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: S5W-19463

Asked by: Maureen Watt, MSP for Aberdeen South and North Kincardine, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 October 2018
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 18 October 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) in Scotland.

I can advise Parliament that a case of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) has been confirmed on a farm in Aberdeenshire.

In line with the disease prevention response plan, precautionary movement restrictions have been put in place at the farm, while further investigations to identify the origin of the disease occur.

This is standard procedure until we have a clear understanding of the diseases origin. While it is too early to tell where the disease came from in this case, its detection is proof that our surveillance system is doing its job.

The farmer has been advised and is co-operating fully. they and their household will continue to be supported throughout. Any farmer who has concerns should immediately seek veterinary advice.

There are strict controls in place to protect consumers from the risk of BSE, including controls on animal feed, and removal of the parts of cattle most likely to carry BSE infectivity. Consumers can be reassured that these important protection measures remain in place. A confirmed case of Classical BSE does not represent a threat to human health.

All appropriate steps are being taken to protect our valuable farming industry. Scotland’s chief veterinary officer is leading co-ordination of the process now underway, which involves government animal health officials, APHA and Food Standards Scotland.

UK ministers have been advised and Scottish Government officials are liaising closely with Defra.

Scottish Ministers will provide an update to Parliament on its return from recess next week.

Question reference: S5O-02392

Asked by: Maureen Watt, MSP for Aberdeen South and North Kincardine, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 September 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the fish processing industry regarding the impact of Brexit on people from the EU working in the sector.

Question reference: S4O-03664

Asked by: Maureen Watt, MSP for Aberdeen South and North Kincardine, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 November 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 November 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the livestock haulage industry regarding maximum driving hours and staffing challenges for livestock transporters.

Question reference: S4O-03599

Asked by: Maureen Watt, MSP for Aberdeen South and North Kincardine, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 October 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 October 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the effectiveness of the arrangements relating to the Property Factors (Scotland) Act 2011 and their operation.

Question reference: S4O-03511

Asked by: Maureen Watt, MSP for Aberdeen South and North Kincardine, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 September 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 September 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made in reducing the number of senior managers in the NHS.

Question reference: S4W-22342

Asked by: Maureen Watt, MSP for Aberdeen South and North Kincardine, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 August 2014
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 29 August 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken following Shell's announcement on 8 August 2014 of around 250 job losses in Aberdeen and whether Partnership Action for Continuing Employment has been involved.

We recognise this will be a difficult time for the employees who are affected by this announcement and for their families. The Scottish Government will provide assistance to those employees through our initiative for responding to redundancy situations, Partnership Action for Continuing Employment (PACE). Our national PACE team has already offered PACE support to the company and will work closely with the company’s appointed outplacement agency to minimise the time people affected by redundancy are out of work. It is expected that those employees affected will be informed by late October 2014. However, we hope the number of redundancies can be reduced through restructuring and relocation.

We welcome Shell’s continuing commitment to the North Sea, particularly their ongoing investment over the next few years of two billion dollars a year in Clair and Schiehallion. There is no indication that this will impact directly on North Sea production or field development. As Oil and Gas UK has stated, overall there was £14.4 billion investment in 2013 and the industry intends to invest a further £13 billion this year - this provides a clear signal that attractive opportunities still remain in the North Sea.

Question reference: S4T-00786

Asked by: Maureen Watt, MSP for Aberdeen South and North Kincardine, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 18 August 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 August 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the finding in the report by N-56 that North Sea oil and gas revenues could be six times higher than the Office for Budget Responsibility has forecast.

Question reference: S4O-03460

Asked by: Maureen Watt, MSP for Aberdeen South and North Kincardine, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 August 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 14 August 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made on the construction of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route.

Question reference: S4O-03419

Asked by: Maureen Watt, MSP for Aberdeen South and North Kincardine, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 June 2014
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 25 June 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made on plans for a new secondary school at Bobby Calder Park in Cove in Aberdeen.

I am pleased to inform the member that Bobby Calder Park has been identified by Aberdeen City Council as the location of the new secondary school to replace the existing Torry and Kincorth Academies, through the government’s school building programme, Scotland’s Schools for the Future.

My officials and Scottish Futures Trust are working closely with the council and I expect this project to start construction next summer.

Question reference: S4W-21330

Asked by: Maureen Watt, MSP for Aberdeen South and North Kincardine, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 May 2014
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Keith Brown on 28 May 2014

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress with the development of plans for the rail system.