Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-03158 on 7 October 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

To continue to participate in the EU health initiatives post-Brexit, which extend to European Economic Area countries, Scotland must remain a member of the single market. The Scottish Government will do everything in its power to retain its membership of the single market and the considerable benefits this brings.

The Scottish Government has not entered into any charter agreements for additional freight vessels on the Northern Isles route since 1999. The current passenger vessels on the Northern Isles ferry routes have been on lease to the Scottish Government from the Royal Bank of Scotland since their introduction into the service in 2002.

Regulation for the licensing, safety and efficacy of medicines is currently reserved to the UK Government and is the responsibility of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) who operate on a UK wide basis.

The Scottish Government is working to avoid a situation where Scottish projects lose out on support from the WiFi4EU initiative. As the associated funding will be available from 2017, there is likely to be a window of opportunity for Scottish projects to benefit.

The EC initiative mirrors our Public Wireless Programme, which seeks to ensure publicly accessible buildings and spaces provide freely accessible wireless broadband. The Programme aims to ensure any wireless broadband solutions are sustainable and are designed to meet local needs.

EU funding contracts that are agreed before the UK proposes to leave the EU will be paid in full. This guarantee covers the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund.

The most recent update on the estimated final cost of the refurbishment of the SFRS control room in Dundee was received in March 2016.

(a) – The estimated capital cost for the Dundee control room option, as outlined in the SFRS Board paper, Fire Control - Options Appraisal for Final Locations, published in January 2014, was £2.192m. This information is contained in Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Board papers which can be found on the SFRS website at www.firescotland.gov.uk

(b) – The estimated capital cost for the Dundee control room option, as outlined in the SFRS Board paper, Dundee Control, published in July 2015, was £1.96m. This information is contained in Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Board papers which can be found on the SFRS website at www.firescotland.gov.uk

The UK Government has recently revised its position on EU funding guarantees to cover in full the payment of all EU funding contracts for SRDP projects that are entered into before the UK proposes to leave the EU. The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Constitution has confirmed that these guarantees will be passed on in full to Scottish stakeholders to provide stability and certainty for the rural economy.

The UK Government’s position on EU Funding Guarantees demonstrates in the starkest possible terms that there are absolutely no guarantees or clarity on what will replace current European Union funding streams after the date that the UK proposes to leave the EU.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-04283 on 10 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

5G is the next generation of mobile technology which is currently being developed by the mobile industry - on a global basis - and which is expected to be rolled out commercially by the mobile operators in the UK from around 2020. A key aim of our World Class digital infrastructure policy development is to ensure that Scotland has the underlying connectivity infrastructure that can support the future evolution of digital technologies such as 5G. The implications of Brexit on the mobile operators' investment plans for Scotland are not yet known.

Our vision for the future is an agriculture industry in Scotland that is innovative, profitable, sustainable and supporting economic growth. We will work closely with industry to develop the next steps to help realise that vision, and this will help inform our deliberations on what future support measures may be appropriate for the industry. The Scottish Government will negotiate with the UK Government to ensure that future support for agriculture and rural development is allocated on a fair and equitable basis across the UK.