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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: S4W-06165

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 March 2012
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 26 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what the streamlined planning process for enterprise areas will involve.

The streamlined planning process for enterprise areas is concerned with ensuring that applications are processed swiftly and to an agreed timescale. It does not remove the requirement to obtain planning or other permissions. Environmental and other public interest concerns will continue to be considered in line with the normal statutory planning requirements, such as the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Scotland) Regulations 2011 and the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (Scotland) Regulations 2008.

Question reference: S4O-00871

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 March 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive when the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Cities Strategy last met the NHS boards that represent the Highlands and Islands.

Question reference: S4W-05991

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 March 2012
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 8 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive whether funds from Cal Mac’s marketing budget will be used to trial a Lochboisdale to Mallaig ferry service.

Question reference: S4W-05995

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 March 2012
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 8 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the Lochboisdale community regarding the (a) reinstatement and (b) trial of a Lochboisdale to Mallaig ferry service.

We have engaged with the South Uist community on the proposed
Mallaig-Lochboisdale ferry service over a number of years. The draft Ferries Plan published on 21 December 2011 makes clear that we accept the strength of feeling held by some of the South Uist community. We have undertaken to further consider the economic viability of this proposed service in the context of other planned improvements to, and within, the Western Isles.

Question reference: S4W-05992

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 March 2012
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 8 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive when a Lochboisdale to Mallaig ferry service trial will commence and how long it will run.

Question reference: S4W-05994

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 March 2012
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 8 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive which ferry has been identified for the purpose of a Lochboisdale to Mallaig ferry service trial.

Question reference: S4W-05477

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 February 2012
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 6 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive whether implementing the Scotland's Digital Future - Infrastructure Action Plan will prevent Highlands and Islands Enterprise from progressing its current broadband procurement process.

Question reference: S4W-05479

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 February 2012
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 6 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive how much Scottish Government funding will be allocated to the Highlands and Islands Enterprise broadband project under the Scotland's Digital Future - Infrastructure Action Plan.

Question reference: S4W-05480

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 February 2012
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 6 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive whether funding of £10 million received from Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) will revert to (a) the Scottish Government and (b) BDUK if the Highlands and Islands Enterprise broadband project does not proceed under the Scotland's Digital Future - Infrastructure Action Plan.

The £10 million allocated by BDUK to the Highlands and Islands Enterprise broadband project forms part of the total £68.8 million allocated to the Scottish Government by BDUK.

The Highlands and Islands broadband project is an integral part of the Scottish Government’s approach to broadband delivery, as set out in Scotland’s Digital Future – Infrastructure Action Plan, published on 31 January 2012. The Scottish Government continues to work collaboratively with Highlands and Islands Enterprise on the ongoing development of its project and has not seen an indication that the project will fail to proceed.

Question reference: S4W-05655

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 February 2012
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 6 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what improvements are planned for the A83 over the next 10 years.

We are investing £1 million to address the problems created by landslips and this will include extending the length of debris flow netting on the hillside. We are also working closely with Forestry Commission Scotland to explore options for making emergency use of forest roads and using vegetation cover to help reduce the risk of landslips. Work on the netting is expected to start in the spring.

This allocation will build on a study which will investigate the feasibility of longer term options and is expected to be completed in the summer.

Transport Scotland is arranging a series of local meetings for local communities in the coming months to explain the recent landslide at the Rest & Be Thankful, what happened, what we did and what we are proposing for the future.

Intervention 5 of the Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR) recommends a series of route management initiatives to maintain the physical condition and safety standards of the A83 trunk road between Tarbet and Kennacraig.