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-14726

Asked by: Peter Chapman, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 February 2018
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 27 February 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Norwegian Government's reported decision to ban the import of salmon eggs from Scotland.

Question reference: S5W-14447

Asked by: Peter Chapman, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 February 2018
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 23 February 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of households in Aberdeenshire served by exchange only lines are connected to the fibre network, and how many households are not connected.

The Scottish Government does not hold information on the number of premises served by exchange only lines in Aberdeenshire, some of which may be served commercially, or on the extent to which they are connected overall. Our records relate solely to the delivery of the Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband (DSSB) programme.

As a result of our intervention through the DSSB programme, around 80,829 homes and businesses that would not otherwise have been connected now have fibre broadband across Aberdeenshire Council area.

Despite telecoms being reserved to Westminster, the Scottish Government has committed to build on the success of our initial investment through DSSB and ensure that every premise in Scotland, including those currently served by EO lines, can access superfast broadband by the end of 2021. We have committed £600 million to the initial phase of the Reaching 100% programme, which will deliver this commitment.

Question reference: S5W-14342

Asked by: Peter Chapman, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 02 February 2018
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 23 February 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what provisions are in place for premises that do not have access to superfast broadband speeds when the R100 contract nears completion.

We have committed £600m to the initial Reaching 100% procurement. This will extend accessible fibre to our most remote rural areas and provide superfast broadband access to the vast majority of those premises that have not benefitted from our current programme’s rollout or planned commercial coverage.

Given the initial procurement may not complete the job we are scoping options for aligned interventions, including access to a superfast voucher scheme which will support a wide range of technologies. We will, however, only know whether that is needed and to what extent, once we know the outcome of the initial procurement. For absolute clarity, the commitment to reach 100% will be delivered by the end of 2021.

Question reference: S5W-14443

Asked by: Peter Chapman, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 February 2018
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 22 February 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many tonnes of plastic waste from households has been recycled in each year since 2007.

Question reference: S5W-14449

Asked by: Peter Chapman, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 February 2018
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 22 February 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what conservation work has been carried out on the Navity Bank in the Moray Firth in the last 10 years.

Question reference: S5O-01816

Asked by: Peter Chapman, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 February 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that early learning and childcare providers deliver a high-quality service.

Question reference: S5W-14446

Asked by: Peter Chapman, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 February 2018
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 21 February 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of households served by the telephone exchange in (a) Auchnagatt, (b) Maud, (c) Gardenstown, (d) Memsie, (e) Eden, (f) Cornhill, (g) New Aberdour, (h) Auchleuchries, (i) Schivas and (j) King Edward in Aberdeenshire are able to connect to fibre broadband.

Question reference: S5W-14506

Asked by: Peter Chapman, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 February 2018
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 20 February 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Scottish fishing industry's aim for a nine-month transitional arrangement period after March 2019.

The Scottish Government has consistently made clear its support for a transition period, on terms as close to full EU membership as possible, to avoid damaging uncertainty for businesses and individuals after Brexit.

As set out in “Scotland’s Place in Europe: People, Jobs and Investment”, we continue to call on the UK Government to develop a credible position on transition as a matter of urgency. The UK Government must also ensure that where key Scottish interests such as fisheries are at stake, pragmatic arrangements are made to ensure that Scotland and the UK can continue to participate effectively in EU decision-making during any transition period.

Question reference: S5W-14343

Asked by: Peter Chapman, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 02 February 2018
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 20 February 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what provisions are in place to ensure that rural areas can access ultrafast broadband speeds of 100Mbps or more.

The Scottish Government's commitment through the R100 programme is to extend superfast broadband access (defined at 30Mbps in line with European Commission guidelines) to 100% of premises by the end of 2021.

R100 will also create a future-proofed and truly national network by driving fibre into some of our most remote rural and island communities. This network will enable a wide range of digital connectivity services now and in the future, including supporting the growth of ultrafast services.

Question reference: S5W-14341

Asked by: Peter Chapman, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 02 February 2018
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 20 February 2018

To ask the Scottish Government when it anticipates that the 5.4% of premises that currently have broadband speeds of less than 15 Mbps will have speeds of 24Mbps or more.

Every premise that is currently unable to access superfast broadband, including those that currently receive less than 15Mbps, will have access to speeds greater than 30Mbps by the end of 2021.

The Scottish Government recently announced an investment of £600 million in the initial phase of our Reaching 100% (R100) programme that, working alongside commercial investment, will help deliver that objective.

The initial procurement for the programme has now launched. It is expected to last around 12 months, and we aim to announce initial plans in early 2019, once contracts have been agreed.