Seòmar agus comataidhean

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

Criathragan Hide all filters

Displaying 2224 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S5W-01112

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 June 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 19 July 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-23026 by Keith Brown on 12 November 2014, and in light of the helicopter crash off the coast of Bergen on 29 April 2016, whether it will provide an update on what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding an independent public inquiry into commercial pressures on offshore helicopter operations and their impact on the safe transport of offshore oil and gas workers.

<>The safety of offshore oil and gas workers in the North Sea remains of paramount importance to the Scottish Government.

The Scottish Government continue to have observer status on the governance body overseeing implementation of the recommendations in the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) review of offshore helicopter safety. The previous response outlined that we reserve the right to pursue the UK Government to hold an inquiry if we have any concerns about progress being made in implementing the CAA’s review. The Scottish Government are satisfied with the progress of implementing the recommendations and have therefore had no discussions with the UK Government regarding an independent public inquiry.

The preliminary reports into the accident on 29 April 2016 from the Accident Investigation Board Norway have not provided any evidence to suggest that safety is being compromised as a result of commercial pressure from the industry.

Question reference: S5W-01216

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 July 2016
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 19 July 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how many employers have notified the Energy Jobs Taskforce of employees in the oil and gas industry in Scotland and its supply chain who are at risk of redundancy.

Scotland’s Energy Jobs Taskforce was created by the First Minister early in 2015 to help tackle the immediate challenges facing the energy sector. The role and remit of the taskforce was to bring together a strong partnership of industry, public sector and trade union representatives to develop solutions to mitigate the immediate effects on the workforce from the oil and gas downturn, but also to take a longer-term look at the structural challenges affecting the industry. As part of its work, the task force receives regular updates on the number of employees in the oil and gas industry who may be at risk of redundancy.

Question reference: S5W-01225

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 July 2016
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 19 July 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been identified as being at risk of redundancy in the oil and gas industry in Scotland and its supply chain.

The Scottish Government continues to monitor the impact that low oil prices is having on the oil and gas industry and its wider supply chain. This includes an update on labour market information. This was discussed at the Energy Jobs Taskforce meeting on the 23 March 2016. The State of the Economy report from the chief economist, published on 3 June 2016, provides an update on the oil and gas sector, including notifications of jobs at risk. A link to the report, detailing this information, can be found at http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Economy/state-economy/latestSofE.

Question reference: S5W-00993

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 June 2016
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 8 July 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how many apprentices in the oil and gas sector who lost their jobs (a) have found a new position through the Adopt an Apprentice scheme, (b) have found a new position through other means and (c) have not found a new apprenticeship.

Question reference: S5W-00952

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 June 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 6 July 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by Keith Brown on 9 June 2016 (Official Report, c. 4), whether the “double tracking at key pinch points”, which it committed itself to in its news release of 28 January 2016, £254 million boost to Aberdeen, at the same time as the Aberdeen City Region Deal. is specifically included as a requirement in the feasibility study into rail improvements.

The additional £254 million investment includes £200 million for rail improvements and the remit of the development works for that rail investment made by the Scottish Government, alongside the Aberdeen city region deal, will explore all engineering options to best support the delivery of improved passenger services to and from Aberdeen.

The development and feasibility works will assess numerous factors, including constructability, topography and environmental challenges, access requirements and disruption before providing recommendations. This inevitably includes consideration of potential double and additional tracking both along and adjacent to the existing single track sections between Montrose and Usan. Full delivery is expected over the course of the 10-year city deal period, with specification of initial requirements to be set out in the Scottish Government’s High Level Output Specification for Control Period 6 (period 2019 to 2024), which is due to be published by Summer 2017.

Question reference: S5O-00074

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 June 2016
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 29 June 2016

To ask the Scottish Government when a decision on the location of the Scottish benefits agency will be announced.

Question reference: S5W-00720

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 13 June 2016
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 22 June 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether the funding for the new scheme to support oil and gas workers to retrain as teachers announced by John Swinney on 13 June 2016 will come from the £12 million Transition Training Fund and, if not, how the scheme will be funded.

Question reference: S5W-00719

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 13 June 2016
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 22 June 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, with regard to the announcement by John Swinney on 13 June 2016 of a new scheme to support oil and gas workers to retrain as teachers, how many places are being made available on this scheme and at what cost to the Scottish Government.

Question reference: S5W-00718

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 13 June 2016
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 22 June 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether the new scheme to support oil and gas workers to retrain as teachers, announced by John Swinney on 13 June 2016, is in addition to the University of Aberdeen's Postgraduate Diploma in Education intake target, and whether there will be any net increase in the number of people taking this course in Aberdeen as a result of the scheme.

Question reference: S5W-00751

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 June 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 21 June 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has specified what Network Rail should do to deliver the 20-minute reduction in journey times on the rail line between Aberdeen and the central belt to which it has committed.

The Scottish Government has set out its aspirations for improvements in journey times and performance between Aberdeen and the central belt. It is a matter for Network Rail, working with its rail industry partners, to set out the choices available to the Scottish Government to realise those aspirations, including those set out most recently through the Scottish Government’s commitment to invest an additional £254 million in funding alongside the Aberdeen city region deal commitments. This industry advice will be provided in autumn 2016, informed by the final Network Rail Scotland route study which is due to be published in July 2016.