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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: S5W-04191

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 15 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a dedicated website recording the work undertaken in relation to Scotland’s place in Europe including (a) meeting notes, (b) correspondence, (c) details of ministerial meetings and (d) and other information that it deems to be publishable.

The Scottish Government website has a dedicated section on Europe, including information on the implications of the EU Referendum, which can be found at http://www.gov.scot/Topics/International/Europe. We have published information here, including the First Minister’s letter to EU citizens in Scotland and minutes of Standing Council meetings. We are currently considering how best to use this to share information about Scottish Government activity that is taking place in relation to Scotland’s place in Europe.

Question reference: S5W-04331

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 15 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has received from the UK Government regarding its Great Repeal Bill in order to assess any impacts on Scotland, and whether it will publish this.

The Scottish Government has not yet received any information from the UK Government regarding its Great Repeal Bill. While giving evidence at the European and External Relations Committee of the Scottish Parliament, the Secretary of State for Scotland confirmed that this process would be taken forward on the basis of close co-operation between the two governments. The Scottish Government has a distinct role in protecting Scotland’s interests, and must be treated as an equal partner and be centrally involved in developing the UK position.

Question reference: S5W-04193

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 15 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what information the Minister for UK Negotiations on Scotland's Place in Europe has published.

No information has been published by the Minister for UK Negotiations on Scotland’s Place in Europe.

However, a number of reports have been published by the Scottish Government following the EU referendum, including:

‘Potential Implications of the UK Leaving the EU on Scotland's Long Run Economic Performance’ (August 2016) http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0050/00504615.pdf
‘The impacts of migrants and migration into Scotland’ (October 2016) http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2016/10/5974 and ‘Characteristics of migrants in Scotland: Analysis of the 2011 Census’ (October 2016) http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2016/10/6840
‘State of the Economy’ (October 2016) http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0050/00508901.pdf

Question reference: S5W-04266

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 15 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the comments by the Minister for UK Negotiations on Scotland's Place in Europe on 27 September 2016 (Official Report, c. 8), what proposals it has developed regarding European Economic Area (EEA) membership and its potential impact on the common (a) agricultural and (b) fisheries policy.

The best way to protect all our interests, including those most important to rural areas, is by protecting Scotland’s place in Europe, maintaining membership of the single market and access to the free movement of labour.

The Scottish Government is currently exploring a range of options to protect Scotland's relationship and place in the EU with all its economic and social benefits and specific proposals will be published shortly.

Question reference: S5W-04450

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 14 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how much was paid in public grants to Serco NorthLink Ferries in each service year of the Northern Isles ferry service contract since 5 July 2012, and how much of the public grants accounted for the aggregate Charter Portions in each service year.

The following table details the public grants to Serco NorthLink Ferries paid by the Scottish Government for the Northern Isles Ferry Service since 5 July 2012 in each contract year.

		Grant Paid
Contract Year 1	July 2012 - June 2013	£ 41,104,316
Contract Year 2	July 2013 - June 2014	£ 35,920,670
Contract Year 3	July 2014 - June 2015	£ 40,423,146
Contract Year 4	July 2015 - June 2016	£ 41,250,780

The element within the grant attributable to vessel charter is part of contractual agreements with third parties; the Royal Bank of Scotland and Seatruck. The financial arrangements within these agreements are commercially confidential matters for those companies.

Question reference: S5W-04452

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 14 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on the time charters for MS (a) Helliar and (b) Hildasay since 2010.

Question reference: S5W-04451

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 14 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of the vessel charter payments to Serco NorthLink Ferries since July 2012 was for the cost of chartering MS (a) Helliar and (b) Hildasay from Seatruck.

Question reference: S5W-04379

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 14 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has regarding the number of qualified seafarers and maritime officers that there have been in each financial year since 2011-12.

Question reference: S5W-04336

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 14 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether Scotland would continue to adhere to EU-wide medicines regulation post-Brexit.

Question reference: S5W-04381

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 14 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will list all of the (a) waterborne freight and (b) freight facilities grants that have been given to Forth Ports for the development of freight services at Rosyth Port in each year since 2009-10.

There have been no Scottish Government waterborne freight or freight facilities grants given to Forth Ports for the development of freight services at Rosyth Port since 2009-10. Norfolkline Shipping BV were awarded 2 million in 2009 for the movement of containers or road freight units between Rosyth and Zeebrugge. Tables of all freight grants are published on the Freight Grants webpage which can be viewed using the following link http://www.transport.gov.scot/road/freight/freight-grants