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: S4W-23659

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 December 2014
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 23 December 2014

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to introduce a system limiting styles and sizes of buggies and mobility scooters on buses and trains.

Legislation governing the obligations of bus and train operators in relation to disability has not been devolved to Scottish Ministers and remains a matter that is reserved to the UK Government.

Any wheelchair, mobility scooter or buggy larger than the reference wheelchair dimensions in the Public Service Vehicle Accessibility Regulations 2000 may be too large to travel safely in the allocated space. In these circumstances, passengers should contact bus operators before travelling to confirm their policy in this respect as permission to board may be refused if the operator or driver considers there may be a risk to health and safety.

A number of major bus operators have signed up to a code of practice published by the Confederation of Passenger Transport which requires them on request to assess mobility scooter users and their vehicles and issue a photo ID providing a permit to travel if the scooter meets standard requirements in the code.

The Technical Specification for Interoperability: Persons with Reduced Mobility requires train operators to provide manual wheelchair spaces on trains large enough to accommodate a reference wheelchair, the maximum dimensions of which, including the occupant are 1200mm long, 700mm wide and 1350mm high.

Train operators are not required to carry class two electrically powered motability scooters, but some, including ScotRail do, provided these are not excessively large or heavy. Details are provided on request to ScotRail.

Question reference: S4W-23464

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 01 December 2014
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 11 December 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what the value of sporting rates collected was in the last full year of their operation, broken down by local authority area.

An exemption from business rates for ‘shootings, deer forests, fishing and fish counters’, often referred to as ‘sporting rates’ has been in place since 1995-96.

The Scottish Government does not hold records of the amount of sporting rates collected, broken down by local authority area, but notes that UK Ministers advised the UK Parliament in 1994 that annual sporting rates income in Scotland were estimated at £2 million.

Question reference: S4W-23425

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 November 2014
Current Status: Answered by Maureen Watt on 4 December 2014

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-19629 by Alex Neil on 4 March 2014, what discussions it has had with the Department of Health regarding the Scottish Public Inquiry into Hepatitis C/HIV.

The warning letters stage of the Penrose Inquiry, which is a complex and detailed part of the process, is not yet complete. I have recently received a letter from Lord Penrose providing a progress update on the work of the inquiry. Lord Penrose has advised that the warning letter process is still ongoing, but he will be in a position to announce a publication date for his report as soon as that process is complete.

All persons who may be the subject of significant or explicit criticism in the report will receive warning letters. There is a duty of confidence in relation to the warning letters, so disclosure of the contents is not permitted. The obligation of confidentiality only ends when the final report is published, which prevents any discussion of the content with the Department of Health at this stage.

Question reference: S4W-23424

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 November 2014
Current Status: Answered by Maureen Watt on 3 December 2014

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-22278 by Alex Neil on 19 August 2014, whether it will provide an update on the progress of the publication of the report of the Scottish Public Inquiry into Hepatitis C/HIV.

My predecessor wrote to Lord Penrose on 11 November 2014, asking if he was yet in a position to provide an update on the publication of his report.

A reply has now been received from Lord Penrose and he has advised that the warning letter process is still on-going but he will be in a position to announce a publication date for his report as soon as it is complete.

As the member will be aware, the Penrose Inquiry is independent of Scottish Ministers and it is for the Chairman, Lord Penrose, to decide on the progress and timetabling of the Inquiry.

Question reference: S4W-23426

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 November 2014
Current Status: Answered by Maureen Watt on 3 December 2014

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-19628 by Alex Neil on 20 February 2014, what steps it has taken in light of the delay in the publication of the report of the Scottish Public Inquiry into Hepatitis C/HIV, and what further steps it will take.

My predecessor wrote to Lord Penrose on 11 November 2014 asking if he was yet in a position to provide an update on the publication of his report.

As the member will be aware, the Penrose Inquiry is independent of Scottish Ministers and it is for the Chairman, Lord Penrose, to decide on the progress and timetabling of the Inquiry.

Question reference: S4W-23023

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 November 2014
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 20 November 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how overdue the MV Loch Seaforth is in entering (a) sea trials and (b) service.

The original delivery date of the MV Loch Seaforth was 30 June 2014. Owing to a number of factors, including storm damage to the yard, dry docking of the vessel to resolve a problem with the propeller system and partial sea trials, the delivery date was delayed. The vessel was finally completed and handed over to CalMac Ferries Ltd on 24October 2014.

The MV Loch Seaforth is currently undergoing further sea trials and following the completion of harbour works at Stornoway she will shortly be entering service on the Ullapool-Stornoway route.

Question reference: S4W-23021

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 November 2014
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 20 November 2014

To ask the Scottish Government whether recent negotiations over the ownership of the Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft shipyard have delayed the final fitting out and preparation of systems on the MV Loch Seaforth.

Question reference: S4W-23022

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 November 2014
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 20 November 2014

To ask the Scottish Government when it expects the MV Loch Seaforth to enter commercial service on the Stornoway to Ullapool route.

Question reference: S4W-23020

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 November 2014
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 20 November 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what impact the change in ownership of the Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft shipyard in Germany had on the completion time of the MV Loch Seaforth.

Question reference: S4O-03727

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 November 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 November 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with The Highland Council about the A890 Stromeferry bypass.