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-27806

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 September 2015
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 27 October 2015

To ask the Scottish Government which ministers met Geoff Ellis of DF Concerts to discuss the £150,000 grant provided to T in the Park and on what dates.

Question reference: S4O-04698

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 October 2015
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 October 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with third sector organisations regarding changes to funding allocated under schemes such as the Community Innovation Fund.

Question reference: S4W-27568

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 September 2015
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 1 October 2015

To ask the Scottish Government how many fines have been issued and how much has been raised as a result of average speed cameras since 1999, broken down by local authority area.

Question reference: S4W-27565

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 September 2015
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 25 September 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the A92 action plan submitted by Fife Council.

The Scottish Government is committed to working with Fife Council to ensure that the most comprehensive approach possible is taken to the safety of roads in the area, including the A92.

Transport Scotland received the A92 action plan in mid-August 2015 and is currently reviewing the suite of proposals which the council and local community groups would like to see made to the route in the short, medium and longer term. Once this work has completed, I will meet with the council and other local representatives to discuss the next steps.

Question reference: S4W-27567

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 September 2015
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 25 September 2015

To ask the Scottish Government when differential speed limits on the A85 will be brought into place.

The Speed Limit Review recommended five separate reductions to speed limits on the A85. An update on each of these proposals is provided below:

Crieff to Comrie – Draft road orders were published in November 2014 and a number of objections to this proposal have been received. Transport Scotland met with the objectors on 16 June 2015 to discuss the concerns raised and we are now actively considering these representations. The timeframe for the delivery of a speed limit reduction is subject to the satisfactory conclusion of this process.

Comrie to Fillans – Draft road orders were published in September 2015 inviting comments from members of the public on this proposal. This period of consultation is ongoing and the delivery of this speed limit reduction is subject to the outcome of this process.

Lochearnheadside – Draft road orders will be published later in 2015 inviting comments from members of the public on this proposal. The delivery of this speed limit reduction is subject to the outcome of this process.

East Huntingtower to Lochty – The statutory process to promote and consult on this speed limit reduction has been completed. We have instructed our operating company to install the required signage and it is programmed that the new speed limit will come into force during October/November 2015.

Lochearnhead to Lixtoll – The statutory process to promote and consult on this speed limit reduction has been completed. We have instructed our operating company to install the required signage and it is programmed that the new speed limit will come into force before the end of November 2015.

Question reference: S4W-27566

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 September 2015
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 25 September 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the number of unadopted roads.

Question reference: S4F-02960

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 21 September 2015
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 September 2015

To ask the First Minister what discussions the Scottish Government has had with the Scottish Rugby Union about the safety of pupils playing rugby in schools.

Question reference: S4W-27284

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 September 2015
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 16 September 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the establishment of a small business conciliation service.

Question reference: S4W-27282

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 September 2015
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 16 September 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the names of companies to which it has awarded development contracts being displayed on site.

The Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (Scotland) Regulations 2013 require all major and national developments and those developments specified in Schedule 3 to the regulations (developments likely to have wider impacts on amenity), while in progress, to display a sign in a specified form, including the name and address of the developer. It must be: i) displayed in a prominent place at or in the vicinity of the site of the development; (ii) readily visible to the public; and (iii) printed on durable material. The aim is for the public to know more about what is being built, the permission and conditions, where to get more information and who is responsible for planning enforcement.

Question reference: S4W-27307

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 September 2015
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 16 September 2015

To ask the Scottish Government which railway stations are not accessible to disabled people.

When referring to access to railway stations for disabled people, it normally relates to those with reduced mobility. When considering if a station is accessible it is usually put in the context of a wheelchair user and therefore stations are categorized according to the existence of step free access to all station platforms and facilities. The information below reflects this definition of an inaccessible station, but people with a range of other disabilities may still be able to use these stations.

Of Scotland’s 358 railway stations, 274 (76.6%) have step free access to all platforms.

42 stations (11.7%) have platforms that can only be accessed by steps. This makes it impossible for a wheelchair user to reach rail services from these stations. Table 1 provides a full list of these stations:

Table 1

Addiewell	Burnside	Gilschochill	Queen’s Park (Glasgow)
Alexandria	Carstairs	Greenock West	Rannoch for Kinloch
Anderston	Cathcart	High Street	Rannoch
Ardlui	Coatdyke	King’s Park	Roy bridge
Argyle Street	Corrour	Langside	Shawlands
Arrochar and Tarbet	Crianlarich	Maxwell Park	Slateford
Attadale	Croftfoot	Paisley St James	Springburn
Bellgrove	Crosshill	Pollokshaws East	Upper Tyndrum
Blairhill*	Dumbarton East	Pollokshaws West	Williamwood
Bridge of Orchy	Falls of Cruachan	Pollokshields East
Bridgeton	Garelochhead	Pollokshields West

*Network Rail is developing proposals to make Blairhill station step free and fully accessible through the Access for All Fund.

A further 42 stations (11.7%) have at least one platform that can only be accessed by steps and are therefore part accessible for a wheelchair user. Table 2 provides a full list of these stations:

Table 2

Achnasheen	Burntisland	Fauldhouse	Kingussie
Anniesland	Cardonald	Forsinard	Kirkconnel
Ardgay	Carrbridge	Fort Matilda	Lairg
Arisaig	Cleland	Garve	Lochgelly
Balmossie	Coatbridge	Girvan	Lochwinnoch
Barassie	Central	Glenfinnan	Pitlochry
Barhill	Curriehill	Helmsdale	Springfield
Barry Links	Dalreoch	Hyndland	Stirling
Bowling	Dalwhinnie	Insch	Tain
Breich	Drem	Kilmarnock**
Brora	Dunkeld and Birnam	Kinghorn

**Network Rail is developing proposals to make Kilmarnock station step free and fully accessible through the Access for All Fund.

ScotRail provides alternative accessible transport (normally a taxi) to any eligible disabled passenger who cannot access a station and who books this service in advance of travel. The passenger will be taken to the next nearest accessible station on that route and this service is provided free of charge to the passenger.