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-29067

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 18 December 2015
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 15 January 2016

To ask the Scottish Government when it expects the moratorium on unconventional gas extraction and fracking to end.

No decisions about the future of unconventional oil and gas in Scotland will be made until ministers have considered the information gathered and the views expressed through the research and consultation process.

Information about the consultation plans and timetable is available from the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 57240) and at:

http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Business-Industry/Energy/onshoreoilandgas

Question reference: S4W-29071

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 18 December 2015
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 15 January 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how many times it has met the Department of Energy and Climate Change to discuss fracking.

Question reference: S4W-29060

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 18 December 2015
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 14 January 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how many times (a) ministers, (b) civil servants and (c) Scottish Government agencies have met ministers and officials of the Qatari Government since May 2011.

Our records indicate that Scottish Ministers have met with the Qatari Government during visits to Qatar on four occasions. In addition, ministers have met the Qatari Ambassador and other representatives of the Qatari Government in the UK on seven occasions.

The Scottish Government does not have a record of how many times civil servants or representatives of Scottish Government agencies meet ministers or officials of overseas governments, as this information is not held centrally.

Question reference: S4W-29069

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 18 December 2015
Current Status: Answered by Aileen McLeod on 14 January 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the Scottish Environment Protection Agency having met regularly with the Department of Energy and Climate Change to discuss fracking and public communications strategies.

Question reference: S4W-29066

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 18 December 2015
Current Status: Answered by Aileen McLeod on 14 January 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how regularly it has met the Scottish Environment Protection Agency to discuss the moratorium on unconventional gas extraction and fracking.

The moratorium on unconventional gas is a policy matter for the Scottish Government. In line with legislative requirements, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) were consulted in advance of the direction to SEPA to refer any application under the Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2011 for an authorisation to carry on any controlled activity in connection with unconventional oil or gas development to the Scottish Ministers for their determination.

Question reference: S4W-29065

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 18 December 2015
Current Status: Answered by Aileen McLeod on 14 January 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how many meetings it has had with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency regarding fracking and what specific issues were discussed.

Question reference: S4W-29070

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 18 December 2015
Current Status: Answered by Aileen McLeod on 14 January 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the Scottish Environment Protection Agency not recording what was discussed as its meeting with other regulators across the UK.

Question reference: S4W-29061

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 18 December 2015
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 14 January 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether, during meetings with the Qatari Government, it has challenged its human rights record and, if so, what concerns it raised and what the response was.

Scottish Ministers have raised the issue of human rights with the Qatari Government on several occasions.

Most recently, and as I stated in my answer to question S4W-25944 on 16 June 2015, I spoke with the Qatar Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy to raise Scotland’s concerns around human rights in relation to their World Cup preparations. That followed an earlier offer from Shona Robison MSP, who, as Cabinet Secretary for Commonwealth Games and Sport, met Qatari authorities in May 2014 and then wrote to them offering to share lessons learnt in preparing for Glasgow’s Commonwealth Games, and on how to ensure respect for human rights throughout the preparations and staging of the World Cup. I have also raised this directly with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

These are a couple of examples of a number of occasions where I have raised human rights concerns with interlocutors in Qatar and the wider Gulf region.

Scotland has a very strong commitment to securing democracy, the rule of law and fundamental human rights around the world. Therefore, the Scottish Government remains committed to continuing dialogue with the Qatari authorities, and will seek to raise human rights issues where the appropriate opportunity presents itself, as a constructive partner.

All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

Question reference: S4W-29062

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 18 December 2015
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 14 January 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what the purpose is of its engagement with the Qatari Government.

The purpose of the Scottish Government’s international engagement is set out in Scotland's International Framework. In relation to Qatar this includes promoting long-term, sustainable economic growth for both countries, and to promote Scotland’s values of democracy, the rule of law and human rights. This is in keeping with the priorities set out in the International Policy Statement that supports the international framework which can be found at http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2015/03/7071.

Question reference: S4W-29059

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 18 December 2015
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 13 January 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Qatari Government regarding investment in Scotland from the Qatari sovereign wealth fund.