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-19718

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 November 2018
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 7 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Government who it consults as part of its ongoing review of its marine and fisheries protection fleet.

As I said in my reply to the member in the Chamber on 1 November 2018, I am keeping the situation under constant review.

This does not mean that a one off review exercise is being undertaken to establish a position at a single point in time. Rather, through my discussions with officials, officers and crew I am regularly kept apprised of the situation with regard to enforcement matters and our fleet capability.

Question reference: S5W-19609

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 October 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 7 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on re-examining the conditions under which non-UK residents can legally possess firearms in Scotland.

Question reference: S5W-19707

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 November 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 6 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government following the announcement by the Home Secretary on 11 October 2018 regarding the reclassification of cannabis-based medicinal products from 1 November 2018.

Question reference: S5W-19708

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 November 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 6 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance will be issued to doctors to ensure safe prescription of medicinal cannabis, and when it will be published.

Question reference: S5W-19113

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 28 September 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 25 October 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had regarding the scope for bus use to help deliver climate change policies as part of the forthcoming update to the National Transport Strategy.

Question reference: S5W-19115

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 28 September 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 25 October 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Committee on Climate Change regarding the role of public transport in helping it meet its climate change targets.

Question reference: S5W-19117

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 28 September 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 25 October 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has carried out of how increasing the number of bus passengers could contribute to meeting its climate change targets.

The 2018 Climate Change Plan (CCP) notes that bus and coach emissions account for less than 4% of total transport emissions and that there is potential for behavioural switch as bus is a mode with the ability to scale up flexibly in response to increased demand. Based on the TIMES model (which underpins the CCP) it is expected that emissions in the transport sector will fall by 37% over the period to 2032.

Question reference: S5W-19114

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 28 September 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 25 October 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what efforts it is making to increase the number of everyday journeys made by public transport, and what role increasing the number of such journeys can play in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, including what the projected emissions reduction could be.

The Programme for Government confirms our commitment to continue to invest more than £1 billion every year in public transport. This investment includes a range of measures to promote behavioural change and make public transport and active travel a more attractive option for everyday journeys. We have also introduced the Transport (Scotland) Bill which aims to make Scotland’s transport network cleaner, smarter and more accessible than ever before by giving local authorities and other road traffic partners the tools to address local needs and develop public transport solutions.

As stated in the Climate Change Plan our behavioural change initiatives have been designed to complement technological change, with one adding value to the other. It is expected that emissions in the transport sector will fall by 37% over the period to 2032.

Question reference: S5O-02500

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 October 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many vessels are in its marine and fisheries protection fleet.

Question reference: S5W-19020

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 September 2018
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 23 October 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what the implications are for (a) Northern Isles Ferry Services, (b) ferries owned by Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd and (c) harbour infrastructure in Stromness of the award of £670,000 by the European Regional Development Fund to Orkney Islands Council.

I welcome this grant award which will fund the installation of equipment needed to provide shoreside electrical power at Stromness. This will be used by the MV Hamnavoe when she is berthed overnight, saving fuel and reducing local air and noise pollution. The use of shoreside power was a policy proposal set out in the Scottish Government’s Climate Change Plan.

Preparatory electrical works were carried out on the MV Hamnavoe during the annual overhaul in Quarter 1 2018 at Rosyth.

Further electrical works will be required on the MV Hamnavoe and Serco NorthLink Ferries are currently seeking regulatory approval for these modifications. Works will be scheduled on the MV Hamnavoe for the early part of 2019.

The Stromness European Regional Development Fund shore infrastructure project started on 8 June 2018 and is due to be completed by 31 December 2019.