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-22952

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 May 2019
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 16 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been accredited to act as potential lethal controllers under licence from Scottish Natural Heritage to kill beavers under the Beaver Management Framework, effective from 1 May 2019.

Question reference: S5W-22951

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 May 2019
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 16 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what level of detail in respect of each lethal control licence issued under the Beaver Management Framework after 1 May 2019 will be retained in relation to why less severe mitigation measures had not been adopted in each particular site prior to the granting of the lethal control licence, and whether the reason for rejection of non-lethal measures will be in the public domain with appropriate redaction to protect individual identities and locations.

Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) discusses all licence applications with the applicant, including the problems being experienced and non-lethal measures. This information is summarised in each case. SNH will publish summary data annually on their website on what has been applied for and licensed, purposes for which licences have been granted, issues being experienced, alternatives considered or employed and actions undertaken.

Question reference: S5W-22953

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 May 2019
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 16 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how many applications Scottish Natural Heritage has received requesting licences to kill beavers under the Beaver Management Framework, effective from 1 May 2019.

Question reference: S5W-22954

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 May 2019
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 16 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how many licences for (a) lethal control and (b) non-lethal mitigation measures were issued under the Beaver Management Framework in advance of conferral of European Protected Status on beavers on 1 May 2019.

Question reference: S5W-22992

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 May 2019
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 15 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what the status is of each section of the (a) A9 and (b) A96 dualling programme, also broken down by how much has been spent each year, and what the budget is for (i) 2019-20 and (ii) future years.

The current status of each section of the A9 and A96 Dualling programmes can be found in the following tables.

A9 Dualling Perth to Inverness:

Scheme	Status
A9 Dualling Luncarty to Pass of Birnam	Under construction – expected to be operational spring 2021.
A9 Dualling Pass of Birnam to Tay Crossing	In Preparation – option assessment work on-going with a preferred route option expected to be announced later this year.
A9 Dualling Tay Crossing to Ballinluig	In Preparation – statutory process underway – Public Local Inquiry expected later this year.
A9 Dualling Pitlochry to Killiecrankie	In Preparation – statutory process underway – Public Local Inquiry Reporter is currently considering written evidence prior to submitting his report to the Scottish Ministers for consideration.
A9 Dualling Killiecrankie to Glen Garry	In Preparation – statutory process underway – Public Local Inquiry expected later this year.
A9 Dualling Glen Garry to Dalwhinnie	In Preparation – statutory process underway – Public Local Inquiry Reporter has considered written evidence and submitted his report to Scottish Ministers for consideration.
A9 Dualling Dalwhinnie to Crubenmore	In Preparation – statutory process underway – Public Local Inquiry Reporter is currently considering written evidence prior to submitting her report to the Scottish Ministers for consideration.
A9 Dualling Crubenmore to Kincraig	In Preparation – statutory process underway – draft Orders published with objection resolution process on-going.
A9 Dualling Kincraig to Dalraddy	Complete.
A9 Dualling Dalraddy to Slochd	In Preparation – statutory process underway – draft Orders published with objection resolution process on-going.
A9 Dualling Tomatin to Moy	In Preparation – statutory process underway –Public Local Inquiry expected later this year.

A96 Dualling Inverness to Aberdeen:

Scheme	Status
A96 Dualling Inverness to Nairn (Including Nairn Bypass)	In Preparation – statutory process underway –Reporters are currently considering evidence heard at Public Local Inquiry prior to submitting their report to the Scottish Ministers for consideration.
A96 Dualling Hardmuir to Fochabers	In Preparation – preferred option announced December 2018 with the detailed development and assessment of the preferred option underway.
A96 Dualling East of Fochabers to East of Huntly	Strategic assessment work completed. Route option development and assessment work to be progressed.
A96 Dualling East of Huntly to Aberdeen	In Preparation – route options development and assessment work underway.

Spend on the A9 and A96 Dualling programmes since the Infrastructure Investment Plan announcement in December 2011 can be found in the following table.

Financial year	A9 Dualling Programme	A96 Dualling Programme
2018-19	£56,179,844.95	£13,384,939.36
2017-18	£55,256,961.44	£14,403,218.25
2016-17	£50,286,213.43	£9,718,183.82
2015-16	£39,580,271.17	£4,292,300.22
2014-15	£10,984,698.42	£2,999,789.06
2013-14	£7,253,605.71	£1,696,711.46
2012-13	£2,817,165.24	£497,580.06

Spend on the A9 and A96 Dualling Programmes in 2019-20 shall be managed within the Capital Land and Works allocation of £212.1m as part of the Motorway and Trunk Roads Spending Plans set out in the Scottish Budget: 2019-20.

Budget for future years will be dependent on the allocation of funding from future spending reviews.

Question reference: S5W-22994

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 May 2019
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 15 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what the status is of each section of each trunk road infrastructure project with a total budget of at least £50 million that is planned or in construction, also broken down by how much has been spent each year, and what the budget is for (a) 2019-20 and (b) future years.

The current status of each trunk road infrastructure project that is planned or in construction with an estimate of at least £50 million can be found in the following table.

Scheme	Status
A82 Tarbet to Inverarnan	In Preparation – detailed development and assessment of the preferred option underway.with draft Orders expected to be published later this year.
A720 Sheriffhall Junction	In Preparation – detailed development and assessment of the preferred option underway.with draft Orders expected to be published later this year.
A9-A82 Longman Roundabout	In Preparation – option assessment work underway with a preferred option expected to be announced later this year.

Spend on the schemes referenced above can be found in the following table.

Financial year	A82 Tarbet to Inverarnan	A720 Sheriffhall Junction	A9-A82 Longman Roundabout
2018-19	£6,446,126.92	£2,220.966.21	£1,444,463.38
2017-18	£2,908,361.35	£960,100.84	£466,552.69
2016-17	£1,205,750.44	£763,649.39	£81,381.59
2015-16	£916,647.29	£205,954.29
2014-15	£1,699,830.55	£257,403.04
2013-14	£225,988.39	£45,000.00
2012-13	£276,471.53

Spend for continuing preparation of A82 Tarbet to Inverarnan, A720 Sheriffhall Junction and A9-A82 Longman Junction Infrastructure schemes in 2019-20 shall be managed within the Capital Land and Works allocation of £212.1m as part of the Motorway and Trunk Roads Spending Plans set out in the Scottish Budget: 2019-20.

Budget for future years will be dependent on the allocation of funding from future spending reviews.

For details on schemes forming part of the A9 or A96 Dualling Programmes I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-22992 on 15 May 2019. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http:--www.parliament.scot-parliamentarybusiness-28877.aspx

Question reference: S5W-22991

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 May 2019
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 15 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how many miles of segregated cycle paths have been constructed in each year since 2010.

Since 2010, and with Scottish Government investment, we have worked in partnership with local authorities, Sustrans, Scottish Canals, the National Parks and other delivery bodies to build a total of 340 miles of segregated cycle paths. The figures below include all National Cycle Network (NCN) and non-NCN segregated paths.

Year	2010- 11	2011- 12	2012- 13	2013- 14	2014- 15	2015- 16	2016- 17	2017- 18	Total

Miles	4	2	25	34	34	118	72	51	340

Question reference: S5W-22844

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 26 April 2019
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 10 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that trade unions are represented on its recently-established ferry industry advisory board.

Question reference: S5W-22843

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 26 April 2019
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 10 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government when the Expert Ferry Group last met, and by what date the Transport Scotland website will be updated to reflect the reconstitution of that group as its recently-established ferry industry advisory board.

Question reference: S5W-22841

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 26 April 2019
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 10 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether its recently-established ferry industry advisory board will provide advice on the (a) design and (b) procurement of new ferries, including those serving Orkney and Shetland inter-island routes.