Chamber and committees

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: S6W-15952

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 21 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has ever carried out an analysis of any impact that jury duty citations may have on the wider economy.

Question reference: S6W-15950

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 21 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what data it holds on how many people have been excused as of right from jury duty in the past year, and, of those, how many were excused because they had (a) already served on a jury in the last five years and (b) been cited but not selected in the last two years.

Question reference: S6W-15953

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 21 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what data it holds on how many people have been cited for jury duty more than once in the past year.

Question reference: S6W-15024

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 21 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many meetings (a) CMAL and (b) Transport Scotland officials have had with representatives of Pentland Ferries, from 1 October 2022 to date, regarding vessel chartering on the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services contract.

There have been no such meetings with Pentland Ferries on this matter. Any discussions regarding the chartering of vessels for the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Service contract would be a matter for the operator CalMac Ferries Limited. However, the Minister for Transport met with Pentland Ferries 20 December 2022 for general discussion on the MV Pentalina Charter with Transport Scotland officials present in a supporting role.

Question reference: S6W-15642

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 06 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by George Adam on 20 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has released encrypted phone app, including WhatsApp, messages, in response to a Freedom of Information request, and, if so, on how many occasions.

The Scottish Government recognises that all recorded information relating to its business is subject to Freedom of Information law, irrespective of its format or the platform on which it is held. This includes any information held in or originally generated in WhatsApp or similar messaging apps.

The Scottish Government has previously released such messaging exchanges in response to Freedom of Information requests. However, to ascertain the number of responses which have included such exchanges officials would require to individually check every FOI response the Scottish Government has issued. For that reason, this information could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Question reference: S6W-15028

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 16 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what recent steps it has taken to ensure that the time chartering of ferries, to provide additional passenger and freight capacity on the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services contract, is compliant with the Fair Work Action Plan.

Time charter crew are employed by the vessel owner and therefore the onus is on them to ensure Compliance with the Fair Work action plan. CalMac Ferries Limited would only be responsible if the charter is on a bareboat basis or the vessel is owned by Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd. Consequently, both companies do insist that all crew are paid the real Living Wage on time charters, and if this is not provided by their employers they would supplement to ensure they equal the Living wage.

Question reference: S6W-15023

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 15 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the operational status of the MV Isle of Mull.

Question reference: S6W-15022

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 15 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the procurement of replacement vessels for the Oban-Craignure route on the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services contract.

Question reference: S6W-15027

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 15 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government on how many occasions ministers have met with representatives of the Clyde Catamaran Group from 1 October 2022 to date, and what the outcomes were of any meetings.

Question reference: S6W-15021

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 15 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the employment conditions of Scotland-domiciled seafarers who work on ferry services operated from ports in Scotland by (a) P&O Ferries, (b) Stena Line, (c) Pentland Ferries and (d) Western Ferries.

There have been no recent discussions with the UK Government on these specific issues, which are matters for the operators to consider. However, I have been in correspondence with the UK Government regarding wider seafarer employment conditions, including writing on numerous occasions seeking a 4 nations ministerial meeting to discuss the implications of the decision by P&O Ferries to sack almost 800 crew. The UK Government did not respond to these proposals, which was disappointing noting where legislative competence rests.

Shipping safety and seafarer welfare and employment conditions are matters reserved to the UK Government. The Maritime Labour Convention came into force in the UK on 7 August 2014. It sets out the minimum working and living rights for seafarers, with the onus on operators. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency are responsible for auditing vessels to ensure compliance.

The Scottish Government expects the highest shipping safety and crew welfare and employment conditions for vessels and personnel accessing Scotland’s ports and coastal areas.