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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.

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Question reference: S5O-02878

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 January 2019
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 7 February 2019

To ask the Scottish Government when it expects to publish the Forestry Strategy, and by what means it will be laid before the Parliament.

Question reference: S5W-20998

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 January 2019
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 1 February 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to fulfil the commitment that was made by the then First Minister in August 2008, following a Cabinet meeting in Inverness, to reduce train journey times between Inverness and Edinburgh to at least two hours 45 minutes, and an average of three hours, with the aim of making “railway travel to the heart of the Highlands, in terms of time, competitive with roads… by a mixture of projects, including line improvement, additional passing loops, double-tracking and signalling upgrades”; what improvements projects were introduced, broken down by what progress has been made with each, and, in light of the comment that “the timescale for implementation is 2011-12”, for what reason the target date was not met, and by what date this level of service will be operational.

The Scottish Government’s Infrastructure Investment Plan, published in 2011, stated that the Highland Main Line Rail Improvement project would be completed in phases between 2014 and 2025.

Phase one was delivered as planned in December 2012, increasing services from 9 to 11 trains per day in each direction, and reducing journey times by an average of 6 minutes at a cost of £1.2 million.

Phase two, which is currently scheduled to be completed in December 2019, will see a £57 million investment providing an hourly service between Perth and Inverness, delivery of a reduction in average journey times by around 10 minutes and more efficient freight operations. A fleet of refurbished High Speed Trains is planned to be used for this new timetable offering customers greater comfort and more capacity. We are engaged with local communities regarding calling points with the aim of providing calls at stations which represent maximum benefit for users of the service. The new timetable will also include improvements to the first and last trains. Overall, these plans will provide passengers with better connectivity with the Central Belt and Inverness whilst boosting the economic growth for the whole of Scotland.

The long term aspiration remains to deliver a fastest journey time of 2 hours 45 minutes between Inverness and the Central Belt.

Question reference: S5W-20631

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 17 December 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 10 January 2019

To ask the Scottish Government when the funding for the Berriedale Braes road improvement scheme will become available, and by what date construction will start.

The funding for the A9 Berriedale Braes Improvements is already available. I am pleased to advise that the successful and unsuccessful tenderers were notified on 20 December 2018 and, subject to a 10 day mandatory standstill period, my officials intend to award the contract to R J McLeod.

The project remains on programme with commencement of the works anticipated in Spring 2019 and construction expected to be complete by Spring 2020, subject to any unforeseen circumstances such as exceptional adverse weather.

Question reference: S5W-20047

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 November 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 12 December 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported increase in tourism traffic using the route, what its position is on making the A890 Stromeferry bypass a trunk road.

Question reference: S5W-20076

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 November 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 6 December 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has carried out a trunk road review of the route between Dingwall and Uig via the A890 and, if so, what the outcome was.

Question reference: S5W-20030

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 19 November 2018
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 4 December 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what highest level of swell the MV Loch Seaforth can sail in legally; how his compares with the highest level it can technically operate in, and what other maritime restrictions are placed on the craft.

Vessel stability is assessed to a standard known as the ‘Stockholm Agreement’. That standard assesses stability in sea and swell conditions of up to 4 metres. In relation to certification, 4 metres is not an upper limit as there is effectively no regulatory limitation on sea and swell conditions that a vessel can sail in. The decisions as to whether a vessel sails, given prevailing conditions, are taken by the Ship's Master and cannot be challenged by CalMac Management or Ministers.

MV Loch Seaforth’s certification restrictions allow her to serve solely between Stornoway and Ullapool.

Question reference: S5W-20033

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 19 November 2018
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 4 December 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many sailings of the MV Loch Seaforth have been cancelled since January 2018 due to mechanical defect, broken down by type of defect.

Since 1 January 2018 to 31 October 2018, four of 1,649 (0.2%) sailings scheduled by the MV Loch Seaforth have been cancelled due to mechanical problems. Two of these cancellations were due to issues with the bow doors, one an issue with the engine cooling system, and the other was a failure of the port main engine, linked to the earlier failure of the engine cooling system. These four sailings made up two cancelled return journeys between Stornoway and Ullapool.

Question reference: S5W-20044

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 November 2018
Current Status: Answered by Ash Denham on 4 December 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to make a submission to the UK Government regarding the consultation on the restriction of the sale of fireworks, and what information it has regarding the timeline of the consultation.

In September I wrote to the UK Minister for Small Business, Consumers and Corporate Responsibility to request an update on any actions being taken on Fireworks at Westminster. I was advised that while the Office for Product Safety and Standards are reviewing the guidance material available to consumers on the safe and responsible use of fireworks, no changes to legislation at a UK level are being considered at this time.

I have recently confirmed that the Scottish Government will undertake a consultation on the use and regulations of fireworks in Scotland. This consultation will take place early next year. I will write again to the UK Government to inform them of the details of the consultation in due course.

Question reference: S5T-01369

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 03 December 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 December 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in response to CairnGorm Mountain Limited entering administration.

Question reference: S5W-20034

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 19 November 2018
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 3 December 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many engines the MV Loch Seaforth has, also broken down by how many have a separate cooling system.