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-03092

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 September 2021
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 30 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many members it anticipates will participate in its proposed ministerial working group on Policy Coherence for Sustainable Development, and whether it will commit to publishing participant details.

The number members, and the makeup, of the Working Group, which is to be chaired by me, will depend on the issues to be discussed. I believe that in order to get the best out of the group we should be flexible in its membership. Ministers will be invited to attend meetings from time to time if an agenda item is relevant to their portfolio, so membership will be amended to reflect the Group’s discussions and future changes in priorities.

I am happy to commit to publishing participant details once the Group has met.

Question reference: S6W-03100

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 September 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 30 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government which islands and remote communities it plans to examine for potential new fixed links, as part of its Strategic Transport Review 2.

Following publication of the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2), Initial Appraisal: Case for Change Reports in February 2021. The following fixed links were included for consideration as part of the appraisal process for Phase 2 of the review:

New rail connection to/from Cowal linking to the West Highland Line or rail network in Inverclyde or North Ayrshire, including fixed link or ferry crossings
New rail connection to/from Kintyre linking to Cowal, including fixed link or ferry crossing
From South Ronaldsay (Orkney Islands) to Gills Bay (Scottish Mainland)
Sound of Harris
Sound of Barra
From Western Isles to the Scottish Mainland
Between Mull and Scottish mainland
A tunnel between Benbecula and Skye

Question reference: S6W-03101

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 September 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 30 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to keep ferry travel affordable for Scotland’s island communities, as referred to in the Programme for Government.

The roll out of Road Equivalent Tariff (RET), which delivered significant reductions in ferry fares, was completed on the Clyde & Hebrides Ferry Service network in October 2015 and led to an estimated average fare reduction of 34% for passengers and 40% for car traffic and it continues to save travellers around £25m a year. We are also continuing work to explore options to introduce RET on all Northern Isles routes.

The 2021-22 Programme for Government (PfG) also reiterated our commitment to maintain Road Equivalent Tariff on all current island ferry routes, helping make ferry travel more affordable and more accessible, and enhancing island economies.

A review of ferry fares policy will be conducted as part of the upcoming Islands Connectivity Plan, to be published by the end of 2022. Consultation and engagement will be central to the development of the Plan and the review provides the opportunity to ensure that our fares policy continues to address the needs of island residents, businesses and communities.

Question reference: S6W-03102

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 September 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 30 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered trialling the use of graphene in road surfacing projects, following the announcement from National Highways that it will be doing this in England.

Question reference: S6W-03090

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 September 2021
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 30 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) aims and (b) objectives of its proposed ministerial working group on Policy Coherence for Sustainable Development will be.

The Scottish Government is committed to contributing to international development as an essential part of being a good global citizen. Within that, we have committed to Policy Coherence for Sustainable Development (PCSD) as part of a holistic, cross-Government, approach to our international development offer. The aim of the Ministerial Working Group on PCSD is to support that ongoing commitment by the Scottish Government. Our work on PCSD considers not just our needs but the needs of others overseas, the overall impact of our policies on poor people and poor countries. It will remain a vital component of our contribution to international development as we strive to build a green economy and “leave no one behind” in line with the ethos of the UN SDGs. Our approach is for responsibility for PCSD and its delivery to reside across all Ministerial portfolios, with the Group providing Ministers with the opportunity to reflect on how their portfolios shape and influence these issues, and what is required to improve policy coherence, not just within but across portfolios.

Question reference: S6W-03091

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 September 2021
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 30 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how often it anticipates its proposed ministerial working group on Policy Coherence for Sustainable Development will meet.

Question reference: S6W-03072

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 September 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 30 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether Ferguson Marine (Port Glasgow) Ltd (a) expressed an interest and (b) provided a response for the procurement process for two new ferries for Islay.

Question reference: S6O-00242

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 September 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 October 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support Police Scotland in its upkeep of the police estate.

Question reference: S6W-03096

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 September 2021
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 29 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to expand on its work with Scottish diaspora networks in the coming year.

In the Programme for Government 2021-22, we committed to “engage with our Scottish Connections international community and expand on our work with Scottish diaspora networks across the world.”

Across the Scottish Government, we already have a wide range of activity to engage with our diaspora groups and those with a connection with or affinity to Scotland.

Our external network of international offices work directly with our diaspora communities in key locations around the world, and two new overseas offices in Copenhagen and Warsaw will expand this network further. GlobalScot, Scotland’s network for international business, reached its 20th anniversary and its 1000th network member this year. Our engagement with the Higher Education sector, including our substantial global alumni network and programmes such as the Saltire Scholarships, plays a key role in building Scotland’s connections internationally.

We are currently undertaking research to advise on our future approach to diaspora engagement to expand our international impact. The report from the first phase of this project will be published in due course. We are also planning a programme of international activity for Scotland’s Winter Festivals, with St Andrew’s Day and Burns Night in particular providing key opportunities to support and connect with our existing diaspora networks around the world.

Question reference: S6W-03093

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 September 2021
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 29 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government when it anticipates its proposed National Towns of Culture scheme will be launched.

We will start work this year on designing an open scheme for National Towns of Culture, which will be launched over the course of this Parliament.

Officials will provide the me with delivery options and recommendations by the end of this year, and we will offer a further update at that point.

This builds on our strong track record of taking place-based approaches to our cultural programmes, such as our innovative Culture Collective scheme, launched earlier this year, which is working to increasing cultural engagement in some of our most deprived communities.