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-06261

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 27 January 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5T-00323 by Roseanna Cunningham on 17 December 2016 (Official Report, c. 3), what its response is to figures released by Friends of the Earth Scotland that state there are 38 zones in Scotland where safety standards for air quality are regularly broken.

The statistics quoted by Friends of the Earth Scotland related to the number of Air Quality Management Areas which have been identified by local authorities to proactively address air pollution issues. All local authorities with Air Quality Management Areas in place have produced, or in the case of more recent declarations are in the process of producing, air quality action plans outlining how they plan to tackle the issues identified and secure compliance with the air quality objectives.

The Scottish Government provides financial and practical support to these authorities for implementation of their plans. The authorities concerned also work closely with Transport Scotland, SEPA and other partner organisations.

Question reference: S5W-06262

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 27 January 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to comments by the Chair of BMA Scotland that the NHS is being stretched to “breaking point".

Question reference: S5W-06001

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 26 January 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to mitigate jobs losses in the public sector arising from any increases in automation.

We are committed to ensuring the public sector workforce is fit-for-purpose and can deliver on our digital transformation ambitions. This includes ensuring the resources we have are invested in front-line services.

Furthermore, digital transformation in itself requires the employment of a range of professions as we design digital services, standardise our processes across the public sector and simplify processes for the user.

We are committed to ensuring the Scottish public sector has access to the digital skills required to succeed in a digital world. Our actions are focused on increasing the talent pool, building early talent and supporting the upskilling of existing staff.

Question reference: S5W-06264

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 26 January 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to develop additional transport systems in cities, such as trams or monorails.

Question reference: S5W-06371

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 20 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 26 January 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many computer science/computing/ICT teachers there are in post in secondary schools, and how many vacant positions there are.

In September 2016, there were 594 teachers (FTE) recorded with Computing Studies as their main subject taught. There were 855 teachers recorded with Computing Studies as either their main subject taught or other subject taught (FTE).

The Scottish Government does not collect information on teacher vacancies. Vacancy information is available from individual local authorities or at www.myjobscotland.gov.uk

Question reference: S5W-06265

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 26 January 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how it will work with the UK Government on UK-wide plans to roll out 5G, and how it will take these plans into consideration when planning and forecasting the technology solution and cost of its Reaching 100% programme.

Although responsibility for telecommunications is currently a reserved issue, the Scottish Government is committed to working with the UK Government and other partners to ensure Scotland benefits from UK-wide funding allocated for the development and rollout of 5G.

A key aim of our digital infrastructure programmes is to ensure that Scotland has the underlying connectivity infrastructure that can support the future evolution of digital technologies such as 5G. We have already established relationships with key 5G players: from academia, industry, 5G working groups and regulatory bodies. Our aim is to ensure that Scotland is at the forefront of 5G development and deployment.

As the evolution from 4G to 5G is a longer-term journey, we do not expect our Reaching 100% programme, at least in the early stages, to be delivered using 5G technology. The programme is, however, expected to utilise a range of technologies - potentially including 4G - in a number of different interventions.

I am currently seeking a meeting with Matt Hancock MP, Minister for State at the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, to progress a range of digital issues, including 5G.

Question reference: S5O-00633

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 January 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 February 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recent figures suggesting that Scottish exports to the rest of the UK were four times that of exports to the EU.

Question reference: S5W-06123

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 25 January 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take in response to the concerns raised by wedding car operators regarding the impact on their sector of the Air Weapons and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2015.

The responses to the 2012 Scottish Government consultation on reforms to the licensing of taxis and private hire cars, raised concerns about the potential impact of removing the exemption for vehicles while being used for carrying passengers under a contract for its exclusive hire for a period of not less than 24 hours. The Scottish Government has been clear that further work will be undertaken prior to removing this exemption.

Question reference: S5W-06013

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 25 January 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the impact of the common fisheries policy on Scotland.

The Scottish Government is and has been committed to working through international organisations, including the European Union, to manage sustainably the important fish stocks in the waters around Scotland, and to support fishing as an industry. The Government does also consider however that the EU's Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) has had some very significant flaws that have brought about substantial and at times unnecessary costs for fishermen in Scotland. In particular, the CFP has sometimes sought to impose on fishermen detailed technical controls on fishing vessels and their operations directly through EU legislation that applies across the EU Member States, in a way that has not taken necessary account of the need for local variation and flexibility.

Question reference: S5W-06121

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 25 January 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has carried out on the effects of the Air Weapons and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2015 on wedding car operators.

The Air Weapons and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2015 will not remove the current exemption from taxi and private hire car licensing for vehicles while being used in connection with a funeral or wedding. It does however allow the Scottish Government to remove the current exemption for vehicles while being used for carrying passengers under a contract for its exclusive hire for a period of not less than 24 hours. Further work will be undertaken before making any amendment to the exemption for vehicles under contract.