Parliamentary questions

Lewis Macdonald

2,224 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

14 Jun 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-09002 by Humza Yousaf on 10 May 2017 and the inaugural meeting of the Aberdeen to Central Belt Reference Group on 22 May 2017, whether it will now set out the options that the group is assessing and prioritising regarding the Usan Junction and South…

Answer · Humza Yousaf: We refer again to previous answers S5W-09002, S5W-09003 on 10 May 2017 and S5W-09207 on 24 May 2017 which state that all options will be considered. The inaugural meeting of the Reference Group which examined the work required to identify, assess and prioriti…

12 Jun 2017 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister whether work by Scottish Government officials on a second independence referendum will now cease.

11 May 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to questions S5W-09002 and S5W-09003 by Humza Yousaf on 10 May 2017, what options for the Usan Junction and South Esk viaduct are being considered by the Aberdeen to Central Belt Reference Group, and by what date it will announce the group's decision on which to pu…

Answer · Humza Yousaf: I refer to previous answers S5W-09002 and S5W-09003 which both state that all options will be considered. The inaugural meeting of the Reference Group, scheduled for 22 May, will examine the work required to identify, assess and prioritise options. That work …

9 May 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-08561 by Humza Yousaf on 19 April 2017, what discussions it had with (a) Shetland Line 1984 Ltd and (b) Streamline Shipping Group regarding pay rates on the vessel chartered to deliver the six-year public contract, and what proportion of the governm…

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The six-year Public Service Contract was paid to support the movement of freight to and from the Northern Isles and concluded in May 2014. The contractor’s charter costs were a matter for the commercial operator Shetland Line 1984 Ltd.

9 May 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it last discussed seafarer pay on charter vessels in the Scottish ferry industry with the UK Government and what the outcome of this was.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: Scottish Government officials on behalf of Scottish Ministers, wrote to the UK Government on 5 May 2017 to provide an update on seafarer wage levels, primarily in respect of the Northern Isles freighter service.

9 May 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-08561 by Humza Yousaf on 19 April 2017, for what reason the total given in the answer for the six-year public contract is £537,993 less than that recorded over the same period by Shetland Line 1984 Ltd in its company accounts.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Scottish Government replied to the previous question utilising its financial accounting records. It is not in a position to explain differences from a company’s records.

3 May 2017 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government what measures it will take to ensure increased recruitment of students from the north of Scotland to train as teachers at the University of Aberdeen.

25 Apr 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what upgrades are planned for rail services between Aberdeen and the central belt, other than doubling the single track at Usan, and what impact these will have on journey times.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: Building on the committed Revolution in Rail programme, which will deliver more services, more capacity and high speed trains in 2018, the Scottish Government, through its recently established Aberdeen to Central Belt Reference Group, will be reviewing and as…

25 Apr 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-00952 by Humza Yousaf on 6 July 2016, whether it will provide an update on the feasibility study into the options for resolving the issues caused by the single track at Usan.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: Transport Scotland has received from Network Rail advice on their initial, potential options to address the single track section at Usan Junction and the South Esk viaduct at Montrose. That advice and other potential options identified between Aberdeen and th…

25 Apr 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what impact doubling the single track section at Usan will have on rail services between Aberdeen and the Central Belt, including on journey times.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: All potential options identified from the development works being led by Transport Scotland, which includes options for Usan Junction and the South Esk viaduct at Montrose, will be subject to detailed analysis to ensure there is a clear rationale in terms of …

12 Apr 2017 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband programme has replaced old copper wire networks in some rural areas but not in others.

10 Apr 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether Police Scotland has taken all of the action required to meet recommendations 20 and 25 in the document, Independent Assurance Review Police Scotland – Call Handling - Update Report, and, if not, when it expects these recommendations to be met in full.

Answer · Michael Matheson: It is for HMICS to independently monitor progress and to report on the extent to which the recommendations from the Review have been progressed in line with their expectations.

7 Apr 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what recent correspondence regarding its paper, Scotland’s Place in Europe, it has received from the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, and whether it will publish this.

Answer · Michael Russell: The Scottish Government received a letter from the Secretary of State for Exiting the EU on the 29 March 2017 regarding its paper, Scotland’s Place in Europe. In line with the Memorandum of Understanding between the UK Government and the devolved administrat…

31 Mar 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the additional (a) staff and (b) budget that may be required to manage any increase in legislative work arising from the Great Repeal Bill.

Answer · Derek Mackay: The Scottish Government has well-established processes for managing budgets and staff resources. Assessments of the resources required as a result of the Great Repeal Bill will be included in those processes. Similarly, any legislative work associated with th…

31 Mar 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the resources that may be required to manage any increase in legislative work arising from the Great Repeal Bill.

Answer · Derek Mackay: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-08564 on 20 April 2017. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/…

31 Mar 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what preparations are being made to manage any increase in legislative work arising from the Great Repeal Bill.

31 Mar 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the value of the annual grant was that it paid to Shetland Line 1984 Ltd in each calendar year of the public contract with the company between May 2008 and May 2014 for maritime freight services to the Northern Isles.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The annual grant paid to Shetland Line 1984 Ltd in each calendar year of the public contract between May 2008 and May 2014 for maritime freight services to the Northern Isles is given in the following table. 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 £148,524…

29 Mar 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) passengers, (b) commercial vehicles and (c) cars were carried by Serco NorthLink between Scrabster and Stromness in each of the last three years for which records are available.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The information requested is available on Serco Northlink Ferries website, as per the attached link. http://www.northlinkferries.co.uk/information/publications/statistics/

29 Mar 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact on the shipbuilding industry of Pentland Ferries’ decision to order a new vehicle passenger ferry from Strategic Marine of Singapore, and whether this decision was discussed with the representative of the private sector operators on the Expert Fe…

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Scottish Government has made no assessment of the impact on the shipbuilding industry of Pentland Ferries’ decision to order a new vehicle passenger ferry. Pentland Ferries is a private company operating commercial ferry services and is responsible for i…

29 Mar 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) passengers, (b) commercial vehicles and (c) cars were carried by Pentland Ferries between Gills Bay and St. Margaret’s Hope in each of the last three years for which records are available.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: Pentland Ferries Ltd is a privately owned company and does not routinely publish carrying figures.

22 Mar 2017 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has carried out of public support for a second referendum on Scotland leaving the UK.

1 Mar 2017 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many of the recently announced 371 new teacher training places will be at the University of Aberdeen.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: We have issued guidance to the Scottish Funding Council on national student teacher intake numbers, and the Scottish Funding Council is now taking forward the process of agreeing student teacher intake numbers with individual universities. Once this has been…

28 Feb 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether problems have been encountered with utility service diversions on the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR) and, if so, what impact these could have on (a) the programme and (b) its completion date.

Answer · Keith Brown: The new AWPR/B-T route is approximately 58km and interfaces with over 300 individual utility apparatus such as water pipes, gas pipes, electricity cables etc. As is usual for this type of project, the project contractor manages and coordinates utility diversi…

22 Feb 2017 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recent update report by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland on call handling in Police Scotland.

15 Feb 2017 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to make EU environmental regulations enforceable after the UK leaves the EU.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government’s paper 'Scotland's Place in Europe' sets out our view that full membership of the European single market is the best outcome not just for Scotland but for the whole of the UK. We have set out proposals for staying in the single market…

8 Feb 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what stage it has reached in its discussions with the Royal Bank of Scotland regarding the leasing arrangements for the (a) Hrossey, (b) Hjaltland and (c) Hamnavoe passenger ferries deployed on the Northern Isles Ferry Service contract, and whether it will commit to making savings from r…

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The existing and legally binding lease agreements for the three Royal Bank of Scotland vessels are due to expire on 25 April 2018. The current public service contract is due to expire on the same date. The Scottish Government is presently engaged and will co…

8 Feb 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government further to its statement on Scotland’s ferry services on 2 February 2017, on what date its discussions with Serco NorthLink on extending the existing contract for Northern Isles ferry services began.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: I spoke to senior management in Serco Northlink Ferries regarding the planned procurement policy review on 2 February 2017. Transport Scotland officials have subsequently engaged with senior management in Serco Northlink Ferries to discuss a possible contrac…

8 Feb 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to its statement on Scotland’s ferry services on 2 February 2017, what steps it will take to reassure Serco NorthLink staff and their trade union representatives over the continuity of contractual terms and conditions of employment should an extension to the existing contract be…

Answer · Humza Yousaf: I am committed to keeping Serco Northlink Ferries fully informed of the purpose and progress of the review, and on-going engagement with the trade unions involved. The current public service contract is due to expire on 25 April 2018. Any extension of the co…

2 Feb 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether there have been any changes made to the (a) value of unitary charge payments and (b) number of years that they will be paid since these weref ormally agreed in its contract with the contractor for the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR) and, if so, what the (i) payment timet…

Answer · Keith Brown: There has been no change to value, or duration of, unitary charge payments since Contract Award in December 2014.

2 Feb 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, when the contract was formally agreed between it and the contractor for the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR); for how many years it was agreed that it would make unitary charge payments to the contractor, and what the value was of these payments in each year.

Answer · Keith Brown: The Non-Profit Distributing contract for the AWPR was awarded to Aberdeen Roads Limited in December 2014. Like many projects of this nature, the contract has a 30 year concession period. The value of the payments are not fixed values but are calculated mont…