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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-17315

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 18 June 2018
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 23 July 2018

To ask the Scottish Government which stakeholders will be consulted when assessing the impact of the pilot project to recruit wildlife and rural crime special constables for the Cairngorms National Park.

The impact of the pilot project to recruit and deploy wildlife and rural crime Special Constables in the Cairngorms National Park (CNP) will be discussed with the Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA), Community Policing Teams and the CNP project officers. The activities of the project are also discussed at the geographical Partnership for Action Against Wildlife Crime (PAW) Scotland groups located within the CNP geographical area. Those involved are statutory and non-statutory organisations, including the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, the British Association for Shooting and Conservation, Scottish Natural Heritage and river associations.

Question reference: S5W-17314

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 18 June 2018
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 23 July 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what benchmarks it has set for the pilot project to recruit wildlife and rural crime special constables for the Cairngorms National Park, and how any outcomes regarding these benchmarks will be measured.

The benchmarks for the pilot project to recruit and deploy wildlife and rural crime Special Constables in the Cairngorms National Park are currently being finalised by Police Scotland.

A key benchmark is likely to be the delivery of training suited to the role of these Special Constables. A successful outcome will be that this training is put into practice, that these officers address the specific needs and demands of their wildlife and rural crime role within the Cairngorms National Park and that the service they deliver is consistent with best practice both legally and operationally.

Police Scotland are currently carrying out a review of activity during the first quarter following the launch of the pilot project and will be discussing measurement of outcomes with the Cairngorms National Park Authority.

Question reference: S5W-17379

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 June 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 20 July 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what recent developments there have been in EU-funded projects in the Scottish shipbuilding industry.

Port Glasgow-based Ferguson Marine Engineering Limited has successfully led a European consortium in a successful bid for EU funding support to pave the way for the building and launch of the world’s first sea-going car and passenger ferry fuelled by hydrogen. The supported development of the construction and testing of a hydrogen-powered maritime drivetrain for future deployment within a ferry is expected to cost around 12.6 million, of which 9.3 million has been awarded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation fund.

Question reference: S5W-17561

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 29 June 2018
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 20 July 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when the Scottish Food Commission's recommendations for a Good Food Nation Bill will be progressed.

Question reference: S5W-17363

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 June 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 19 July 2018

To ask the Scottish Government when the final report from the Ferry Services Procurement Policy Review will be published.

Question reference: S5W-17382

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 June 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 19 July 2018

To ask the Scottish Government when the two dual-fuel ferries ordered by Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd from Ferguson Marine will enter service on Clyde and Hebrides routes operated by Caledonian MacBrayne.

Ferguson Marine Engineering Ltd (FMEL) have notified Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL) of delays to the construction of these new vessels. A revised delivery programme is currently being discussed by FMEL and CMAL. We will inform Parliament when revised timescales have been agreed in the next few weeks.

Following delivery, CalMac Ferries Ltd require around two months for trials and crew familiarisation before each vessel is fully deployed on the Clyde and Hebrides ferry network.

Question reference: S5W-17384

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 June 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 19 July 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on the HySeas III Hydrogen Ferry Consortium.

Question reference: S5W-17364

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 June 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 18 July 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the (a) procurement approach and (b) financing mechanism used by Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd for the MV Loch Seaforth, and which of these processes will be considered in its future ferry procurement exercises.

Every two years Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL) are subject to a Procurement and Commercial Improvement Programme (PCIP) review by the Scottish Procurement and Commercial Directorate of the Scottish Government. Whilst these reviews do not provide specific information on individual projects, they do give Ministers assurance on the company's overall procurement approach.

In addition, CMAL are required to follow the Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014, which provides a national legislative framework for sustainable public procurement that supports Scotland’s economic growth through improved procurement practice.

As stated in the Scottish Ferries Services Plan (2013-2022), “our preference for the planned vessel replacement programme is therefore to fund these replacements through capital loans from the Scottish Government to CMAL.”

Question reference: S5W-17365

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 June 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 18 July 2018

To ask the Scottish Government in which years since July 2012 Serco NorthLink’s annual profit has (a) reached and (b) exceeded the cap in its contract with Transport Scotland for Northern Isles Ferry Services.

Question reference: S5W-17360

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 June 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 12 July 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-15888 by Humza Yousaf on 10 May 2018, when it was first informed of the membership of the advisory group appointed by Audit Scotland to advise on the national audit of Transport Scotland’s ferry services.