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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-09381

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 May 2017
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 7 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government who the members are of the Scottish Energy Advisory Board, broken down by length of service, and what its position is on the board's gender balance.

The current members of SEAB are listed on the Scottish Government website at the following link which is updated periodically:

Those members, and their respective length of service are as follows:

Co-Chairs

Rt Hon Nicola Sturgeon MSP, First Minister- Chair (February 2015 - Current)

Professor Sir Jim McDonald, Principal, University of Strathclyde - Co-chair (May 2009 - Current)

Board Members

Paul Wheelhouse, Scottish Minister for Business, Innovation and Energy (May 2016 - Current)

Alistair Phillips-Davies Chief Executive Officer, Scottish and Southern Energy (May 2014- Current)

Andrew Jamieson, Chairman, Scottish Renewables Forum, later Chairman RenewableUK, ORE Catapult (May 2009 - Current)

Charles Hammond, Group Chief Executive, Forth Ports Plc (May 2009 - Current)

Charlotte Wright, Chief Executive, HIE (New member)

Cordi O’Hara, National Grid (March 2016 - Current)

Damien Yeates, Chief Executive, Skills Development Scotland (October 2009 – Current)

David Sigsworth, Chairman SEPA (September 2011- Current)

Deirdre Michie, Chief Executive Oil and Gas UK (March 2016 - Current)

Dick Winchester, Managing Director, The Old Schoolhouse (January 2010 - Current)

Dr Graeme Sweeney, Managing Director – Generation, EDF Energy later Independent Energy Consultant with Ardnacraggan (Energy Services) Ltd (July 2014 - Current)

Frank Mitchell, Director Energy Networks, Scottish Power later Chair, ESAG (May 2010 - Current)

Graeme Smith, STUC (New Member)

Jim McColl OBE, Chairman & Chief Executive Clyde Blowers Ltd (May 2009 -current)

Keith Anderson, chief of Corporate Officer, Scottish Power Renewables (September 2011 - Current)

Les King, Doosan Power Systems (May 2014 - Current)

Margaret McGinlay, Director of Energy and Low Carbon, Scottish Enterprise (October 2012 - Current)

Melfort Campbell, Chair & Chief Executive, IMES Group. (February 2011 - Current)

Niall Stuart, Chief Executive of Scottish Renewables, (January 2010 - Current)

Professor Alex Kemp, Professor of Petroleum Economics, University of Aberdeen (September 2011 - Current)

Roy MacGregor, Chairman Global Energy (November 2012 - Current)

Sam Ghibaldan, Head of Consumer Futures Unit, Citizens Advice Scotland (March 2016 - Current)

Stuart Crooks, Managing Director, EDF Energy (July 2014 - Current)

The issue of gender balance on boards was discussed by SEAB in February 2015 in light of the Scottish Government’s voluntary 50:50 by 2020 challenge. Discussion highlighted that members recognised the benefits of such balance and the importance placed by all members on the need to increase gender balance in the energy sector more generally.

Question reference: S5W-09367

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 22 May 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 1 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with (a) ScotRail and (b) trade unions regarding the establishment of an employee gain sharing scheme, as required by the franchise agreement with Abellio, and what the reason is for the reported delay in establishing this.

Question reference: S5W-09368

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 22 May 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 1 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what (a) dividend and (b) other payments ScotRail has made to its parent company, Abellio, since April 2015.

Question reference: S5O-01074

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 May 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what issues were discussed during its recent meeting with the Ambassador of Israel to the UK.

Question reference: S5W-09160

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 12 May 2017
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 31 May 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish details of its (a) meetings, (b) discussions and (c) correspondence with Ineos in the last two years.

It is not the policy of the Scottish Government to publish details of its discussions and correspondence with stakeholders. However, details of Ministerial meetings with all external stakeholders are regularly updated and is available on the Scottish Government website through the following link. https://beta.gov.scot/publications/?term=Ministerial&publicationTypes=transparency_data

Information has also been published under Freedom of Information and can be found: http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Business-Industry/Energy/resources/Publications/EnergyFoI/FoI-16-01214

Question reference: S5W-09162

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 12 May 2017
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 31 May 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given in the last five years to taking the operations of the Grangemouth refinery into public ownership.

Scotland’s oil and gas sector continues to offer major economic opportunities. It is estimated that, with the right fiscal, regulatory and market environment, as many as 20 billion barrels of recoverable oil remain under the North Sea and wider UKCS basin and the industry supports almost 125,000 Scottish jobs.

The Scottish Government is supportive of investment which is consistent with our economic strategy, is beneficial for the Scottish oil and gas sector, and good for the Grangemouth petrochemical plant and refinery and its workforce.

Question reference: S5O-01064

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 May 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the retirement age for prison officers, and what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding this.

Question reference: S5W-09163

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 12 May 2017
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 23 May 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take if Ineos continues to be categorised as "poor" in its compliance by SEPA.

Question reference: S5W-09161

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 12 May 2017
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 23 May 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that Ineos improves its operation regarding environmental performance.

Delivery and enforcement of environmental regulations is the responsibility of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA). SEPA engages with regulated bodies through inspections, monitoring and wider engagement to ensure that environmental requirements are complied with; and where not, that appropriate remedial and enforcement action is undertaken in-line with the SEPA enforcement policy.

Question reference: S5W-09158

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 08 May 2017
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 22 May 2017

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the number of staff projected to be employed in the social security agency announced in the ministerial statement is lower than the 3,000 estimated for option 1 in the outline business case published on the same date.

The outline business case for the social security agency estimated that option one would employ around 2,500 staff, including around 500 staff administering assessments.

The initial estimate of at least 1,500 jobs associated with the chosen model, as referred to in my statement to Parliament on 27 April 2017, does not include staff administering assessments nor does it include additional staff who will provide pre-claims support locally. Estimated staff numbers will be refined as we move into detailed service design.