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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-04772

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 22 December 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 19 January 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what recent discussions it has had with the rail industry about the future of the Highland Chieftain service.

Question reference: S4W-04965

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 January 2012
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 19 January 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4W-02387 by Keith Brown on 27 September 2011, when the freedom of information request on the Air Discount Scheme lodged by David Stewart MSP on 24 October 2011 will receive a substantive response.

Question reference: S4W-04744

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 December 2011
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 17 January 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with (a) the Department of Energy and Climate Change, (b) the renewables industry and (c) solar photovoltaic panel installers regarding using the funding from the Fossil Fuel Levy Account to stimulate the renewables industry by introducing (i) a new scheme of growth, (ii) loans or (iii) a Scottish-run top-up to the feed-in tariff system.

We are reviewing our renewables budgets and spending priorities for the coming years to ensure that these funds, including the Fossil Fuel Levy allocation, are deployed effectively, and in a way which is wholly complementary and additional to existing plans. We will make a more detailed announcement in due course.

We are in regular contact with DECC and with the renewables industry regarding support for renewables technologies, and I met with solar PV installers on 8 December 2011 to hear directly their concerns and discuss how we can support this sector in Scotland. The discussion covered a range of topics, including financial incentives and other support, and I intend to meet with solar PV installers again once the outcome of the FIT review for solar PV is clear.

We already provide a range of loans for householders, communities and small businesses to install renewables.

A Scottish top-up to the Feed in Tariffs (FITs) for Solar PV would probably be viewed as overcompensation in a State Aid context and hence unlikely to be compatible with FITs.

Question reference: S4W-04742

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 December 2011
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 17 January 2012

No funds have yet been drawn down from the Fossil Fuel Levy surplus account, held by Ofgem. Following the UK Government’s agreement late last year to provide the necessary increase in the Scottish expenditure limit to enable additional spending of £103 million funded from that account in 2012-13, we are reviewing our renewables budgets and spending priorities for the coming years to ensure that these funds are deployed effectively, and in a way which is wholly complementary and additional to existing plans. We will make a more detailed announcement in due course.

Question reference: S4O-00545

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 December 2011
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 January 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will announce its ferry strategy.

Question reference: S4O-00530

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S4W-04187

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 November 2011
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 14 December 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether submissions to its consultations that are translated into English are published along with the original language.

Question reference: S4W-04186

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 November 2011
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 14 December 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether submissions in languages other than English to its consultations are published in the original language.

The Scottish Government values Scotland’s linguistic and cultural diversity and welcomes consultation responses in languages other than English. Responses in Scottish Gaelic and Scots are particularly encouraged, in keeping with the policy of normalising the use of Gaelic and Scots in contexts from which they have historically been excluded.

Consultation responses are published in the language in which they are received. Where this is a language other than English, an English translation will also be published alongside the original. Those submitting responses are welcome to provide their own English translation, but this is not a requirement and the Scottish Government will arrange for the translation of submissions as necessary.

Question reference: S4W-04331

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 November 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 12 December 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will commit to matching the £50 million investment in the Caledonian Sleeper service announced by the UK Government and, if so, when it will make this money available.

Question reference: S4O-00498

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 December 2011
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 15 December 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what actions it is planning to stimulate domestic use of solar panels.