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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: S5W-14898

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 26 February 2018
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 7 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how much money Scottish Enterprise has invested in video games companies since 2008.

Question reference: S5O-01822

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 February 2018
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 1 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the Edinburgh part of the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal.

This deal aims to deliver benefit right across the region. Good progress has been made on the new Impact Centre for performing arts, as well as the regional elements such as the integrated regional skills programme, the research development and innovation programme, the regional housing vehicle and the transport projects at Sheriffhall and West Edinburgh. Edinburgh will also benefit from the housing infrastructure fund which may help with delivery at the Edinburgh Waterfront.

We will continue to work with City of Edinburgh Council, all its regional partners and the UK Government to move this deal into its delivery phase as soon as possible.

Question reference: S5O-01807

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 February 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 February 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what actions it is taking to protect mobile marine species.

Question reference: S5O-01759

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 January 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 February 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what impact a hard Brexit will have on the Scottish economy.

Question reference: S5W-13787

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 January 2018
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 25 January 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment (a) it and (b) its agencies has carried out of the impact of (i) the Research Excellence Grant and (ii) other higher education research funding provided since 2009-10.

The Research Excellence Grant (REG) is allocated by the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) and supports world-leading research in Scottish universities, ensuring Scotland remains globally competitive and attractive to the best researchers.

In 2014, the then Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning, Michael Russell MSP, in his 2014-15 letter of guidance, asked the SFC, once the outcome of the Research Excellence Framework (REF) was known, to review the Research Excellence Grant and Research Postgraduate Grant, in preparation for future funding decisions to ensure they remained fit for purpose and continued to support research excellence.

The SFC carried out this consultation in 2014-15 and a revised Research Excellence Grant formula was agreed and supported by the sector. Changes to the Research Excellence Grant and Research Postgraduate Grant were implemented from Academic Year 2015-16 onwards.

Funding via the Research Excellence Grant takes full account of the REF scores which incorporate full recognition of the impact of research.

Question reference: S5O-01685

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 January 2018
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 17 January 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that young people in the Edinburgh Eastern constituency, particularly in more deprived areas, will be able to participate in the Year of Young People 2018.

Groups representing children and young people from all socio-economic backgrounds have been engaged from the outset of planning the Year.

Young Scot, Children in Scotland and the Scottish Youth Parliament have recruited over 500 young people to be Year of Young People Ambassadors and a smaller group of co-design champions called Communic18. This partnership worked with a range of key organisations to ensure young people from all areas of Scotland and from protected groups or vulnerable or excluded young people are involved in the Year. The Ambassadors’ role is to promote events and activities and create opportunities for young people within their local communities.

Question reference: S5W-13718

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 January 2018
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 10 January 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the recent appointment of the head of its newly-established Innovation and Investment Hub in Berlin.

Alexandra Stein has been appointed as Head of the Scottish Government’s Innovation and Investment Hub in Berlin, Germany. Alexandra has had experience across a broad range of senior policy and operational roles in the Scottish Government, many of which have focused on business and enterprise.

Alexandra has led the Scottish Government's sponsorship of Scotland's two national enterprise agencies, Scottish Enterprise and Scottish Development International, as well as its national tourism body, VisitScotland. In 2014-15 she undertook a
year-long fellowship programme in entrepreneurship as Saltire Fellow and Fulbright Scholar at Babson College in the USA, and has spent time in industry working in innovation and new technologies.

Since June 2016, Alexandra has worked on the interface of innovation, entrepreneurship and industry and led the Enterprise and Skills Review’s project to re-design business support in Scotland.

Alexandra will represent Scottish interests in Germany, strengthening bilateral relationships and promoting the development of new and existing partnerships between the two countries. She will oversee the development of trade and investment links, and cultural and academic ties. Alexandra will work in close partnership with SDI to deliver shared country objectives and priorities that reflect the direction set in the Enterprise and Skills Review, and the International Trade and Investment Strategy. She will also oversee and facilitate cooperative activity between Scotland and Germany to deliver positive outcomes especially in key sectors of the Scottish economy including energy; food and drink; tourism; financial services; and culture and creative industries.

Question reference: S5O-01654

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 December 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 January 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what support it is giving to creative industries and the arts.

Question reference: S5W-13264

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 December 2017
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 8 December 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the recent publication of the refreshed International Framework and International Policy Statement documents.

The Scottish Government has recently refreshed the International Framework and International Policy Statement documents, last updated in March 2015 and first launched in 2008. These strategy documents set out how our international work supports the Government’s central purpose of creating a more successful country, with opportunities for all to flourish through increasing sustainable economic growth.

Scotland’s Economic Strategy places ‘internationalisation’ at its heart alongside innovation, investing in our people and inclusivity and we have a strong and consistent commitment to international engagement.

In order to guide this work, these documents reiterate our four key strategic objectives:

- to strengthen our external relationships, partnerships, roles and networks;
- to build our reputation and international attractiveness, boosting our trade and investment;
- to enhance our global outlook to set the domestic conditions for success; and
- to encourage engagement with the European Union and protect Scotland’s place in Europe.

Under each of these four headings, we discuss our ambitions for our people, our businesses and institutions and for Scotland as a whole.

These objectives were first agreed with our partners in 2015 and remain as valid as ever, ensuring a consistent direction guiding our priorities for specific countries, regions and sectors and ensuring that we embed internationalisation in all that we do. As Scotland’s ambitions continue to grow, so does the importance of our country’s international reputation and the need to work with others to contribute to the success of the global community and operate as a good global citizen. Our International Framework and International Policy Statement will guide this work.

Question reference: S5W-13058

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 November 2017
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Keith Brown on 29 November 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what the outcome was of the most recent visit to North America by the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Jobs and Fair Work.

My visit to North America presented a valuable opportunity to build relationships that attract investment into Scotland and help Scottish businesses pursue international growth opportunities which in turn contribute to Scotland’s international success and economic growth. I undertook senior level meetings with potential investors plus, networking events covering a range of sectors, all of which are geared to influence future trade and investment decisions for Scotland.