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-04281

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 what estimates it has made of the impact of Brexit on employment levels.

Analysis published by the Scottish Government (“Potential Implications of the UK Leaving the EU on Scotland’s Long Run Economic Performance”) on 23 August 2016 summarises the impact that leaving the EU could have on the Scottish economy based on a range of recent studies covering different trading relationships that the UK could adopt.

The analysis shows that the potential cost to Scottish GDP of leaving the European Union could be up to £11.2 billion per year by 2030 than under a scenario where the UK remains a member. The analysis also indicates that leaving the EU could result in a reduction in Scottish tax revenues of up to £3.7 billion a year by 2030.

Evidence published by the European and External Relations Committee based on analysis by the Fraser of Allander Institute confirms the risks Brexit poses to Scotland’s economy. The Fraser of Allander Institute forecast that leaving the EU could result in the number of people in employment being up to 80,000 lower after 10 years.

The Scottish Government is pursuing all options to retain our relationship with Europe, access to the single market, and all the advantages that brings.

Question reference: S5W-04197

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 what assessment it has made of the impact of the EU referendum result on the sectors that are most heavily dependent on EU migrant workers.

The Scottish Government research published on 28 October 2016 contains a breakdown of Scotland's population by sector of employment. This includes a breakdown of recent EEA migrants and established EEA migrants. This research is cited in answer to question S5W-04192 on 16 November 2016.

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-04195

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 the Minister for UK Negotiations on Scotland's Place in Europe has defined Scotland's negotiating position; whether this will be provided to the Parliament and how it will do so.

Question reference: S5W-04277

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 how it procures its legal advice.

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-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-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.

Question reference: S5W-04454

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 16 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how many bids for the 2012-18 Northern Isles ferry services contract contained proposals to use alternative freight vessels to MS Helliar and MS Hildasay.

Question reference: S5W-04198

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 has commissioned a risk register considering the impact of the EU referendum result on Scotland's (a) employment, (b) value of goods and services, (c) businesses, (d) public services, (e) imports and (f) exports.

The Scottish Government will publish proposals over the coming weeks that would allow Scotland to stay in the single market and to preserve aspects of our relationship with the EU, even if the rest of the UK is intending to leave the single market. As part of this, the Scottish Government is considering the potential risks and implications of the UK leaving the EU across a range of sectors.

Question reference: S5W-04216

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 16 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Minister for the UK Negotiations on Scotland’s Place in Europe has sought or is seeking guarantees about Japanese investment in Scotland and, if so, what these are.

The Scottish Government is working with its enterprise agencies to ensure that Scotland remains an attractive place for inward investment.

Following his statement to the UK Parliament on 31 October, I have written to the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy asking that he share the details of the reassurances he has given to Nissan on tariff free access to European markets.