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: S6W-28226

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 17 June 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 15 July 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether a crew fatigue management plan was in place on the MV Alfred when it was time chartered from Pentland Ferries in April 2023.

Question reference: S6W-28216

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 17 June 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 15 July 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what Transport Scotland’s full-time equivalent (FTE) staffing commitment is to building the case for a Teckal-compliant direct award of the next Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services contract to the incumbent public sector operator, and what information it holds on what the FTE staffing commitment is from the private consultants that are contracted to advise on this direct award.

Question reference: S6W-28217

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 17 June 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 15 July 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a list of the annual payments that the operator of the current Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services contract has made to Transport Scotland since 2016.

Question reference: S6W-28220

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 17 June 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 15 July 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what fees have been charged by all private consultants for advising Transport Scotland regarding the Ardrossan Harbour upgrade.

Question reference: S6W-28218

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 17 June 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 15 July 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how much CalMac Ferries has paid in harbour dues in each year since 2011-12.

Question reference: S6W-28221

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 17 June 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 15 July 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions (a) Transport Scotland, (b) CalMac Ferries and (c) CMAL has had with Pentland Ferries regarding the safe management system on the MV Alfred prior to time chartering the vessel.

Question reference: S6O-03602

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 June 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that scheduled care transport provided by the Scottish Ambulance Service is accessible to all patients who need it.

Question reference: S6W-27539

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 28 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government which organisations were consulted as part of Transport Scotland’s review of the methodology of community needs assessments on routes in the (a) Clyde and Hebrides and (b) Northern Isles Ferry Services contract.

As part of the Islands Connectivity Plan, Transport Scotland plans to carry out Community Needs Assessments for the islands and peninsulas of the Clyde and Hebrides and Northern Isles Ferry Services. These Community Needs Assessments will identify options for transport connectivity, including the existing ferry services.

A draft of the updated Community Needs Assessment methodology was shared with, and presented to, a group of the following key stakeholders and their feedback was fed into the final version:

Shetland Islands Council.
Orkney Islands Council.
Comhairle nan Eilean Sar.
Argyll and Bute Council.
North Ayrshire Council.
The Highland Council.
Shetland Regional Transport Partnership (ZetTrans).
Highlands and Islands Transport Partnership (HITRANS).
Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT).
Serco Northlink Ferries.
CalMac Ferries Ltd.
Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd.
Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland (MACS).
Highlands and Islands Enterprise.
Ferries Community Board.
Young Islanders Network.

Question reference: S6W-27538

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 23 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the community needs assessments carried out on Cowal and Rosneath public ferry routes in the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services contract.

Question reference: S6W-26817

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 17 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its policy is regarding mandatory rotation of Ukrainian refugees around hotels in Fife.

The Scottish Government has welcome accommodation across Scotland. These are managed in partnership with relevant local authorities, who advise on where guests are best placed.

We work collaboratively with local authorities such as Fife to ensure that services are person-centred and delivered in a trauma informed way, and which support effective resettlement.

In the Fife Council area there are three welcome accommodation hotels for displaced people on a temporary basis upon arrival in the country.

On arrival, Fife council will make a needs assessment and will consider the availability of council services to support displaced people in determining which hotel is most suited for presenting individuals or families,

There is no mandatory rotation of guests in Fife, or any other part of the welcome accommodation estate housing displaced people.

However, from time to time as a result of contracting, consolidation, changes in local services provision or when an accommodation provider choses to reduce or discontinue the rooms they offer, local authorities may require guests to move to new accommodation and will look to minimise disruption to guests as much as possible.

The Scottish Government remains committed, alongside our Local Authority partners, to supporting Ukrainians access longer-term, sustainable accommodation while they make Scotland their home.