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-05937

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 31 January 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the commitment given by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport on 15 June 2016 that the establishment of the National Trauma Network Implementation Group “will ensure that we have the necessary preparation work for the four major trauma centres and the trauma network completed by the end of the year”, whether the necessary preparation work has now been completed, and when the planned new arrangements will be put in place.

Question reference: S5W-06282

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 20 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 31 January 2017

To ask the Scottish Government by what date it will publish revised pay scales for seafarers on the Seatruck vessels, the Helliar and Hildasay.

In line with my announcement on 12 January 2017, Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited will sub-charter the vessels, on a bare boat basis, to Serco Northlink Ferries who will be responsible for the operation of the vessels and for crewing and all associated matters.

As operator, Serco Northlink Ferries are currently taking forward work to identify and implement an appropriate arrangement for crewing, ensuring that the knowledge and experience of the current crew is retained. Crew terms and conditions – for example employment arrangements, pay scales and employer-employee arrangements will form part of these considerations.

I can confirm that the crew on board the MV Hildasay and MV Helliar will be paid at least the National Minimum Wage.

Question reference: S5W-06283

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 20 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 31 January 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to ensure that the collective bargaining agreement between the RMT and Serco NorthLink for seafarer ratings applies to all staff on chartered vessels on the Northern Isles ferry services.

Question reference: S5W-06287

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 20 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 31 January 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether the collective bargaining agreements covering (a) rating and (b) officer grades in the ferry industry apply to all vessels (i) owned, (ii) leased and (iii) chartered as part of all public contracts tendered by Transport Scotland.

Question reference: S5W-06302

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 20 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 31 January 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will instruct Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd to ensure that, in its negotiations with Seatruck Ferries, seafarers employed on the Helliar and Hildasay vessels under the bareboat charter agreement will not be liable to deductions from their wages for the cost of onboard accommodation.

Question reference: S5W-06284

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 20 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 31 January 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether the crew of the Helliar and Hildasay vessels will be directly employed by Serco NorthLink under the terms of the revised charter agreement that was announced on 12 January 2017.

Question reference: S5W-05670

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 16 December 2016
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 24 January 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the Budget statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Constitution on 15 December 2016, in what month it now expects the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR) to be completed and open to traffic.

Question reference: S5W-05660

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 December 2016
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 11 January 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential decommissioning business for Scottish companies in each of the sub-sectors (a) capping and plugging wells, (b) removing offshore infrastructure, and (c) dismantling of infrastructure and equipment that has been brought onshore.

Question reference: S5W-05659

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 December 2016
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 11 January 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the share of the costs of decommissioning oil and gas platforms in the North Sea that are attributed to (a) capping and plugging wells, (b) removing offshore infrastructure and (c) dismantling of infrastructure and equipment that has been brought onshore.

Scottish Enterprise published a Decommissioning Action Plan, on behalf of Scottish Government, on 21 December 2016 and this sets out a vision of how the Scottish supply chain can maximise the value that is obtained from the forecast spend of £17.6 billion on decommissioning between 2016 and 2025.

Figures for the costs of decommissioning activities are taken from the Oil & Gas UK Decommissioning Insights Report 2016. The OGUK report states that for ‘all UK continental shelf projects’ the share of costs is, a) Well Plugging and Abandonment – around 47% b) Removals – around 19% c) Onshore Dismantling and Disposal – around 1%.

The OGUK report can be found at http://oilandgasuk.co.uk/decommissioninginsight.cfm.

It is estimated that decommissioning activity in Scotland over the next 10 years could be valued at between £8.3 billion and £11.3 billion. Further detail on the estimated Scottish share of delivery by activity and location can be obtained by accessing the Decommissioning Action Plan at https://www.scottish-enterprise.com/knowledge-hub/articles/publication/oil-gas-decommissioning-action-plan.

Question reference: S5W-05661

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 December 2016
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 11 January 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on whether it is (a) practically and legally possible and (b) compliant with international obligations, for tax reliefs assigned to oil and gas decommissioning to be invested instead in renewable energy development.