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: S5T-00626

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 26 June 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Treasury regarding any additional funding for Scotland arising from the agreement between the Conservative and Democratic Unionist parties.

Question reference: S5W-09186

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 May 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 13 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-08561 by Humza Yousaf on 19 April 2017, for what reason the total given in the answer for the six-year public contract is £537,993 less than that recorded over the same period by Shetland Line 1984 Ltd in its company accounts.

Question reference: S5F-01401

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 12 June 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 15 June 2017

To ask the First Minister whether work by Scottish Government officials on a second independence referendum will now cease.

Question reference: S5W-09207

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 May 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 24 May 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to questions S5W-09002 and S5W-09003 by Humza Yousaf on 10 May 2017, what options for the Usan Junction and South Esk viaduct are being considered by the Aberdeen to Central Belt Reference Group, and by what date it will announce the group's decision on which to pursue.

I refer to previous answers S5W-09002 and S5W-09003 which both state that all options will be considered. The inaugural meeting of the Reference Group, scheduled for 22 May, will examine the work required to identify, assess and prioritise options. That work will be subsequently set out in an agreed programme of activity which once concluded will, in due course, result in the selection of a preferred option.

Question reference: S5W-09188

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 May 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 24 May 2017

To ask the Scottish Government when it last discussed seafarer pay on charter vessels in the Scottish ferry industry with the UK Government and what the outcome of this was.

Question reference: S5W-09187

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 May 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 24 May 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-08561 by Humza Yousaf on 19 April 2017, what discussions it had with (a) Shetland Line 1984 Ltd and (b) Streamline Shipping Group regarding pay rates on the vessel chartered to deliver the six-year public contract, and what proportion of the government grant was spent on the contractor’s charter costs.

Question reference: S5W-09003

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 April 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 10 May 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what impact doubling the single track section at Usan will have on rail services between Aberdeen and the Central Belt, including on journey times.

All potential options identified from the development works being led by Transport Scotland, which includes options for Usan Junction and the South Esk viaduct at Montrose, will be subject to detailed analysis to ensure there is a clear rationale in terms of economic, social and environmental impacts and that options are both technically and financially viable. This will support the Scottish Government in progressing towards its aspiration of reducing journey times, improving capacity and performance between Aberdeen and the Central Belt.

Question reference: S5W-09002

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 April 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 10 May 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-00952 by Humza Yousaf on 6 July 2016, whether it will provide an update on the feasibility study into the options for resolving the issues caused by the single track at Usan.

Question reference: S5W-09001

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 April 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 10 May 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what upgrades are planned for rail services between Aberdeen and the central belt, other than doubling the single track at Usan, and what impact these will have on journey times.

Building on the committed Revolution in Rail programme, which will deliver more services, more capacity and high speed trains in 2018, the Scottish Government, through its recently established Aberdeen to Central Belt Reference Group, will be reviewing and assessing timetable, rolling stock and infrastructure options to improve journey time and enhance capacity between Aberdeen and Central Belt (including consideration of the value of double tracking Usan Junction and the South Esk viaduct) with a view to making proposals that will be implemented within the time frame of the Aberdeen City Deal, as previously announced.

Question reference: S5O-00971

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 May 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 May 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what measures it will take to ensure increased recruitment of students from the north of Scotland to train as teachers at the University of Aberdeen.