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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

Filter your results Hide all filters

Displaying 895 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S5W-32926

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 30 October 2020
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 13 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what financial support is available to taxi drivers whose businesses have been affected by COVID-19 restrictions but who (a) do not have business bank accounts and (b) are not registered for non-domestic rates.

Taxi drivers are eligible for financial support through either the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme or the Job Retention Scheme depending on their employment status. Both of these financial support schemes are available to those who do not have a business bank account and do not operate their businesses from premises that pay Non-Domestic Rates. Notwithstanding the unnecessary uncertainty caused by delays in announcing this support, we welcome the UK Government’s decision to extend both the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme and the Job Retention Scheme which now gives taxi drivers, amongst others, greater certainty that they will receive financial support that recognises the ongoing challenges they face.

Question reference: S5W-32838

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 October 2020
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 12 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the news release issued by CalMac Ferries on 24 August 2020, whether it will list the location at which dry dock maintenance work will be carried out on each ferry.

Question reference: S5W-32831

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 October 2020
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 12 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-25863 by Paul Wheelhouse on 30 October 2019, what it considers to be "genuine workforce engagement" in the absence of a collective bargaining agreement with the trade unions recognised under the contract for Northern Isles Ferry Services.

There is an ongoing collective dialogue and engagement with RMT and Nautilus International, under the Terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement in place with both Trade Unions, for those employed by Serco Limited or its subsidiary companies working across the NorthLink Ferries operation. During the Covid-19 pandemic this engagement has been maintained on a regular basis through the effective use of remote digital communication tools.

Question reference: S5W-32839

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 October 2020
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 12 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what impact the age of the CalMac fleet will have on the dry docking maintenance work required by the lifeline fleet over the next four years.

All vessels are subject to surveys in accordance with requirements of the Classification Society and the Flag State (Maritime Coastguard Agency) in order to confirm that the hull, machinery, equipment and systems remain in satisfactory condition and remain in compliance with approval or accepted standards.

Some surveys are carried out annually, and others intermediate in 3, 5 year and 15 year periods.

Question reference: S5W-32835

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 October 2020
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 12 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how many jobs in (a) Scotland and (b) the rest of the UK will be supported by the Project Torridon procurement process.

Question reference: S5W-32832

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 October 2020
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 12 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government who the successful bidders were for Lot (a) 1 and (b) 2 of the Project Torridon procurement process, and on what date the contract starts.

Question reference: S5W-32834

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 October 2020
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 12 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what the cost is to (a) CalMac Ferries Ltd and (b) Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd of dry docking maintenance and overhaul contracts tendered under the Project Torridon procurement process.

Question reference: S5W-32924

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 30 October 2020
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 11 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the number of apprenticeships in Scotland that will be created by CalMac Ferries Ltd's ferry maintenance and overhaul strategy in each year between 2020 and 2024.

The Scottish Government has not made an estimate of the number of apprenticeships that will be created in Scotland by CalMac Ferries Ltd.’s vessel maintenance and overhaul strategy between 2020 and 2024.

It is for the individual shipyards to determine their policy for the recruitment of apprentices and how they are deployed. It should be noted that the procurement phase for maintenance and overhaul has not yet been completed for all vessels.

Question reference: S5W-31741

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 September 2020
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 11 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government when the free bus travel scheme for under-19s will be introduced.

Question reference: S5W-32927

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 30 October 2020
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 10 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason its COVID-19 Restrictions Fund excludes businesses such as tax drivers who (a) do not have business bank accounts or (b) are not registered for non-domestic rates, in light of their businesses being affected by COVID-19 restrictions.

Businesses are only eligible for the Closure and Hardship and the furlough elements of the COVID-19 Restrictions Fund if they pay Non-Domestic Rates. This is to ensure quick and effective distribution of financial support. We have also announced a Contingency Fund specifically to support businesses that are not eligible for the closure and hardship grants but that are experiencing disruption as a result of restrictions.

We have already allocated a portion of the Contingency Fund to nightclubs and soft play centres and are continuing to consider where the remainder of the Contingency Fund would be most effectively deployed in supporting businesses impact by restrictions.