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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-21024

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 January 2019
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 31 January 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish the NICE protocols and guidelines for the treatment of interstitial lung that are used by local managed clinical networks and the National Advisory Group for Respiratory Managed Clinical Networks.

Question reference: S5W-21063

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 January 2019
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 31 January 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the introduction of smart ticketing services for passengers on each route operated as part of the public contracts for (a) Clyde and Hebrides, (b) Gourock-Dunoon and (c) Northern Isles ferry services.

Current proposals for the introduction of smart ticketing, as outlined by CalMac in their tender bid for the Clyde and Hebrides ferry service contract, are currently under discussion with Transport Scotland. With the incorporation of the Gourock-Dunoon ferry service into the Clyde and Hebrides ferry service contract on 21 January 2019, smart ticketing on that route will now form part of CalMac’s proposals.

The current tender process for the Northern Isles ferry services requires bidders to make arrangements for the introduction of smart ticketing in the first two years of the next contract.

Question reference: S5W-21065

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 January 2019
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 29 January 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an annual estimate of the value of the 2019-27 contract for Northern Isles Ferry Services by (a) subsidy and (b) passenger fares revenue.

The total value of the eight-year contract is estimated at some £370 million of public subsidy required to cover the costs of operating the ferry services. This equates to an average contract value per annum of some £46.2 million. A more detailed breakdown of the estimated value of the subsidy and fares revenue is not disclosed during an ongoing tender exercise, with this being a matter for individual bidders to consider when pricing their respective bids.

Question reference: S5W-21062

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 January 2019
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 29 January 2019

To ask the Scottish Government which freight vessels it has recommended to bidders as part of the 2019-27 Northern Isles Ferry Services contract.

Question reference: S5W-21067

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 January 2019
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 29 January 2019

To ask the Scottish Government which procurement technique it will use for the competitive tender of the 2019-27 contract for Northern Isles Ferry Services, and whether it will publish a procurement timetable for this.

Question reference: S5W-21064

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 January 2019
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 29 January 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the specifications in the contract that it has put out to tender for Northern Isles Ferry Services from October 2019, and what the final deadline is for the submission of bids.

Question reference: S5W-21066

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 January 2019
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 29 January 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it will take to facilitate discussions between trade unions and bidders for the Northern Isles Ferry Services contract.

Question reference: S5W-21071

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 January 2019
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 28 January 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to the fourth supplementary to question S5O-02769 by Mairi Gougeon on 16 January 2019 (Official Report, c. 29), regarding its plans for legislation, whether this is a new consultation, and, if so, when it will be launched, and what its scope will be.

During a Food and Drink parliamentary debate in September 2018, we undertook to introduce legislation to underpin the excellent work already being done to deliver the Good Food Nation ambition. The Good Food Nation Proposals for Legislation consultation launched on 21 December 2018. The focus is on a straightforward framework placing responsibilities on Scottish Ministers and selected public bodies with regard to food.

The Good Food Nation framework will include regard for food insecurity and relevant international human rights instruments. The option of exploring a right to food which is directly enforceable as a matter of Scots law is being considered by the First Minister’s Advisory Group on Human Rights Leadership. The Group reported in December 2018 and full account will be taken of its recommendations.

We have confirmed our intention to introduce an agriculture bill, primarily to provide the framework for the continuance of rural payments. The bill will provide the powers necessary to implement “Stability and Simplicity: Proposals for a rural funding transition period”, on which we have already consulted.

Question reference: S5W-20826

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 January 2019
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 24 January 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how much Serco NorthLink will raise from passenger fares from the extension of the Northern Isles Ferry Services contract from April 2018 to October 2019, and how much would have been raised without the introduction of road equivalent tariff on most routes from 29 June 2018.

Serco NorthLink Ferries is a commercial operator. As such, any financial information in relation to the amount of revenue raised from passenger fares during the extension of the Northern Isles Ferry Services contract and how much would have been raised without the introduction of road equivalent tariff is commercially sensitive.

The cost effectiveness of the policy to introduce Road Equivalent Tariff will be evaluated, in due course, as part of the planned evaluation of what has been a significant policy change.

Question reference: S5W-20822

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 January 2019
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 24 January 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5T-01427 by Michael Matheson on 8 January 2019 (Official Report, c.4), whether it has identified a body to act as an operator of last resort if the ScotRail franchise is terminated early and, if so, whether it will confirm which organisation this will be.