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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-00025

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 May 2016
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 31 May 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what its due diligence of foreign companies involves.

Question reference: S5W-00024

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 May 2016
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 31 May 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it carried out due diligence prior to signing a memorandum of understanding with China Railway No.3 Engineering Group and SinoFortone on 21 March 2016; what its position is on this matter, and whether it is standard procedure for the First Minister or other ministers and officials to sign agreements with companies for which the Scottish Government has not conducted background checks.

Prior to signing the memorandum of understanding, Scottish Government officials sought advice from the Scottish development international team in China and also assessed Sinofortone’s credibility in terms of their existing UK activity.

As the memorandum of understanding does not involve any legal, contractual or funding obligations or commitments on behalf of the Scottish Government full due diligence was not undertaken.

Whenever the Scottish Government is seeking to award a contract in relation to construction or the purchase of goods or services, procurement legislation sets out the criteria that can be used to select which companies will be invited to submit a bid. Criteria include the company’s suitability to pursue a professional activity, its economic and financial standing, and its technical and professional ability and include provisions in respect of when a bidder should be excluded from bidding because of, for example, conviction for corruption and/or child labour and other forms of trafficking in human beings.

Question reference: S5W-00021

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 May 2016
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 31 May 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it made of the human rights record of China Railway No.3 Engineering Group and SinoFortone before signing the memorandum of understanding on 21 March 2016.

Question reference: S5W-00017

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 May 2016
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 31 May 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers that it would be appropriate for it to sign an agreement with China Railway No.3 Engineering Group and SinoFortone to build homes in Falkirk, following its signing of the memorandum of understanding on 21 March 2016, if Falkirk Council had already rejected such a proposal from these companies.

Question reference: S5W-00010

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 May 2016
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 31 May 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the £10 billion investment associated with the memorandum of understanding with China Railway No.3 Engineering Group and SinoFortone that was signed on 21 March 2016, and how this figure was arrived at.

Question reference: S5W-00004

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 May 2016
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 31 May 2016

To ask the Scottish Government on what dates (a) officials, (b) the First Minister and (c) other ministers have held discussions with China Railway No. 3 Engineering Group and SinoFortone.

Officials became aware of SinoFortone’s possible interest in investing in Scotland in June 2015 via the Chair of the Asia Scotland Institute.

The First Minister’s office was contacted in July 2015 and in October 2015 regarding Sinofortone’s interest in investing in Scotland.

Officials held discussions with Sir Richard Heygate and Dr Peter Zhang representing SinoFortone on 16 December 2015, 3 February 2016, 9 March 2016 and 10 March 2016.

The First Minister met with Sir Richard Heygate and Dr Peter Zhang representing SinoFortone on 3 February 2016.

I was introduced to Sir Richard Heygate and Dr Peter Zhang on 9 March 2016 at an event on ‘Chinese Invests West Infrastructure Investment’ hosted by the legal firm Pinsent Masons.

Officials and the First Minister held discussions with Sir Richard Heygate and Dr Peter Zhang representing SinoFortone and China Railway No 3 Engineering Group on 21 March 2016.

There have been no meetings with representatives of China Railway No. 3 Engineering Group and SinoFortone since the memorandum of understanding was signed on 21 March 2016. Officials spoke with Sir Richard Heygate by phone on 8 and 9 April 2016 to clarify issues raised in the media.

Question reference: S5W-00012

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 May 2016
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 31 May 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what projects it or China Railway No.3 Engineering Group and SinoFortone have identified as opportunities for investment in (a) affordable housing, (b) communities, (c) clean energy, (d) industry and business parks, (e) transportation infrastructure and (f) any other areas.

The memorandum of Uuderstanding between the Scottish Government, China Railway No.3 Engineering Group and SinoFortone is focused on developing a working relationship to explore possible investment in Scotland.

At their meeting on 3 February 2016, SinoFortone expressed an interest in areas including affordable housing, energy and infrastructure, the First Minister noted SinoFortone’s interest in these areas.

The Scottish Government has not identified any specific projects for potential investment.

Scottish Government officials introduced SinoFortone to Falkirk Council and Loudon Castle Developments to help them understand and explore potential investment opportunities. No projects have been confirmed for investment by Sinofortone or China Railway No.3 Engineering Group.

Question reference: S5W-00018

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 May 2016
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 31 May 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) interest rate, (b) timescale and (c) financial return for the companies would be in relation to the £10 billion of investment planned by China Railway No.3 Engineering Group and SinoFortone in projects across Scotland in accordance with the memorandum of understanding signed with the Scottish Government on 21 March 2016.

The memorandum of understanding between the Scottish Government, China Railway No.3 Engineering Group and SinoFortone is focused on developing a working relationship to explore possible investment in Scotland. There is no confirmed investment and no legal or contractual obligations, any discussions on interest rates, timescales or financial return would only take place in the event of confirmed investment and would take place between the partners in any investment.

Question reference: S5W-00007

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 May 2016
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 31 May 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers it appropriate that the Chinese media was informed of the signing of the memorandum of understanding with China Railway No.3 Engineering Group and SinoFortone that was signed on 21 March 2016 but the Scottish media was not.

Question reference: S5W-00005

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 May 2016
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 31 May 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how it first came into contact with representatives of China Railway No.3 Engineering Group and SinoFortone.