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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: S4W-30577

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 March 2016
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 18 March 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers that the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service’s intention to relocate the Museum of Fire in Edinburgh is in line with the Scottish Government's policies on the historic environment.

The decision to relocate the Edinburgh Museum of Fire is a matter for the Board of the Scottish fire and Rescue Service (SFRS)

The museum is currently housed within the SFRS property at Lauriston Place, Edinburgh. This building is listed at category A, and as such the local planning authority, in this case City of Edinburgh Council, must give special regard to the character of the listed building if proposals for change of use or alterations are being considered. The decision to grant or refuse planning permission and listed building consent is for the local authority in the first instance, although Historic Environment Scotland are a statutory consultee for applications which impact upon historic environment assets.

Although SFRS intend that the building at Lauriston will be sold, the Museum of Fire would not be lost to the city with the contents being retained, protected and relocated in a new site elsewhere and that SFRS would seek to improve the accessibility of the collection to increase the level of patronage.

Question reference: S4W-30576

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 March 2016
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 17 March 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to (a) ensure that public procurement of IT does not enable abusive labour practices and (b) affiliate with Electronics Watch.

The Scottish Government’s standard terms and conditions of contract include clauses on corruption, equality, black-listing, payment of subcontractors and protection of the environment. We recognise that abusive labour practices are a concern in IT procurement, and have included targeted clauses to address this in IT frameworks. These frameworks are available for use across the Scottish public sector, charities and voluntary organisations.

While we appreciate the work Electronics Watch are doing, we are already including fair work requirements and appropriate clauses in our IT frameworks, and have identified that there are a range of sectors where labour conditions are a concern. We are therefore tackling this matter, with the support of the Scottish Fair Trade Forum and the Equality and Human Rights Commission in a number of areas.

Question reference: S4W-29735

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 05 February 2016
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 24 February 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what (a) its position is on and (b) guidance it provides to local authorities regarding closing streets to cars at certain times of the day to allow (i) children to play outdoors close to home and (ii) regular community events to take place.

Local authorities are responsible under the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 for the management and maintenance of local roads within their areas. Where necessary, this includes restricting local roads for events. In certain circumstances Scottish Ministers’ consent is required to make a temporary traffic regulation order that closes or restricts a road for a special event. Guidance on this matter was issued to local authorities in September 2015.

This government is aware of the issues that residents face with regard to temporary road closures for the purposes of play. We are evaluating lessons learned from successful resident-led projects elsewhere in the UK and considering how that learning might be applied in Scotland.

Question reference: S4O-05574

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 February 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 February 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure equal access to justice in environmental matters.

Question reference: S4W-29475

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 25 January 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 11 February 2016

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the public health impacts of underground coal gasification are not being assessed by Health Protection Scotland.

Underground coal gasification (UCG) employs different technology to that used for unconventional oil and gas extraction, and it is therefore appropriate for the two to be considered separately.

On 8 October 2015 the Scottish Government announced a moratorium on UCG and an independent examination of the issues and evidence surrounding the technology, to be led by Professor Campbell Gemmell. Professor Gemmell will seek stakeholder input on a range of issues, including public health.

Information on the independent review of UCG can be found on the Scottish Government website at

http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Business-Industry/Energy/onshoreoilandgas.

Question reference: S4W-29519

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 January 2016
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 4 February 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reported freight congestion on the A75, what plans it has to reopen the Dumfries to Stranraer rail line.

Question reference: S4W-29521

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 January 2016
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 4 February 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to extend the Borders Railway to Carlisle, and what action it has taken to establish the level of demand for such an extension.

The Scottish Government remain committed to support the development of a feasibility study to extend the Borders Railway line towards Carlisle and are working with the local councils, the Regional Transport Partnership (SEStran) and Network Rail. Current plans are that SEStran will appoint a contractor to undertake an initial study looking at high level connectivity to the network and any future demand assessment would draw upon the take up of existing services on the Borders Railway.

Question reference: S4W-29520

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 January 2016
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 4 February 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the (a) social, (b) economic and (c) environmental impact of the Borders Railway.

In March 2013, Transport Scotland published the Borders Railway Final Business Case which sought the approval of the Transport Scotland Investment Decision Making Board to invest in the construction of the Borders Railway. The investment case included an assessment of social, economic and environmental impacts. This is available on the Transport Scotland website at: http://www.transport.gov.scot/report/borders-railway-final-business-case

Transport Scotland will publish the ‘Borders Railway Baseline Study’ in the next month. Data from this study will be used to inform a later evaluation of the project. The report provides an overview of travel behaviour patterns and the socio economic characteristics of the area prior to opening.

Question reference: S4O-05560

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 February 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 February 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on extending train services between Edinburgh and Glasgow later into the evening.

Question reference: S4W-29194

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 January 2016
Current Status: Answered by Aileen McLeod on 19 January 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce the level of ultrafine nanoparticles in the atmosphere.

In November 2015 the Scottish Government published Cleaner Air for Scotland – the Road to a Healthier Future, which sets out a strategy to deliver further improvements to air quality over the coming years through implementation of a wide range of actions across policy areas impacting on air quality.

These actions will contribute to the reduction of fine particulate matter in the atmosphere. To provide a focus for action we are currently in the process of introducing a new objective for PM2.5 into air quality regulations. This is derived from the World Health Organisation's guideline value and will make Scotland the first country in Europe to adopt the guideline value in legislation.