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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-21684

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 February 2019
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 7 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how much grant-in-aid has been paid in each year since 2008-09 to (a) Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd and (b) local authorities for pier and harbour projects.

The Scottish Government provides financial support to local authorities for piers and harbours as part of the annual local government finance settlement. Since the concordat with local government was established, there has been no separately identifiable ring-fenced funding allocation within the block grant and it is the responsibility of each individual local authority to allocate the resources available to them to individual services including support for piers and harbours.

In addition, the Scottish Government provides direct grants to owners of ports serving lifeline ferry services in support of major capital projects and, since 2014, through the Ferries Accessibility Fund.

The following table details the amount of grant paid to Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL) and to local authorities for pier and harbour projects from 2008-09 until 2017-2018. We are currently in discussion with a number of local authorities regarding the funding of a number of proposed pier and harbour projects which support lifeline ferry services in Scotland.

	Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd	Argyll and Bute Council	The Highland Council	Orkney Islands Council (Orkney Ferries Ltd)	Shetland Islands Council	Comhairle nan Eilean Siar
2008 -09	4,200,000	3,106,625	246,630	562,499
2009 -10	1,817,154
2010 -11	17,782,373	182,084
2011 -12	9,481,818	22,500
2012 -13	879,679	336,336
2013 -14	3,974,179
2014 -15	2,075,929			*14,500
2015 -16	4,469,967			*9,215
2016 -17	15,966,085			*10,895	*11,000	*4,527
2017 -18	6,069,610				*39,000

*Grant provided via the Accessibility Fund.

Question reference: S5W-21685

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 February 2019
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 4 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) young, (b) older and (c) disabled people have travelled on (i) CalMac, (ii) Serco, (iii) Pentland Ferries, (iv) John O’Groats Ferries, (v) Shetland Ferries and (vi) Orkney Ferries in each year since 2008-09, also broken down by what grant payments the operator received each year for these passengers.

Information on recent and historic passenger carryings for CalMac Ferries Ltd, Serco NorthLink Ferries, Shetland Ferries and Orkney Ferries is published in the Scottish Government’s Scottish Transport Statistics publication. https://www.transport.gov.scot/publication/scottish-transport-statistics-no-36-2017-edition/

In addition, CalMac Ferries Ltd and Serco NorthLink Ferries publish passenger carryings on their respective websites.

It should be noted that it is not possible to apportion public subsidy paid to operator’s based on passengers’ age or disability.

Pentland Ferries and John O’Groats Ferries are privately owned and as such, the Scottish Government do not provide subsidy or hold any passenger carrying data.

Question reference: S5W-21671

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 February 2019
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 28 February 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-20822 by Michael Matheson on 24 January 2019, whether any additional steps have been taken to prepare for the use of an operator of last resort for the ScotRail franchise (a) in the last year, (b) since the remedial notice was issued on 24 December 2018 and (c) since a second remedial notice was issued on 8 February 2019.

Question reference: S5W-21620

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 11 February 2019
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 26 February 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what its latest estimate is for the annual amount of subsidy that will be paid to Serco NorthLink in each year from 5 July 2012 to 31 October 2019 under the current Northern Isles Ferry Services contract.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-16302 on 26 February 2019 which details the amount of subsidy paid to Serco NorthLink Ferries from contract year one to contract year five (July 2012 – June 2017).

The Scottish Government paid Serco NorthLink Ferries £44,007,673 to operate the Northern Isles Ferry Service in contract year 6 (July 2017 to June 2018).

The total amount paid for contract year 7 (July 2018 to June 2019) has not yet been finalised.

It should be stated that the annual grant for each contract year includes the subsidy to support the services, fuel, port dues as well as all other maintenance and other necessary operational costs for all vessels including the vessel lease costs.

All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx .

Question reference: S5W-21621

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 11 February 2019
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 26 February 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what routine assessments it has undertaken of the suitability of bidders for the 2019-27 Northern Isles Ferry Services contract.

The pre-qualifying stage of the competition for the on-going Northern Isles Ferry Services involved inviting expressions of interest and asking prospective bidders to complete the European Single Procurement Document (ESPD). The ESPD allows bidders to provide clear evidence of their experience and their financial standing, to allow them to operate the ferry services.

Five expressions of interest were received and the three companies who passed the pre-qualification stage have been invited to tender.

Question reference: S5F-03110

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 25 February 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 February 2019

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s position is on a ban on live animal exports.

Question reference: S5W-21020

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 January 2019
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 4 February 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to record centrally data regarding the number of people with interstitial lung disease.

Question reference: S5W-21021

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 January 2019
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 31 January 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that clinicians dealing with interstitial lung disease follow the NICE guidelines, and what its position is on producing its own guidelines.

Clinical practice is a matter for clinicians and service delivery for Health Boards and Integration Authorities. Clinicians will use up to date clinical guidelines in providing care and treatment for interstitial lung disease, including those published by NICE.

The Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) develops evidence based clinical practice guidelines for the NHS in Scotland. SIGN guidelines are derived from a systematic review of the scientific literature and are designed to accelerate the translation of new knowledge into practice.

We are unaware of any new proposed guidelines submitted to SIGN on the treatment of interstitial lung disease. However, any group or individual may propose a guideline topic to SIGN and their selection process is detailed at: http://www.sign.ac.uk/about/proposal.html .

Question reference: S5W-21024

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 January 2019
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 31 January 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish the NICE protocols and guidelines for the treatment of interstitial lung that are used by local managed clinical networks and the National Advisory Group for Respiratory Managed Clinical Networks.

Question reference: S5W-21063

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 January 2019
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 31 January 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the introduction of smart ticketing services for passengers on each route operated as part of the public contracts for (a) Clyde and Hebrides, (b) Gourock-Dunoon and (c) Northern Isles ferry services.

Current proposals for the introduction of smart ticketing, as outlined by CalMac in their tender bid for the Clyde and Hebrides ferry service contract, are currently under discussion with Transport Scotland. With the incorporation of the Gourock-Dunoon ferry service into the Clyde and Hebrides ferry service contract on 21 January 2019, smart ticketing on that route will now form part of CalMac’s proposals.

The current tender process for the Northern Isles ferry services requires bidders to make arrangements for the introduction of smart ticketing in the first two years of the next contract.