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: S5O-01391

Asked by: Gail Ross, MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 October 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 November 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many section 36 agreement applications are in progress in the Caithness, Sutherland and Ross constituency.

Question reference: S5W-12080

Asked by: Gail Ross, MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 October 2017
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 19 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how local views will be taken into account when determining the application for Braemore wind farm, and when a decision will be made.

A full public consultation was undertaken by the Scottish Government in relation to the proposed Braemore Wind Farm.

The case was referred to the Department for Planning and Environmental Appeals for a public local inquiry to be heard, with all parties who responded to the consultation given an opportunity to participate in the process.

The inquiry report was returned to Scottish Ministers on 4 August 2016 and is presently under consideration.

This is a finely balanced case. Ministers are mindful of the views expressed by Lairg Community Council, Ardgay and District Community Council, Creich Community Council, individuals who responded to the consultation on the proposal, and of other interested parties. Ministers are aware of local concerns about the potential cumulative effect of energy infrastructure in Lairg and surrounding areas, and strong interest in the outcome among members of the Scottish Parliament. It is appropriate that Ministers take time to consider these issues in detail, in the context of the Reporter's recommendations, before determining the application for onshore wind turbines at Braemore.

A decision will be issued in the coming weeks.

Question reference: S5O-01337

Asked by: Gail Ross, MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 September 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on reorganising local government to ensure that remote and rural areas have decision-making and strategic planning located at the heart of their communities.

Question reference: S5W-11187

Asked by: Gail Ross, MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 September 2017
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 27 September 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many non-UK EU nationals work in Scotland’s seafood processing sector, and how many of these have been resident in the UK for less than five years.

Question reference: S5W-11190

Asked by: Gail Ross, MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 September 2017
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 27 September 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what it estimates the cost would be to the seafood sector in the event that WTO tariffs were applied to Scotland's exports.

Question reference: S5W-11189

Asked by: Gail Ross, MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 September 2017
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 27 September 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has received from the UK Government regarding the timeline for the devolution of powers to the Scottish Parliament after the UK leaves the EU regarding fisheries management within Scotland’s 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone.

Fisheries management is already a fully devolved matter and the Scottish Government is absolutely clear the established powers of the Scottish Parliament over fisheries, the Scottish zone and Scottish vessels wherever they operate, must not be interfered with in any way.

Far from devolving further powers to the Scottish Parliament, however, the Scottish Government is particularly concerned that the UK Government’s European Union (Withdrawal) Bill, as drafted, will re-reserve a range of competencies and will significantly undermine the powers of the Scottish Parliament.

Scottish Ministers have made clear that they cannot, and will not, recommend that legislative consent is given to the Bill, as it currently stands and will look to build consensus with other parties for alternative proposals which would protect and enhance the devolution settlement; both in relation to fisheries and other devolved interests. This includes a series of proposed amendments to the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill, published jointly with the Welsh Government on 19 September.

Question reference: S5W-11310

Asked by: Gail Ross, MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 September 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 26 September 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what it can do to encourage private care firms to set up in areas of increasing need, in light of NHS boards making arrangements to shift the balance of care from acute services to care at home.

The Public Bodies (Scotland) Act 2014 places a duty on each Integration Authority to produce a Strategic Commissioning Plan which sets out how the Integration Authority will plan and deliver services for their area over the medium term, using the integrated budgets under their control.

A range of activities are involved in developing the Plan, including: assessing and forecasting needs, linking investment to agreed outcomes, considering options, planning the nature, range and quality of future services and working in partnership to put these in place. Within this process a Market Facilitation Plan, which is a summary of the key requirements to meet current and future demand, should be developed, clearly stating the level and type of services required. Based on a good understanding of need and demand, market facilitation is the process by which strategic commissioners ensure there is sufficient, appropriate range of provision, available at the right price to meet needs and deliver effective outcomes.

We are also committed to improving the status of working in the care sector to ensure current and new care sector businesses have an efficient workforce pool and attract and retain the right people and developing people in their roles. To take this forward we will be working to develop and implement the social care section of the National Health and Social Care Workforce Plan.

We have also taken steps to improve recruitment and retention in the social care sector and make it a more attractive career option. This included enabling adult social care workers in Scotland to be paid the real living wage of £8.45 per hour from 1st May this year.

We are also working with partners across social care to deliver a major programme of reform to adult social care, which will consider workforce issues and new models of care and support.

Question reference: S5O-01291

Asked by: Gail Ross, MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 September 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 September 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many foundation apprenticeships there are.

Question reference: S5W-11377

Asked by: Gail Ross, MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 September 2017
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Humza Yousaf on 20 September 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on ScotRail’s performance since the Improvement Plan was implemented, and whether the franchise performance target is now being achieved.

Since implementation of the Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) a year ago performance has continued to improve with PPM MAA increased by 1.60%, and last month saw ScotRail become the best performing large train operator in the UK. To put this into context ScotRail’s performance is now 3.11% ahead of England and Wales.

ScotRail is no longer in PIP level however they are around 0.40% from achieving the franchise Contractual Target level. The PIP is now being maintained as ‘business as usual’ with over 400 plans initiated and more than 260 already delivered.

ScotRail’s very real efforts to lift performance is a credit to all the staff who have worked hard to deliver this in the face of unrelenting, often unwarranted, criticism. I am not complacent and expect this upward trend to continue as we work with ScotRail to build the best railway Scotland has ever had.

Question reference: S5W-10834

Asked by: Gail Ross, MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 18 August 2017
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 7 September 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it will undertake with district salmon fishery boards regarding the eradication of non-native salmon species in Scottish rivers.