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-23014

Asked by: Dean Lockhart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 May 2019
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 14 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how many of its in-market specialists focus on exporting to the rest of the UK.

Our in-market specialists are based overseas and are focussed on generating international exports, not UK domestic trade. However, supporting businesses to increase their sales within the UK is also important. Around £300 million of business support is available to companies in Scotland through our enterprise agencies to help businesses to grow and develop, including to increase their sales to the wider UK market.

The Trade Board has commissioned a survey of Scottish businesses to better understand what trade support they believe would be useful in the London market and we will consider that information carefully to determine what action is required.

In addition, the recently launched A Trading Nation – a plan for growing Scotland’s exports , outlines other measures to support and enhance the existing business support offer. This includes, support for the establishment of stronger business networks in London, in particular, to support the Scottish Business Network over the next 2 years to build capacity that helps Scottish businesses to exploit opportunities in London and the rest of the UK.

Scotland House, in the heart of the London is a valuable resource for Scottish businesses moving into this market, providing a great venue for business and networking events. A key objective of the development of Scotland House is to take advantage of London’s status as a ‘global gateway’ for both trade and investment, supported by joint working between the Scottish Government and its agencies.

Question reference: S5W-23015

Asked by: Dean Lockhart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 May 2019
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 14 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the commitment in its paper, A Trading Nation – a plan for growing Scotland’s exports, to provide £2 million for chambers of commerce to deliver a number of trade missions over three years, how many new missions will be delivered, and where these will be located.

The First Minister at the Scottish Chambers of Commerce Annual Business Address on 7 December 2018 announced that funding of up to £2 million would be made available to the Scottish chamber of commerce network over the next 3 years to support the development of a programme of activity, including trade missions, which will help Scottish businesses to exploit opportunities in key international markets.

The Scottish Chambers has key business links with Chambers in other countries which are of great benefit to Scottish businesses and they have shown through the initial International Trade Partnership Programme the valuable impact the Chambers can have on introducing Scottish companies to new markets.

We will be working closely with Scottish Chambers of Commerce as they develop a programme of inward and outward trade missions which are in line with the aims set out in A Trading Nation . The Chambers will look to deliver as many trade missions as is possible over the 3 year period, focussing on markets which will have the most impact, within the resources available. The majority of outward trade missions will target the top 15 international markets as identified in the Export Growth Plan. This also provides scope for missions to be delivered in other developing markets where specific trade opportunities have been identified by Scottish businesses.

Question reference: S5W-23018

Asked by: Dean Lockhart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 May 2019
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 14 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the commitment in its paper, A Trading Nation – a plan for growing Scotland’s exports, to treble its number of trade envoys to 12, by what date the new envoys will be in place, and where they will be located.

The Scottish Government will continue to develop the network of Trade Envoys to support Scotland’s aspiration to grow exports. The expansion of the network will be subject to identifying and recruiting suitable candidates with the right knowledge, experience and connections in the right markets.

Our priority is to grow the Trade Envoy network to represent markets where there are significant cultural, linguistic and business differences; more distant markets that are less visited by ministers; specific sectors of established growth markets where we perceive our export performance is lacking; and growing emerging markets where we do not yet have a permanent Scottish trade development presence. The focus will be on markets identified in ‘A Trading Nation’ as current and future export growth priorities.

Question reference: S5W-23017

Asked by: Dean Lockhart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 May 2019
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 14 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the commitment in its paper, A Trading Nation – a plan for growing Scotland’s exports, to expand GlobalScot to have 2,000 business people in key markets, by what date it expects to achieve the 2,000 target.

The Scottish Government, working in close collaboration with our enterprise agencies and other delivery partners, intends to significantly scale up the GlobalScot network, expanding from 600 to 2000 business people in key markets, including doubling to 500 in Europe by 2020. Further growth in the wider GlobalScot network will be subject to identifying individuals with the requisite skills and experience in our priority markets and sectors. Any experienced business people in international markets who feel they may be able to support Scotland’s trade and investment drive as a Global Scot are encouraged to contact Scottish Enterprise.

Question reference: S5W-23016

Asked by: Dean Lockhart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 May 2019
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 14 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the commitment in its paper, A Trading Nation – a plan for growing Scotland’s exports, to support the Scottish business network in exploiting trade opportunities from London, how much support it will provide and how the network will use this to exploit these opportunities.

The Scottish Government will provide up to £300,000 to the Scottish Business Network (SBN) over the next 2 years to help support Scottish businesses to target trade opportunities specifically in London and potentially in other key parts of the UK.

This funding will be used to extend the scope of current activity of the Scottish Business Network as well as increasing their membership to ensure future sustainability. SBN will deliver more export themed networking events in London and Scotland and will deliver more export themed masterclasses to encourage global mind-sets in Scottish businesses. SBN will be part of developing new relationships with key organisations in London and Scotland to create a supportive diaspora eco-system that is aimed at supporting Scottish businesses to fully understand the potential trading opportunities in London and the rest of the UK and how to use London as a gateway to wider international opportunities.

Question reference: S5W-22935

Asked by: Dean Lockhart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 May 2019
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 7 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on introducing official road signage to warn road users of the presence of red squirrels.

The Scottish Government has approved official road signs warning road users of the presence of red squirrels for a number of locations across Scotland in the past and will approve similar applications at other locations that are considered appropriate.

Consideration will also be given to incorporating these signs into a future amendment of the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions, removing the need for authorisation.

Question reference: S5W-22759

Asked by: Dean Lockhart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 April 2019
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 7 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has completed its feasibility assessment into its proposed publicly-owned energy company and, if not, by what date it will do so.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-22156 on 27 March 2019. 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 The independent's consultants work is ongoing and we expect to discuss their draft report with our local authority partners before the report is finalised over coming weeks.

Question reference: S5W-22489

Asked by: Dean Lockhart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 April 2019
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 29 April 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) business rate poundage and (b) large business rate supplement has been in each year since 1999.

The following table shows the poundage, Large Business Supplement, and Large Business Supplement threshold (rateable value) for each year from 1999-2000 to 2019-2020:

Year	Poundage (pence)	Large Business Supplement (pence)	Large Business Supplement Threshold (rateable value)
1999-00	48.0*	0.9*	> £10,000
2000-01	44.8*	1.0*	> £10,000
2001-02	45.0*	2.0*	> £10,000
2002-03	45.8*	2.0*	> £10,000
2003-04	47.8	0.6	> £25,000
2004-05	48.8	0.3	> £25,000
2005-06	46.1	0.45	> £29,000
2006-07	44.9	0.4	> £29,000
2007-08	44.1	0.3	> £29,000
2008-09	45.8	0.4	> £29,000
2009-10	48.1	0.4	> £29,000
2010-11	40.7	0.7	> £35,000
2011-12	42.6	0.7	> £35,000
2012-13	45.0	0.8	> £35,000
2013-14	46.2	0.9	> £35,000
2014-15	47.1	1.1	> £35,000
2015-16	48.0	1.3	> £35,000
2016-17	48.4	2.6	> £35,000
2017-18	46.6	2.6	> £51,000
2018-19	48.0	2.6	> £51,000
2019-20	49.0	2.6	> £51,000

*The Large Business Supplement was introduced in 2003-04. In the years prior to 2003-04 there were two poundages, one which applied only to premises with rateable values less than £10,000 (poundage), and another that applied to premises with rateable values of £10,000 or more (poundage and large business supplement).

Question reference: S5O-03181

Asked by: Dean Lockhart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 April 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the performance of ScotRail services using Stirling station.

Question reference: S5W-22539

Asked by: Dean Lockhart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 April 2019
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 23 April 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how many complaints regarding the (a) road surface and (b) other issues on the A811 between Stirling and Drymen have been received by Transport Scotland in each year since 2010.

Since 2010 Transport Scotland has recorded 12 pieces of correspondence relating to the A811, 9 of which were in relation to the road surface. Local road authorities have statutory responsibility for the improvement, maintenance and repair of roads within their respective areas, with the A811 between Stirling and Drymen being the responsibility of Stirling Council. The Scottish Government does not hold statistics on the management of local roads.