Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-07598

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 25 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 19 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many properties in (a) Perth and Kinross and (b) Fife are deemed to be eligible for the £5,000 main voucher portion of the Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme that is available to people who will not receive broadband services under the R100 programme.

Question reference: S6W-07602

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 25 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 19 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has done of any satellite services that can be procured for the purpose of providing broadband to properties that will not be served by the R100 programme and will be able to be purchased with a £5,000 main voucher under the Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme.

Question reference: S6W-07600

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 25 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 19 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether the £5,000 main voucher portion of the Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme can currently be used to access the Starlink satellite service.

The terms and conditions of the R100 Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme (R100 SBVS) require that suppliers meet Ofcom's definition of 'affordable' broadband - set by Ofcom as no more than £46.10 per month, as per the terms and conditions of the UK's broadband Universal Service Obligation. As Starlink's satellite service currently costs £84 per month (set to rise to £94 per month from 9 May 2022), it does not meet this requirement and, therefore, Starlink is unable to register as a supplier for the R100 SBVS.

Question reference: S6W-07597

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 25 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 19 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will extend the deadline for applications for the interim voucher portion of the Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme for people who are experiencing delays under the R100 programme.

Question reference: S6W-07599

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 25 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 19 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the Starlink satellite service as a means of providing superfast broadband to hard-to-reach properties across Scotland.

Officials advise that Starlink's base level satellite internet service offers speeds of between 50Mbps and 150Mbps, but that Starlink's beta commercial service is currently only available at a latitude below 55 degrees. This means it is unavailable to the vast majority of premises in Scotland at this time.

Starlink has indicated that they have plans to make their service available above 55 degrees latitude in financial year 2022-23 – however, there is no firm date for further availability of the service.

Question reference: S6W-07232

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 11 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 25 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when it will bring into force part 8 (Recovery of Unpaid Parking Charges) of the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019.

Transport Scotland, as part of the implementation of the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019, has been working on the liability provisions contained within Part 8 of the Act which will bring into force Keeper Liability across Scotland.

I am advised that Transport Scotland officials have been prioritising the secondary legislation for the pavement, dropped kerb and parking prohibitions and that work on implementing Part 8 of the Act is still ongoing.

Question reference: S6O-00930

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 March 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what it is doing to address reported workforce pressures in health and social care.

Question reference: S6W-07160

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 23 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many miles of dual carriageway were opened on the A9 trunk road between Perth and Inverness in (a) May 1979 to May 1997, (b) May 1997 to May 1999, (c) May 1999 to May 2007 and (d) since May 2007.

The available records of published Road Orders details our understanding of when the following sections of A9 dual carriageways were opened:

(a) May 1979 to May 1997

Location	Approximate Length (m)	Date
Between Dalnarcardoch and Dalnaspidal	6.2	Circa 1979 / 1981
Moy south of Inverness to Bogbain	5.7	April 1979
Bogbain to Inshes	1	October 1979
Northwards from Ballinluig	4	May 1981 and April 1983
Charlestown to Tore Roundabout	3.7	October 1981
Faskally	0.3	May 1981
Longman to Charlestown (Kessock Br)	2.3	July 1982
Killiecrankie	1.2	August 1986
Crubenmore south of Etteridge	0.9	December 1979

(b) May 1997 to May 1999

nil

(c) May 1999 to May 2007

nil

(d) since May 2007.


Crubenmore north of Etteridge	2	September 2011
Kincraig to Dalraddy	4.6	September 2017
Luncarty to Pass of Birnam	5.9	August 2021

In addition, procurement of a further 6 miles of dual carriageway between Tomatin and Moy is in progress at present.

This Scottish Government is the only administration to have committed to dualling the A9, bringing benefits to business and local communities throughout Scotland.

No previous administration started preparatory work to enable full dualling to be undertaken.

Question reference: S6O-00799

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 February 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when it expects to complete the programme of dualling the remaining sections of the A9 between Perth and Inverness.

Question reference: S6O-00711

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 January 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it is supporting new entrants into agriculture.

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