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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-11108

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 25 October 2022

To ask the Scottish Government on what date Ernst and Young agreed to Transport Scotland’s request for the Project Neptune documents to be (a) shared with third parties and (b) published.

The statement of requirements for Project Neptune clearly states, “the likelihood would be that the final report and recommendations will be published by Scottish Government. It is imperative that the content remains confidential until the Scottish Parliament has been informed.” By signing the Project Neptune contract on 9 of March 2021, the consultant, Ernst and Young, have agreed to requirements as set in the statement of requirements.

Question reference: S6W-11107

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 25 October 2022

To ask the Scottish Government for what reasons the figures for (a) Government subsidy and (b) farebox revenue in the Norwegian ferry sector are redacted in the benchmarking section of Project Neptune’s Strategic Framework for Options for the CHFS Network, and whether it will arrange for those figures to be published.

Question reference: S6W-11109

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 25 October 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when it will respond to the key recommendations in the Strategic Framework of Options for the CHFS Network produced as part of Project Neptune.

I already set out my initial thoughts and response to the findings of Project Neptune in my statement to Parliament on the Future of Scottish Ferries on 8 September. Full and detailed consideration is now being given to all the findings and options, including as I announced, engagement with key stakeholders and local communities. I also undertook to update Parliament at the appropriate time when in a position to announce any relevant decisions. That will include a fuller response to the key recommendations highlighted.

Additionally, a presentation on Project Neptune, to which all MSPs were invited, was delivered in Parliament by Ernst & Young on 25 October. I know that Ms Clark has accepted the invitation, which I welcome, and hope she found the session informative.

Question reference: S6W-11110

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 October 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 24 October 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when it will respond to the recommendations on (a) governance, (b) project controls and (c) value for money in the report Project Neptune, Governance, Internal Controls and Value for Money, which was published on 16 February 2022.

Question reference: S6W-11102

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 21 October 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will outline the impact that Transport Scotland’s harbour resource grant to the Scottish Maritime Cluster Limited in 2021-22 has had on its policies on (a) piers and (b) harbours on the Clyde and Hebrides ferry services contract.

Question reference: S6O-01464

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S6W-11115

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 30 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 17 October 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has held with the UK Government regarding the UK Government’s short-term review of The Assessment and Rating of Noise from Wind Farms (ETSU-R-97).

Question reference: S6W-11114

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 17 October 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether an environmental impact assessment was carried out prior to Crown Estate Scotland’s announcement that lease periods for targeted oil and gas projects will be extended to 50 years.

Crown Estate Scotland (CES)is responsible for all seabed leasing arrangements, including lease periods, for the Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas (INTOG) projects.As part of the INTOG planning process, Marine Scotland Directorate will undertake a full plan-level Sustainability Appraisal, including a Strategic Environmental Assessment and Habitats Regulations Appraisal, to assess the potential effects of the plan on the marine environment and ecosystem. These assessments will consider the potential for impact from the full lifetime of a project, from construction through to decommissioning.

The Sustainability Appraisal and public consultation will help inform the adoption of a final INTOG plan. CES will only offer seabed lease options to projects that form part of the adopted plan.

Any project which is awarded a lease option will then need to apply for relevant marine licences and consents, and complete any further required environmental assessments before they can progress.

Question reference: S6W-11106

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 22 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 5 October 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will list the private ferry companies that have expressed an interest in bidding for the Clyde and Hebrides ferry services contract on each occasion that it was put out to tender.

Information on the organisations that were invited to tender for the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services contract on each occasion that it was put to tender is already in the public domain and is below

For CHFS1 tender in 2005 - Three organisations (Western Ferries, Caledonian MacBrayne and V-Ships) completed and returned a Pre-Qualification Questionnaire by the closing date of 15 December 2005.

For CHFS2 tender in 2016 - CalMac Ferries Limited and Serco Caledonian Ferries Limited both passed the pre-qualification stage of the process and were invited to submit tenders.

Question reference: S6W-11099

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 22 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 5 October 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether Fampridine will be made available on the NHS for people living with multiple sclerosis.

Fampridine (Fampyra ®) was accepted by the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) as a treatment for improvement of walking in adult patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) with walking disability, with a score of 4-7 on the expanded disability status scale (EDSS) in April 2020.

There is also an alternative route of access to fampridine out with the SMC advice through the Peer Approved Clinical System (PACS) Tier Two process, where a doctor considers there would be a clinical benefit for an individual on a case-by-case basis. Individuals can discuss this option with their treating clinician.

It is worth noting that the decision to prescribe any medicine for an individual, and which medicine to prescribe, is entirely one for the clinician in charge of the individual’s care to make, having taken into account their clinical condition.