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-15645

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 26 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 26 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many hydraulic dredge vessels have fished for razor clams in Scottish inshore waters in the twelve-month period prior to the Razor Clams (Prohibition on Fishing and Landing) (Scotland) Order 2017 coming into force.

Question reference: S5W-15644

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 26 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 26 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether a comparison, through an economic and environmental assessment, of hydraulic dredging and electrofishing methods will be conducted during the razor clam electrofishing trial.

Question reference: S5W-15641

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 26 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 26 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government on what basis it used EU law to end hydraulic dredging for razor clams through the Razor Clams (Prohibition on Fishing and Landing) (Scotland) Order 2017.

Question reference: S5W-15640

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 26 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 26 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has prohibited fishing for razor clams by hydraulic dredge as part of the razor clam electrofishing trial and, if so, for what reason.

The Razor Clams (Prohibition on Fishing and Landing) (Scotland) Order 2017 prohibits all fishing for and landing of razor clams within the Scottish zone, except in relation to any operations that are conducted for the purpose of scientific investigation authorised by the Scottish Ministers and in relation to fishing for razor clams by hand in tidal waters, up to a maximum of 30 clams per person per day. The Order applies to all forms of fishing, including by hydraulic dredge. The Order is made under powers in the Sea Fish (Conservation) Act 1967, and not under EU law.

Further to the Order, a controlled trial of electro-fishing for razor clams commenced on 1 February 2018. The scientific trial is being conducted in terms of Article 43 of EC Regulation 850/98. The purpose of this trial is to undertake a commercial level test of this fishing method, to confirm that it can be undertaken safely and sustainably, and to gather information about impacts upon the benthic environment It is considered necessary to prohibit all commercial fishing outside the trial in light of a risk, which is considered to be a high risk, that any such fishing would be undertaken with the use of electricity. Fishing with electricity, while illegal under EU law, has in the recent past been the predominant method used in the commercial fishing for razor clams.

It is not planned as part of the trial to undertake a comparison, through an economic and environmental assessment, of hydraulic dredging and electrofishing methods, and an economic and environmental assessment of hydraulic dredging for razor clams was not conducted prior to setting the terms of the razor clam electrofishing trial. Scientific research has already shown that the electro-fishing method is highly selective, produces high quality produce with zero bycatch and is less intrusive than dredging.

Since August 2014 Scottish vessels have been required to apply for a specific additional permit to fish for razor clams, including by hydraulic dredge. Marine Scotland is not aware of any fishing vessel fishing for razor clams by using hydraulic dredges in Scottish inshore waters in the twelve month period prior to the Razor Clams (Prohibition on Fishing and Landing) (Scotland) Order 2017 coming into force.

There has been extensive consultation about razor clam fishing in Scotland. Following the Scottish Government’s response to a 2016 public consultation about the regulated use of electricity in the fishery, consultation meetings were held with fishermen, businesses, non-governmental organisations and other interested parties to discuss the development of the electro-fishery trial.

Question reference: S5W-15728

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 24 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on the criteria that were used for installing an average speed camera on the A713 at Polnessan.

Question reference: S5W-15727

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 24 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what land it owns that is adjacent to the A75, and where this is located.

Question reference: S5W-15831

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 April 2018
Current Status: Answered by Annabelle Ewing on 17 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many deaths have arisen as a result of (a) no and (b) faulty smoke detectors or alarms being present in a property, and how many have arisen where fully-functioning smoke alarms or detectors were present in the last five years.

Question reference: S5O-01977

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 April 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many community right to buy applications have been received in the last 24 months, and what proportion has been approved.

Question reference: S5W-15093

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 15 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what research on digital identity management it has considered.

The Scottish Government’s Digital Strategy contains the commitment to work with stakeholders, privacy interests and members of the public to develop a robust, secure and trustworthy mechanism by which an individual member of the public can demonstrate their identity online.

A new online identity assurance programme of work has commenced to deliver this commitment, which is currently in its initial discovery phase. The discovery work is including research to identify service user needs and the technical delivery options.

Question reference: S5W-15095

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 15 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what examples of digital identity management systems, in which citizens manage their own data, it has considered.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-15093 on‎ 15 March 2018, a new online identity assurance programme of work has commenced, which is currently in its initial discovery phase. The discovery work is including consideration of the technical landscape for identity assurance and the range of delivery options, including systems in which citizens manage their own data. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx .