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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: S5W-26204

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 November 2019
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 14 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-25898 by Fergus Ewing on 31 October 2019, by what date it will appoint the interim Chief Executive of the South of Scotland Enterprise Agency.

Question reference: S5W-25823

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 14 October 2019
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 13 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact on Caledonian MacBrayne (a) passengers and (b) staff of the ongoing delay in delivery of the (i) Glen Sannox and (ii) hull 802, and what the current length of the delay in delivery is in both cases.

We recognise the impact the delay in delivery of both the MV Glen Sannox and Hull 802 has had on the availability of vessels to provide cover in instances where technical faults have caused disruption and as cover during the planned winter maintenance of vessels, albeit reliability of the fleet in 2019 has seen improvement by comparison with the 2018 season.

In recognition of the importance of providing clarity on revised delivery timescales, the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Economy and Fair Work set up a Programme Review Board to report on the revised schedule and costs for the delivery of vessels 801 and 802 under construction at Ferguson Marine shipyard.

The report is expected to be submitted shortly. When that report has been received, and Ministers have had an opportunity to consider it, Mr Mackay will update Parliament on the content.

CalMac have been keeping crewing and training requirements for the new vessels under review and are reporting regularly to Transport Scotland officials.

Question reference: S5W-25821

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 14 October 2019
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 8 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what its plans are for fares reductions for (a) passengers and (b) non-commercial vehicles on the (i) Scrabster-Stromness and (ii) Aberdeen-Kirkwall route over the life of the 2019-27 contract for Northern Isles Ferry Services.

The 2016 SNP manifesto committed to taking action to reduce ferry fares to Orkney and Shetland. Despite positive engagement, a State aid complaint was made to the European Commission by Pentland Ferries on 8 June 2018 regarding our plans to reduce fares. At this time, we have therefore been unable to implement our preferred ferry fares policy of Road Equivalent Tariff on Northern Isles ferry services so far.

The Scottish Government is engaging directly with the European Commission on the complaints that have been lodged and we look forward, through that work, to establishing an agreed mechanism for delivering RET for Orkney and Shetland.

In the meantime, islanders travelling on Aberdeen-Kirkwall-Lerwick routes will receive a 20% reduction on cabin fares and a three-year freeze on passenger, non-commercial vehicle and cabin fares, coming into effect on 1 January 2020. This package of measures builds on the 30% discount for passenger and vehicle fares already enjoyed by islanders on routes to Shetland.

We are unfortunately not able to consider making any reductions to Pentland Firth fares at this time, until the State aid complaint is resolved. However Ministers remain committed to pursuing all avenues to deliver RET for Orkney and Shetland as soon as possible and to working in a collaborative manner with private operators to deliver the policy.

Question reference: S5W-26020

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 October 2019
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 7 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government when its review of the traffic regulation order process will begin, and what form it will take.

Question reference: S5W-26019

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 October 2019
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 7 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government when the provisions in the Transport (Scotland) Bill regarding banning parking on pavements and dropped kerbs will come into force.

There is a significant amount of work that must be done to implement all the regulations required for the Transport (Scotland) Bill in the coming 12 to 24 months. In addition, we are also working with local authority colleagues and other stakeholders on the development of the parking standards guidance required to enforce the national ban on parking on pavements, double parking and parking at dropped kerbs.

Question reference: S5O-03743

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 November 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 13 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the proposed sale of Prestwick Airport.

Question reference: S5W-25922

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 October 2019
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 6 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what responsibilities England-based retailers that deliver goods to Scotland will be expected to have in administering its proposed deposit return scheme.

The Deposit and Return Scheme for Scotland Regulations 2020, published for views on 10 September 2019, require that a 20p deposit is applied each time a single-use drinks container is sold to a consumer in Scotland. This extends to goods sold by way of distance sale (e.g. through an online grocery sale and delivery service). The Regulations also require retailers selling products by means of distance sales to provide takeback services from the site of delivery to consumers who have purchased those items.

Question reference: S5W-25971

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 October 2019
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 5 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of anticipated changes to services at (a) Lockerbie and (b) other railway stations in Scotland as a result of the award to First Trenitalia of the franchise to operate the West Coast Partnership.

Transport Scotland engaged proactively with all bidders for the West Coast Partnership to convey our aspirations for the franchise, which included requests for additional service provision. We have had initial discussions with the winning bidder, First Trenitalia West Coast Ltd, and await final details of their service, once the contractualisation process with the Department for Transport has concluded, so that we can assess the impact for Scotland.

Question reference: S5W-25884

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 October 2019
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 5 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to issue a revised climate change public engagement strategy, in line with the requirements of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009.

Question reference: S5W-25921

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 October 2019
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 5 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what economic impact assessment has been carried out to determine the potential impact of its proposed deposit return scheme on retailers located near the border with England.

The Scottish Government published “A Deposit Return Scheme for Scotland: Full Business Regulatory Impact Assessment” (BRIA) on‎ 9 July 2019. That BRIA identified that other deposit return schemes implemented internationally had increased cross-border trade as a result of consumers modifying behaviour. However, it concluded that, as a result of the relatively low levels of the Scottish population with easy access to the English market, the impacts of a Scottish deposit return scheme were unlikely to be significant.