Parliamentary questions

David Stewart

1,651 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

26 Oct 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the earliest date is by which Transport Scotland can decide not to issue calls for further interim tenders for the 2016-24 contract for Clyde and Hebrides ferry services.

Answer · Derek Mackay: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-28243 on 3 November 2015. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentary…

26 Oct 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will make it policy to bring forward the date for the (a) invitation to submit a final tender, (b) deadline for submitting a final tender and (c) announcement of the winning bid for the 2016-24 contract for Clyde and Hebrides ferry services if Transport Scotland decides not to…

Answer · Derek Mackay: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-28139 on 5 November 2015. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentary…

26 Oct 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has the legal power to discontinue the tendering process for Clyde and Hebrides ferry services at any stage without incurring legal liability for bidders’ costs.

Answer · Derek Mackay: The discontinuance or suspension of the procurement process is covered by the initial invitation to tender documents, Volume 1, Section 5.4. This is published on Transport Scotland’s website http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/ferries/clyde-and-hebrides.

26 Oct 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the competitive procedure with negotiation used to procure an operator for the 2016-24 contract for Clyde and Hebrides ferry services allows it to bring forward the announcement of the winning bid for that contract to a date before the Scottish election on 5 May 2016.

26 Oct 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps Transport Scotland has taken since 31 July 2015 to reduce the duration of the tendering period for the 2016-24 contract for Clyde and Hebrides ferry services in order to bring forward the announcement of the winning bidder to a date before the Scottish election on 5 May 2016.

26 Oct 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will ensure that there are no differences in the timetable for the (a) invitation for and (b) submission of further interim tenders for the (i) ferry services and (ii) harbour operation component of the 2016-24 contract for Clyde and Hebrides ferry services and whether it will…

Answer · Derek Mackay: To ask the Scottish Government whether it will ensure that there are no differences in the timetable for the (a) invitation for and (b) submission of further interim tenders for the (i) ferry services and (ii) harbour operation component of the 2016-24 contra…

26 Oct 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it expects Transport Scotland to issue calls for further interim tenders for the (a) ferry services and (b) harbour operation component of the 2016-2024 contract for Clyde and Hebrides ferry services.

Answer · Derek Mackay: The Clyde and Hebrides ferry services interim invitation to tender (ITT) has issued to both bidders and will be published today (3 November 2015) on Transport Scotland’s website together with the Independent Procurement Reference Panel’s report confirming the…

26 Oct 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-27326 by Derek Mackay on 16 September 2015, whether it will list the local stakeholders it has had discussions with regarding the chartering arrangements for vessels in the next contract for Northern Isles ferry services.

Answer · Derek Mackay: I announced on 13 August 2015, during my visit to Shetland, that a comprehensive study of the Northern Isles ferry services would be carried out to inform the tender process for the next contract, due to commence in 2018. Vessel availability for the next cont…

23 Oct 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many crimes and offences armed response police officers have dealt with in the Highlands since October 2014.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The information requested is a matter for Police Scotland. I have alerted the Chief Constable to your question and I have asked him to write to you.

23 Oct 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many serious incidents meriting a firearms deployment armed police have responded to in the Highlands since October 2014.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The information requested is a matter for Police Scotland. I have alerted the Chief Constable to your question and I have asked him to write to you.

14 Oct 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether to include Lochindorb in the boundaries of Cairngorms National Park.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-28057 on 2 November 2015. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentary…

14 Oct 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to review the boundaries of Cairngorms National Park.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government has no plans to review the boundary of Cairngorms National Park.

12 Oct 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-26580 by Aileen McLeod on 21 July 2015, what information has been received from the Crofting Commission regarding the number of crofts that have been re-let (a) in the South Uist area and (b) elsewhere since April 2012 because (i) of an absentee lan…

Answer · Aileen McLeod: As indicated in the response to S4W-26580, the information requested is not held centrally. The Crofting Commission administers the regulation of crofting on behalf of the Scottish Ministers and the chief executive of that organisation was asked to supply the…

9 Oct 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the results of the 2014 cost-benefit analysis of the installation of fire suppression systems in new-build houses, flats, houses in multiple occupation and halls of residence have been published and, if so, where.

Answer · Margaret Burgess: The Research Project to Review the Cost Effectiveness of Sprinklers in Residential Properties was published on 29 May 2015 and is freely available on the Building Standards Division research section of the Scottish Government website at http://www.gov.scot/Re…

7 Oct 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the annual (a) charter and (b) maintenance costs have been for the MV (i) Hildasay and (ii) Helliar on Northern Isles ferry routes since 2000.

Answer · Derek Mackay: The MV Hildasay and the MV Helliar came into service on the Northern Isles ferry service (NIFS) contract in December 2009 and January 2011 respectively. The annual charter costs and maintenance costs of these two freight vessels on the Northern Isles ferry s…

7 Oct 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-27326 by Derek Mackay on 16 September 2015, whether representatives of Seatruck Ferries are involved in those discussions and when ministers or officials last met representatives of Seatruck Ferries to discuss the charter terms for the MV (a) Hildas…

Answer · Derek Mackay: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-27948 on 29 October 2015. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentar…

7 Oct 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-27326 by Derek Mackay on 16 September 2015, what recent discussions it has had with Seatruck Ferries regarding the rate of pay for seafarers working on the ro-pax vessels chartered under the contract with Serco for Northern Isles ferry services.

Answer · Derek Mackay: The Scottish ministers take very seriously the issue of the UK national minimum wage for staff paid both directly and indirectly by this government. Scottish Government officials, and the current operators of the Northern Isles ferry services, Serco NorthLin…

7 Oct 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-27326 by Derek Mackay on 16 September 2015, what steps it will take to ensure that the principles of the fair work framework will apply at the earliest opportunity to seafarers working on all ro-pax vessels chartered from Seatruck Ferries to work on…

Answer · Derek Mackay: The Scottish Government will ensure that the principles of the fair work framework are applied as appropriate during the tendering process for the next Northern Isles ferry services contract. Details of the Northern Isles ferry services tender will be confir…

7 Oct 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-27326 by Derek Mackay on 16 September 2015, whether it will apply collectively bargained pay rates to all seafarers working on ro-pax vessels chartered to work on Northern Isles ferry services from 2018.

Answer · Derek Mackay: Details of the Northern Isles ferry services tender will be confirmed when the procurement process commences.

7 Oct 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-27326 by Derek Mackay on 16 September 2015, whether it has discussed with officials from Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd the development of a public sector comparator to estimate the cost of a directly purchased and owned vessel on the Northern Isles…

7 Oct 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government on what dates it received responses to the invitation to tender for the 2016-24 Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services contract.

Answer · Derek Mackay: Responses to the initial invitation to tender were received from Serco Caledonian Ferries Ltd on Thursday 17 September 2015 and from Calmac Ferries Ltd on Monday 21 September 2015.

7 Oct 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many seafarer (a) cadets and (b) trainee ratings have been recruited by Caledonian MacBrayne since July 2006 and how many of these traineeships have resulted in permanent employment.

Answer · Derek Mackay: Since January 2006, including the most recent intake from August/September 2015, CalMac Ferries Ltd has sponsored a total of 118 deck, engine and electro technical officer cadets, details of which are outlined in the following table: Current Previous Dec…

7 Oct 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many seafarer (a) cadets and (b) trainee ratings have been recruited by Serco NorthLink since July 2012 and how many of these traineeships have resulted in permanent employment.

Answer · Derek Mackay: Serco NorthLink Ferries (SNF) has supported four officer cadets per year since July 2012. Consequently it has supported a total of 12 cadets over the last three years. SNF has also offered training places to three further officer cadets who required addition…

7 Oct 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of the planned expenditure in Scottish Ferry Services: Ferries Plan (2013-2022) will be on (a) Northern Isles and (b) Clyde and Hebrides routes and what the total expenditure has been to date.

Answer · Derek Mackay: The costs of the ferries plan proposals are not available in the format requested. The following table details the actual spend by the Scottish Government in supporting ferry services in financial years 2013-14 and 2014-15. In addition, the current forecast …

6 Oct 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made in developing a pollinator strategy for Scotland; when it will be completed; who it has consulted in developing the strategy, and whether it will continue to consult them as it completes the strategy.

Answer · Aileen McLeod: The Scottish Government has identified the preparation of a pollinator strategy for Scotland as an important part of the priority project ‘Conservation of priority species’ in Scotland’s Biodiversity – a Route Map to 2020 which was published in June 2015. A …

1 Oct 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-27314 by Derek Mackay on 16 September 2015, whether it will provide a breakdown of the £305,758 paid as compensation to passengers of CalMac since July 2012 by (a) reason for payment, (b) route, (c) month and (d) year.

Answer · Derek Mackay: Details of the compensation by CalMac since January 2013 is available from the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 57263). Some of the information requested is not held. The information that has been provided is set out on a monthly and annual…

1 Oct 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it expects to introduce the road equivalent tariff system for road freight and other commercial vehicles on (a) Northern Isles and (b) Clyde and Hebrides ferry services and, if so, on what date it plans to introduce the revised fare structure.

Answer · Derek Mackay: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-27837 on 15 October 2015. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentar…

1 Oct 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it expects Transport Scotland to complete its review of the fares structure applied to road freight and other commercial vehicles on the Scottish ferry network and when it plans to introduce a reformed fares structure for all passengers.

Answer · Derek Mackay: Transport Scotland, under guidance of a working group of key stakeholders, is currently conducting a comprehensive review of ferry freight fares, with the aim of developing an overarching policy for freight fares across Scotland’s entire ferry network. This i…

1 Oct 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made on completing the roll-out of the road equivalent tariff fares system for passengers on all Clyde and Hebrides ferry services and whether it expects this work to be completed by the end of October 2015.

Answer · Derek Mackay: Road equivalent tariff (RET) fares have been rolled out as a series of pilots, beginning on routes to the Western Isles, Coll and Tiree in October 2008. RET for passengers, cars, small commercial vehicles and coaches was further rolled out on routes to Islay,…

1 Oct 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it last reviewed its policy on the effect on Scottish ferry services of the tendering requirement in EU regulation 3577/92 on maritime cabotage.

Answer · Derek Mackay: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-27833 on 15 October 2015. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentar…