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-03565

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 07 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 25 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish any assessment that it has made on the likely modal shift from rail to air should air passenger duty be reduced by 50%.

Question reference: S5W-03427

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 03 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 19 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what resources have been allocated to improvements to the A9/A85 junction in Perth and Kinross.

In order to assist Perth and Kinross Council with its project which links to the trunk road network, a Minute of Agreement (MoA) has been entered into by the Council and the Scottish Government. This Minute facilitates the involvement of Transport Scotland and its operating company (BEAR Scotland) in providing technical comment and/or approval to the Council (plus any site supervision requirements) for any works on, or linking to, the trunk road network.

These resources have been regularly deployed as and when required throughout the process in continuing to provide support to the Council in the delivery of its project.

Question reference: S5W-03426

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 03 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 19 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what communication it has had with Perth and Kinross Council regarding funding for improvements to the A9/A85 junction.

There have been many meetings between officials at Transport Scotland and Perth and Kinross Council to discuss the Council’s proposal to redesign the junction of the A85 Crieff Road and the A9, the primary purpose of the proposal being to enable development of land to the west of Perth.

These meetings have discussed a range of issues, including strategic land-use planning, road and bridge design standards, existing road networks and access and egress arrangements at McDiarmid Park. Transport Scotland and its operating company BEAR Scotland continue to work with Perth and Kinross Council on the development and agreement of the detailed design and delivery of the Council’s scheme as the works will take place on, adjacent to or tying into the trunk road network.

Question reference: S5W-03109

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 22 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 4 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the rail industry in relation to its proposals for a 50% reduction in air passenger duty.

Transport Scotland officials met with representatives from Virgin Trains on 19 November 2015, 17 February 2016, 20 April 2016 and 8 September 2016. The Minister for Transport and the Islands also met with representatives from Virgin Trains on 21 September 2016. During these meetings, the Scottish Government’s proposal for a 50% reduction in the overall burden of an Air Passenger Duty replacement tax by the end of the current session of the Scottish Parliament was discussed.

Question reference: S5W-03108

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 22 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 4 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact on cross-border rail passenger numbers of a 50% reduction in air passenger duty.

Question reference: S5W-03132

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 23 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 3 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, further to its announcement on 13 September 2016, what funding mechanism it is using to deliver its £300 million loan scheme for farmers and crofters.

The loan scheme will be funded, as it was in 2015, by Financial Transactions. As the majority of loans will be paid and then recovered before the end of the 2016-17 financial year, the net expenditure at 31 March 2017 will relate only to loans that are not yet recovered. Funding sufficient to support that net expenditure is being provided from loans recovered from the 2015 scheme during the 2016-17 financial year and smaller underspends elsewhere.

Question reference: S5W-02721

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 29 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what level of security will be provided by businesses that apply for a loan or guarantee from its proposed Scottish Growth Fund.

Question reference: S5O-00210

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 29 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the results of The Scottish Health Survey.

I welcome the results of the Scottish Health Survey which highlighted a number of key areas where we are making progress, for example, the proportion of children of healthy weight (72 per cent) increased in the last year and for boys has increased year on year since 2011. The survey confirmed a significant reduction in smoking prevalence since 2003 (down from 28 per cent to 21 per cent) with smokers smoking fewer cigarettes on average, and in particular, the news that exposure of children to second-hand smoke in the home fell from 11 per cent in 2014 to six per cent, meeting the 2020 target announced at the launch of the smoke-free homes campaign in 2014.

Question reference: S5O-00235

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 September 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what recent correspondence it has had with the UK Government regarding the impact on Scotland of the expansion of either Heathrow or Gatwick airports.

Question reference: S5W-02720

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 28 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the annual default rate of businesses receiving a loan or guarantee under its proposed Scottish Growth Fund scheme, and how much it expects to pay out due to defaults in each of the three years of the scheme.