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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: S5W-02379

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 21 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the announcement of the Scottish Growth Scheme, which body will judge if an applicant company has a clear export growth plan.

Question reference: S5W-02383

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 21 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the announcement of the Scottish Growth Scheme, how it will define “new and early-stage” when determining loans and guarantees to applicant companies.

Question reference: S5W-02380

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 21 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the announcement of the Scottish Growth Scheme, how its assessment of applicant companies’ growth plans will take into account the impact of the UK's decision to leave the EU.

Question reference: S5F-00243

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 19 September 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 September 2016

To ask the First Minister what issues will be discussed at the next meeting of the Cabinet.

Question reference: S5F-00205

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 12 September 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 15 September 2016

To ask the First Minister what issues will be discussed at the next meeting of the Cabinet.

Question reference: S5W-01412

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 July 2016
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 9 August 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the activities of China Railway No.3 Engineering Group since it became aware of allegations of human rights abuses and the risk of gross corruption; what this assessment involved; whether (a) ministers or (b) officials have discussed these allegations with (i) the Norwegian Government Pension Fund Global or (ii) Amnesty International; what the assessment concluded, and whether it now considers that it would be appropriate to agree investment with this company.

The memorandum of understanding between the Scottish Government, China Railway No. 3 Engineering Group and SinoFortone is focused on developing a relationship to explore possible investment in Scotland. It signals that Scotland is open for business and investment in line with the guiding principles of the Scottish Government's ‘Working with China’ Strategy. This Strategy has four guiding principles that underpin all of Scotland’s dealings with China and against which success will be measured. One of those principles is Respect for Human Rights and the Rule of Law - supporting China’s process of modernisation and internal reform and the need to balance the demands of economic development with social justice. Scotland is justly proud of its reputation for ethical business practices, and knows that human rights and the rule of law are key to long-term economic success and social stability. We will continue to share our experiences and values in our dealings with China.China Railway No.3 Engineering Group is one of 46 subsidiaries of the China Railway Group. The allegations of human rights abuses made in the June 2013 Amnesty International report were against the Congo International Mining Corporation (CIMCO), a subsidiary of China Railway Group, and relate to activity by CIMCO and CRG in August 2011 and April 2012. The allegations of gross corruption in the December 2014 report by the Council on Ethics for the Norwegian Government Pension Fund Global relate to the China Railway Group. There is no reference to China Railway No.3 Engineering Group in the report.Scottish Government officials have considered publicly available information regarding the actions taken by the Chinese Government to tackle corruption; key sources of information on corruption and human rights abuses; and other publicly available information, including company databases, on the activities of China Railway No. 3 Engineering Group.Following this consideration, the Scottish Government notes that:(i) The UK Government’s May 2016 advice to businesses on key risks they may face when operating in China states that:

"China is currently listed as a country of concern in the FCO’s annual Human Rights and Democracy Report… Since coming to power in China, President Xi Jinping has launched a wide-ranging anti-corruption drive. China has enacted extensive anti-bribery legislation”.

(ii) The World Bank specifies firms and individuals who are ineligible to be awarded a World Bank-financed contract for set periods because they have been sanctioned under the Bank's fraud and corruption policy either as a result of specific examination by the bank or because other development banks (Asian Development Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Inter-American Development Bank, and African Development Bank) have sanctioned them. China Railway No. 3 Engineering Group is not ineligible for World Bank financed contracts.

(iii) Publicly available information, including the websites and associated reports of the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre, Human Rights Watch, and Transparency International, provides no evident reference to allegations of corruption or human rights abuses by China Railway No. 3 Engineering Group.

The Scottish Government welcomes and values Amnesty International’s role and expertise in promoting and protecting human rights. Officials considered Amnesty International’s June 2013 report, ‘Profits and Loss: Mining and Human Rights in Katanga, Democratic Republic of Congo” which was sent to the Scottish Government by Amnesty International on 19 May. The First Minister replied to Amnesty International on 12 June. A copy of that letter has been placed in SPICe (Bib No. 58118).

There have been no discussions between Ministers and the Norwegian Government Pension Fund. E-mail correspondence between Scottish Government officials and Norges Bank Investment Management (NBIM), the Bank now responsible for managing the Investment Fund, and the Norwegian Ministry of Finance confirms the findings of the Council on Ethics’ December 2014 report and that at the start of 2015 changes were made to the role of the Ethics Council and to how and by whom the Investment Fund is managed.

Question reference: S5W-01410

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 July 2016
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 9 August 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-00024 by Keith Brown on 31 May 2016, whether its officials (a) sought advice from the Scottish Development International team in China on the background of China Railway No.3 Engineering Group and (b) conducted or requested any other assessment of the credibility of the company.

Question reference: S5W-01416

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 July 2016
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 9 August 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-00028 by Keith Brown on 31 May 2016, whether it will provide the answer to the question that was asked.

Question reference: S5W-01408

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 July 2016
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 9 August 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the First Minister stating on 2 June 2016 (Official Report, c.13) that “the Scottish Parliament would have the opportunity to scrutinise” any contracts involving projects agreed with China Railway No.3 Engineering Group, whether it anticipates that this opportunity would occur before or after the contract was signed.

The Memorandum of Understanding between the Scottish Government, China Railway No.3 Engineering Group (CR3) and SinoFortone is focused on developing a working relationship to explore possible investment in Scotland.If and where such investment involves CR3, SinoFortone and third parties then any contract would be a matter for those parties.The Scottish Government has not identified any specific projects for potential investment.

Question reference: S5W-01413

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 July 2016
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 9 August 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-00019 by Keith Brown on 31 May 2016, whether it will answer the question that was asked regarding whether (a) China Railway No.3 Engineering Group or (b) SinoFortone (i) has previously or (ii) will in future receive privileged access to information not already publicly available and, if so, what access.

Neither company has had access to privileged Scottish Government information. Any information provided by other parties which SinoFortone and/or China Railway No. 3 Engineering Group have had discussion with is a matter for them.China Railway No. 3 Engineering Group and SinoFortone will receive the same access to information as any potential significant investor in Scotland. Some of that information is available publicly. Other information is provided to help and encourage investors to invest in Scotland to create jobs and economic growth.