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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-03451

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 1 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how many NHS locum consultants (a) have and (b) have not passed their consultant exams, also broken down by NHS board.

There is no such thing as a consultant exam, or any exam specifically linked to Locums. The end point for all UK medical specialty training in the UK is called the Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT), and all training programme are approved by the GMC as regulator of the profession. While the specialty training pathway varies in length depending on the medical specialty chosen, successful completion of the full programme must be demonstrated by accumulated evidence of achieving required standards and passing of relevant College exams before the award of a CCT. Achievement of a CCT formally recognises the individual as a Specialist in whatever specialty they’ve chosen, and permits a doctor to request their name be entered onto the relevant GMC specialty register, and apply for posts, including Consultant posts where the individual meets the specified criterion of the post advertised.

Question reference: S5W-03450

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 1 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how many claims Transport Scotland has received in each of the last three years for damage to cars arising from potholes on each trunk road, broken down by how many claims (a) were approved and the annual amount of compensation paid, (b) were rejected and (c) are to be resolved.

No such claims have been approved or rejected by Transport Scotland. Under the terms of the contracts between Transport Scotland and the Trunk Road Operating Companies, the relevant Operating Company is required to indemnify the Scottish Ministers’ against all third party claims on the network within their area. This is set out in the Operating Company Contracts which can be accessed on the Transport Scotland website via the following link: http://www.transport.gov.scot/road/maintenance/operating-companies .

Question reference: S5W-03584

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 07 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 26 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how many residential properties in the (a) Dumfries and Galloway Council area and (b) Galloway and West Dumfries parliamentary constituency have the broadband infrastructure capacity to receive speeds in excess of 24mbps.

The following table lists the numbers and percentages of superfast (24Mbps+) coverage in (a) the Dumfries and Galloway Council area and (b) Galloway and West Dumfries parliamentary constituency, in relation to the Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband roll-out, as of the end of Q1 2016-17. The Scottish Government does not hold information on the number of premises connected through commercial deployment of superfast broadband and, as such, cannot provide those figures. The percentage coverage figures provided in the tables below assume that commercial rollout is completed on time and in line with plans submitted to the Scottish Government through the Open Market Review conducted in 2012. It also assumes that all commercial coverage will be capable of delivering superfast speeds.

The Scottish Government plans to launch an Open Market Review, ahead of new procurement activity next year, to determine (a) what has been delivered commercially and (b) what will be delivered commercially over the next 3 years. This will require suppliers to provide speed information at individual premises level. We will use this information to define a new intervention area for future public investment in broadband.

Local Authority	Current number of premises connected to fibre broadband by DSSB	Current number capable of delivering 24Mbps+	%
Dumfries and Galloway	41,630	34,294	82.4

Parliamentary Constituency	Current number of premises connected to fibre broadband by DSSB	Current number capable of delivering 24Mbps+	%
Galloway and West Dumfries	18,121	14,998	82.8

Question reference: S5O-00254

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 October 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how it empowers communities to have more of a say in matters that affect them.

Question reference: S5W-03023

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 28 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work of the Stranraer taskforce, including when it will next meet.

Scottish Government established the Stranraer Taskforce to work with Dumfries and Galloway Council and a number of other local partners, to explore the potential for the future of the Stranraer Waterfront, following the relocation of ferry services from the town.

The Taskforce was intended to be a short-life group. It met on four occasions between February 2012 and April 2013. It was agreed at the last meeting that the partners would continue to work together to deliver the Taskforce's aims.

Dumfries and Galloway Council has the primary responsibility for and lead role in implementing plans in relation to the regeneration of Stranraer Waterfront. Officials are kept informed of progress as necessary.

Question reference: S5W-02355

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 20 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what suitable sites it has identified for new hydro-electric schemes.

It is the role of developers, rather than the Scottish Government, to identify suitable sites for new hydro-electric schemes in Scotland.

However, the Scottish Government is committed to encouraging and promoting hydro-electric power and creating a supportive environment. At present, over 70% of the small scale hydro projects in operation in the UK are in Scotland. This includes a number of community hydro projects and the recently consented, 600MW, Coire Glas project.

Question reference: S5W-02327

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 15 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will introduce a scheme similar to the UK Government initiative, Flood Re, and, if so, whether this will offer support to businesses.

Flood Re already covers the whole of the UK, including Scotland. It was designed for home insurance purposes as the UK Government felt that there was insufficient evidence to justify government intervention in the provision of insurance cover for small businesses. However, the Scottish Government recognises the challenges that some small businesses in flood risk areas may face, and was pleased to note the commitment given by the UK Government to monitor the insurance market for small businesses and consider the issue with the insurance industry if the situation were to change significantly. The Scottish Government will, of course, continue to work with the ABI, the UK Government and the other devolved administrations on this issue. However, as insurance is a reserved matter, it is for the UK Government to decide whether the scope of Flood Re should be widened to include support to businesses.

Question reference: S5W-02223

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 August 2016
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 15 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether any fisheries legislation introduced in 2015-16 will affect net and coble fishing and, if so, which.

The Scottish Government introduced the following regulations which may affect net and coble fishing depending on the categorisation of the conservation status:

The Conservation of Salmon (Scotland) Regulations 2016 prohibits the killing of wild salmon within in-land waters in areas below a defined conservation limit. Salmon stocks are managed on annual basis according to their conservation status e.g. the retention of salmon is permitted in category one and two area (where the probability of the stock meeting its conservation limit is above 60%) and introduces mandatory catch and release in category three areas (where the corresponding figure is less than 60%).

The Salmon Carcass Tagging (Scotland) Regulations 2016 introduce provision any net caught salmon in-river to be carcass tagged – tags can only be issued to net fisheries operating in category one and two areas; and

An extension to the close time was brought into force across Scotland in 2015 ensuring that any salmon caught prior to 1 April (and 1st May 2016 in the Esk district) each year must be released.

Question reference: S5W-02222

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 August 2016
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 15 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how many kill licences for fishing have been issued in Dumfries and Galloway since January 2016.

Question reference: S5O-00114

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 August 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made on the creation of new national parks and what consideration it has given to creating one in Galloway.