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-26633

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 06 December 2019
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 19 December 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to increase midweek access to the rail infrastructure to allow maintenance and other activities to be safely carried out.

Question reference: S5W-26638

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 06 December 2019
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 19 December 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Office of Rail and Road regarding the impact of unfilled vacancies on Network Rail in Scotland.

Question reference: S5W-26659

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 06 December 2019
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 19 December 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what the projected impact of the proposed Sheriffhall roundabout upgrade will be on (a) (i) current and (ii) induced traffic levels and (b) greenhouse gas emissions.

Response to question regarding (a) traffic level:

Detailed traffic surveys indicated that the total number of vehicles that passed through Sheriffhall roundabout was 67,500 on average (14-hour weekday period in 2017). By 2024 (which, for assessment purposes, was the assumed year of opening ), this is expected to increase by 9% to 73,600 without the improvements and by a further 5% to 77,300 with the improvement in place.

When complete the scheme will allow through traffic on the A720, which accounts for approximately half the traffic at this location, to pass over the junction reducing the conflict between strategic and local traffic.

Response to question regarding (b) greenhouse gas emissions:

A regional air quality assessment was undertaken for the proposed scheme as reported in the published Environmental Statement, a copy of which is found at:

https://www.transport.gov.scot/publication/draft-orders-and-environmental-statement-a720-sheriffhall-roundabout-scheme/

This assessment predicts a small increase in greenhouse gas emissions with the scheme in operation in 2024, but by the design year (15 years after the assumed year of opening), a small decrease is expected in these emissions with the scheme in place.

Delivery of the scheme itself can only commence once the relevant statutory procedures are completed, and thereafter a timetable for delivery can be set.

Question reference: S5W-26541

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 November 2019
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 12 December 2019

To ask the Scottish Government on how many occasions in each of the last five years it has met the Community Security Trust, and what issues were discussed.

Officials from our Connected Communities team met with the Community Security Trust twice in 2017; once in 2018; and twice in 2019. Our most recent meeting was on 7 November 2019. On each occasion a range of matters related to tackling hate crime and building connected communities were discussed.

We are unable to provide details of all of wider Scottish Government’s engagements with the Community Security Trust or specific details of all that has been discussed with this organisation.

Question reference: S5W-26540

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 November 2019
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 12 December 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-26373 by Aileen Campbell on 25 November 2019, whether it will provide the information requested regarding the names of all of the organisations that made informal requests for it to adopt the IHRA definition of antisemitism.

Question reference: S5W-26542

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 November 2019
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 12 December 2019

To ask the Scottish Government on how many occasions in each of the last five years it has met the Scottish Council of Jewish Communities, and what issues were discussed.

The First Minister met with SCOJEC in June 2015 and August 2017, the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and the Minister for Local Government and Community Empowerment met them in November 2015. The Cabinet Secretary for Communities, Social Security and Equalities met with the organisation in November 2016 and August 2017. Officials from our Connected Communities team also met with SCOJEC twice in 2017; once in 2018; and twice in 2019. Our most recent meeting was on 7 November 2019. On each occasion a range of matters related to tackling hate crime and building connected communities were discussed.

We are unable to provide details of all of wider Scottish Government’s engagements with SCOJEC or specific details of all that has been discussed with this organisation.

Question reference: S5W-26539

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 November 2019
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 12 December 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-26373 by Aileen Campbell on 25 November 2019, on what dates and by what methods the (a) Community Security Trust and (b) Scottish Council of Jewish Communities requested that it adopt the IHRA definition of antisemitism.

Question reference: S5O-03940

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 December 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 December 2019

To ask the Scottish Government when the planning decision on the proposed development of a golf course at Coul Links will be announced.

Question reference: S5W-26416

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 15 November 2019
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 2 December 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how much carbon has been emitted by (a) ports and (b) the shipping industry in each year since 2014.

The Carbon Account for Transport provides a detailed analysis of annual transport emissions data for Scotland, including emissions by vehicle type which lists Shipping. The latest edition of the Carbon Account, covering the period from 1990-2017, is available on the Transport Scotland website at: https://www.transport.gov.scot/publication/carbon-account-for-transport-no-11-2019-edition/ .

We do not hold information on levels of carbon emitted by ports.

Question reference: S5W-26417

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 15 November 2019
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 2 December 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made by (a) CalMac, (b) Serco NorthLink, (c) Orkneyand (d) Shetland Island Ferries in (i) reducing its operational carbon footprint, (ii) reducing its operational consumption of water and (iii) increasing its recycling rates.

CalMac Ferries Ltd have reduced their operational carbon footprint by 6.4% based on the 2015/2016 baseline, and state they are on course to meet their 7.5% reduction target by March 2020.

During the 2018/19 contract year, CalMac has reduced its operational consumption of water by 24% and increased their waste recycling rate to 47%. CalMac are on target to achieve 75% waste recycling by 2025, in line with Zero Waste Scotland targets.

As per the requirements of the Wildlife and Natural Environment Act, CalMac will update their biodiversity report in 2020.

NorthLink Ferries have reduced their operational carbon footprint by an average of 17.1% across the RoPax fleet based on the 2012 baseline. The NorthLink fleet has been operating exclusively on Low Sulphur Marine Gas Oil since 1 January 2015.

NorthLink is forecasting a minimum 67,500-litre reduction in water consumption during 2020 in comparison to 2019 as a result of newly introduced urinals and are currently feasibility testing other water saving initiatives.

Between 2012 and 2018, NorthLink Ferries has more than doubled recycling volumes and sent 93% less waste to landfill. NorthLink Ferries has already achieved the 2025 Zero Waste Scotland Target.

As Orkney Island Ferries and Shetland Island Ferries are operated by the respective local authorities, the Scottish Government does not hold information about those ferry services’ carbon footprint, water consumption or recycling rates.