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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: S6W-00068

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 May 2021
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 2 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it had with Police Scotland and Rangers FC prior to 15 May 2021 regarding potential concerns in relation to the mass gathering of football fans.

Question reference: S6W-00069

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 May 2021
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 2 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what steps were taken by Police Scotland and others prior to the Rangers football fans gatherings on 15 May 2021 to avoid such large events.

The Scottish Government worked closely with Rangers Football Club, Police Scotland and Glasgow City Council to prepare and provide appropriate communications and support the policing plan informed by the events of 6 and 7 March when Rangers FC were confirmed as champions and cognisant of the significant occasion for the club.

Operational policing decisions are matters for the Chief Constable, however Police Scotland confirmed that an appropriate policing plan was in place to maintain public safety and minimise any disruption to the community.

Question reference: S6W-00070

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 May 2021
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 2 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many arrests were made by Police Scotland following the behaviour of some Rangers football fans on 15 May 2021 in Glasgow.

Question reference: S6W-00060

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 17 May 2021
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 2 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether international travel guidance will be updated to differentiate between people who are travelling for the purpose of visiting family members and those who are travelling for a holiday.

Travel restrictions are in place to prevent cases of COVID-19 being imported to Scotland. Travel restrictions will be in place as long as they are required and Scottish Government will continue to liaise with affected groups and stakeholders over any restrictions and exemptions that may apply.

The list of countries is kept under review and subject to change. Countries are classified based on analysis by the Joint Biosecurity Centre, according to a methodology agreed by the four UK Chief Medical Officers. The Scottish Government continues to advise caution when it comes to international travel

Question reference: S6W-00055

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 17 May 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 2 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with ScotRail in regard to the ongoing industrial action.

Responsibility for collective bargaining rests with ScotRail and the Unions concerned. The Scottish Government has advised both railway Unions and ScotRail of the substantial additional funding provided to maintain full employment of railway staff throughout the pandemic period. And therefore, that any pay increase, including any further increase to overtime payments for rest day working, would need to be funded by efficiencies agreed through meaningful discussions.

Throughout the process, the Scottish Government has encouraged all parties to resolve this issue for the benefit of passengers, staff, the environment and the economy.

Question reference: S6W-00171

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 24 May 2021
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 2 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the letter of 11 February 2021 from the Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy to the Finance and Constitution Committee, whether it will provide an update on the progress since that date of (a) Project Silver, (b) Project Corpach and (c) Project Loch; how many additional jobs it anticipates each will create, and how this compares to the original business plan.

The GFG Alliance continues to invest in and progress its expansion plans for its Fort Williams operations and has published details on the ALVANCE Aluminium website https://alvancealuminiumgroup.com/news/expansion-plans-fort-william/ .

The GFG Alliance’s new investment plans still require to go through the formal planning approval process with the Highland Council. Depending planning approvals, the business has indicated that the new integrated business plan and associated developments will secure the long-term future of the Fort William aluminium smelter, safeguarding 200 direct local jobs and creating 70 new direct high quality roles.

Question reference: S6W-00172

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 24 May 2021
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 2 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether the milestone payment scheduled for March 2021 was delivered by the GRG Alliance to the Scottish Government-controlled project account, as reported to the Finance and Constitution Committee by the Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy in a letter of 11 February 2021; how much the payment was scheduled to be worth, and whether this was met in full.

Milestone payments are inter-company payments related to planned investment at the Lochaber smelter and are not payments due to the Scottish Government. No payments due from GFG Alliance companies to the Scottish Government are outstanding. For reasons of commercial confidentiality, we do not publish details of compliance with commercial contractual terms although such information may be shared in confidence with the Finance and Constitution Committee where appropriate.

Question reference: S6W-00198

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 24 May 2021
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 2 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to Glasgow City, on what date it was informed that the B.1.617 strain of COVID-19 was (a) a variant of interest or (b) under investigation, and on what date it was informed that it was a variant of concern.

The B.1.617.2 variant (subtype of the B.1.617 variant) of SARS-CoV-2, cases of which have been identified in Glasgow, was classified as a variant under investigation (VUI-21APR-02) on 28 April 2021. It was escalated to a variant of concern on 6 May 2021 (VOC-21APR-02).

Upon escalation, the Scottish Government worked with public health officials and have monitored the progress of this variant and have deployed appropriate measures where cases have been identified.

Coronavirus variants are classified a variant under investigation or variant of concern for the whole UK by Public Health England working with the other Public Health Agencies.

Question reference: S6W-00174

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 24 May 2021
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 2 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will immediately conduct a review of its agreements, documentation and contacts with the GFG Alliance in light of reports that the Serious Fraud Office has initiated an investigation into the GFG Alliance.

Question reference: S6W-00173

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 24 May 2021
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 2 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what due diligence it undertook prior to agreeing (a) the initial Lochaber Contingent Liability with the GFG Alliance and (b) the revised business plan.