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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: S5T-01225

Asked by: Gordon MacDonald, MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 17 September 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the recent Migration Advisory Committee report and its implications for Scotland.

Question reference: S5W-18550

Asked by: Gordon MacDonald, MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 September 2018
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 13 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to grow exports, in light of the possible impact of Brexit.

The Scottish Government recognise that action is required to maintain and improve our export performance. The Programme for Government highlighted a range of measures designed to boost the value and range of Scottish products, services and businesses in overseas markets. A trading nation: our plan for growing Scotland’s exports will set out how we will achieve our export ambitions, working with industry and other partners, in particular the Enterprise and Skills Strategic Board. The plan, which will be published in Spring next year, is underpinned by over
‎ £20 million investment over the next three years. As part of that work we will:

Invest £2 million over three years to intensively support 50 high growth businesses per year to ramp up overseas activity and create 100 new business to business peer mentorships per year for new exporters;
Build on the investment we have already made to double the number of SDI staff in Europe by expanding Scotland’s network of in-market specialists to identify untapped potential in overseas markets and support Scotland’s exporting interests;
Increase Export Finance support for Scottish companies looking to enter new markets.

The Scottish Government has also made a support grant of up to £4,000 per company available to help businesses in Scotland mitigate the risks that Brexit presents and to capitalise on export opportunities. In addition, Scottish Enterprise has created a toolkit to support businesses that includes a 15 point Brexit impacts checklist, access to export advisers and support to businesses to build an action plan specific to their needs.

Question reference: S5O-02364

Asked by: Gordon MacDonald, MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 September 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what its Programme for Government means for the long-term level of infrastructure spend in Edinburgh and across Scotland.

Question reference: S5O-02345

Asked by: Gordon MacDonald, MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 September 2018
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 12 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to develop the food and drink sector, including through the tourism industry.

This is such an important area for us in Scotland. The industry-led food and drink strategy “Ambition 2030” sets out our partnership vision for development of the Food and Drink Sector, including the importance of working closely with the tourism industry.

On 27 August the First Minister launched our first ever Food Tourism Action Plan – Food Tourism Scotland – the overarching aspiration of that is to double the annual visitor spend on food and drink to £2bn by 2030 and there are a number of actions detailed as to how we achieve that.

Question reference: S5O-02303

Asked by: Gordon MacDonald, MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 August 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the potential impact on Scotland of the UK Government’s recently published technical notices to prepare for leaving the EU without a withdrawal agreement.

Question reference: S5W-17189

Asked by: Gordon MacDonald, MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 11 June 2018
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 19 June 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how it will continue to attract foreign direct investment.

There is a range of actions that the Scottish Government is taking to attract foreign direct investment, which according to the 2018 EY Attractiveness Survey places Scotland as the top in the UK outside of London for foreign direct investment projects and leading the UK in attracting Research and Development projects.

Through the work of Scottish Development International with its network of offices in more than 20 countries around the world, investors receive on-going tailored and bespoke support before, during and after making an investment to ensure they realise their true potential in Scotland.

A new Directorate for International Trade and Investment has been established in the Scottish Government. Its aims include convening, constructively engaging with and helping co-ordinate and champion the work of Scottish Development International and other key stakeholders as they support and attract existing and new foreign direct investors. One initiative underway is the Inward Investment Forum which enables the Scottish Government and Scottish Development International to listen to and engage with Scotland's major inward investors, while enabling investors to share their views, experience and expertise. This insight will help us to create the right business environment for inward investment to thrive.

Through the Innovation and Investment Hubs in London, Brussels, Dublin and Berlin, with a further Hub to open in Paris, we have established a permanent presence from which we can engage with potential investors and showcase Scottish assets. The Hubs have been complemented by an increase in the number of SDI staff in the Hubs and throughout the global network of offices.

The Enterprise and Skills Review International Phase 2 report of June 2017 set out a range of objectives designed to boost Scotland’s exports and attract more inward investment. Whilst most of the actions contained in the report have been completed, we are continuing to work in partnership with the enterprise agencies, local government, universities, colleges and the Scottish Cities Alliance to attract more inward investment and co-ordinate our international activities to maximise the benefit for Scotland.

Question reference: S5W-16902

Asked by: Gordon MacDonald, MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 May 2018
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 19 June 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has invested in the college estate since 2007, also broken down by college.

Since 2007 (1) the Scottish Government has invested £704 million in the college estate ( 2) This investment, broken down by college, is noted in the following table.

Since 2012-13 a further £330 million has been invested through Non-Profit Distribution (NPD). The Scottish Government also funds the unitary charge on the NPD college projects (3)

College	Total capital funding 2007-18 (formulaic & projects)
Aberdeen College	22,496,223
Adam Smith College	9,447,958
Angus College	3,168,723
Anniesland College	45,960,931
Ayr College	8,650,699
Ayrshire College	13,190,889
Banff & Buchan College of Further Education	24,386,567
Barony College	1,064,694
Borders College	19,430,653
Cardonald College	5,920,999
Carnegie College	5,615,212
Central College of Commerce	2,981,252
City of Glasgow College	28,400,082
Clydebank College	9,531,475
Coatbridge College	20,607,430
Cumbernauld College	3,562,195
Dumfries & Galloway College	24,811,544
Dundee and Angus College	6,563,533
Dundee College	37,854,197
Edinburgh's Telford College	8,752,227
Edinburgh College	24,040,436
Elmwood College	2,190,438
Fife College	14,309,435
Forth Valley College	56,718,469
Glasgow Clyde College	8,255,372
Glasgow College of Nautical Studies	21,122,641
Glasgow Kelvin College	6,553,944
Glasgow Metropolitan College	5,250,493
Inverness College UHI	13,400,015
James Watt College of Further & Higher Education	11,330,398
Jewel & Esk College	27,396,967
John Wheatley College	2,863,270
Kilmarnock College	6,337,007
Langside College	35,991,485
Lews Castle College UHI	1,692,355
Moray College UHI	3,236,207
Motherwell College	46,428,145
New College Lanarkshire	11,744,038
Newbattle Abbey College	690,499
North East Scotland College	8,477,588
North Glasgow College	24,905,814
North Highland College UHI	5,669,169
Oatridge College	1,260,752
Orkney College UHI	1,333,809
Perth College UHI	3,994,483
Reid Kerr College	6,336,460
Sabhal Mor Ostaig UHI	2,100,000
Shetland College UHI	1,878,461
South Lanarkshire College	8,891,749
SRUC	2,416,495
Stevenson College	6,426,663
Stow College	4,464,718
West College Scotland	10,195,717
West Lothian College	11,851,851
West Highland College	2,173,489
Total	704,326,315

(1) 2007 to 2018 spans the period where the sector underwent major regional mergers: some investments were in campuses which are now part of larger regional colleges.

(2) That is, since 2007, colleges have received £704 million grant payments for capital from the Scottish Funding Council.

(3) Since 2012-13 Scottish Government has funded the following unitary charges: Ayrshire College - £7,138,762: City of Glasgow - £36,785,000; Inverness College UHI - £12,438,272.

Question reference: S5O-02255

Asked by: Gordon MacDonald, MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 June 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 June 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how the NHS supports the health and wellbeing of prisoners in HM Prison Edinburgh.

Question reference: S5O-02204

Asked by: Gordon MacDonald, MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 May 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 7 June 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what powers it has to intervene in semi-rural areas where broadband provision is inadequate.

The delivery of telecoms services in Scotland is a matter reserved to the UK Government.

In spite of this, the Scottish Government has chosen to act, and is now working to build upon the success of the Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband roll-out, which - combined with commercial coverage - has delivered over 98% superfast fibre coverage in the City of Edinburgh Council area.

We have announced a substantial investment of £600 million in the initial phase of the Reaching 100% programme, as per our commitment to deliver 100% superfast broadband access across the country.

Procurement is well underway, and I believe the allocation of funding for each of the three lots – with the majority going to the North and South lots – reinforces our view that public spending should be focussed where it is needed most – in rural Scotland.

Question reference: S5W-16636

Asked by: Gordon MacDonald, MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 May 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 29 May 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what input it has had in the UK Government’s discussions regarding a customs union or partnership when the UK leaves the EU.

The Scottish Government has made its views clear repeatedly to the UK Government that if Brexit is to happen then Scotland and the UK should remain within the Customs Union. However, it is not clear what the UK Government’s position is regarding customs arrangements with the European Union following the UK’s withdrawal from the EU, nor how the position of the Scottish Government has been considered by the UK Government.