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: S5W-15238

Asked by: Kate Forbes, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 22 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what monitoring or analysis it carries out of microplastic pollution (a) in rivers and (b) at beaches.

(a) The Scottish Environmental Protection Agency is responsible for water quality monitoring in rivers. It does not currently monitor for microplastics but is engaged with academic researchers looking into improving understanding of this problem.

(b) Scottish Government agencies do not monitor microplastic pollution at beaches. Marine Scotland monitors microplastics in the water column, in sub-tidal marine sediment and also on the sea surface which can wash onto beaches. Marine Scotland is part of the Marine Alliance for Science and Technology for Scotland, and is working with another member, Heriot-Watt University, to consider the development of beach sediment monitoring methodologies.

Question reference: S5W-15167

Asked by: Kate Forbes, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 15 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many of the licenses to trial electrofishing for razorclams have awarded to people who have (a) received penalties and (b) been convicted for offences relating to the illegal use of electricity in fishing operations.

Question reference: S5W-15164

Asked by: Kate Forbes, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 15 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many razorclams caught under electrofishing licenses have been (a) landed and (b) exported.

Question reference: S5W-15166

Asked by: Kate Forbes, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 15 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what the size is of the spawning stock biomass of razorclams in (a) each area of the Marine Scotland electrofishing trial area and (b) the rest of the country.

There is limited information available on the size and extent of Scottish razor clam stocks. As part of preparations for the electrofishing trial, two razor clam surveys were undertaken over the summer of 2017, in the Firth of Clyde and the Sound of Harris. The final report from these surveys will be published shortly. It is intended that the trial will assist in building information about stock abundance across all the trial areas.

Question reference: S5O-01872

Asked by: Kate Forbes, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 February 2018
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 7 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what support it has given to improving school buildings in the Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch constituency since May 2016.

Through the Scottish Government’s £1.8 billion Scotland’s Schools for the Future, The Highland Council has been awarded significant funding of over £63 million towards the construction of five school projects.

These projects were identified by the Council as its priority schools for investment and it has not approached the Scottish Government to seek funding towards the redevelopment of schools in your constituency.

In addition, from April 2016 to March 2019, The Highland Council's capital allocation is £103.4 million, including more than £41 million for 2018-19 which can be used at the council’s discretion to fund improvements to school buildings.

Question reference: S5W-14792

Asked by: Kate Forbes, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 February 2018
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 5 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will undertake any engagement with salmon farm operators regarding netting materials in order to minimise breaches and escape of stock.

Question reference: S5W-14787

Asked by: Kate Forbes, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 February 2018
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 5 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on the number of salmon that have escaped from Scottish farms in each year since 1999, and what action it is taking to help reduce these numbers.

Details on the number of salmon that have been reported to have escaped from Scottish fish farms are published on Scotland’s aquaculture website - http://aquaculture.scotland.gov.uk/data/fish_escapes.aspx . The Fish Health Inspectorate undertake a programme of statutory inspections conducted in association with fish health surveillance to ascertain whether satisfactory measures are in place for the containment of fish, prevention of escape of fish and recovery of escaped fish, in accordance with the requirements of Aquaculture and Fisheries (Act) 2007.

In addition, the Scottish Government published ‘A Technical Standard for Scottish Finfish Aquaculture’ in 2015 which determines technical requirements for fish farm equipment in Scotland and applies to all species of finfish. The Standard is designed to be used alongside operational procedures and training of staff to ensure equipment is used and maintained appropriately and procedures followed correctly.

Question reference: S5W-14788

Asked by: Kate Forbes, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 February 2018
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 5 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what advice it gives to salmon farmers to protect against the escape of stock into the wild.

As part of their responsibilities, the Fish Health Inspectorate will make recommendations and outline enforcement action where necessary following statutory inspections and fish health surveillance to ascertain whether satisfactory measures are in place for the containment of fish, prevention of escape of fish and recovery of escaped fish, in accordance with the requirements of Aquaculture and Fisheries (Act) 2007.

Question reference: S5W-14789

Asked by: Kate Forbes, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 February 2018
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 5 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it will undertake with Grieg Seafood, in light of reports that 21,700 farmed salmon escaped from its Loch Snizort site.

Question reference: S5W-14791

Asked by: Kate Forbes, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 February 2018
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 5 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on the main causes of net breaches at Scottish salmon farms, and what advice it gives to operators to minimise these.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-14787 on 5 March 2018. An assessment of the main causes of net breaches at Scottish Salmon farms is available in the following report - http://www.sarf.org.uk/reports/

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