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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: S5O-04083

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 January 2020
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 30 January 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has undertaken regarding the reported rise in student debt.

Student Loans Company statistics show average student loan debt in Scotland is £13,800. This compares with £35,950 in England, £22,920 in Wales and £23,550 in Northern Ireland.

Scottish students continue to have the lowest debt in the UK and since 2010, have had the smallest increase in debt when compared to students domiciled in the other UK administrations.

Our continued commitment to free tuition has played a major part in this, ensuring that Scottish students studying in Scotland do not incur the additional expense of up to £27,000 over 3 years that other students in the rest of the UK have to.

Question reference: S5O-04091

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 January 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 February 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how much time and money it plans to spend producing an alternative to the GERS figures.

Question reference: S5W-26607

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 December 2019
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 8 January 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Ferguson Marine now being under full public ownership, whether it will provide an update on the current (a) list of clients or customers under contract with the yard and (b) order book of contracts, both potential or confirmed that it holds, and whether it will publish a full report on which orders the yard held when it entered into administration and which remain on the order book.

Contracts for vessels 801 and 802 have been novated across to Ferguson Marine (801-802) Limited. The contracts for vessels 804, 805 and the HyDIME project are at an advanced stage of completion. The contract for vessels 803 and the Hyseas III project currently remain with FMEL in administration awaiting the conclusion of ongoing discussions with the customer and partners with a desire to assign once agreement has been reached.

Question reference: S5W-26608

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 December 2019
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 8 January 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken of the implications and consequences of public ownership of the Ferguson Marine shipyard in Port Glasgow in relation to EU state aid rules on its ability to participate in tenders for external non-governmental commercial works, compete as part of consortia in tenders and its ability to function as a fully commercial yard without limitations.

Question reference: S5T-01930

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 06 January 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 January 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the ferry cancellations that have led to visitors being stranded on the Isle of Arran.

Question reference: S5W-26605

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 December 2019
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 20 December 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether it remains committed to the wording, premise and terms of the Memorandum of Understanding it signed jointly with London Heathrow Airport in October 2016, and whether it remains its position that "Heathrow’s plan offers significant job creation, major investment opportunities and, crucially, seeks to address how all of Scotland’s airports benefit from the new runway capacity when it comes and also in the lead-up period", as stated in its public announcement of 10 October 2016.

Yes, the Memorandum of Understanding with Heathrow Airport will potentially bring significant job creation and investment opportunities to Scotland.

This includes a commitment from the airport to the procurement of a minimum of £200 million construction-related spend in Scotland during planning and construction. A reduction in charges has also been instrumental in the introduction of competition on services to Heathrow from Aberdeen and Edinburgh, as well as maintaining and growing the Inverness-Heathrow route. Four Scottish sites also remain in the process to be selected as the Scottish logistics hub for Heathrow expansion.

Question reference: S5W-26610

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 December 2019
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 19 December 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what actions it has taken in response to the Culture, Tourism, Europe and External Affairs Committee 2018 report, Making Scotland a Screen Leader; what support it is currently providing the Scottish screen sector; what progress has been made since the publication of the report to address concerns it raised, and how it is assisting the industry by ensuring the delivery of enhanced, fit-for-purpose studio and editing capabilities in order to compete in a competitive global market.

The Scottish Government remains focused on strengthening our screen sector and creating the conditions for continued growth across production, development, talent and skills. Since the publication of the Making Scotland a Screen Leader report, a dedicated screen unit to boost public sector support for film and television has been established with the launch of Screen Scotland in August 2018.

As part of Creative Scotland, Screen Scotland has been providing enhanced support for all aspects of Scotland's screen sector. New funds to support film and television production have been rolled out - a £2m-a-year Production Growth Fund opened in April 2018 and new £3m-a-year Broadcast Content Fund was launched in August 2018. The Production Growth Fund has already generated significant economic benefits - the first £3.7m allocated resulting in an estimated £60m spend in the Scottish economy. Since launch, the Broadcast Content Fund has made 26 awards to the value of over £3m supporting the growth and development of screen sector companies across Scotland.

Through these funds, Screen Scotland has supported a number of successful projects including Guilt , Outlaw King, The Vanishing, T2 Trainspotting, The Cry, The Victim and Elizabeth is Missing, while big-budget productions such as Avengers: Infinity War and Mary Queen of Scots have been attracted to film here, demonstrating Scotland’s broad appeal as a location to film.

Earlier this year, Screen Scotland signed a Memorandum of Understanding with BBC Scotland to strengthen the range of content being commissioned in Scotland and to increase representation and opportunities for Scottish talent.

Screen Scotland is currently progressing work to deliver enhanced film studio infrastructure for Scotland. Having published a tender seeking private investors to convert and run a studio in Leith, it is currently in advanced negotiations with a preferred bidder.

Having published a tender seeking private investors to convert and run a studio in Leith. Creative Scotland are currently working with the preferred bidder to complete the necessary technical and legal processes and they anticipate being able to say more early in the New Year.

Question reference: S5W-26612

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 December 2019
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 19 December 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how many gritters and winter salt treatment vehicles there are, and how this compares with each year since 2007.

The Scottish Government through Transport Scotland is responsible for Winter Service on trunk roads and motorways. The number of gritters and winter salt treatment vehicles in service each year is shown in the following table.

Year	Number of Gritters
2019	213
2018	210
2017	210
2016	208
2015	206
2014	195
2013	190
2012	190
2011	190
2010	164
2009	*
2008	*
2007	*

*Information not available as central records were not collated during this period

Question reference: S5O-03934

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 December 2019
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 18 December 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how it is tackling social inequalities within communities.

In 2018-19 we invested over £1.4 billion on support directed at low income families. This includes key investment to deliver more affordable homes, tackle fuel poverty, support our Attainment Scotland Fund and over £100 million to mitigate the worst impacts of UK Government welfare cuts.

Our new £11.5 million Investing in Communities Fund will provide vital support and investment to around 250 organisations to enable them to tackle poverty, inequality and rural disadvantage across our communities.

And our Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan outlines our concrete action to reduce child poverty. This includes plans for our new Scottish Child Payment, worth £10 per child per week that will be paid to eligible families with a child under 6 by Christmas next year.

Question reference: S5W-26611

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 December 2019
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 17 December 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent on trunk road maintenance, inclusive of all roads under its, and its agencies', financial or statutory responsibility in each year since 2007.

The following table summarises Trunk Road maintenance and operation investment by financial year. The totals include road and bridge maintenance, routine/cyclic maintenance, minor improvements, winter service and road safety improvements. The totals also include expenditure in respect to operational Design Build Finance and Operate Schemes (e.g. M74, M77, M80, M8/M73/M74 and AWPR).

Year	Amount (£ million)
2007-2008	262.1
2008-2009	236.1
2009-2010	250.1
2010-2011	243.4
2011-2012	231.8
2012-2013	243.6
2013-2014	259.5
2014-2015	265.5
2015-2016	275.2
2016-2017	305.4
2017-2018	372.7
2018-2019	437.2
2019-2020	474.3 *

* Projected spend to end of 2019-20.

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