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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-12969

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 24 November 2017
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 7 December 2017

To ask the Scottish Government who authorised the rebranding of police vehicles to include Gaelic language, and how much the rebranding has cost.

Question reference: S5O-01544

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 November 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 December 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what the scope is of the recently-announced report on developing the A75 and A77.

Question reference: S5W-12212

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 27 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 21 November 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to promote Galloway as a visitor destination, and what future plans it has.

The Scottish Government provides funding for VisitScotland to promote Scotland, highlighting aspects and strengths of Scotland. VisitScotland have recently worked with Stena Line to brand up their arrival hall at Cairnryan with some local artwork to encourage visits to this area.

Forest Enterprise Scotland will continue to work with VisitScotland in promoting Galloway Forest Park and the Dark Sky Park in addition to providing infrastructure and visitor services, building on the estimated 433,640 visitors during 2016.

The Scottish Government set out in the Programme for Government our ambition for promoting the south of Scotland and Ayrshire as a tourism destination for coastal and forest tourism activities. We will continue to work with partners to promote tourism, particularly for heritage, culture and creative arts, wildlife and green tourism and local food and drink.

The future location of a substantive part of the Galloway Hoard will also provide opportunities for Galloway as a visitor destination.

Question reference: S5W-12564

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 November 2017
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 16 November 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-12211 by Kevin Stewart on 7 November 2017, whether it will provide the information that was requested regarding whether any of the £6 million investment fund to revitalise the waterfront in Stranraer has been allocated, and if so, to whom and for what purpose.

Question reference: S5W-11979

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 16 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 13 November 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to advise (a) local authorities, (b) Police Scotland, (c) health professionals and (d) other stakeholders that that the information-sharing provisions of Part 4 of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 were not within the legislative competence of the Scottish Parliament.

The Scottish Government published a news release on 28 July 2016 that the UK Supreme Court’s judgment:

• Ruled that the principle of providing a named person for every child does not breach human rights and is compatible with EU law
• Rejected the petitioners’ argument that the legislation relates to reserved matters
• Ruled that changes are required to the information-sharing provisions of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act to make those provisions compatible with Article 8 of the ECHR.

https://news.gov.scot/news/supreme-court-rules-on-named-person

Scottish Government officials informed stakeholders working in children’s services on the outcome of the Supreme Court judgment on 28 July 2016.

I advised the Parliament in my statement on 8 September 2016 of the next steps following the Supreme Court Judgment: https://news.gov.scot/speeches-and-briefings/statement-on-named-person-deputy-first-minister

Question reference: S5O-01467

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 November 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 15 November 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made with its commitment to modernise the prison estate.

Question reference: S5W-12053

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 16 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 7 November 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many times it has been lobbied by Dumfries and Galloway Council since May 2017, and on what subjects.

The Scottish Government proactively engages with local authorities, including Dumfries and Galloway, both individually and also through local government organisations such as COSLA, throughout the year. As I mentioned in the Chamber in my answer to S5O-01345 on 25 October which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/report.aspx?r=11145.

I was pleased to have the opportunity to visit Dumfries earlier in the year to find out more about work to regenerate the town centre. While on 13 September, the Cabinet Secretary for the Economy, Jobs and Fair Work met the South of Scotland alliance, including the leader of Dumfries and Galloway Council, to discuss the establishment of the South of Scotland enterprise agency.

Question reference: S5W-12211

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 27 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 7 November 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether the £6 million investment fund to revitalise the waterfront in Stranraer has been allocated, and if (a) so, to whom and for what purpose, and (b) not, how it can be accessed.

Question reference: S5W-12160

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 7 November 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what consultation it had with VisitScotland prior to the announcement to close Tourist Information centres in the south west.

As part of the sponsorship arrangements that are in place with non-departmental public bodies, Scottish Ministers and their Officials meet regularly with VisitScotland across a range of operational and strategic issues to help grow sustainable and inclusive tourism across Scotland.

VisitScotland’s strategic guidance directs it to pursuing this growth through “the delivery of a modern visitor information strategy, which makes best use of existing digital and physical assets." This approach supports that delivery.

Further information on the VisitScotland Information Strategy may be found using the url http://www.visitscotland.org/what_we_do/visitor_information.aspx

Question reference: S5W-11948

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 3 November 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is aware of any regulation changes being proposed by the Isle of Man Government that would have a detrimental effect on Scotland's scallop fishing industry.

We are informed that based on a scientific stock assessment of the king scallop stock within the Isle of Man territorial sea, a total allowable catch for the season commencing 1 November 2017 is going to be introduced of 3,203 tonnes.

All vessels operating in the fishery will be limited to catching 1,050 kilograms per day from the Isle of Man territorial sea.

Both of these measures will restrict the quantity of king scallops that all vessels are able to landing during the season.

The Scottish Government advocate a catch limitation on a weekly basis, rather than a limitation per day, as this would take greater account of the range of vessels prosecuting the fishery (for example, those vessels travelling greater distances or larger vessels with higher running costs).

The Scottish Government continues to make representations to the Isle of Man Government for an allocation based on a weekly basis.