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-26769

Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for Argyll and Bute, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 July 2015
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 17 August 2015

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-26180 by Michael Matheson on 15 July 2015, whether if it will make arrangements for affidavit administration on islands where there are no resident justices of the peace (JP), no resident notaries public and no JP court.

Question reference: S4W-26549

Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for Argyll and Bute, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 July 2015
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 11 August 2015

To ask the Scottish Government whether it expects the pupil-teacher ratio in Gaelic medium units to be higher or lower than in mainstream English language primary education and what the reason is for its position on this matter.

Pupil teacher ratios are not stipulated either in legislation or in teachers' terms and conditions of service. Class size limits for P1 to P3 are set in statute and all other class size limits are set in teachers' terms and conditions of service. Neither the legislation nor the terms and conditions of service differentiate between the class size limits that apply in Gaelic medium units and those that apply in mainstream English language primary schools.

The issue of lower class size limits for Gaelic medium was explored in the 2010 consultation on class size limits. Based on the outcome of that consultation ministers concluded that differential class size limits for Gaelic medium units should not be introduced.

It is the responsibility of local authorities and individual head teachers to determine the size of individual classes within the limits set by legislation or terms and conditions of service.

Question reference: S4W-26547

Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for Argyll and Bute, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 July 2015
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 28 July 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what the pupil-teacher ratio is in (a) Gaelic medium education and (b) each Gaelic medium unit.

Question reference: S4W-26715

Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for Argyll and Bute, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 July 2015
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 27 July 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with (a) Argyll and Bute Council, (b) Hebridean Airways, (c) Highlands and Islands Airports Limited and (d) others regarding increasing the number of routes served from Oban Airport.

Question reference: S4W-26714

Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for Argyll and Bute, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 July 2015
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 27 July 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to introduce Twin Otter aircraft for new routes, including between (a) Oban and Barra and (b) Glasgow and Barra via Oban.

Question reference: S4W-26306

Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for Argyll and Bute, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 June 2015
Current Status: Answered by Marco Biagi on 16 July 2015

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-25688 by Marco Biagi on 5 June 2015, what its position is on the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman's response to Cllr Michael Breslin of Argyll and Bute Council regarding the withholding of budget information that "the SPSO would not be able to consider your complaint".

The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman was established by the Scottish Parliament to provide an independent and impartial service for handling complaints about public services in Scotland. It would therefore not be appropriate for the Scottish Government to express a view about any decision taken by the Ombudsman. The Ombudsman is, however, accountable to the Scottish Parliament and must lay an annual report and any investigation reports before the Parliament, as well as any other reports the Ombudsman sees fit.

Question reference: S4W-26180

Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for Argyll and Bute, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 June 2015
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 15 July 2015

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-25965 by Michael Matheson on 17 June 2015, on which islands and in which remote rural areas (a) it considers that there is a problem of availability of JPs to undertake affidavit administration and (b) there is a resident notary public.

A current list of the JP Courts can be found at:

https://www.scotcourts.gov.uk/the-courts/jp-court/about-jp-courts.

Members of the public are asked to make an appointment through the administration office for a JP court where signing can be arranged.

It is for a solicitor (who may be a notary public) to decide where to set up in private practice. The majority of solicitors are notary publics. I attach a note provided by the Law Society of Scotland showing the number of notary publics by area throughout Scotland. The Law Society’s website provides a link to the EU find-a-notary website http://www.lawscot.org.uk/members/notaries/.

Question reference: S4W-26182

Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for Argyll and Bute, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 June 2015
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 15 July 2015

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-25965 by Michael Matheson on 17 June 2015, for each (a) island and (b) remote rural area without a resident notary public, what the distance is to the nearest notary public; what the type, frequency and availability is of public transport; what the estimated journey time is, and what practical and affordable proposals it has to address the issue of access.

Question reference: S4W-26181

Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for Argyll and Bute, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 June 2015
Current Status: Answered by Linda Fabiani on 13 July 2015

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will commission portraits of Presiding Officers Alex Fergusson and Tricia Marwick by the photographer, Harry Benson, to add to his portraits of Sir David Steel and Sir George Reid, which are already in the Parliament's collection, or whether it will consider commissioning alternative artists.

Question reference: S4W-26204

Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for Argyll and Bute, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 19 June 2015
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 6 July 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what work (a) Transport Scotland or (b) Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd has undertaken to balance carrying capacity with length in plans for new vessels for the CalMac routes in order to avoid substantial new expenditure on modifications to piers and harbours as a result of the introduction of very long vessels.

The targeted carrying capacity of the proposed vessels was outlined by CalMac Ferries Limited on the basis of an analysis of forecast demand. Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd’s invitation to tender requires a vessel design that can accommodate these capacities within the length, breadth and draft restrictions on a number of routes.

The various shipyard designs submitted in response are being evaluated.

The vessels specified cannot be described as “very long” when compared to existing CalMac vessels.