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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-15636

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 26 March 2018
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 16 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will bring forward plans to increase the maximum sentence for animal cruelty to five years and, if so, when.

Question reference: S5W-15638

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 26 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 16 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made on its commitment to allocate additional resources to Police Scotland to tackle wildlife crime.

Question reference: S5W-15637

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 26 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 16 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its commitment to introduce a dedicated Scottish wildlife crime unit.

Following discussions with Police Scotland it was decided that the most effective use of resources would be for the Scottish Government to provide financial support for a twelve month pilot project involving the establishment of a new group of Special Constables and their equipment in the Cairngorms National Park who will focus on tackling wildlife and rural crime. If the pilot project is judged to be successful, consideration will be given to extending the scheme to other areas of Scotland. This project was launched on 16 March 2018. The Scottish Government also agreed with Police Scotland to provide financial support for a new detective post, to be based at the Scottish Crime Campus at Gartcosh. This new post will join the existing Police Scotland wildlife crime staff at Gartcosh and will provide investigative support for wildlife crime cases throughout Scotland. The new officer has been recruited and is in post.

Question reference: S5W-15583

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 22 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 12 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to Dumfries and Galloway Council to host a permanent display of the Galloway Hoard at Kirkcudbright Art Gallery.

Question reference: S5W-15584

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 22 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 12 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what support it provided to National Museums Scotland to acquire the Galloway Hoard.

The Scottish Government contributed £150k towards the acquisition costs of the Galloway Hoard by National Museums Scotland. The total costs were £1,982,200 and National Museums Scotland also secured funding from The National Heritage Memorial Fund (£1 million), the Art Fund (£400k), and from individual members of the public, donors and Trusts (£432,200). Details of this funding package were announced by National Museums Scotland on 26 October 2017.

Question reference: S5W-15509

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 29 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to re-tender the contract for Northern Isles Ferry Services, and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

Question reference: S5W-15508

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 29 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a list of meetings it has held in 2018 with officials from the European Commission to discuss public ferry contract procurement issues, and whether it will provide a summary of the (a) issues and (b) ferry contracts discussed at each meeting.

No meetings have taken place in 2018 with officials from the European Commission to discuss public ferry procurement issues. We continue to communicate with the European Commission on these issues and have requested a meeting. We remain in correspondence with the European Commission about arrangements for this meeting and our future approach to the procurement of ferry services, details of which will be made available when we announce the approach to be taken to the procurement of the Northern Isles services later in the spring.

Question reference: S5W-15117

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 21 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many rail stations in Scotland are wheelchair accessible.

Question reference: S5W-15097

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 20 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what the 10 busiest routes operated by ScotRail were during the period 1 September 2017 to 31 January 2018, and what the (a) maximum recorded number of users, (b) total train capacity and (c) percentage difference between the number of users and capacity was for the period.

Question reference: S5W-15101

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 20 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a list of the Public Performance Measure Moving Annual Average (PPM MAA) targets for each rail period during the ScotRail Abellio franchise term.