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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: S5F-02834

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 26 November 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 November 2018

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to reports that ScotRail has failed to fully deliver 29 franchise obligations.

Question reference: S5W-19802

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 November 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 20 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what the estimated cost is of Transport Scotland's backlog of repair and maintenance work on bridges.

Question reference: S5W-19801

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 November 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 20 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many Transport Scotland maintained bridges have been identified as being in need of repairs.

Question reference: S5W-19804

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 November 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 20 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many Transport Scotland maintained bridges are currently out of use as a result of needing repairs, and how many have been out of use in each of the last five years for this reason.

Question reference: S5W-19803

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 November 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 20 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Government when it estimates the backlog of repairs to Transport Scotland maintained bridges will be completed.

We are unable to determine an accurate estimate for the time to clear the current bridge maintenance backlog because the calculation is dependent on a number of unknown variables, such as future funding levels, deterioration rates and network availability. We will continue to use well-developed asset management practices to ensure the areas of most need are prioritised to keep the trunk road network safe and available for use.

Question reference: S5W-19800

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 November 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 20 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what Transport Scotland's budget for maintenance and repairs of bridges has been in each of the last 10 years.

Question reference: S5W-19695

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 November 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 15 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-19440 by Michael Matheson on 31 October 2018, what the public performance measure (PPM) for each sector was at the start of the franchise commencement date, and whether all benchmarks are set in relation to this.

The Public Performance Measure (PPM) for each sector as at the start of franchise commencement is set out on the following table.

Express Sector Other	Express Sector E&G	Rural Sector	Suburban East Sector	Suburban West Peak	Suburban West Off Peak	Total
86.5	89.3	85.3	92.9	84.9	92.5	90.5

The specification for both the Cancellation and Capacity Benchmark at the start of the franchise commencement date is contained in the Franchise Agreement, with the link included in the PQ answer for S5W-19440.

Question reference: S5W-19657

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 29 October 2018
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 14 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the Dogs Trust’s latest report, Puppy Smuggling: When will this cruel trade end?, and what action it will take in response to the charity’s findings on the continued abuse of the Pet Travel Scheme.

The Scottish Government has noted the findings of the Dogs Trust report, Puppy Smuggling: When will this cruel trade end? and the recommendations contained therein.

The Scottish Government is committed to ending illegal and irresponsible trade in puppies and wider abuses of the EU Pet Travel Scheme. This is why our Programme for Government for 2017-18 included a commitment to work with charities and enforcement agencies to take forward the recommendations of research that we commissioned on illegal importation and sales from puppy farms. This work includes the delivery of an innovative communications campaign highlighting the risks of buying puppies advertised online to make it harder for dealers to sell illegally imported dogs to unwitting buyers. We have worked closely with the Dogs Trust and other animal welfare groups on this campaign, which has been recently launched.

As far as border checks are concerned, every pet travelling with its owner on an approved route is checked for compliance with the pet travel regime and the Border Force carry out a wide range of checks on animals arriving in the UK. Stringent penalties already exist for those found breaking the law by smuggling animals and/or using false documentation.

Question reference: S5W-19652

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 29 October 2018
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 14 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs regarding the illegal importation of puppies into Scotland from Central and Eastern Europe.

Question reference: S5W-19398

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 October 2018
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 14 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason reference to prong collars was removed from its final guidance on dog training aids, and whether it supports their use.

The reference to prong collars was removed from the final published Guidance on Dog Training Aids as it was felt that it's inclusion might divert attention away from the main intended focus on electronic collars. Unlike in the case of electronic collars, the Scottish Government has received no expert advice or opinion on prong collars. We therefore have no firm evidence-based view on their use, but would ask any dog owner contemplating using a prong collar, or any other aversive dog training aid, to pay close attention to the Scottish Government Guidance on Dog Training Aids. Causing unnecessary suffering, including through the use of inappropriate training aids, is an offence under the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2006.

Bridges Budget for Last 10 Years
Year	Final Allocation ‎ (£m)
2008-09	22.75
2009-10	21.75
2010-11	24.03
2011-12	17
2012-13	27.25
2013-14	35.5
2014-15	26
2015-16	39.1
2016-17	49.1
2017-18	65.2
2018-19	64