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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-20277

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 November 2018
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 12 December 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-19965 by Mairi Gougeon on 27 November 2018, whether the farmer will be given additional compensation, in light of the reported impact on his tourism business because his details were made public.

Question reference: S5W-20288

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 November 2018
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 11 December 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making with its commitment in the Programme for Government to create around 350 counsellors in to ensure that every secondary school has counselling services; by what date this target will be met, and how much funding is being allocated toward this.

The creation of school counsellors in school education across Scotland is part of a package of measures to ensure that children and young people get the support that they need. We know that early experiences have lasting impacts for childhood and beyond so early intervention is crucial.

We have developed a suite of aims and principles for the delivery of this commitment and are taking forward discussions with key partners. To ensure that the commitment is met in full by September 2020 we are providing a package of around £27 million in the first two years of implementation. This will support the delivery and employment of counsellors across Scotland.

Question reference: S5W-20279

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 November 2018
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 7 December 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the European Parliament resolution 2018/2774(RSP) on Lyme disease.

Question reference: S5W-20278

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 November 2018
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 7 December 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have Lyme disease.

Health Protection Scotland (HPS) publish numbers of laboratory confirmed cases of Borrelia burgdorferi as part of the annual surveillance report on Zoonotic disease in Scotland. The most recent report can be accessed here: https://www.hps.scot.nhs.uk/resourcedocument.aspx?id=6891

These numbers are likely to underestimate the total number of cases of Lyme disease because current guidance recommends that health care professionals treat patients presenting with the erythema migrans rash immediately with antibiotics, without requiring laboratory testing.

It should be noted that the data in the report for 2017 is provisional. The total number of laboratory confirmed cases of Borrelia burgdorferi in 2017 is 167.

Question reference: S5W-20046

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 November 2018
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 3 December 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-19417 by Aileen Campbell on 13 November 2018, whether it will provide the information that was requested regarding what initiatives are in place to allow larger, national-based charities to take on the responsibility of obtaining funding for smaller, community-based ones.

Question reference: S5W-20042

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 November 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 29 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Government when Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire councils must pay their contributions to the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR) under the terms of the contract.

The funding arrangements for the AWPR element were agreed in 2003 following the decision by the then Scottish Executive to promote the AWPR/B-T project as a trunk road in partnership with Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Councils. Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Councils are funding 9.5% each of the Northern Leg and Southern Leg sections of the project. Under the terms of the contract both Local Authorities are currently paying the relevant contributions.

Question reference: S5W-20041

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 November 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 29 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether the terms of the contract for completion of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR) state that it is not required to remunerate or borrow further funds to cover remuneration if acceptance of completion is delayed.

As is standard in Non Profit Distributing (NPD) contracts, the contractor will only receive payment for sections of the road when opened to traffic. Consequently, the contractor is receiving payments for the sections of road which have been opened to traffic at Balmedie to Tipperty, Parkhill to Goval and Craibstone Roundabout/Dyce Drive.

The costs of any remedial works and the ongoing costs of maintaining a construction workforce rests with Aberdeen Roads Limited and will not impact on the public purse.

An NPD contract by its nature means that the construction is privately funded. As such, a capital value of £530 million was borrowed by Aberdeen Roads Limited.

Question reference: S5W-20040

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 November 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 29 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what organisations it engaged with in preparing the design of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR) for tender; whether the original design and specifications required amendment, and, if so, at what cost.

Transport Scotland’s technical advisors, Jacobs Engineering Group, produced the specimen design for the AWPR/B-T project, prior to the main contract tender. Due to the Design Build Finance and Operate procurement model for the AWPR/B-T project, it is the responsibility of the contractor to produce the final design. Any costs associated with the development of this design are met at the contractor’s own risk.

The contract was awarded to Aberdeen Roads Limited (ARL) in December 2014. As such, ARL is responsible for the funding, final design, construction and subsequent maintenance of the completed scheme for a period of 30 years on behalf of the Scottish Ministers.

Question reference: S5W-19965

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 November 2018
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 27 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what compensation will be given to the farmer affected by the recent BSE case, given the impact on the individual of their details being made public.

Question reference: S5W-19963

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 November 2018
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 27 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on who revealed the location, name of the farm and name of the farmer affected by the recent BSE case, and whether it has undertaken a review on how this happened.