitelee Windfarm and subsequent applications to extend Whitelee.

There is no evidence that aviation stakeholders objected on the grounds of turbulence arising from individual wind turbines affecting air traffic safety.

Accordingly this was not considered in the reports prepared for ministers.

Research work in 2015 undertaken by the University of Liverpool, relating to turbulence wake effects from turbines, post-dated these consents. This also related to a different scale of turbines, up to 30m. It showed for this smaller turbine size the wake is not strong to cause any significant upset to the aircraft at distances of five wind turbine diameters and longer, and did not allow for extrapolation to larger wind turbines.

Question reference: S4W-30448

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 March 2016
Current Status: Answered by Aileen McLeod on 22 March 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what action it takes to ensure that wind turbine construction near (a) public and (b) private water sources does not damage drinking water quality.

Responsibility for protecting drinking water supplies is shared across a number of different bodies and individuals.

In the first instance it is a matter for developers to identify any public and private water supplies likely to be affected by the development, so that any adverse effects from the development on the sources of the supplies can be properly assessed and any necessary mitigation put in place.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) has a role as statutory consultee to assess the likely effects of the development on the water environment, including water supplies; and to provide advice to planning authorities about any likely adverse effects on the sources of water supplies, with reference to certain parameters. SEPA relies on any sources and receptors of possible pollution being identified by the developer.

Before granting planning permission the planning authority should take account of any potential adverse impacts on the environment, including water supplies, whether public or private.

The responsibility for ensuring a supply is wholesome rests with Scottish Water in the case of public water supplies, and in the case of private water supplies with the owners and users. The Drinking Water Quality Regulator for Scotland (DWQR) maintains an overarching role, ensuring that effective monitoring and management procedures are in place, with enforcement powers for public water supplies to ensure a wholesome supply at the tap. The responsibility for enforcement in relation to private supplies lies with local authorities.

Question reference: S4W-30449

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 March 2016
Current Status: Answered by Aileen McLeod on 22 March 2016

To ask the Scottish Government which body is responsible for ensuring that private water supplies are protected from damage from third parties.

Question reference: S4W-30452

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 March 2016
Current Status: Answered by Aileen McLeod on 22 March 2016

To ask the Scottish Government which body provides the expertise to ensure that private water supplies are protected adequately.

Question reference: S4O-05693

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 March 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 March 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides to employers in the care sector to help them pay the living wage.

Question reference: S4F-03319

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 14 March 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 March 2016

To ask the First Minister when the Scottish Government expects a new film studio for Scotland to be delivered.

Question reference: S4W-29864

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 February 2016
Current Status: Answered by Aileen McLeod on 8 March 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what resources it has allocated to provide support for farmers until a decision on the future of the beaver population is made.

Question reference: S4W-29923

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 February 2016
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 1 March 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on introducing restrictions on charities and other third sector organisations in using public funds to lobby (a) it, (b) local government and (c) the Scottish Parliament.

A key theme of the Programme for Government is encouraging and facilitating participation by everyone in the debates and decisions that matter to them most, regardless of circumstances or backgrounds. We recognise that third sector and equalities organisations play an important role in this, providing a voice for communities on public policy, and bringing a deep level of insight into the issues faced by communities and the most vulnerable people in society. We have no wish to deter this important part of our democratic process, and have no intention of adding a clause to our grant offer letters, as the United Kingdom Government is planning to do.

Existing Scottish Government grant provisions give the required protection and would prevent the use of grants for party political lobbying activity. We therefore already have appropriate and well-designed controls in place to ensure that public money is spent for approved purposes only.