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-11254

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 September 2017
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 27 September 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what agreements it has in place with the Isle of Man Government regarding fisheries, including shared fishing stocks, and what recent discussions there have been regarding (a) scallop fishing and (b) the rights of Scotland's scallop fleet.

The Scottish Government maintains regular contact with the Isle of Man and other UK administrations, in relation to the management of the king and queen scallop fisheries in Isle of Man and UK waters. There is a formal Fisheries Management Agreement in place with the Isle of Man, that sets out access arrangements for UK fishing vessels to the Isle of Man’s territorial sea, and the process by which the Isle of Man consults with the UK administrations prior to introducing any new management measures.

The Scottish Government is also currently working with the other UK administrations and the Isle of Man on improving the management of the UK’s queen scallop fishery. A working group, made up of government officials and fishing industry representatives, was formed in 2015 and has met several times to develop management proposals. This process led to a public consultation last year on new conservation measures, which was supported by all the administrations.

Question reference: S5W-11071

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 September 2017
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 14 September 2017

To ask the Scottish Government when the controlled trial of electrofishing for razor clams will take place; where the trial areas will be, and how it will ensure that non Scottish-owned vessels will be subject to the same rules as those owned in Scotland.

It is intended to open the trial of electrofishing for razor clams in Scottish waters to applications before the end of 2017. Stock surveys are under way now to assess which areas are suitable for a trial commercial fishery, and these surveys will be completed in the next few weeks, and then assessed by marine scientists.

Before the trial begins, the Scottish Government plans to table a statutory instrument, for the Parliament’s consideration, which will prohibit fishing for razors from a fishing vessel except for those vessels participating in the trial. This instrument, if approved by the Parliament, will apply to all vessels, Scottish and
non-Scottish, operating in Scottish waters. Vessels taking part in the trial will be subject to the same set of terms and conditions.

Question reference: S5O-01255

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 September 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 September 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to review the funding for community sentences.

Question reference: S5W-10607

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 07 August 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 1 September 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is aware or has been notified of any issues regarding the construction of the new hospital in Dumfries.

Question reference: S5W-10122

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 03 July 2017
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 8 August 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how much it estimates NHS Scotland will spend on diabetes over the next five years.

The Scottish Government does not hold official estimates of current and projected spend on diabetes in NHS Scotland. The allocation of spend is determined by territorial Health Boards. Although individual estimates are available for the economic costs of diabetes in the UK, programme-specific costs for endocrine problems in Scotland, and projected prevalence rates of diabetes in Scotland, there is no unifying analysis that gives projected spend in NHS Scotland over the next five years.

Question reference: S5W-10121

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 03 July 2017
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 28 July 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many hospital bed days have been used by people with diabetes in each of the last five years.

The total number of bed days occupied in NHS Scotland where Diabetes is recorded as the Principal Diagnosis, for each of the past five financial years, is shown in the following table.

NHS Scotland: 2011-12 - 2015-16: Total Number of days where Diabetes Mellitus is recorded in the Principal diagnosis condition.

Financial Year	Total Number of Days
2011-2012	34,784
2012-2013	35,197
2013-2014	33,258
2014-2015	34,533
2015-2016	37,093

Source : ISD Scotland (SMR01)

Extracted : July 2017

Question reference: S5W-10123

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 03 July 2017
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 26 July 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish an implementation strategy alongside the 2014 Diabetes Improvement Plan.

Question reference: S5W-10019

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 June 2017
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 13 July 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-09710 by Kevin Stewart on 27 June 2017, whether it plans to provide new funding streams to community councils.

As set out in my answer to the previous question S5W-09710 on 27 June 2017 the Scottish Government does not provide funding to Community Councils as it is for each local authority to decide the level of funding for Community Councils in their area. 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

There may be external funding streams that a community council can access or apply for such as the Community Choices Fund which supports the development of participatory budgeting in Scotland. More information on that fund can be found at:

http://www.gov.scot/Topics/People/engage/CommunityChoicesFund

Question reference: S5W-09665

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 June 2017
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 28 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it provides to teachers and schools on sex education for primary school children.

All schools under local authority control are expected to teach the experiences and outcomes for relationships, sexual health and parenthood (RSHP) education in Curriculum for Excellence. The statutory responsibility for delivering the curriculum rests with local authorities and schools.

Curriculum for Excellence is intended for all children and young people in Scotland, aged 3 to 18, according to their stage of development. There is specific guidance for schools on RSHP education which was issued in 2014 and recognises that education on this should be delivered within the wider context of a child’s education and overall wellbeing.

Question reference: S5O-01182

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 June 2017
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 28 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to tackle poverty.

Alongside these actions to develop a fairer future we continue to mitigate the damning welfare cuts imposed by Westminster. Since 2013-14 we have invested over £350 million to mitigate the worst impacts of the UK Government welfare cuts to protect those on the lowest income. This includes fully mitigating the Bedroom Tax and helping 241,000 individual households, a third of which include children, through the Scottish Welfare Fund.