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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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

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Question reference: S6W-01201

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 12 July 2021
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 23 July 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) passenger and (b) vehicle carrying capacity is on the MV (a) Pentalina and (b) Alfred after the requirement for one-metre physical distancing is taken into account.

Question reference: S6W-01327

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 July 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 23 July 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what the most recent estimate is of the cost of the A92/A96 Haudagain roundabout improvements scheme; when this estimate was made and whether it will publish all the previous estimates that have been made for this project, broken down by the (a) date of the estimate and (b) reasons for any increase in the cost.

Question reference: S6W-01443

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 July 2021
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 23 July 2021

To ask the Scottish Government for what reasons the Cycle to Work scheme has not been made available to ScotRail employees for 2021-22.

Question reference: S6W-01200

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 12 July 2021
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 23 July 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-00824 by Graeme Dey on 28 June 2021, what the (a) passenger and (b) vehicle capacity is of each vessel listed after the one-metre physical distancing requirement is taken into account.

Further to question S6W-00824, the constrained passenger and vehicle carrying capacity with 1 metre mitigations in place for the vessels listed, are detailed in the following table.

Vessel	Passenger Capacity (1m)	Vehicle Capacity **	Deck Space (metres)
MV Caledonian Isles	276	92 PCU	150 m
MV Coruisk *	150 #	35 PCU	70 m
MV Isle of Arran *	79	55 PCU	103 m
MV Isle of Mull	218	66 PCU	150 m
MV Loch Seaforth	304	130 PCU	372 m
MV Finlaggan	206	79 PCU	180 m
MV Herbridean Isles	118	60 PCU	125 m

* Summer timetable only

# This includes MCA dispensation allowing 100 passengers to remain in their vehicles on the car deck

** Maximum capacity for cars, this can vary dependant on operational requirements and if mezzanine deck is deployed (where applicable)

Physical distancing does not restrain the deck capacity, either in metre or PCU (passenger car unit). The limitations is on passenger capacity. Vehicle capacity will vary dependant on the combination of type of vehicles and number of occupants per individual vehicle.

Question reference: S6W-01364

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 July 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 23 July 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-00672 by Graeme Dey on 7 July 2021, what its position is on conducting analysis on the potential increase in microplastic waste from electric vehicles, and whether it will commit to carrying out such analysis ahead of the phasing out of the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles.

Regulations relating to the construction of road vehicles and tyres remain matters reserved to the UK Government.

The Scottish Government continues to monitor applied research into issues relating to zero emission vehicles, we have not yet conducted specific analysis in the potential increase in microplastic waste from electric vehicles.

The Scottish Government is aware there are still significant knowledge gaps to fill before it is possible to have a robust understanding of the risks posed by microplastics to the Scottish environment and we will play our part in filling these knowledge gaps.

Question reference: S6W-01199

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 12 July 2021
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 23 July 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-00829 by Graeme Dey on 28 June 2021, whether it has discussed with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency the (a) existence and (b) functioning of the onboard safety committee on the MV Pentalina.

Question reference: S6W-01326

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 July 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 23 July 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the timescale for the completion of the A92/A96 Haudagain roundabout improvements.

Question reference: S6W-01340

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 July 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 23 July 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Scottish National Party manifesto commitment to provide free bikes for all children of school age who cannot afford them, what the eligibility criteria are for children to access the scheme.

Question reference: S6W-01339

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 July 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 23 July 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Scottish National Party manifesto commitment to provide free bikes for all children of school age who cannot afford them, whether such children will be able to access this scheme during 2021.

Question reference: S6W-01173

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 02 July 2021
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 23 July 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on by what date guidance on visiting care homes will be changed to allow for visits from three or more designated visitors.

All residents should be able to enjoy meaningful time with loved ones (where local conditions support this) particularly given the beneficial impact which visits have on mental and emotional wellbeing.

Existing guidance, published in February, encourages care homes to resume good quality, meaningful contact between residents and loved ones in a flexible and person centred way, and with advice from local oversight arrangements as necessary.

Beyond the minimum starting point of two visitors per week and upper limits to group sizes as in the COVID-19 regulations, the guidance does not limit numbers, and instead encourages care homes to increase and embed support to meaningful contact in a person centred way. In June 2021, a review of progress with Open with Care reiterated that care homes should continue to increase the frequency and duration of visits, with local oversight monitoring and support. The vast majority of adult care homes are supporting indoor visiting with increased numbers supporting daily visits and multiple visitors.

On 15 July 2021, Scottish Government wrote to the care home sector encouraging care homes to increase opportunities for good quality and meaningful contact, in line with existing guidance, and setting out recommended relaxations in care homes from Level 0 on 19 July 2021. These include the removal of the ‘Designated Visitor’ status to support further flexibility in reconnecting, as daily and group visits become the norm. Looking ahead we hope to see care homes continue to strengthen all residents to have more meaningful lives and to have greater connection with communities. Advice will follow in coming weeks.

We will continue to monitor the situation and to work with the sector to support continued improvements to making good quality, meaningful contact the norm.