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-33573

Asked by: Dean Lockhart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 10 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how many operational readiness meetings it has held in preparation for the UK leaving the EU, and how many times UK Government ministers and officials have been invited to attend.

The Scottish Government is acutely aware of the limited time remaining before the Transition Period ends and the risks that this poses to our people and businesses. The Scottish Government has been closely managing and responding to those risks in spite of the challenges of steering the nation through a global pandemic. Despite the less than transparent and cooperative approach of the UK Government, we seek to engage with UK Government Ministers and officials on a regular and ongoing basis in preparation for the end of the Transition Period.

A very wide range of meetings relating to operational readiness have taken place within and across portfolio areas, at Ministerial and official level. Readiness for the end of the Transition Period, and other concurrent risks, has been discussed regularly at Cabinet.

These meetings extend to a wide range of discussions at official and Ministerial meetings, bilaterally and multi-laterally, with counterparts in UK Government Departments. In these meetings, the Scottish Government has shared information on its preparations, and has consistently sought stronger engagement with and information-sharing by the UK Government. We remain in favour of further engagement of this kind. Scottish Government Ministers and officials have also been able to share and discuss information on preparations with the UK Government in a number of cross-Government forums.

Question reference: S5W-33698

Asked by: Dean Lockhart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 December 2020
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 10 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has received in Barnett consequentials arising from UK Government expenditure on Brexit preparedness, and how much it has allocated to its Brexit preparedness work, broken down by directorate.

From 2017 to the end of 2021 we have received a total of £194.8m in EU Exit preparation consequentials.

All Brexit consequentials have been absorbed into the Scottish Budget 2020-21. Spend on EU Exit preparation has been on staff supporting activities such as legislative preparations and supporting stakeholders and partners including businesses, cultural bodies, higher education institutes, local government and the third sector. Further breakdown of spend will be available after the end of the financial year.

Question reference: S5W-33513

Asked by: Dean Lockhart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 4 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what (a) formal and (b) informal discussions and/or meetings it has had during the EU Brexit negotiations with the EU's (i) UK Task Force and/or (ii) chief negotiator, and what issues were discussed.

The following ministerial meetings have taken place. The First Minister of Scotland met with Michel Barnier, the EU’s Chief Negotiator, on four occasions between 2017 and February 2020. The dates of these meetings were 13 July 2017, 28 May 2018, 11 June 2019 and 10 February 2020 and information relating to the first three engagements can be found here: International relations: Ministerial visits and events within Europe - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) . The meeting between the First Minister and Mr Barnier in February 2020 is publically recorded here: Ministerial engagements, travel and gifts: February 2020 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) . Since February 2020, Scottish Ministers have had two phone calls with the EU’s Task Force. The Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, Europe and External Affairs had a phone call with Clara Martinez Alberola on 22 June 2020 which is publicly recorded here: Ministerial engagements, travel and gifts: June 2020 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) . And a phone call between the First Minister and Mr Barnier took place on 25 August 2020, information relating to this is recorded publically here: Ministerial engagements, travel and gifts: August 2020 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .

At each of these engagements, Scottish Ministers set out the Scottish Government’s position on EU exit and the future relationship negotiations, emphasising the desire for the UK to have as close as possible a relationship with the EU. Michel Barnier and members of the European Commission’s Task Force discussed the EU’s approach to the negotiations, and some of the main issues. Scottish Ministers have always been clear that the UK Government is the negotiating party with the European Commission on behalf of the UK, and as such our role has been to seek to influence the UK position. However, meetings like these are important in order to represent Scotland’s direct interests in the EU-UK future relationship and ensure these are understood, for example on issues where Scotland has devolved responsibilities and where Scottish stakeholders and businesses will be affected by the outcome of the negotiations, and to ensure Scottish Ministers have a good understanding of the EU position.

Question reference: S5O-04801

Asked by: Dean Lockhart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 November 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met representatives of Stirling Council and what was discussed.

Question reference: S5W-33144

Asked by: Dean Lockhart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 18 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how many Scottish Development International (SDI) offices there are, broken down by location, and how many share premises with or are sited at (a) British embassies or consulates and (b) the offices of UK Government agencies.

There are 38 SDI offices located outside of Scotland. They are situated in the following locations:

Calgary, Toronto, Mexico City, Boston, Chicago, Houston, San Jose, Melbourne, Beijing, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Hyderabad, Mumbai, New Delhi, Tokyo, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Taipei, Brussels, Copenhagen, Paris, Berlin, Dusseldorf, Accra, Milan, The Hague, Oslo, Warsaw, Dublin, Al Khobar, Johannesburg, Barcelona, Madrid, Bern, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, London.

Of these, 32 share premises or are sited at British embassies or consulates.

SDI staff also have access to SE offices across Scotland.

Question reference: S5W-33058

Asked by: Dean Lockhart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 10 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what its total financial investment and contingent liabilities are in relation to BiFab.

The Scottish Government invested £37.4 million through a combination of equity and loan facilities in 2017 and subsequently converted this to a 32.4% minority equity stake in BiFab. A separate loan facility of £15 million has also been provided to support working capital. There has been no call on the contingent liabilities previously approved by the Finance Committee, which are commercially confidential.

Question reference: S5O-04700

Asked by: Dean Lockhart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 October 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 October 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to recognise school grade appeals made by young people in exceptional circumstances.

Question reference: S5W-31891

Asked by: Dean Lockhart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 September 2020
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 2 October 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, Europe and External Affairs on 10 September 2020 (Official Report, c.57), how it will distribute "nationally and internationally" its "full rebuttal" to the Internal Market Bill, and how much this will cost.

Question reference: S5W-31892

Asked by: Dean Lockhart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 September 2020
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 28 September 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the comment by the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, Europe and External Affairs on 18 August 2020 (Official Report, c.71) that "if a former President of the European Council can say to my face that we would be able to join the EU, I will take his word for it", on what date the former President offered the cabinet secretary this opinion; whether this has been confirmed in writing and if (a) so, whether it will publish this and (b) not, whether it will ask the former President to confirm his position, and whether it will place a copy of the response in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe).

The views of two former presidents of the EU Council are already on the public record. In September last year Herman Van Rompuy gave an interview to the BBC in which he said: "I think there is a change, yes, because for a lot of people they are looking at what Scottish people are in favour of. They want to stay in the European Union and at the same time they are prevented to stay in the European Union."

Donald Tusk, in February this year, when pressed on the level of support in the EU towards an independent Scotland joining the European Union said: "Emotionally I have no doubt that everyone will be enthusiastic here in Brussels, and more generally in Europe. If you ask me about our emotions, you will witness I think always empathy."

I hold a range of meetings some of which are of course, by the nature of international diplomacy, private and I am in no doubt that these expressions of openness and sympathy to Scotland being taken out of the EU against the express will of her people are typical of a widely held view at many levels within the EU and its member states.

It is of course the Scottish Government’s intention that an independent Scotland would re-join the EU, and our 47-year history means we are uniquely placed to do so, but of course we recognise that membership of the EU will be subject to negotiation with the European Commission, the European Parliament and EU member states consistent with the provisions of the EU Treaties.

Question reference: S5O-04624

Asked by: Dean Lockhart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 September 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 September 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what support it is giving to small community-based football clubs that are facing financial difficulties and closure due to the COVID-19 crisis.