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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: S4W-28138

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 October 2015
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 3 November 2015

To ask the Scottish Government whether it expects Transport Scotland to issue calls for further interim tenders for the (a) ferry services and (b) harbour operation component of the 2016-2024 contract for Clyde and Hebrides ferry services.

Question reference: S4W-28057

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 October 2015
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 2 November 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to review the boundaries of Cairngorms National Park.

Question reference: S4W-28014

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 12 October 2015
Current Status: Answered by Aileen McLeod on 2 November 2015

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-26580 by Aileen McLeod on 21 July 2015, what information has been received from the Crofting Commission regarding the number of crofts that have been re-let (a) in the South Uist area and (b) elsewhere since April 2012 because (i) of an absentee landlord or (ii) they were not actively farmed.

As indicated in the response to S4W-26580, the information requested is not held centrally. The Crofting Commission administers the regulation of crofting on behalf of the Scottish Ministers and the chief executive of that organisation was asked to supply the information requested to you directly.

The Crofting Commission has indicated that it sent a letter to you containing this information on 20 July 2015. This letter noted that since April 2012 the Crofting Commission had terminated 24 tenancies, including one in South Uist. In each case the tenant was not fulfilling his or her crofting duties and, in most cases, cultivation and maintenance duties were not being fulfilled either. The reply also noted that 15 of the tenancies have since been re-let and measures were in hand to re-let the remaining tenancies. Since the Crofting Commission provided its original response, it has indicated that a further croft has been re-let, taking the total number to 16.

Question reference: S4W-28063

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 October 2015
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 2 November 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether to include Lochindorb in the boundaries of Cairngorms National Park.

Question reference: S4W-27940

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 October 2015
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 29 October 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of the planned expenditure in Scottish Ferry Services: Ferries Plan (2013-2022) will be on (a) Northern Isles and (b) Clyde and Hebrides routes and what the total expenditure has been to date.

The costs of the ferries plan proposals are not available in the format requested.

The following table details the actual spend by the Scottish Government in supporting ferry services in financial years 2013-14 and 2014-15. In addition, the current forecast outturn figures for 2015-16 are also outlined.

As the spending review for future years has still to be decided, budget and anticipated expenditure details are currently not available.

	2013-14	2014-15	2015-16
			(forecast)
Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services	£85,522,390	£101,071,419	£115,958,000
Road Equivalent Tariff	£3,889,000	£5,034,000	£10,000,000
Sub-total (Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services Network)	£89,411,390	£106,105,419	£125,958,000
Northern Isles Ferry Services	£37,507,196	£35,973,572	£32,268,314
Other Ferry Services	£4,299,504	£3,288,197	£3,545,281
Total (Ferry Services)	£131,218,090	£145,367,188	£161,771,595
Piers and Harbours and Vessels	£13,295,693	£20,216,321	£45,495,000
Total	£144,513,783	£165,583,509	£207,266,595

Question reference: S4W-27946

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 October 2015
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 29 October 2015

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-27326 by Derek Mackay on 16 September 2015, what steps it will take to ensure that the principles of the fair work framework will apply at the earliest opportunity to seafarers working on all ro-pax vessels chartered from Seatruck Ferries to work on Northern Isles ferry services from 2018.

The Scottish Government will ensure that the principles of the fair work framework are applied as appropriate during the tendering process for the next Northern Isles ferry services contract.

Details of the Northern Isles ferry services tender will be confirmed when the procurement process commences. As part of their tender proposals, bidders for the future contract will be invited to provide details of the vessels they plan to use.

Question reference: S4W-27948

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 October 2015
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 29 October 2015

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-27326 by Derek Mackay on 16 September 2015, what recent discussions it has had with Seatruck Ferries regarding the rate of pay for seafarers working on the ro-pax vessels chartered under the contract with Serco for Northern Isles ferry services.

The Scottish ministers take very seriously the issue of the UK national minimum wage for staff paid both directly and indirectly by this government.

Scottish Government officials, and the current operators of the Northern Isles ferry services, Serco NorthLink Ferries (SNF) Limited, met most recently with Seatruck Ferries on 18 September 2015. A variety of issues were discussed including the rate of pay for seafarers working on the freight vessels chartered under the contract with SNF for Northern Isles ferry services.

A satisfactory resolution on the two SNF freighters has still to be reached in relation to the rate of pay for seafarers. This is due to Seatruck Ferries’ reluctance to reach an agreement given their concerns regarding setting a precedent for elsewhere in their operation.

Responsibility for payment and levels of the wages of the crew on its vessels lies with Seatruck as the employer. However, Scottish ministers will continue to press the matter with Seatruck Ferries. Our key aim is to ensure the affected workers on the vessels in question receive at least the minimum wage.

Question reference: S4W-27944

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 October 2015
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 29 October 2015

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-27326 by Derek Mackay on 16 September 2015, whether it has discussed with officials from Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd the development of a public sector comparator to estimate the cost of a directly purchased and owned vessel on the Northern Isles contract from 2018.

Question reference: S4W-27950

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 October 2015
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 29 October 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what the annual (a) charter and (b) maintenance costs have been for the MV (i) Hildasay and (ii) Helliar on Northern Isles ferry routes since 2000.

The MV Hildasay and the MV Helliar came into service on the Northern Isles ferry service (NIFS) contract in December 2009 and January 2011 respectively.

The annual charter costs and maintenance costs of these two freight vessels on the Northern Isles ferry services since they came into service is commercially sensitive to the current and previous operator of NIFS.

The MV Hildasay and MV Helliar have been time charted by Serco NorthLink Ferries from Seatruck since June 2012 and as such vessel maintenance costs are part of the time charter payment.

Question reference: S4W-27949

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 October 2015
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 29 October 2015

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-27326 by Derek Mackay on 16 September 2015, whether representatives of Seatruck Ferries are involved in those discussions and when ministers or officials last met representatives of Seatruck Ferries to discuss the charter terms for the MV (a) Hildasay and (b) Helliar from 2018.