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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-17380

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 June 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 12 July 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with Orkney Islands Council regarding the future procurement of car and passenger carrying ferries on inter-island routes.

The Working Group for Orkney Islands Council and Shetland Islands Council internal ferry services meets monthly, most recently on 21 June 2018. The Working Group consists of key stakeholders including both Councils, Transport Scotland, Regional Transport Partnerships and Highlands & Islands Enterprise.

Discussions include the future of inter-island ferry services. Strategic Business Cases were jointly commissioned and published on the Council websites in late 2016. Discussions are taking place around future support for Orkney’s inter-island ferry routes.

Question reference: S5W-17381

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 June 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 12 July 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the introduction of mandatory international limits on sulphur dioxide emissions from shipping from 1 January 2020.

The Scottish Government wrote to the UK Government in February 2012 regarding the European Commission's then proposal to introduce a directive on the sulphur content of marine fuels, noting the potential impact on the lifeline ferry network. Scottish Ministers and officials have also discussed the issue with the industry directly on an on-going basis, including at meetings of the Scottish Maritime Forum and Scottish Cruise Summits.

Question reference: S5W-17361

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 June 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 11 July 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-15888 by Humza Yousaf on 10 May 2018, what steps it took to ensure that a conflict of interest was avoided with the private sector (a) ferry operators and (b) consultant appointed by Audit Scotland to advise on the national audit of Transport Scotland’s ferry services.

Question reference: S5W-17362

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 June 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 11 July 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what steps (a) Transport Scotland, (b) Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd and (c) operators of subsidised ferry services in Scotland have taken since 1 November 2017 in response to the recommendations in the Audit Scotland report, Transport Scotland’s ferry services.

Transport Scotland sent its initial response to the Public Audit and Post-Legislative Scrutiny (PAPLS) committee on 20 November 2017. A further letter was sent to the PAPLS committee on 29 January 2018. Transport Scotland officials gave evidence to the PAPLS committee on 1 February 2018. The Minister for Transport and the Islands, Humza Yousaf MSP, wrote to the PAPLS committee on 20 April 2018. These documents should all be available on the Scottish Parliament's website.

As set out in these letters and in the oral evidence given to the PAPLS committee, Transport Scotland is developing an action plan to implement the recommendations set out in Audit Scotland's report. Further detail was provided in the letter of ‎29 January 2018. An internal steering group has been established to oversee this work. An early output of this work was the outline long-term strategy attached to the letter of 29 January 2018. The action plan will include a response to any conclusions reached by the PAPLS committee. In addition, Transport Scotland continue to engage with Audit Scotland on their report.

Question reference: S5W-17258

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 June 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 3 July 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether Transport Scotland holds any contracts with external consultants that include the provision of advice on the (a) tender process and (b) contract specifications in the next contract for Northern Isles Ferry Services from October 2019 and, if so, what the (i) duration and (ii) value is of any such contracts.

Transport Scotland currently holds two contracts with external consultants for the provision of advice on the procurement of the ‎ Northern Isles and the Gourock-Dunoon Ferry Services. Both contracts took effect from April 2018. One contract is valued at £100,000 and will end when that financial limit is reached. The other contract has an annual estimated value of £60,000 and is expected to end at the conclusion of the procurement process for the Northern Isles Ferry Services contract in October 2019.

Question reference: S5W-17158

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 11 June 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 3 July 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what it estimates the cost is to the public purse of procuring public services in the (a) rail and (b) lifeline ferry sector through the process of competitive tendering.

(a) I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-11184 on 20 September 2017. 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 .

(b) I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-06946 on 23 February 2017. 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

It is not possible to give an indication of costs for a future procurement.

Question reference: S5W-17160

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 11 June 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 3 July 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with trade unions regarding its Scottish Maritime Strategy, and when it plans to publish this.

Question reference: S5W-17257

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 15 June 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 3 July 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how much it paid Peter Brett Associates to produce Transport Scotland's Final Report - Appraisal of Options for Specification of 2018 Northern Isles Ferry Services, which was published on 25 April 2018.

Question reference: S5W-17255

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 18 June 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 3 July 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what improvements have been made to Northern Isles Ferry Services in each year since June 2012; how each of these was funded, and whether these resulted in any benefits for (a) public expenditure on the services, (b) passengers, (c) staff and (d) businesses.

As part of their bid for the Northern Isles Ferry Service Public Service contract, Serco NorthLink Ferries made a number of improvements, details of which are available from the redacted version of the contract, which is on the Transport Scotland website at the attached link;

https://www.transport.gov.scot/public-transport/ferries/ferry-services/#45751

The Scottish Ministers, as stipulated within the contract, may in terms of section 70 of the Transport (Scotland) Act 2001 make grants on such conditions as they determine.

Specific examples of improvements made to the services include; a) subsidy reduction of 36% during the first four contract years, b) introduction of the Magnus Lounge for customers, c) Investors in People accreditation award for staff d) procurement of local products and services for business.

Question reference: S5W-17259

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 June 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 26 June 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many bids from (a) public and (b) private sector companies it expects to receive for the next contract for Northern Isles Ferry Services.