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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-02051

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 August 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 22 August 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what the legal costs have been of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route project and what proportion of these costs is associated with dealing with objections.

The cost to date associated with the provision of legal services on the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route is approximately £1.13 million. This cost covers the provision of legal services in relation to the public local inquiry, current legal challenges against the project, complaints to International bodies (e.g. Aarhus Convention) and other planning appeals. The cost excludes staff costs incurred by Transport Scotland and the Scottish Government.

Question reference: S4W-02047

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 August 2011
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 16 August 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the UK Government about allocating a share of the profits from the sale of the publicly owned stake in the Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyds Banking Group to strengthen and regenerate Scotland's retail banking sector.

Question reference: S4W-01628

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 July 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 10 August 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether rail franchises make provision for operators to provide additional rolling stock when major events are taking place in Scotland.

Question reference: S4W-01627

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 July 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 4 August 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the review process for the renewal of the First ScotRail franchise will make provision for the introduction of new rolling stock on longer distance routes.

The process to renew the contract for rail passenger services in Scotland will consider the issue of the rolling stock used on particular routes.

The passenger fleet is leased from rolling stock companies and, with the exception of the new Class 380 Units, which will remain in Scotland, the leases will expire at the end of the franchise. The new contract will be let with sufficient time for the new operator to secure its fleet.

Question reference: S4W-01630

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 July 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 4 August 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how it monitors the number of toilet breakdowns on longer-distance train services.

Question reference: S4W-01631

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 July 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 4 August 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether customer satisfaction is considered when awarding rail franchises.

Question reference: S4W-01629

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 July 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 4 August 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what recent discussions it has had with First ScotRail regarding the number of toilet breakdowns on its longer-distance routes.

Question reference: S4W-01606

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 08 July 2011
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 4 August 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how much it expects (a) each local authority and (b) other public bodies in Scotland to contribute annually to the Carbon Reduction Commitment Energy Efficiency Scheme and whether it has discussed devolving the scheme with the UK Government.

The CRC’s first reporting year ended on 31 March. The UK Government estimates that UK emissions will be reduced by at least 4Mt CO₂ p/a by 2020 as a result of the CRC. But we don’t yet have participants’ footprint and annual reports, so it is not yet possible to assess the contribution that local authorities and public bodies in Scotland will make to the CRC, either in monetary or emissions terms. These reports will be published in the autumn.

The CRC is a largely devolved matter but Scottish ministers agreed to work in partnership with the UK Government and the other devolved administrations to implement the scheme in an undifferentiated manner across the UK. We did this following public consultation on the basis that it is in the best interests of Scottish participants because it best provides a level playing field, is simpler, more cost-effective and is more likely to achieve the desired level of emissions reductions.

Question reference: S4W-01632

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 July 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 4 August 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how the customer satisfaction rates of rail users are monitored.

Customer satisfaction rates of rail users are obtained during the National Passenger Survey (NPS) carried out by Passenger Focus bi-annually.

Transport Scotland monitors the results and works with ScotRail in addressing areas highlighted in the survey as areas of concern highlighted by passengers.

The current ScotRail franchise agreement also contains an obligation for ScotRail to utilise the NPS results when considering the training needs of its staff.

Question reference: S4W-01464

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 04 July 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 27 July 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with (a) the UK Government and (b) other bodies regarding devolving air passenger duty in each of the last three years.

As part of our engagement on the Scotland Bill in 2010 and 2011, the Scottish Government has repeatedly made the case to the UK Government for early devolution of Air Passenger Duty (APD). In our regular discussions over the last
3 years with the main Scottish airports and with airlines, we have also raised the devolution of APD and the opportunities that this would present for them and for Scotland.