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-14505

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 27 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 10 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide (a) CalMac and (b) Serco NorthLink Ferries with any additional subsidy as a result of the decision to freeze fares for the first six months of 2023-24.

Question reference: S6W-14493

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 27 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 10 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether any airports will be forced to close as a result of the Public and Commercial Services Union industrial action, on 1 February 2023, and, if so, which ones.

Question reference: S6W-14504

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 27 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 10 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether a ministerial direction was issued to Transport Scotland officials to freeze ferry fares for (a) CalMac and (b) Serco NorthLink Ferries.

Question reference: S6W-14454

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 27 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 10 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it remains its plan to hold a citizens’ assembly on local government funding in the current parliamentary session.

The Programme for Government 2021 committed to establishing a working group with representation from the Scottish Green Party, and engagement with COSLA, to oversee the development of effective deliberative engagement on sources of local government funding, including Council Tax, that culminate in a Citizens’ Assembly. The commitment states that this should be completed in this Parliament, with a response to its recommendations debated and agreed within 6 months of being provided. Scottish Ministers have convened a Joint Working Group, which met on 8 December 2022, and has representation from Scottish Greens and COSLA, to oversee the development of effective deliberative engagement.

Question reference: S6W-14456

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 27 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 10 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-13600 by Maree Todd on 19 January 2023, for what reason it does not hold the information requested, in light of the answer to question S6W-12372, which includes the relevant data for primary schools.

The main focus of the Daily Mile programme has been to embed the Daily Mile in Primary school settings and data collection has focussed on these settings. A new Daily Mile Strategy is being developed which will outline priorities over the next 3 years for expanding the Daily Mile. It will take a targeted approach, focussing on Early Years settings and areas of deprivation. Data will be collected to measure progress in embedding the Daily Mile in these settings.

Question reference: S6W-14509

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 27 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 10 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason CalMac’s emergency timetable change for the Oban-Craignure route in January 2023 was reportedly not communicated to Mull’s bus operator, West Coast Motors, in light of reports that this resulted in long waits for passengers between connections and journey times of up to six hours from Oban to Iona.

Question reference: S6W-14506

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 27 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 10 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered providing support to any other commercial ferry operators as a result of Transport Scotland’s decision to freeze fares for CalMac and Serco NorthLink Ferries.

Question reference: S6W-14492

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 27 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 10 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact of the Public and Commercial Services Union industrial action, on 1 February 2023, on the work of Highlands and Islands Airports Limited.

Highlands and Islands Airports Limited, as the operator of 11 airports across the Highland and Islands and Dundee, assessed the potential impact of the industrial action by the Public and Commercial Services Union on 1 February 2023 as part of their day to day business continuity planning. They concluded that there would be no impact on their operations and did not anticipate any disruption to passengers.

Question reference: S6W-14510

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 27 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 10 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government on what date CalMac was advised that there would be a delay to the time that the Isle of Mull ferry would have to spend in dry dock, which led to the necessity of introducing an emergency timetable for the Oban-Craignure route in January 2023.

Question reference: S6W-14512

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 27 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 9 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what action it can take to ensure that there continue to be similar avenues available for young and establishing musicians, in light of BBC Scotland’s reported announcement that it plans to end the shows, Classics Unwrapped, Jazz Nights and Pipeline.

The Scottish Government recognises and shares the music sector’s concern with the decision to reduce the breadth of cultural music programming on Radio Scotland. Certain musical forms, such as piping or jazz, are not traditionally thought of as mainstream musical offerings and it is essential that the BBC listens to the concerns of the music sector so that audiences are able to continue to enjoy pipe and jazz music on BBC Radio Scotland.

The Scottish Government maintains its strong commitment to young and establishing musicians, including through its long-standing investment of over £140m since 2007 in the Youth Music Initiative. This helps young people across Scotland to access music-making opportunities, and supports them to go on to careers in the music industry.

The Scottish Government will continue to press the BBC to deliver on its commitments to commission high-quality, distinctive Scottish output, including in relation to music.