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-00828

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 June 2021
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 7 July 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what its policy is on making the Road Equivalent Tariff subsidy available to Pentland Ferries’ private routes, across the Pentland Firth.

The Scottish Government remains committed to reducing fares on Northern Isles ferry routes.

Following engagement with European Commission officials in 2019, Transport Scotland officials were developing proposals to introduce Road Equivalent Tariff. This work was rightly paused in early 2020, while resources were pivoted to deal with the Covid outbreak, however work has recently resumed.

Engagement between Transport Scotland officials and ferry operators has taken place and will continue as the work progresses.

Question reference: S6W-00826

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 June 2021
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 1 July 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with CalMac, regarding the extension of collective bargaining agreements with (a) RMT and (b) Nautilus International, to cover all crew members on ferries chartered to increase capacity on the contract for Clyde and Hebrides ferry services.

Collective bargaining agreements are a matter for CalMac, its employees and the recognised trades unions. In the case of any additional ferries secured by CalMac through a “time charter”, the crews of these vessels are not employed by CalMac and are not covered by collective bargaining agreements which are currently in place with RMT and Nautilus. Any agreement with the Unions would be a matter for the vessel operator in that instance.

Question reference: S6W-00814

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 30 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many of its former senior (a) civil servants and (b) agency staff have sought its approval in each of the last five years to take up a position with another employer, and how many times this approval was granted.

The number of Senior Civil Servants working in core Scottish Government and its Agencies who have requested approval under the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (ACOBA) rules in the last 5 years is provided in the following table:

Year	Number of Senior Civil Servants who applied	Number of applications approved	Lobbying ban or other restrictions imposed
2017-18	6	6	3
2018-19	4	4	1
2019-20	8	8	2
2020-21	7	7	1
2021 to date	2*	1	0

* Note: One application was subsequently withdrawn as the proposed appointment was not made

Question reference: S6W-00815

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 30 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many of its former ministers have sought its approval in each of the last five years to take up a position with another employer, and how many times this approval was granted.

Question reference: S6W-00821

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 June 2021
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 28 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government which (a) domestic, (b) UK and (c) international shipowners Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd has contacted since January 2020, in pursuit of additional tonnage to increase resilience and capacity on Clyde and Hebrides ferry services.

Question reference: S6W-00820

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 June 2021
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 28 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) value and (b) full potential duration is of the time charter agreement that it has signed with Pentland Ferries Ltd for the MV Pentalina, for services on contracted Clyde and Hebrides routes.

Question reference: S6W-00829

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 June 2021
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 28 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what assurances it has received from the UK Government that the (a) MV Pentalina, and (b) MV Alfred are safe to operate on ferry routes in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-00823

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 June 2021
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 28 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government at which ports on the Clyde and Hebrides ferry network the MV Pentalina underwent sea berthing trials from 12 June 2021.

Question reference: S6W-00824

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 June 2021
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 28 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) passenger and (b) vehicle carrying capacity is of vessels that are leased by CalMac, on routes where the MV Pentalina has been time chartered to provide relief capacity.

The maximum passenger and vehicle carrying capacity of the vessels in the CalMac fleet that normally operate the routes they will consider deploying the MV Pentalina on, if chartered, are detailed in the following table.

Vessel	Passenger Capacity	Vehicle Capacity **	Deck Space (metres)
MV Caledonian Isles	1,000	92 cars	150 m
MV Coruisk *	249	35 cars	70 m
MV Isle of Arran *	447	55 cars	103 m
MV Isle of Mull	951	66 cars	150 m
MV Loch Seaforth	700	130 cars	372 m
MV Finlaggan	550	79 cars	180 m
MV Herbridean Isles	465	60 cars	125 m

* Summer timetable only

** Maximum capacity for cars, this can vary dependant on operational requirements and if mezzanine deck is deployed (where applicable)

In accordance with Scottish Government guidance for transport, allowing 1 metre physical distancing, passenger capacity is currently below the figures quoted.

Question reference: S6W-00819

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 June 2021
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 28 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what impact the time chartering of the MV Pentalina will have on the annual level of subsidy that CalMac receives under the Clyde and Hebrides ferry services contract.