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 1651 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S4O-04088

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 February 2015
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 March 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what appraisal it has made of the economic impact in the Highlands and Islands of the oil and gas sector.

Question reference: S4W-24438

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 13 February 2015
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 24 February 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what the passenger numbers are on the three ferries that service Orkney.

Question reference: S4W-24439

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 13 February 2015
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 24 February 2015

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason proof of identity is no longer required by passengers travelling by ferry from Aberdeen to Orkney and Shetland.

Question reference: S4W-24441

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 16 February 2015
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 17 February 2015

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-24217 by Derek Mackay on 11 February 2015, whether it will confirm that the next Clyde and Hebrides ferry services contract will be for six years from October 2016.

Question reference: S4O-04015

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 February 2015
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 February 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to boost the economy around Inverness and Nairn.

Question reference: S4W-24189

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 January 2015
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 9 February 2015

To ask the Scottish Government when it last reviewed warning level criteria for high winds on bridges.

Question reference: S4W-24187

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 January 2015
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 9 February 2015

To ask the Scottish Government how many closures of the Skye Bridge to (a) high-sided vehicles and (b) all vehicles there have been since September 2014.

Statistics about closures of the Skye Bridge are contained in the following table:

Time Period	Number of Closures of the Skye Bridge to High-Sided Vehicles	Number of Closures of the Skye Bridge to All Vehicles
2012	30	0
2013	54	1
2014	97	11
September 2014 to January 2015	97	14

The above data is based on records of triggers automatically generated by the instrumentation on the bridge, which prompts signing by Traffic Scotland and closure of the bridge when the appropriate threshold is reached. In some cases, especially recently, wind speeds have varied substantially over relatively short time periods, resulting in rapid change from one state to another and back again. To reflect these factors in the case of full closures, these have been grouped into one closure event.

The wind management plan for the bridge requires that it is closed to high-sided vehicles when the wind gust speed exceeds 50 mph and closed to all vehicles when it exceeds 75 mph. These trigger thresholds have not been formally reconsidered for change since they were first established around 2004. In part, this is due to experience that they were operating well. They are designed as much as possible to ensure the safety of the public, whilst minimising disturbance to the movement of traffic.

However, in the light of increased wind events and resultant restrictions since September 2014, Transport Scotland has been working with its operating company BEAR Scotland to consider all aspects of the plan with a view to bringing forward any appropriate improvements. The thresholds, contingency planning and possible additional infrastructure are included in this exercise.

Transport Scotland will report in full when all aspects have been considered and discussed with stakeholders, in particular the Highland Council and Police Scotland, with whom the legal authority to close the bridge lies. Safety will remain the overriding principle.

The location of the Skye Bridge measuring equipment has recently been discussed with our operating company BEAR Scotland and their equipment supplier, Vaisala. The location should represent the likely highest winds that drivers would encounter over their entire crossing journey. A wind profile study undertaken by the previous operating company identified that the current location meets that criteria, hence the interim advice is that it should remain where it is.

There has been no specific economic assessment of the impact of closure. However, in seeking to ensure the safety of the public whilst minimising disturbance to the movement of traffic the Scottish Government recognises the importance of the bridge to the people and economy of Skye and beyond.

We will report on the outcome of our analysis outlined above in due course. In the meantime, BEAR Scotland has improved communications with stakeholders by adopting a system of automatically generated email messages when trigger thresholds are reached.

Question reference: S4W-24191

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 January 2015
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 9 February 2015

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has assessed the economic impact on the island of closures of the Skye Bridge.

Question reference: S4W-24188

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 January 2015
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 9 February 2015

To ask the Scottish Government how many closures of the Skye Bridge to (a) high-sided vehicles and (b) all vehicles there were in (i) 2012, (ii) 2013 and (iii) 2014.

Question reference: S4W-24190

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 January 2015
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 9 February 2015

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has discussed with Transport Scotland changes in the location of the system for measuring wind speeds on the Skye Bridge.