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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: S5W-04367

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 10 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government (a) how many and (b) what percentage of fishing (i) trips and (ii) hauls in each year since 2014 were (A) electronically monitored by cameras and (B) accompanied by fisheries observers.

The number of vessels that have participated in the remote electronic monitoring (REM) fully documented fisheries schemes operated by Marine Scotland across the years 2014 to 2016 are shown in the following table.

Year	Vessels	Trips
2014	32	1123
2015	21	786
2016	22	709

The Marine Scotland Science (MSS) and the Scottish Fishermen's Federation (SFF) observer schemes cover a random sample of all Scottish demersal and nephrops vessels. The at sea coverage for the period 2014 to 2016 (to 18 October) is shown in the following table. The bracketed values indicate the percentage of all trips covered by the observer programme, while the SFF trips also cover those trips dedicated to other projects.

Year	Number of MSS observer trips	Number of SFF observer trips
2014	71 (0.27%)	144 (0.56%)
2015	80 (0.33%)	135 (0.56%)
2016	95	133

Question reference: S5W-04368

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 9 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) at-sea boardings and (b) port inspections in each year since 2014 were carried out in order to meet its landing obligation monitoring requirements, and how many infringements were detected.

All inspections carried out with regard to pelagic species (from 2015 onwards) and with regard to pelagic and demersal species (2016 onwards) are undertaken with a view to detecting infringements, including landing obligation infringements.

The figures for the years requested are as follows:

Year

At Sea

Ashore

Details

	Pelagic	Demersal	Pelagic	Demersal
2014	0	0	0	0	No landing obligation
2015	97		240		Only a pelagic landing obligation in place
2016*	73	199	216	683

*2016 is an incomplete year

To date there have been three infringements of the landing obligation detected where officers referred the case to Marine Scotland Compliance Enforcement Branch for consideration of enforcement action.

Question reference: S5W-04166

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 31 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 9 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has been consulted by Rio Tinto regarding the sale of the Lochaber smelter.

The Scottish Government and Highlands and Islands Enterprise have maintained dialogue with Rio Tinto throughout the Lochaber strategic review with a view to securing the best outcome for the workers and local community.

We are hopeful that Lochaber smelter will be sold as a going concern and that aluminium production at Fort William, which begun in 1929, will continue for many generations to come.

All efforts of Government and our agencies are directed towards that end.

Question reference: S5W-04154

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 31 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 9 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government which (a) ministers and (b) officials have attended the meetings of the Regional Economic Development Joint Working Group set up by Rio Tinto to examine economic development opportunities in the Fort William area; whether it has been given sight of the group’s minutes; when the group last met, and what information it has regarding whether the group is providing input into the company’s review of its Highland estate and assets.

The Scottish Government, through is agencies Highlands and Island Enterprise and Skills Development Scotland, has been represented at the meetings of the Regional Economic Development Joint Working Group set up by Rio Tinto, to examine economic development opportunities in the Fort William area. Minutes of the meetings are shared with members of the Joint Working Group, the group last met on the 6 September 2016 and is due to meet again on the 6 December.

Question reference: S5W-04158

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 31 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 9 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy and Connectivity last spoke with officials of Rio Tinto regarding the sale of some or all of the company’s Highland estate and assets.

Question reference: S5W-04157

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 31 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 9 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has regarding how many bidders are being considered by Rio Tinto to buy some or all of the company’s Highland estate and assets and whether it has information regarding what the status is of any talks between the company and the bidders.

The Scottish Government and Rio Tinto’s Lochaber workforce were informed on 21 October 2016 that as an outcome of the strategic review the Rio Tinto Board had agreed to consider a sale of its Lochaber assets and that discussions with a potential buyer would begin.

The Government understands that a sale of the assets is not automatic and confidential commercial negotiations are on-going.

While the commercial process continues all parties are bound to respect strict boundaries of commercial confidentiality.

Question reference: S5W-04159

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 31 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 9 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government who it has met from Rio Tinto in connection with the sale of some or all of the company’s Highland estate and assets, and whether it has offered the company (a) financial and (b) other support.

Question reference: S5W-04016

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 2 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how much will be invested by Network Rail in the Far North Line between 2014 and 2019, broken down by individual project and their related costs.

As part of the Scottish Government`s wider £5 billion programme of transformative investment in Scotland`s railways over the five-year control period to March 2019, Network Rail are investing over £30 million to maintain, renew and enhance the rail infrastructure on the Far North Line. This includes over £7 million in track renewals, around £13 million on earthworks and associated remediation works, over £3 million on structures works supporting scour prevention and rectification and coastal improvements, and around £9 million to complete the roll out of next generation signalling system renewal. This investment is over and above that required through Network Rail to support the daily operation of rail services along the route.

Question reference: S5W-03553

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 27 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether Scottish Natural Heritage responses to environmental impact assessment consultations are accessible to the public.

Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) responses to environmental impact assessment consultations are open to the public via the competent authority responsible for carrying out the consultation, for example Forestry Commission Scotland if the EIA relates to forestry.

Responses received from other parties to environmental impact assessment's carried out directly by SNH are available on their website at: http://www.snh.gov.uk/

Question reference: S5O-00293

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 October 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy and Connectivity will next visit Lochaber.