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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-24333

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 12 July 2019
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 6 August 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, in response to the operator’s performance, whether it plans to initiate the break clause in the ScotRail franchise agreement and terminate the franchise in 2022.

Question reference: S5W-24335

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 12 July 2019
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 30 July 2019

To ask the Scottish Government by what date it would have to notify Abellio of a decision to let the ScotRail franchise expire at the first possible expiry date of March 2022.

Question reference: S5W-24334

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 12 July 2019
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 30 July 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-23751 by Michael Matheson on 25 June 2019, whether the group will be convened prior to the ScotRail franchise break clause review date.

There is not a defined "ScotRail franchise break clause review date" in the franchise contract. The public sector bidder stakeholder reference group will reconvene once the recommendations of the UK Rail Review, chaired by Keith Williams, are known. As indicated in my previous answer, this is likely to be in the autumn. The Group will then have the opportunity to discuss the recommendations and what that will mean for the railway in Scotland.

Question reference: S5W-24120

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 01 July 2019
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 22 July 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5O-02383 by Kevin Stewart on 20 September 2018 (Official Report, c.5) on funding for the Stranraer Waterfront regeneration, whether the £6 million will be in addition to any funding allocated through the Borderlands Growth Deal.

Question reference: S5W-23870

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 June 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 15 July 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the latest ISD Scotland figures, which show that, since the beginning of 2019, 642 patients in NHS Ayrshire and Arran have had to wait longer than 12 hours to be seen and were then either transferred, admitted or discharged.

Waiting Time figures recorded by ISD reflect the complete patient journey, not just the time a person attending A&E waits to be seen and treated by a member of staff – but from the time they arrive at the A&E department until they are either admitted, discharged or transferred to another hospital.

The Scottish Government continues to work closely with hospitals across Scotland, including NHS Ayrshire and Arran, to minimise unnecessary long delays in A&E departments and deliver safe, person centred and effective care to every patient, every time through the six essential action improvement programme.

To support this work and winter planning NHS Ayrshire and Arran received over £1.4 million in 2018-19.

Scotland’s core A&E departments continue to be the best performing in the UK and have been for almost four years. The level of attendances in NHS Ayrshire and Arran increased significantly this year; with the first four months of 2019 seeing a rise in ED attendances of nearly 5% compared to the same period last year. We continue to work closely with those boards facing the greatest challenges to support improvements.

Question reference: S5W-24017

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 June 2019
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 9 July 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the comment by the First Minister on 15 November 2018 (Official Report, c. 16) that "I understand and appreciate the arguments for a Galloway national park. We want to give full consideration to the proposal, and I am happy to ask the relevant minister to engage with...others who have an interest on how we can take the matter forward", what progress has been made with this consideration, and what action it has taken or plans to ensure that (a) Members, (b) public bodies, (c) the community and (d) other stakeholders can participate in this.

Question reference: S5W-23953

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 June 2019
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 27 June 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-23516 by Mairi Gougeon on 7 June 2019, what account the review of electronic shock collars will take of there being no prosecutions for causing unnecessary suffering since 1 October 2018.

Question reference: S5W-23954

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 June 2019
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 26 June 2019

To ask the Scottish Government by what date it will publish the responses to its consultation on proposed changes to the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006.

Question reference: S5W-23751

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 June 2019
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 25 June 2019

To ask the Scottish Government when the Public Sector Bidder Stakeholder Reference Group will next meet.

Question reference: S5F-03444

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 17 June 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 June 2019

To ask the First Minister whether she will provide an update on the Scottish Government's plans to sell Prestwick airport.