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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-17772

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 October 2013
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 6 November 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how many police officers in the (a) Highlands and Islands and (b) Moray Division carry out a role previously delivered by a member of the support staff.

Question reference: S4W-17685

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 04 October 2013
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 29 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-16946 by Paul Wheelhouse on 12 September 2013, when the composition of the management group of the Barra Special Area of Conservation will be known and whether a facilitator is to be appointed to the group.

The composition of the management group is unlikely to be known before summer 2014. Officials have been continuing positive discussions with community interests regarding possible approaches to the development of a management group structure and its future governance. This may include the appointment of a facilitator but we are seeking community views on the support required and no decision has been made as yet.

Question reference: S4W-17762

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S4W-17763

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S4W-17761

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S4W-17343

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 20 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 3 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government on how many occasions local authorities took action without notice on dangerous buildings in 2011-12 under sections 29(2) and (3) of the Building (Scotland) Act 2003.

In 2011-12 local authorities took action 992 times under subsection 29 (2) and (3) of the Building (Scotland) Act 2003 on buildings they considered to be dangerous.

The following figures are taken from the Building Standards Annual Return that shows there were 212 dangerous buildings notices under section 30 served on owners in 2011-12.

A breakdown by local authority is given in the following table.

Local Authority	Number of dangerous building notices issued under section 30 2010-11	Number of cases where action taken under section 29 2010-11	Number of dangerous building notices issued under section 30 2011-12	Number of cases where action taken under section 29 2011-12
Aberdeen City	6	0	7	12
Aberdeenshire	15	7	9	0
Angus	2	1	2	3
Argyll and Bute	0	20	2	39
City of Edinburgh	0	0	0	0
Clackmannanshire	5	6	14	12
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar	2	1	5	0
Dumfries and Galloway	2	0	1	0
Dundee City	0	90	7	258
East Ayrshire	6	6	15	10
East Dunbartonshire	0	0	3	0
East Lothian	3	1	2	0
East Renfrewshire	6	0	0	19
Falkirk	5	0	8	0
Fife	8	34	0	8
Glasgow City	3	85	4	376
Highland	18	5	2	8
Inverclyde	4	14	7	23
Midlothian	21	9	10	4
Moray	2	3	6	0
North Ayrshire	6	1	10	0
North Lanarkshire	17	2	29	35
Orkney	0	0	0	1
Perth and Kinross	5	0	0	4
Renfrewshire	10	23	18	27
Scottish Borders	9	10	10	10
Shetland Islands	2	0	1	1
South Ayrshire	1	38	4	67
South Lanarkshire	8	7	14	13
Stirling	3	8	7	10
West Dunbartonshire	0	11	2	42
West Lothian	18	20	20	10
Scotland	187	402	212	992

Question reference: S4W-17336

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 20 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 3 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-16945 by Keith Brown on 18 September 2013, whether it will provide details of the discussions that have taken place.

Regular discussions have taken place with CalMac about the introduction of the Ferries Plan proposals.

We announced on 26 September 2013 that a three year winter pilot ferry service between Mallaig and Lochboisdale will start from this winter. This will be in addition to the planned improvements to the winter timetable for Barra and Lochboisdale.

Timetables for these services will be published very shortly, following a short period of consultation with local community representatives on the detailed timetable proposals.

Question reference: S4W-17402

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 23 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 3 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-16944 by Keith Brown on 18 September 2013, for what reason the online link for the winter 2013 Oban-Castlebay-Lochboisdale service advises that "for operational reasons we are currently unable to take bookings for this route."

We have been working closely with CalMac Ferries Limited to agree the final winter timetable for Barra and South Uist. This work has involved ensuring that we meet all of our Ferries Plan commitments, and considering what other opportunities might be available to improve services to South Uist and Barra.

Timetables for these services will be published very shortly, following a short period of consultation with the local community representatives on the detailed timetable proposals.

Question reference: S4W-17453

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 3 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it plans with the Department for Transport regarding the next east coast franchise and whether these will include making provision for a hot food service for services travelling north of Edinburgh.

Transport Scotland is in regular dialogue with the Department for Transport as it prepares plans to re-let the InterCity East Coast franchise.

In these discussions, and in previous written advice to the Department, we have highlighted that services between London and Aberdeen and Inverness represent some of the longest duration passenger rail services in Britain, and that it is important that a full catering service is maintained on those services.

Question reference: S4W-17191

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 13 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Lesley Thomson on 27 September 2013

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the holding of a fatal accident inquiry into the circumstances of a Super Puma helicopter crash in the North Sea on 1 April 2009 has not yet commenced, and on what date it will.

A timeline detailing the investigations which were conducted into the crash of the Super Puma helicopter on 1 April 2009, the decisions that were taken following these investigations and all the relevant dates has been published on the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service(COPFS) website and can be accessed here:

http://www.copfs.gov.uk/media-site/latest-news-from-copfs/531-super-puma-g-redl-2009-investigation-timeline.

The programming of FAIs is a matter for Scottish Court Service (SCS). Following the decision of Crown Counsel on 19 January 2013 that there should be no criminal proceedings and that a FAI should be held COPFS contacted the Sheriff Principal of Grampian Highland and Islands in February 2013 who identified the date of
28 October 2013 as suitable for holding the FAI. However, in June SCS advised they were unable to source suitable accommodation in Aberdeen for an FAI of this magnitude at that time.

A new date has now been scheduled for the FAI of 6 January 2014 and it will take place in Aberdeen.