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: S5W-00552

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 June 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 27 June 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will establish an inquiry into the workings of the Crofting Commission.

Question reference: S5W-00551

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 June 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 27 June 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has confidence in the convener of the Crofting Commission.

Question reference: S5W-00553

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 June 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 23 June 2016

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the Crofting Commission dismissed the Mangersta grazing committee and whether it upholds this dismissal.

Question reference: S5W-00619

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 June 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 21 June 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) most recent and (b) forecast passenger numbers are on the Borders Railway at (i) Edinburgh Waverley, (ii) Newcraighall, (iii) Shawfair, (iv) Eskbank, (v) Newtongrange, (vi) Gorebridge, (vii) Stow, (viii) Galashiels and (ix) Tweedbank station.

The most recent and forecast passenger numbers by station for the first six months of operation on borders railway are as follows.

Borders Railway six months in - Single trips

��

Stations	Forecast single trips for first six months of operation	ScotRail actual single trips for first six months of operation	��
Tweedbank	18,978	183,918	��
Galashiels	20,567	104,593	��
Stow	5,129	24,365	��
Gorebridge	79,014	39,400	��
Newtongrange	46,449	50,480	��
Eskbank	114,568	65,672	��
Shawfair	54,298	9,398	��
Brunstane/Newcraighall	865	11,344	��
Edinburgh Waverley	228,156	205,203	��
Totals	568,023	694,373	+22%

Question reference: S5W-00620

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 June 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 21 June 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the greater number of passengers than anticipated on the Borders Railway line, what Transport Scotland is doing to adjust its passenger forecasting formula.

There will always be an element of uncertainty present with forecasting, particularly considering the unique nature of the borders railway, which is the longest stretch of new railway line to be built in the UK in the last 100 years.

The forecasting methodology used for the borders railway was in line with industry practice and incorporates evidence gathered in the borders region. Transport Scotland keeps forecasting methodology under constant review to ensure best practice and we will draw on evidence, including evidence from the borders railway, to inform future appraisals.

Question reference: S5W-00554

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 June 2016
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 21 June 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will list those circumstances in which grants paid to grazing committees from public funds for agricultural and environmental schemes should be distributed in the first instance to individual shareholders, and what safeguards there are to ensure that public funds allocated in this way are used for the intended purposes.

Common grazings regulations, which are individual to a specific common grazing, may include provisions on the disbursement of funds. Generally, common grazings regulations are made by the grazings committees themselves and are confirmed, with or without modifications, by the crofting commission.

The crofters (Scotland) Act 1993 does not require the immediate disbursement of funds by a grazings committee.

As regards to the specific safeguards in place, this would depend on the type of funding involved. For Scottish Government administered schemes such as the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme, there are a number of safeguards in place in terms of administrative and inspection checks.

The Scottish Government carries out a range of administrative checks that funding from our support schemes is being used correctly. These checks are in addition to those that are made when an application is submitted and assessed. Some cases may also be subject to further detailed inspection checks.

More information on administrative and inspection checks is available on the rural payments website:

Question reference: S5W-00754

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 June 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 21 June 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how many times in each of the past 12 months services on the Far North Line have not stopped at (a) Beauly and (b) Conon Bridge station because they were subject to delay, broken down by the reason for the delay.

In each of the past 12 months services on the Far North Line have not stopped at (a) Beauly and (b) Conon Bridge station, because they were subject to delay, for the following reasons:

MONTH	REPORTED CAUSE	BEAULY	CONON BRIDGE
June-2015	Cause not reported	8	6
��	Conductor issues	2	2
��	Level crossing failure	��	2
��	Other mechanical issue	2	2
July-2015	Cause not reported	2	2
��	Diesel traction failure	2	2
��	Telephone failure	2	��
Aug-2015	Cause not reported	2	2
Sept-2015	Diesel loco failure (so reported)	2	2
��	Fire external to railway infrastructure	2	2
Nov-2015	Adhesion issues	2	2
��	Cause not reported	8	6
��	Diesel traction failure	2	2
��	Door fault	2	2
��	Driver issues	2	2
��	Level crossing failure	2	2
��	Token equipment failure	��	2
Dec-2015	Cause not reported	4	4
��	Driver issues	2	2
Jan-2016	Diesel traction failure	2	2
��	Telecom equipment failure	2	2
Feb-2016	Diesel traction failure	2	2
��	Telecom equipment failure	4	4
April-2016	High winds (so reported)	2	2
��	Other mechanical issues	4	4
May-2016	Diesel traction failure	2	2
��	External object encroaching onto infrastructure	2	2
��	Telecom equipment failure	6	6
��	��	��	��
��	12-MONTH TOTAL	74	72

Question reference: S5O-00044

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 June 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 15 June 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to support families accessing children's services.

Question reference: S4W-30223

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 March 2016
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 18 March 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how many Basic Payment Scheme applications for amounts (a) up to £5,000, (b) from £5,000 to £10,000, (c) from £10,001 to £15,000, (d) from £15,001 to £20,000, (e) from £20,001 to £30,000, (f) from £30,001 to £40,000, (g) from £40,001 to £50,000, (h) £50,001 to £60,000, (i) from £60,001 to £70,000, (j) from £70,001 to £80,000, (k) from £80,001 to £90,000, (l) from £90,001 to £100,000 and (m) in excess of £100,000 were settled by 29 February 2016 and how many were awaiting processing on that date.

I can confirm the following is a breakdown of the 2015 Basic Payment Scheme first instalment payments made by 29 February 2016:

Amount	Number of producers
Up to £5,000	4,069
£5001 to £10,000	1,383
£10,001 to £15,000	894
£15,000 to £20,000	653
£20,001 to £30,000	707
£30,001 to £40,000	306
£40,001 to £50,000	127
£51,000 to £60,000	77
£61,000 to £70,000	36
£70,001 to £80,000	15
£80,0001 to £90,000	5
£90,0001 to £100,000	7
over £100,001	12
Total	8,291

As at 29 February 2016, 50% of business were still to receive a first instalment payment.

Question reference: S4W-30472

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 March 2016
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 18 March 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how many applications it has received under the Scottish Upland Sheep Support Scheme, and what the predicted payment is per head.