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: S5F-03258

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 April 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 April 2019

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S5W-22470

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 April 2019
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 18 April 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the article in The Press and Journal on 2 April 2019, “Public foots bill for pair of lifeline freight ferries”, for what reason it considers that the purchase price that it paid for the MV Helliar and MV Hildasay should be withheld on the grounds of commercial confidentiality.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-22383 on 4 April 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

In addition, I can confirm that the Sale Agreement for both of the vessels contains a confidentiality clause which Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL) advise is ordinary market practice in transactions of this nature. CMAL are therefore bound by this agreement and are unable to disclose information relating to the purchase price of the MV Helliar and MV Hildasay.

Question reference: S5F-03234

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 01 April 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 April 2019

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S5F-03175

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 18 March 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 March 2019

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S5W-21886

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 February 2019
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 14 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how organisations and businesses can input into its consideration of what types of activities, programmes and support will be eligible to benefit from the financial commitment to mitigate the risks of Brexit that it announced in its Budget.

As a responsible government we must prepare for all EU Exit possibilities, and the 2019-20 Scottish Budget will support vital preparedness activities. All Portfolio areas have benefited from all of the 2019-20 EU Exit consequentials being allocated via the Scottish Budget. We are prioritising activity in areas that will be heavily impacted by Brexit - the economy, transport, food and drink, medicines, agriculture and the rural economy. The Scottish Government is working with all delivery partners to ensure that essential actions to reduce the impact of a no-deal Brexit can be taken.

Raising awareness in and action by businesses is vital. Last year we launched “Prepare for Brexit”, offering readiness self-assessment tools and expert advice as well as access to learning and networking events, and grants for Brexit planning support. That campaign can help many more businesses to take steps to enhance resilience despite the ongoing uncertainty.

We are also engaged in civil contingencies planning around any impacts that may have an immediate and direct effect on citizens. Intensive planning and preparation for a ‘no deal’ outcome has been underpinned by detailed work across government to identify the risks and potential impacts of EU exit and the mitigating actions that we and others could take across a wide range of issues, including impact to businesses.

Weekly meetings of SGoRR – the Scottish Government Resilience Room Committee – have been held with the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister convening. These meetings have input from Cabinet Secretaries including those responsible for Health, Justice, Transport, Rural and my own Portfolio, as well as other organisations such as Transport Scotland, COSLA, and Police Scotland.

I am working with the Deputy First Minister and the Cabinet Secretary for Government Business and Constitutional Relations to ensure that any decisions to reprioritise resource towards EU exit priorities are made collectively and consistently.

Question reference: S5F-03145

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 11 March 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 14 March 2019

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S5W-21887

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 February 2019
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 8 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that lenders’ confidence in the (a) social housing and (b) other sectors will continue following Brexit, and what contingency measures are planned to mitigate any adverse outcomes.

In the face of the UK Government’s continuing reckless approach, a no deal exit increasingly appears to be the most likely outcome and therefore as a responsible government we have stepped up our no deal preparations. Ministers and senior government officials are in regular contact with banks operating in Scotland to discuss the implications of Brexit and wider economic issues. The Scottish Housing Regulator, who is accountable to Scottish Ministers, is responsible for the regulation of social housing and one of its key functions is to monitor and assess the financial well-being of Registered Social Landlords. It has an explicit objective to help to maintain lender, investor and public funder confidence in social housing. In December 2018, UK Finance, the representative body for private lenders and investors in social housing noted that : “Funders to Scottish RSLs take great comfort from the current approach of the Scottish Housing Regulator, which is risk-based and proportionate.”

A £30 million deal between Swedish lender Handelsbanken and Southside Housing Association in Glasgow to finance new build properties and improvements announced on 5 March demonstrates lenders continuing confidence. This is the banks debut in Scotland’s social housing market.

The Scottish Government is absolutely committed to safeguarding, as far as we are able to do so, the interests of all sectors and businesses in Scotland at this uncertain time. Our focus is about mitigating any drop in economic activity, ensuring access to finance remains open so we can seek to keep businesses operating and removing constraints for businesses to trade. In February the Scottish Government launched a public information website to provide important advice around issues such as transport, food, medicines and citizens’ rights. It is available at www.mygov.scot/euexit . This will be regularly reviewed and updated, in order to ensure that the latest information is made available.

As part of our support for business, the multi-agency Prepare for Brexit website www.prepareforbrexit.scot offers practical advice which can help to safeguard, as much as possible in these circumstances, a company’s own growth, and that of the Scottish economy. Businesses can access advice, online self-assessment toolkits, book onto learning events, and apply for a £4000 readiness preparation grant.

While we are doing everything we can to prepare, we will not be able to mitigate all of the impacts following Brexit. It is therefore vital that all sectors, including the housing sector, make the necessary preparations and are as resilient as they can be.

Question reference: S5O-02950

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 February 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to reduce the amount of plastic nurdles on beaches.

Question reference: S5F-03088

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 25 February 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 February 2019

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S5F-03063

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 18 February 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 February 2019

Question to be taken in Chamber.