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-10320

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 14 July 2017
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 2 August 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to protect the wildcat population, and what analysis it has carried out of the impact on the species of domestic cat overpopulation.

The Scottish Government supports, and works closely with, the partner organisations who are helping to implement the Scottish Wildcat Action Plan. This is a five year project that aims to restore viable populations of wildcat north of the Highland fault line. So far, this work has focussed on six Priority Areas and has included intensive camera trapping surveys, a first season of ‘Trap Neuter Vaccinate Release’ (TNVR) of feral cats and hybrid cats, the ‘Supercat’ campaign to promote responsible cat-ownership, and engagement with land managers to improve land management practices in relation to wildcats. Some of the partners are also working on a captive conservation programme, using Scottish Wildcats from collections across Britain.

Analyses show that the main threat to wildcats is hybridisation from feral and domestic cats. Survey work undertaken by the University of Oxford and recent monitoring work under the Scottish Wildcat Action Plan has established that feral and domestic cat populations can be extensive across the wildcat range and within the Priority Areas. These results have been confirmed by initial genetic analyses by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland,.

Question reference: S5W-10230

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 07 July 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 27 July 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update and timeframe on proposals to create a smart card travel pass for (a) the Highland and Islands and (b) Scotland.

Transport Scotland continues to work with Scottish transport operators and other public bodies to deliver the Scottish Government’s vision that all journeys on Scotland’s bus, rail, ferry, subway and tram networks can be made using one type of smart ticket or payment.

In the UK, outside of London, bus services are deregulated so government cannot simply instruct bus operators or indeed certain ferry operators to adopt or participate in smart ticketing. The Programme for Government lays out a commitment to work with stakeholders to develop legislative options for improving bus services and securing nationwide multi modal smart ticketing as part of our preparation for a Transport Bill within the current Parliament.

Question reference: S5W-10229

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 07 July 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 27 July 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of comments made in The Press and Journal on 7 July 2017, whether it will confirm that Orkney and Shetland will be part of a trial of an Oyster Card-style integrated travel pass.

Question reference: S5W-10231

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 07 July 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 27 July 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with (a) Northlink, (b) Pentland Ferries, (c) Loganair, (d) Stagecoach and (e) other operators regarding the challenges of establishing and implementing the technology for a smart card system across (i) the Highlands and Islands and (ii) Scotland.

Question reference: S5W-10322

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 14 July 2017
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 27 July 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the compulsory (a) neutering, (b) microchipping and (c) registration of all domestic cats, and what analysis it has carried out of the impact that this would have in controlling overpopulation.

The Scottish Government Code of Practice for the Welfare of Cats recommends that all cat owners should consider neutering and microchipping (involving registration) their pets as the best way of being reunited with them should they be separated. We do not currently consider these actions should be compulsory for cats.

The Scottish Government has not carried out analysis on the impact of these in managing the population of domestic cats.

Question reference: S5W-10177

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 July 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 27 July 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its Freight Fares Review and the timing of the introduction of a new freight fares structure.

The most recent Working Group meeting, which includes local authorities, Regional Transport Partnerships, Highlands & Islands Enterprise and industry bodies, took place on 27 March 2017. At this meeting the Working Group identified some further analysis to be undertaken on the preferred option identified for setting freight fares. This has now been conducted and I have recently received advice from Transport Scotland officials, which I am currently considering.

Scottish Ministers & Transport Scotland have always been clear that there is no definitive commitment on timing. However we are working to conclude the review as soon as practicable and I aim to be in a position to provide details on the way forward by the end of this summer.

Minutes of all Working Group meetings are available on the Transport Scotland website.

Question reference: S5W-09862

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 June 2017
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 18 July 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many people under 18 have been in custody in each year since 2010, broken down by length of sentence.

The number of people under 18 sentenced to custody in each year since 2006-07 is presented in the following table. Individual people are counted more than once if they receive more than one custodial sentence within a year.

	Up to 3 months	Over 3 months to 6 months	Over 6 months to 1 year	Over 1 year to 2 years	Over 2 years to less than 4 years	4 years & Over	Life	Total
2006-07	582	159	57	55	30	17	3	903
2007-08	515	132	77	62	23	23	3	835
2008-09	368	172	107	52	27	17	-	743
2009-10	314	174	69	47	32	9	1	646
2010-11	179	127	53	36	24	15	5	439
2011-12	154	155	67	52	19	9	-	456
2012-13	90	103	62	37	19	6	3	320
2013-14	65	58	31	20	9	3	-	186
2014-15	71	48	25	15	9	5	-	173
2015-16	82	59	38	23	9	6	-	217

Source: Criminal Proceedings database.

Question reference: S5W-09788

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 19 June 2017
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 29 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish the findings of the Police Scotland staff Pulse survey that was carried out in 2016.

Question reference: S5W-09677

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 June 2017
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 27 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the future of the (a) Inverness and (b) other disease surveillance centres.

Any update on the future of the Inverness and other disease surveillance centres would be from Scotland's Rural College (SRUC) who are responsible for their operation.

The Scottish Government provides support for SRUC to deliver education, advisory and research activities in the rural sector. Part of this support enables SRUC to deliver the Scottish Government's Veterinary Disease Surveillance Programme. As a private company, SRUC are free to determine how their disease surveillance centres operate provided they can satisfy to the Scottish Government that the objectives of the Veterinary Disease Surveillance Programme are met.

Question reference: S5W-09621

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 June 2017
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 14 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-09355 by Michael Matheson on 6 June 2017, whether it will provide a breakdown of the information for offences of (a) possession and (b) possession with intent to supply.