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: S5O-00444

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 7 December 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on reports that the UK Government has informed local authorities that, from 1 December 2016, people who apply for, or renew, a taxi driver licence must provide proof of their right to work in the UK, even if they were born here.

The UK Government’s 2016 Immigration Act introduced a wide range of new duties including embedding checks into the licensing of taxis and private hire cars across the UK from 1 December 2016. Immigration control is reserved to Westminster despite when there is a clear impact on devolved matters.

The Scottish Government is concerned at the burdensome checks Scottish local authorities now must perform and we have made this case to the Home Office over the past year. We have also pressed them to provide guidance and support to local authorities on the new checks that they are to perform. The Home Office have taken some steps to reduce the impact on trade, and provided guidance and training for local authority staff.

Question reference: S5F-00498

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 14 November 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 November 2016

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to the recent survey by Nielsen that indicates that 69% of spirits sold in Scotland fall below a minimum unit price of 50p.

Question reference: S5O-00345

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 November 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what the impact is on Police Scotland and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service of having to make VAT payments.

Question reference: S5W-04005

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 2 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what the impact of an expanded Heathrow Airport would be on Scotland.

The impact on Scotland will be determined by how airlines and passengers respond to increased capacity being available. Potentially, airports with no service or limited services to London Heathrow could benefit, with wider benefits for Scotland from improved connectivity for business and new opportunities for inbound tourism.

Expansion at Heathrow offers strong incentives for all of Scotland including the creation of up to 16,000 new jobs and a minimum of £200 million construction-related spend during planning and construction. There is also the potential for the establishment of a new supply chain hub at Glasgow Prestwick Airport to support the building of the third runway.

Question reference: S5O-00230

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 5 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government when it will next meet the chief executive of NHS Ayrshire and Arran and what will be discussed.

Question reference: S5W-02638

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 27 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Isle of Arran not being covered by the Met Office mountain weather forecast, what discussions it has had with sportscotland regarding how the withdrawal of funding for the Mountain Weather Information Service could impact on the safety of climbers on the island.

The Scottish Government's priority is to ensure the long-term provision of critical mountain weather forecasting and that is precisely what will be delivered. I can confirm that this includes funding to Mountain Weather Information Service (MWIS) for the next three years to allow the continuation of this trusted and valued service.

The future service will be informed by both users and providers such as MWIS to ensure any future service will be enhanced.

Question reference: S5F-00248

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 September 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 September 2016

To ask the First Minister what plans the Scottish Government has to honour Scotland’s Paralympians.

Question reference: S5W-01707

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 July 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 15 August 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that the membership of the Clyde Marine Planning Partnership achieves parity between all stakeholders; who will be responsible for this and, if applications for membership are rejected, what appeal process will be available.

The Marine Scotland Act 2010 requires that any group to whom marine planning powers are delegated should include representatives with an interest in the protection and enhancement of the region, its use for recreation and its use for commercial purposes. Scottish Ministers intend to delegate regional marine planning powers to the Clyde Marine Planning Partnership (CMPP) by a ministerial direction, which will require the CMPP to set out its governance arrangements within its constitution, and for Scottish Ministers to be notified of any changes in membership. The CMPP constitution and details of current membership is available on Marine Scotland’s webpage at http://www.gov.scot/Topics/marine/seamanagement/regional/partnerships/Clyde and will also be available on the new CMPP website expected to be launched in August 2016. http://www.clydemarineplan.scot/

Membership of the CMPP is open to the previous Firth of Clyde Forum members and any other body or person that meets the criteria set out in the constitution and wishes to apply. Decisions on applications for membership are for the CMPP to make. Should a membership application be rejected, the CMPP will provide reasons for the decision and the applicant is free to reapply if they wish to do so.

Question reference: S5W-01706

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 July 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 15 August 2016

To ask Scottish Government when it will announce its decision to approve or to put out to formal consultation, the proposed Clyde regulating order.

The Sustainable Inshore Fisheries Trust were notified of the Scottish Ministers decision not to support their application for a Firth of Clyde Regulating Order on 28 July 2016.

Having carefully considered the application Scottish Ministers decided that due to a number of factors the application will not be approved.

It is our view that there are practical difficulties in managing quota within the scope of an order in the Clyde, as well as issues such as fleet flexibility, which could undermine the quota allocation system.

We believe that a Regulating Order would also add an additional layer of management and cost to the fishing industry, and are also concerned that this could undermine current initiatives and established structures such as the Inshore Fisheries Group and Marine Planning Partnership.

There has also been a low level of support from those who would be directly managed by the Regulating Order, raising concerns that this could hinder or prevent its successful operation.

In addition, the Scottish Government has recently introduced management measures in marine protected areas in the Clyde. These measures include spatial restrictions on certain types of fishing and it is my view that we should allow these measures to bed in and review their impact before introducing any further measures.

Question reference: S5W-01708

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 July 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 15 August 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how regularly Clyde 2020 wii report formally to the Clyde Marine Planning Partnership and what format will the report take.

The agreed minutes from all Clyde 2020 Steering Group and Research Advisory Group meetings are shared with Clyde Marine Planning Partnership (CMPP) members by email. A written report on Clyde 2020 is also provided at each meeting of the CMPP. The Clyde 2020 project and the CMPP share a common Chairperson and member of staff which ensures information is shared appropriately. There is also overlap with some members of the CMPP also sitting on the Clyde 2020 Steering Group.