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-02213

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 29 August 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 9 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government when it will put in place the £5 million fund to promote island and regional food and drink brands referred to on page 26 of the 2016 SNP manifesto.

Question reference: S5W-02215

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 29 August 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 9 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what plans are in place to appoint the national chef referred to on page 26 of the 2016 SNP manifesto.

Question reference: S5W-02219

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 29 August 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 9 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide the details of its plans to introduce the joint food industry supply-chain and public sector procurement taskforce referred to at page 26 of the SNP manifesto, including how the group will be constituted.

Question reference: S5W-02216

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 29 August 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 9 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its commitment at page 26 of the SNP manifesto, how it will encourage local authorities to procure Scottish produce.

The public sector in Scotland has made good progress increasing their sourcing of Scottish produce through their catering contracts with an estimated 40% increase since 2007. We are now in discussion with local authorities, and other parts of the public sector, to agree how we can work together to increase this further, including through the proposed joint industry/public sector taskforce.

Question reference: S5W-02203

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 29 August 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 8 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made in establishing a dairy farmers' crisis task force to address challenges facing the sector.

Question reference: S5W-02208

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 29 August 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 8 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government when a Scottish landings target will be set for fishermen.

The government will establish a Scottish landings target after discussion with fishermen, representatives of processors in Scotland and others with an interest. Government officials have in particular commenced discussions with pelagic fishermen and processing companies to seek agreement on how landings into Scotland might be increased over the 2016-17 winter fishing season. Progress in increasing landings over this period will be monitored.

Question reference: S5W-02206

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 29 August 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 8 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with representatives of the Scottish fishing industry on the phased implementation of the discard ban.

My officials last met with our Scottish Discards Steering Group on 24 June 2016 to discuss the discard ban, including the continued phased implementation of the ban in 2017. Further discussions on phasing will take place with the fishing industry when developing discard plans for 2018 which will be taken forward by Member States as part of the Regionalisation process.

I have met with a range of representatives from the fishing industry over the summer, including as part of the Fisheries Innovation Scotland conference on 22-23 August 2016 during which the implementation of the discard ban was discussed.

Question reference: S5W-01874

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 August 2016
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 7 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how the pay of a (a) cook, (b) chief steward and (c) worker on the 1B pay scale by CalMac compares with the equivalent by Marine Scotland.

Marine Scotland and Caledonian MacBrayne perform different functions, and operate under different terms and conditions. This means that rates of pay are not directly comparable. Different arrangements for pensions, levels of leave and National Insurance also make direct comparisons difficult.

The pay rates and scales for Marine Scotland and Caledonian MacBrayne seafarers are show in the following tables. These do not show any allowances that might also be paid.

CALEDONIAN MACBRAYNE
Job Title	Annual Salary (£)
Chief Steward	37675
Cook	29782
Seaman 1B	32998

MARINE SCOTLAND
Grade	Salary Scale* (£)
Chief Steward	28465 to 29579
Cook	26937 to 28287
Seaman 1B	24318 to 25543

* From 1 August 2016, only two increments for each grade

Question reference: S5W-02064

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 19 August 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 6 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether the recent announcement by the UK Government that EU structural and investment fund projects signed before the Autumn Statement will be guaranteed after the UK leaves the EU, applies equally to Scotland, and which schemes under the Scottish Rural Development Programme are covered by the announcement.

The announcement by the HM Treasury does apply to Scotland, and includes all CAP Pillar two schemes under Scottish Rural Development Programme (SRDP). However, it fails to provide comprehensive, long-term guarantees for any SRDP commitments after the UK Government’s autumn statement.

The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Constitution Derek Mackay and I have written to our UK Government counterparts seeking urgent discussions on these matters.

Question reference: S5W-01873

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 August 2016
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 6 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government on what dates since April 2016 Marine Scotland vessels have sailed without a full complement of crew, also broken down by the members of crew who were absent.

Since April 2016 Marine Scotland vessels have sailed with less than the full complement of mariners on three occasions.

8 May 2016 - Cook/Steward absent

30 May2016 - Seaman absent

18 July 2016 - Seaman absent.

In addition, over that same period, there were nine occasions when mariners had to be put ashore during trips for reasons of illness or domestic issues requiring a vessel to operate for a period with less than its full complement of crew. Where possible and practical absent crew are replaced by other suitably qualified mariners.

Marine Scotland vessels, like all UK registered vessels, are operated under the supervision of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA). One part of their certifications is a "Safe manning" certificate which lays down the minimum crewing to allow the vessel to navigate safely at sea. As Marine Scotland vessels have specific tasks whilst at sea they generally operate with a higher level of staffing.

Whilst short term crew absences may temporally affect operational capability the vessels are never at sea with less than the staff numbers and grades specified in their respective Safe Manning Certificates.