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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

Filter your results Hide all filters

Displaying 2224 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S5W-04291

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 21 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has carried out of investor confidence in the energy market following the Brexit vote.

Since the EU referendum, we have been engaging regularly with energy stakeholders to understand the implications of the vote, including the impact on investor confidence.

The Minister for Business, Innovation and Energy has had a series of one-to-one meetings with senior representatives of the energy sector to understand their concerns, and he and the Minister for UK Negotiations on Scotland's Place in Europe jointly hosted an event in Edinburgh for energy stakeholders on 21 September 2016 to hear the sector's views on the challenges, opportunities and way forward following the EU referendum.

At the 17th meeting of the National Economic Forum on 26 October 2016, the First Minister spoke to around 150 business and public sector leaders - including representatives from the energy sector - about the impact of Brexit on Scottish businesses.

Energy stakeholders have highlighted that investor confidence was already low in the renewable energy sector as a result of recent UK Government policy changes, and prolonged uncertainty may see existing or planned energy investments stall. EY's latest Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Index, published in October 2016, saw the UK fall to 14th place - its lowest position yet in the rankings.

We are determined to do everything we can to mitigate the impact of Brexit on the energy industry in Scotland and we will use all the powers and influence available to us to provide the stability that the industry and consumers need.

Question reference: S5W-04321

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 18 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with (a) public, (b) private and (c) third sector providers of immigration advice in Scotland since the EU referendum result, and what assessment it has made of their capacity to provide such advice.

The Scottish Government has met with the CoSLA Strategic Migration Partnership, the Scottish Migrant Network, Glasgow Refugee, Asylum and Migration Network (GRAMnet), Migrant Voice, Feniks, PKAVS Minority Communities Hub and Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) since the EU Referendum results about their general support of and work with migrants but not specifically about their capacity to provide advice services in future years post a UK Brexit.

Scottish Government officials have discussed with TalentScotland the impact the result of the EU referendum has had on the volume of queries received by their Immigration and Visa Support Service.

The Scottish Government fund this service with the aim of helping growing businesses access, attract, recruit and retain skilled, experienced and internationally mobile talent. The service provides business immigration support to Scottish-based business, prospective entrepreneurs, inward investors and individuals with a job offer.

The discussion did not identify any immediate capacity issues.

Question reference: S5W-04458

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 17 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government under what circumstances payments for chartering MS (a) Helliar and (b) Hildasay from Seatruck can be withheld under the current contract.

Question reference: S5W-04202

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 17 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis of a bespoke, bilateral free trade deal with the EU and its impact on Scotland it has commissioned since the EU referendum result.

The Scottish Government is exploring all options to secure Scotland’s interests, and to protect its relationship with the EU and our place in the single market.

As part of this, the Scottish Government is currently undertaking a range of analyses to understand the potential implications of the UK exiting the EU across various policy areas and scenarios. These draw on Scottish Government in-house work, analysis commissioned by others and advice by its expert Standing Council on Europe.

In the coming weeks the Scottish Government will table specific proposals that would allow Scotland to stay in the single market and to preserve aspects of our relationship with the EU.

Question reference: S5W-04189

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 17 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how many staff have been allocated to the Minister for UK Negotiations on Scotland's Place in Europe.

Staff across the Scottish Government Directorates are working in support of Ministers and Cabinet Secretaries on Scotland’s place in Europe.

In addition to Private Office staff, there are currently 58 staff working in the Directorate for External Affairs in Scotland, which is the main Directorate supporting the work of the Minister for UK Negotiations on Scotland’s Place in Europe. This number does not include the staff in our offices overseas who support the work of all Scottish Ministers.

Question reference: S5O-00366

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 November 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what impact the reported reduction to revenue grants from the Scottish Funding Council has had on the University of Aberdeen and Robert Gordon University.

Question reference: S5W-04275

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by James Wolffe on 16 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government which Lot of its Legal Services Framework it uses to obtain legal advice relating to Scotland's place in Europe.

Question reference: S5W-04199

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 16 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government further to the answer to question S5W-02182 by Michael Matheson on 14 September 2016, which other public bodies are formally considering the implications of the EU referendum result.

Question reference: S5W-04192

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 16 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a summary report of the work undertaken by the Minister for UK Negotiations on Scotland's Place in Europe, which it decided not to publish in full, and for what reason it did so.

Question reference: S5W-04219

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 16 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government when it began preparing its proposals for allowing Scotland to stay in the single market.

The Scottish Government began preparing its proposals for protecting Scotland’s interest and to stay in the single market immediately after the EU Referendum vote. This is being informed by the Standing Council on Europe, which was established by the First Minister to provide the Scottish Government with independent, expert advice on how Scotland’s interests can best be protected following the EU referendum.