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-25872

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 October 2019
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 30 October 2019

To ask the Scottish Government when it will announce the levels of funding for the next phase of the Learning Estate Investment Programme, and what the timescale will be for local authorities to bid for this.

Question reference: S5W-25863

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 October 2019
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 30 October 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on the number of Scottish seafarers who are employed on the (a) Helliar and (b) Hildasay freight ships chartered to work on the Northern Isles Ferry Services contract.

There are currently 19 positions (including 1 cadet who is a Scottish seafarer) on the Helliar and 18 on the Hildasay. All crew on board the vessels are entitled to work in the UK and are European nationals.

The crew on these vessels are provided through Marine Manning Guernsey Limited.

Crew on board the freight vessels continue to benefit from the principles set out in the Fair Work Framework such as; access to NorthLink’s extensive training programme, genuine workforce engagement and payment of the Living Wage.

Question reference: S5W-25820

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 14 October 2019
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 30 October 2019

To ask the Scottish Government further to the Transport Scotland news release of 20 September 2019, whether it expects to introduce the three-year fares freeze for (a) passengers, (b) non-commercial vehicles and (c) cabins on the (i) Aberdeen-Lerwick and (ii) Kirkwall-Lerwick routes from January 2020.

Question reference: S5W-25818

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 14 October 2019
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 30 October 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the cost to (a) public funds and (b) Serco NorthLink of planned improvements to the terminal facilities at Hatston, Kirkwall during the 2019-27 contract for Northern Isles Ferry Services, and when it expects those improvements to be completed.

We initially estimated the total contract value at some £370 million. It is for the operator to deliver costed service solutions that fall within that initial value.

Although annual subsidy requirements will be published on a retrospective basis, financial details of the successful bidder's tender, including improvements to the terminal facilities at Hatston, Kirkwall, will remain commercially confidential.

This remains a live procurement and there is a limit on what further information can be provided at this time. A redacted version of the signed contract will subsequently be made available on Transport Scotland's website.

Question reference: S5W-25817

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 14 October 2019
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 30 October 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the annual cost to (a) public funds and (b) Serco NorthLink from the planned (i) maintenance and (ii) dry docking of the publicly-owned fleet during the 2019-27 Northern Isles Ferry Services contract.

We initially estimated the total contract value at some £370 million. It is for the operator to deliver costed service solutions that fall within that initial value.

Although annual subsidy requirements will be published on a retrospective basis, financial details of the successful bidder's tender, including planned maintenance and dry docking will remain commercially confidential.

Question reference: S5W-25816

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 14 October 2019
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 30 October 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether there is a subsidy claw back provision in the 2019-27 contract for Northern Isles Ferry Services awarded to Serco NorthLink.

Question reference: S5W-25814

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 14 October 2019
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 30 October 2019

To ask the Scottish Government on what (a) cost, (b) quality or (c) other grounds David MacBrayne Ltd’s bid for the Northern Isles Ferry Services contract from 31 October 2019 was unsuccessful.

Question reference: S5W-25815

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 14 October 2019
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 30 October 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether (a) revenues or (b) inter-group loans from Serco Group plc have been used to fund the operation of the current Northern Isles Ferry Services contract with Serco NorthLink Ferries since July 2012.

The Scottish Government can confirm that no revenues, or intergroup loans, from Serco Group plc have been used to fund the operation of the current Northern Isles Ferry Services (NIFS) contract with Serco NorthLink Ferries since July 2012.

Commercial revenues received within the NIFS contract are taken into account when determining the subsidy received from the Scottish Government. i.e. increased revenue received from operating the ferry services reduces the level of Scottish Government subsidy required.

Question reference: S5W-25856

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 October 2019
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 30 October 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how many additional front line staff will be employed as a result of the Programme for Government announcement to invest £15 million in additional support for learning by the end of the current academic year, also broken down by local authority.

Question reference: S5W-25861

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 October 2019
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 30 October 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the anticipated impact of its proposed Bus Partnership Fund on passenger numbers (a) overall and (b) in (i) urban and (ii) rural areas.