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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-13651

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 15 March 2013
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 15 April 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether the new police and fire and rescue services will finance road safety partnerships.

The Northern Constabulary and the Highlands and Islands Fire and Rescue Service have supported a number of road safety initiatives over the years with a view to raising awareness and improving safety for road users. They are both part of the Northern Safety Camera Partnership and play a key role in service delivery and this is set to continue when the new force and service are created. They do not currently contribute financially to the running of the partnership, which will continue to be fully funded by the Scottish Government through the Scottish Safety Camera Programme.

Question reference: S4W-13741

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 18 March 2013
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 15 April 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that vehicle ferry prices across the Firth of Clyde are not at a level detrimental to the Cowal economy.

Western Ferries, who provide a vehicle ferry service between McInroy’s Point (Gourock) and Hunter’s Quay (Dunoon), operate an unsubsidised, commercial service and therefore the Scottish Government has no current role in regulating their fares. Existing competition legislation, which is currently a reserved matter, exists to protect users from any potential abuse of a monopoly market position. Western Ferries have been the sole provider of vehicle ferry services between Gourock and the Cowal peninsula since 30 June 2011. During that time, the company has increased its fares broadly in line with inflation. Western Ferries recently announced that its fares increases for 2013-14 are again in line with the general level of inflation.

It is the stated preference of the Scottish Ministers that the ferry service on the route between Gourock railway station and Dunoon town centre should carry both vehicles and passengers. Under the rules set for this route by the European Commission in its 2009 Decision on State aid for Scottish ferry services, any public subsidy can only be paid in respect of passengers. It would therefore be for the operator of a vehicle ferry service on this route to determine the fares to be charged.

Question reference: S4W-13773

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 March 2013
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 15 April 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to help businesses in the Western Isles following the withdrawal of the road equivalent tariff and in light of recent job losses at Carranoch Shellfish on the Isle of Lewis.

Following the removal of RET for commercial vehicles in 2012, transitional arrangements were put in place to alleviate the impact of commercial fares returning to non-RET levels. These transitional arrangements required funding of £2.5 million in 2012-13 and £2 million for 2013-14.

Additional concessions have also been introduced to assist businesses, including extending the length of vehicle eligible to receive RET from 5 million to 6 million, ensuring that small commercial vehicles receive RET; and offering vehicles carrying hay and livestock free empty return journeys, other than a charge to cover pier dues.

Specifically in relation to the shellfish sector, in spring 2012, an additional concession was provided for commercial vehicles carrying live shellfish. Those vehicles are also provided with free empty return journeys, other than a charge to cover pier dues.

To provide additional clarity for businesses and hauliers, a study was undertaken to assess the socio-economic impact of the removal of RET for commercial vehicles. The final report will be published soon. Once we have considered the findings of this study, we intend to undertake a comprehensive review of commercial vehicle fares to develop an overarching policy for freight fares.

Question reference: S4W-13980

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 March 2013
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 15 April 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what the duration is of the contract with (a) Lloyds Banking Group and (b) RBS Group for the provision of ferries used on the Stornoway and Northlink routes respectively and whether it will publish the contracts on its website.

The tripartite agreement between Scottish Ministers, RBS and Serco for the ropax ferries used on the Northern Isles ferry services was signed in 2012 and ends in 2018.

The new vessel to be used on the Ullapool – Stornoway service will involve an agreement between Scottish Ministers, Lloyds Banking Group, CMAL and the ferry operator. This agreement will run for eight years from vessel delivery, which is expected in 2014.

Due to the commercially sensitive nature of these multi-party agreements and the interest of the other parties involved, we have no plans to publish these documents on the Scottish Government website.

Question reference: S4W-13625

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 March 2013
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 27 March 2013

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-12525 by Michael Matheson on 1 February 2013, how many of the 558 insulin pumps have been distributed to NHS boards, also broken down by board, and how many are still held by NHS National Procurement.

We expect all NHS Boards allocation of insulin pumps to be distributed by 31 March 2013. NHS National Procurement will have no insulin pumps.

The following table details the allocation of insulin pumps per NHS Board.

NHS Board	Total Number of Pumps Required
NHS Ayrshire and Arran	65
NHS Borders	24
NHS Dumfries and Galloway	33
NHS Fife	20
NHS Forth Valley	35
NHS Grampian	56
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde	149
NHS Highland	30
NHS Lanarkshire	48
NHS Lothian	52
NHS Orkney*	2
NHS Shetland	6
NHS Tayside	38
NHS Western Isles**	0
Scotland	558

*NHS Orkney and NHS Shetland have figures estimated by NHS Grampian as NHS Grampian delivers the insulin pump service.

**NHS Western Isles have their insulin pump service delivered through NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. Their pump figures are therefore contained in the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde figures.

Question reference: S4W-13628

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 March 2013
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 27 March 2013

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-12525 by Michael Matheson on 1 February 2013, what information it has on how many of the 558 insulin pumps are in use.

Question reference: S4W-13630

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 March 2013
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 27 March 2013

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-12525 by Michael Matheson on 1 February 2013, whether the 558 insulin pumps are available through the procurement framework provided by NHS National Procurement.

Question reference: S4W-13629

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 March 2013
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 27 March 2013

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-12525 by Michael Matheson on 1 February 2013, what the (a) criteria are and (b) protocol is for NHS boards seeking to access the 558 insulin pumps.

All boards were allocated insulin pumps and associated consumables, based on their individual board requests.

The National Procurement Insulin Pump and Consumables framework has three suppliers from which insulin pumps and consumables can be purchased. The suppliers were advised of the allocation of insulin pumps and consumables for each board and these became available for use on receipt of a bulk purchase order from boards via National Procurement, independently of Scottish Government.

Question reference: S4O-01949

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 March 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 March 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has for the future of air services from Skye.

Question reference: S4W-13341

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 February 2013
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 8 March 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what representations it has made to the (a) UK Government and (b) European Commission regarding the proposed European Regional Aid Guidelines for 2014 to 2020 with reference to the Shetland Isles.

The Scottish Government has presented a case for eligibility of the entire Highlands and Islands region to the UK Government. This was a detailed argument detailed the difficulties faced by remote and sparsely populated regions and their ongoing need to be able to support business development; and was compiled with the assistance of Highlands and Islands Enterprise and input from Shetland Islands Council.

The UK Government have presented this argument as an integral part of the formal UK response to the Commission’s proposals. The Scottish Government will be replying separately to the Commission, again highlighting the potential impact on remote and island communities.