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-18608

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 September 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 18 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government which organisations are involved in the project to create an emergency services gazetteer, as recommended in the HM Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland report in 2015 on police call handling.

On 22 May the then Cabinet Secretary for Justice outlined to Parliament the work underway by the emergency services to develop a Scottish Emergency Services National Collaboration Strategy. That Strategy was endorsed on 19 July by the Reform Collaboration Group which comprises the Chairs and Chief Officers of the Scottish Police Authority, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and Scottish Ambulance Service. Work is now underway to develop an action plan to deliver the Strategy, with the development of a shared gazetteer forming part of those considerations. Scottish Ministers expect the three emergency services to work closely with all partners, including the Improvement Service, in the delivery of the Strategy and we understand that engagement on the content of the action plan is now underway.

Question reference: S5W-18611

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 September 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 18 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government who will have responsibility for managing and updating the mapping system in the planned emergency services gazetteer.

Question reference: S5W-18612

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 September 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 18 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government when it expects the emergency services gazetteer, as recommended in the HM Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland report in 2015 on police call handling, to go live.

Question reference: S5W-18610

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 September 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 18 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the Emergency Services Collaboration Group has had with the Improvement Service regarding the updating and management of the mapping system for an emergency services gazetteer.

Question reference: S5W-18609

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 September 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 18 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the role of the Improvement Service in managing and updating the current mapping system used by Police Scotland and others, whether the service will have any involvement in the creation of an emergency services gazetteer.

Question reference: S5W-18606

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 September 2018
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 13 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it gives to local authorities regarding what constitutes affordable housing.

Question reference: S5O-02338

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 September 2018
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 12 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how it expects its new Biodiversity Challenge Fund to support the protection of curlews.

Question reference: S5W-17300

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 18 June 2018
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 26 June 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-13847 by Paul Wheelhouse on 24 January 2018, whether SEPA has completed its investigations and, if so, whether it will publish the findings.

With reference to your original question S5W-13847, and also your previous follow up S5W-14382 on 28 February 2018. This is an on-going and complex regulatory matter for SEPA. It is not possible for Scottish Ministers to specify a completion date for SEPA'S ongoing investigation nor whether it will publish the findings.

However, officials have received an update on the progress of the investigation and are satisfied that all parties are working towards finding a solution, as soon as possible, that will comply with the strict regulations governing transfrontier shipment of waste.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-16915 on 26 June 2018. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx .

Question reference: S5W-16617

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 14 May 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 14 June 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recently reported findings of the Traffic Commissioner for Scotland regarding Allen Transport Ltd, when it first became aware of these issues, and what steps it plans to take to prevent any recurrence.

Transport Scotland and Aberdeen Roads Limited (ARL), the contractor for the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route /Balmedie -Tipperty project were first made aware of the findings of the Traffic Commissioner for Scotland regarding Allen Transport Limited on 9 May 2018. Since then ARL has asked all of its contractors, where it applies, to confirm that they have the correct licensing in place to undertake construction activity on AWPR.

Beyond this, the Scottish Government have no powers to intervene as vehicle licensing legislation and the work of the Traffic Commissioners' Office are both reserved matters for the UK Government. Equally, decisions taken by private sector organisations are a matter for them.

Question reference: S5W-16618

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 14 May 2018
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 31 May 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update regarding the operation of heavy goods vehicles working on the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route.

I understand that, following a recent public local inquiry undertaken by the Traffic Commissioner for Scotland , a haulage firm, which was employed on the AWPR/B-T project, will lose its HGV operating licence on May 30 and will also be disqualified from applying for or holding another licence for two years. The AWPR contractor (ARL) has confirmed that Allen Transport Ltd will no longer continue to work on the site.

ARL has since asked all of its suppliers, to confirm that they have the correct licensing in place to allow them to undertake construction activity on AWPR. It has also confirmed that this matter will not impact on the delivery of the AWPR/B-T project which is expected to open in late autumn 2018.