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-04341

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 31 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 8 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on inviting the Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Committee to consider the Scottish Natural Heritage review of gamebird hunting and its implications for helping to develop more sustainable and better regulated systems of gamebird hunting and reduce wildlife crime, and to consider conducting an inquiry into how such a system might operate.

The report of the desk-based review of game bird hunting in selected other countries will be considered by the Scottish Government when it is formally submitted by Scottish Natural Heritage. Any decisions on next steps will be taken in the light of that consideration. It is a matter for the Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Committee to decide whether to consider the report of the review as part of its programme of work.

Question reference: S5W-04343

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 31 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 8 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Scottish Natural Heritage review of gamebird hunting will include recommendations on next steps for introducing a system of licensing for gamebird hunting.

Question reference: S5W-04342

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 31 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 8 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government when the Scottish Natural Heritage review of gamebird licensing systems in other European countries will be published.

Question reference: S5W-03875

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 4 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, following the announcement by the Chancellor on 3 October 2016 regarding the continuation of European structural and investment funding beyond the 2016 Autumn Statement, whether its portion of funding for CAP Pillar 2 and other Scottish Rural Development Fund schemes will be upheld and delivered as planned up to 2020.

The Scottish Government recognises that uncertainty has been created as a result of the EU referendum outcome, not just around funding opportunities or investment decisions but also concerning people’s jobs.

The Chancellor made an announcement on 3 October confirming the UK Government’s position to guarantee funding for EU funded projects up to the point at which the UK departs the EU. This provides some certainty for the immediate future, but we still have significant concerns about the longer term funding position for projects in Scotland. The Scottish Government will continue to engage with the UK Government to obtain the additional clarity that our fishermen, farmers and communities across Scotland need.

The EU Referendum result does not reduce our ability – nor our desire – to protect the environment and rural economy. We will continue to work together to create a sustainable future for Scotland.

Question reference: S5W-04345

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 31 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 4 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will list the 18 marine protected areas that the Programme for Government states will be designated by the end of 2017.

Three of these sites have already been designated. The Inner Hebrides and Minches Special Area of Conservation, the Iona I Historic Marine Protected Area, and the Fair Isle Demonstration and Research Marine Protected Area. The other fifteen are the proposed Special Protection Areas which are presently subject to public consultation and analysis processes. A decision on whether these sites meet the scientific criteria for designation will be taken in 2017.

Question reference: S5W-04344

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 31 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 4 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government when the process for reassessing existing data for the previous Harbour Porpoise Special Areas of Conservation in the Outer Moray Firth and Celtic Sea will be initiated and under what timeframe re-analysis and consultation will occur.

Question reference: S5W-04346

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 31 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 4 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government on what date nature conservation marine protected areas for (a) the Sea of Hebrides, (b) North East Lewis, (c) Shiant East Bank and (d) Southern Trench will be designated, and for what reason their designation has been delayed.

Question reference: S5W-03770

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 3 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether all public sector tenders that it has responsibility for must comply with the REACH (registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemicals) regulations where there is a need for the use of protective equipment or clothing and, if not, what its position is on introducing such a requirement.

Scottish Government’s public contracts are subject to all relevant legislation, including environmental law.

The Scottish public procurement Regulations which came into effect on 18 April 2016 contain provisions to enable the exclusion of a bidder from tendering for public contracts where it can be demonstrated it has breached social, environmental or labour laws.

The Regulations also permits a contract not to be awarded to a bidder where it can be shown that its bid does not comply with applicable obligations in the fields of social, environmental and labour law and to reject a bid that has been established as abnormally low because it does not comply with relevant social, environmental or labour law.

Furthermore, Scottish Government’s standard Terms and Conditions have been updated to allow for contract termination in the event of the contractor’s failure to comply with such laws in the performance of a contract.

Question reference: S5O-00303

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 November 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides to third sector organisations that seek to build a case for the reopening of rail lines and stations.

Question reference: S5W-03698

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 1 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-28860 by Aileen McLeod on 5 January 2016, what funding it has allocated to (a) the natural flood management (i) studies and (ii) ground works since April 2016 and (b) its “research to better understand how actions such as wetland creation, re-meandering and woodland planting can contribute to slowing and storing flood waters and help alleviate flooding to communities downstream", and who will deliver this research.