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: S5F-00040

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 06 June 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 June 2016

To ask the First Minister, in light of the findings of the latest Bank of Scotland research series report on oil and gas, what support the Scottish Government will offer the industry.

Question reference: S5W-00251

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 May 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 6 June 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with partners in the private parking industry in relation to those not following the voluntary code of conduct.

The Stakeholder Working Group on private parking, which includes representatives from the parking industry, Citizens Advice Scotland and the Trading Standards Scotland met in November 2015. The discussion at this meeting focused on how we can improve private parking practices, including non-compliance of the British Parking Association and Independent Parking Committee's codes of practice.

Discussions have been constructive and we are currently working with the stakeholders to develop an action plan, which will form the basis of the Scottish Government’s approach to delivering improvements to private parking practices across Scotland. A further meeting of the working group to discuss progress of the action plan will be arranged later in summer 2016.

Question reference: S5W-00252

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 May 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 6 June 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what work it has undertaken to introduce an independent appeals service, similar to that which exists in England, for the private parking industry in Scotland.

The Scottish Government is currently reviewing the progress of the Independent Parking Committee's (IPC) Independent Appeals Service, which was extended to Scotland in April 2015, without the need for keeper liability following the publication of Citizens Advice Scotlands' 2014 report.

In October 2015, the Independent Advisors Scotland (IAS) obtained 'Alternative Dispute Resolution' (ADR) accreditation under the UK Government's Alternative Dispute Resolution for Consumer Disputes (Competent Authorities and Information) Regulations 2015’. These regulations enable motorists who have disputes with other parking operators other than IPC members to appeal to the IAS. As part of our considerations we will determine whether an appeals service without keeper liability should be rolled out across Scotland.

Question reference: S5W-00250

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 May 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 6 June 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to regulate the private parking industry during the current parliamentary session.

The Scottish Government is working with the private parking industry, Citizens Advice Scotland and Trading Standards Scotland on how to improve industry practices in Scotland. As part of this work, we are looking at the standardising of signage, improving transparency of the industry through the development of a single code of practice and exploring the potential creation of an independent appeals service for Scotland.

The government will continue to keep under review whether further action, including primary legislation is required to ensure that best practice is adopted and maintained throughout the industry in Scotland.

Question reference: S4W-30533

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 March 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 23 March 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what it will do to ensure that wind turbines do not endanger the safe operation of major and minor airports, particularly with regard to emergency landings.

The Scottish Government will continue to administer pre-application and post submission consultation processes on all proposals/applications submitted to Scottish Ministers to ensure that the views of all relevant aviation stakeholders are secured and taken into account. Similar processes exist within planning processes.

Whilst the Scottish Government will continue to work with relevant aviation stakeholders to identify and overcome aviation/radar barriers to deployment, it will never endanger the safe operation of major and minor airports, with regard to emergency landings or other flight operations. All consents and permissions for wind farms/turbines will be subject to adequate radar mitigation as necessary. Otherwise consent/planning permission will not be granted.

Question reference: S4W-30534

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 March 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 23 March 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to ensure that windfarms will not diminish the armed forces’ ability to detect hostile aircraft over and around Scotland using radar.

The Scottish Government will continue to administer pre-application and post submission consultation processes on all proposals/applications submitted to Scottish Ministers to ensure that the views of the MOD are secured in relation to air defence radar and taken into account. Similar processes exist within planning processes.

Whilst the Scottish Government will continue to work with the MOD to identify viable mitigation solutions to air defence radar problems, it will never seek to diminish the air defence radar capability. All consents and permissions for wind farms or wind turbines will be subject to adequate radar mitigation where this has been deemed to be necessary. Otherwise consent/planning permission will not be granted.

Question reference: S4W-30535

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 March 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 23 March 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it gave to turbulence issues arising from industrial wind turbines and their effects on air traffic safety prior to the approval of Whitelee Windfarm.

Aviation stakeholders were consulted in the original consent for Whitelee Windfarm and subsequent applications to extend Whitelee.

There is no evidence that aviation stakeholders objected on the grounds of turbulence arising from individual wind turbines affecting air traffic safety.

Accordingly this was not considered in the reports prepared for ministers.

Research work in 2015 undertaken by the University of Liverpool, relating to turbulence wake effects from turbines, post-dated these consents. This also related to a different scale of turbines, up to 30m. It showed for this smaller turbine size the wake is not strong to cause any significant upset to the aircraft at distances of five wind turbine diameters and longer, and did not allow for extrapolation to larger wind turbines.

Question reference: S4W-30448

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 March 2016
Current Status: Answered by Aileen McLeod on 22 March 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what action it takes to ensure that wind turbine construction near (a) public and (b) private water sources does not damage drinking water quality.

Responsibility for protecting drinking water supplies is shared across a number of different bodies and individuals.

In the first instance it is a matter for developers to identify any public and private water supplies likely to be affected by the development, so that any adverse effects from the development on the sources of the supplies can be properly assessed and any necessary mitigation put in place.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) has a role as statutory consultee to assess the likely effects of the development on the water environment, including water supplies; and to provide advice to planning authorities about any likely adverse effects on the sources of water supplies, with reference to certain parameters. SEPA relies on any sources and receptors of possible pollution being identified by the developer.

Before granting planning permission the planning authority should take account of any potential adverse impacts on the environment, including water supplies, whether public or private.

The responsibility for ensuring a supply is wholesome rests with Scottish Water in the case of public water supplies, and in the case of private water supplies with the owners and users. The Drinking Water Quality Regulator for Scotland (DWQR) maintains an overarching role, ensuring that effective monitoring and management procedures are in place, with enforcement powers for public water supplies to ensure a wholesome supply at the tap. The responsibility for enforcement in relation to private supplies lies with local authorities.

Question reference: S4W-30449

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 March 2016
Current Status: Answered by Aileen McLeod on 22 March 2016

To ask the Scottish Government which body is responsible for ensuring that private water supplies are protected from damage from third parties.

Question reference: S4W-30452

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 March 2016
Current Status: Answered by Aileen McLeod on 22 March 2016

To ask the Scottish Government which body provides the expertise to ensure that private water supplies are protected adequately.