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-08971

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 April 2017
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 10 May 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many vessels will be licensed as part of the controlled trial of electrofishing for razor clams, and on what basis they will be selected.

Question reference: S5O-00957

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 May 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 May 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address the effects of noise pollution on public health.

Question reference: S5W-08851

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 April 2017
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 2 May 2017

To ask the Scottish Government which ministerial powers conferred by the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 have not yet been used, and which of these are for making orders or regulations by statutory instrument.

The Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009, which is available at www.legislation.gov.uk, sets out the powers conferred on Scottish Ministers. This website also contains all legislation using powers under the 2009 Act, enabling identification of ministerial powers that have not been used for making provision by orders or regulations. Sections 51, 52 and 87 of the 2009 Act confer ministerial powers that have not been used for making provision other than by orders or regulations.

Question reference: S5W-08969

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 April 2017
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 2 May 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consult (a) local community groups and (b) other non-fishery stakeholders prior to the designation of the geographical study areas for the controlled trial of electrofishing for razor clams.

Question reference: S5W-08853

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 April 2017
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 2 May 2017

To ask the Scottish Government which sections of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 have not yet commenced.

Information on commencement of each section of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 is available at www.legislation.gov.uk. This shows that provisions which have not yet been commenced are: sections 25, 27 to 32 and 56, the provisions in schedule one, and paragraphs three to six of schedule two. These provisions relate to the optional establishment of a Scottish Committee on Climate Change.

Question reference: S5F-01235

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 28 April 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 May 2017

To ask the First Minister how the High Court of Justice decision to order the UK Government to publish its air pollution strategy impacts on Scotland.

Question reference: S5W-08388

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 24 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 27 April 2017

To ask the Scottish Government under what circumstances (a) the Scottish Ministers and (b) another Scottish authority might be considered a competent authority for ship-to-ship transfers for the purposes of Regulation 48A of the Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c.) Regulations 1994.

All matters relating to ship-to-ship transfers are reserved to the UK Government, and the Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c.) Regulations 1994 (as amended) do not apply to reserved matters. The Scottish Government has requested on a number of occasions for these powers to be devolved, or at the least for the Secretary of State for Transport to name the Scottish Government as a formal consultation body under Section 2 of the Merchant Shipping (Ship to Ship) Regulations 2010.

Question reference: S5W-08973

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 April 2017
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 27 April 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether an environmental impact assessment or, where applicable, an appropriate assessment will be undertaken for the study areas prior to the controlled trial of electrofishing for razor clams.

Question reference: S5W-08970

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 April 2017
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 27 April 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how long the controlled trial of electrofishing for razor clams is expected to last.

Question reference: S5W-08968

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 April 2017
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 27 April 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made with the identification of the geographical study areas to be used for the controlled trial of electrofishing for razor clams, and what their locations are.

The Scottish Government is consulting with a range of interested parties about the selection of areas where trials of electrofishing for razors will be undertaken. No decision has been taken yet about which areas will be selected. The Government will consult with relevant statutory authorities, including Scottish Natural Heritage and Food Standards Scotland. The Government will also consult with regional Inshore Fisheries Groups, Fishermen's Associations and interested individual fishermen, and will take into account further representations from any persons in the areas of proposed trial areas, in addition to those received during the recent public consultation about razor fishing.

The Government will undertake any statutory assessments of proposed trial areas that are considered necessary, including "appropriate assessments" under the EU's Birds and Habitats Directives. Trial areas will also be surveyed for stock abundance under standard scientific protocols, prior to the commencement of commercial trial activity, but it is expected that survey information will also be supplemented by that gathered by fishermen during the trial. The Government will also consider what steps might be appropriate, among other marine science priorities, to undertake research into any long term effects of electrofishing for Razor Clams.

No decision has been taken yet about the duration of trials. This will be considered once areas have been selected.

It is not possible at present to estimate the number of vessels that will take part in the trial, as this will depend on the trial areas selected and consideration of an appropriate extraction rate. Fishing vessels will be selected following an application process that will be open to all vessels.