Questions and answers

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 ��˿�� 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: S6W-26870

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 25 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a list of any contracts that Transport Scotland has awarded to external consultants in connection with the Ardrossan Harbour upgrade since 2016 to date.

Transport Scotland is not the procuring authority for the Ardrossan Harbour Re-Development Project, this is the responsibility of Peel Ports Group as the statutory harbour authority. Transport Scotland has as part of the design and planning stage; and as part of the business case cost exercise review appointed external consultants to undertake work.

Since 2016 Transport Scotland has appointed Peter Brett Associates for the 2016/2017 STAG report, MacWilliams Consulting for a project gateway review process; Turner and Townsend in 2023 for the cost estimate review and Morton Fraser MacRoberts (previously MacRoberts Solicitors) in relation to the work on the legal and commercial agreements which are ongoing.

Question reference: S6O-03356

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 April 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide further details of its reasons for removing its annual and interim targets for carbon emissions.

Question reference: S6O-03342

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 April 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking to help resolve the industrial dispute by lecturers.

Question reference: S6T-01899

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 25 March 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking to tackle child poverty.

Question reference: S6O-03289

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 March 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking to support tenants, in light of reports of accelerating rents.

Question reference: S6W-26009

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 15 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to introduce legislation that would prevent any person who is subject to sexual offender notification requirements from being a councillor.

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of building and preserving a society where the rights and freedoms of individuals are respected and communities can trust their elected representatives.

The Scottish Government has set out its plans, on preventing individuals included on the sex offenders register from being councillors or ��˿��, to the Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee who are currently considering the Scottish Elections (Representation and Reform) Bill.

Question reference: S6W-25759

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 26 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 11 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on whether the Scottish Prison Service will commence work on the replacement of HMP Greenock in 2025-26.

The Scottish Government and the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) are committed to modernising the prison estate to deliver a world leading custodial environment, which supports rehabilitation and a safer Scotland.

The decisions made by the UK Government to reduce capital funding in real terms year on year, alongside construction supply chain issues, labour shortages and recent high inflation means that the Scottish Government is having to make difficult decisions in terms of prioritisation of infrastructure projects. Replacing HMP Inverness and HMP Barlinnie remain the current prison infrastructure priorities and work on the replacement for HMP Greenock is unlikely to commence in 2025-26.

Question reference: S6T-01838

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 04 March 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what steps it is taking to resolve industrial action in the further education sector.

Question reference: S6W-25646

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 1 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how much Peel Ports Group has received in harbour dues relating to Ardrossan Harbour, since the company acquired the harbour in 2003.

The Scottish Government do not hold full details of the dues paid by CalMac Ferries Limited (CFL) to Ardrossan Harbour Company Limited (AHCL). The monthly grant subsidy paid to CalMac covers all the agreed costs of operating services across the network as per the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Service contract. However, it is understood that harbour dues paid by CFL to AHCL in CHFS contract year seven (October 2022 to September 2023) totalled around £1.7 million. Further information on AHCL can be found through their published accounts.

Question reference: S6W-25647

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 1 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact of the (a) closure of the Irish Berth at Ardrossan and (b) transfer of the Arran service from Ardrossan to Troon on the Performance Regime in Part 3, Schedule 15, of the current Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services contract with CalMac Ferries.