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: S4W-29849

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 February 2016
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 24 February 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-29258 by John Swinney on 15 January 2016, whether it plans to make adjustments in determining the average local authority revenue support per capita and, if so, (a) what these are and (b) what the reason is for doing so.

Question reference: S4W-29852

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 February 2016
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 24 February 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-29258 by John Swinney on 15 January 2016, in light of local authorities having no continuing responsibility for police and fire services, how it will calculate the support funding floor for the forthcoming spending review period.

Question reference: S4W-29906

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 February 2016
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 24 February 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what the value is of the projects in the Aberdeen City region deal that are in devolved areas of responsibility.

The Aberdeen City region proposals bring together a £250 million package of measures that are not divided along devolved and reserved boundaries. Both governments have worked together to agree a deal that responds to the particular opportunities identified by the regional partners and that aims to secure the future of the economy of the North East. The deal is being supported by both governments on a 50:50 basis.

Question reference: S4W-29664

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 February 2016
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 22 February 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what legal obligation has been undertaken by each signatory party as a result of signing the Heads of Terms agreement for the Aberdeen City Region Deal.

The Heads of Terms agreement outlines the principles of the Aberdeen City Region Deal. Although the Heads of Terms does not form a legally binding contract it signifies both the Scottish and UK Governments' commitment to the region. Further detail on the implementation of specific interventions of the deal will follow over the coming weeks and months and the Scottish Government will work with the civic and business leaders of Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire to ensure the successful implementation of the agreed deal.

Question reference: S4W-29660

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 February 2016
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 22 February 2016

To ask the Scottish Government when it made its decision to allocate £200 million of funding for the dual tracking of the East Coast railway line at Montrose and when it first announced that decision.

Question reference: S4W-29663

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 February 2016
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 17 February 2016

To ask the Scottish Government when it made its decision to allocate £9 million to digital infrastructure developments in Aberdeen and when it first announced that decision.

Question reference: S4W-29560

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 January 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 11 February 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to the supplementary to question S4O-05500 by Fergus Ewing on 28 January 2016 (Official Report, c. 5) how many jobs have been lost in Scotland as a result of the downturn in the oil and gas sector.

Question reference: S4W-29558

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 January 2016
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Burgess on 11 February 2016

To ask the Scottish Government (a) how it will allocate and (b) when it will spend the £20 million in infrastructure funding to support the construction of houses, and how many houses this additional infrastructure will support.

Officials have had early discussions with Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire Council. A considerable amount of work will now have to be done by local authorities with the housing industry to develop concrete proposals that when funded will unlock development at scale within the region. In light of the work that will need to be done it is not possible to put a time frame on the funding at the moment, however we would like to see proposals developed as quickly as possible.

These local authorities have told us that this type of support is what they need to help unlock housing sites that are of strategic importance – which is why we are committing this funding for the area.

Question reference: S4W-29551

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 January 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 11 February 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to the supplementary to question S4O-05500 by Fergus Ewing on 28 January 2016 (Official Report, c. 5), how many apprenticeships have been lost in Scotland as a result of the downturn in the oil and gas sector.

The Scottish Government is aware of 58 Modern Apprentices in the oil and gas sector who have been made redundant since December 2014 and that 38 of these Modern Apprentices are back in work. Work is underway through our skills agency, Skills Development Scotland, to support those who have not yet been supported back into work.

Of the 38 Modern Apprentices who are back in work, 21 were supported through the enhanced Adopt an Apprentice offer.

Question reference: S4W-29552

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 January 2016
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 9 February 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how much it will spend on dualling the single track stretch of the East Coast railway line at Montrose in each of the next three years.

In addition to its support to the Aberdeen City Region Deal, the Scottish Government is committing an additional £200 million to increase line speeds and remove major capacity constraints along key sections of the route between Aberdeen and Dundee, including options for double tracking of Usan Junction and the South Esk Viaduct at Montrose. The additional funds will be invested over the same time period as the City Region Deal.