Chamber and committees

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

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Question reference: S5W-13460

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 15 December 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 3 January 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the meeting with the A77 and A75 Action Group on 15 November 2017, during which the Minister for Transport and the Islands reportedly committed to commence an infrastructure review for these trunk roads as links to the port of Cairnryan within a month or two, when this review will commence; when the results are expected, and what the parameters of the review will be.

The South West Scotland Transport Study will consider the rationale for improvements to road, rail, public transport and active travel on the key strategic corridors including the A75, A77 and the railway corridors to Stranraer and Carlisle via Kilmarnock / Dumfries and will have a particular focus on access to the ports at Cairnryan. It will examine the case for change in relation to transport infrastructure investment.

The procurement of consultants to undertake the study is currently underway with appointment likely to take place in January 2018 and with final reporting expected in Autumn 2018.

Question reference: S5W-13137

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 December 2017
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 13 December 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to deliver funding from the apprenticeship levy to finance apprenticeships in (a) floristry and (b) coopering, given this is a skill required in Scotland's whisky industry, and what its position is on whether a lack of publicly-funded apprenticeships in these skills (i) is a barrier to entry to the profession and (ii) restricts the ability of firms to expand their workforces.

The Scottish Government clearly set out our response to the introduction of the UK Apprenticeship Levy in December 2016, and underlines that Levy funds largely replace existing UK Government funding for skills and training. The Scottish Government will continue to invest the Levy in skills, training and employability to meet the needs of employers, the workforce, young people and Scotland’s economy.

It is important to note the Modern Apprenticeships is an employer-led programme. Skills Development Scotland (on behalf of Scottish Government) funds a contribution towards the apprentice’s work based learning on the basis the employer offers a good quality, sustainable job. Therefore, the numbers of new starts funded by Skills Development Scotland per annum are influenced by expressed employer demand

A funded Floristry MA framework was available in Scotland from 2008-2012 but was consequently discontinued due to lack of uptake. Skills Development Scotland report there has been no subsequent contact from employers with demand for this framework. However there are alternative qualifications available such as the City and Guilds Diplomas in Floristry at Level 2 and 3 available across Scotland’s regional College network.

Coopering frameworks are currently delivered in Scotland through the National Cooperage Federation apprenticeship programme and are therefore not offered through a specific Modern Apprenticeship framework.

Should there be sufficient evidence of demand from industry in Scotland, new qualifications and MA frameworks can be developed.

Question reference: S5O-01599

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 December 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 13 December 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to increase workforce productivity.

Question reference: S5O-01565

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 November 2017
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 6 December 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that rural communities have access to public amenities.

The Scottish Government is fully committed to supporting our rural communities and ensuring equality of access to public amenities across Scotland. For example:

Investment in community-led regeneration, delivered through the £20 million Empowering Communities Fund, supports areas which are more disadvantaged, remote or fragile enabling the purchase of land, buildings, and facilities, as well as supporting community based activities that develop or enhance local services and projects.

In addition, the Community Empowerment Act makes it easier for local communities to take on public sector land for public benefit. It creates new rights for community bodies and new duties on public authorities, strengthening the voices of communities in the decisions that matter to them; reducing socio-economic inequalities and encouraging equal opportunities.

In housing, our Affordable Housing Supply Programme and the Rural and Island Housing Fund provide flexible solutions for the delivery of more affordable homes for rent or purchase in rural Scotland, ensuring that rural communities are able to access the amenities that matter the most.

These are just some of the actions that demonstrate our commitment to equality for all who live and work in rural Scotland.

Question reference: S5W-12699

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 November 2017
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 28 November 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will list all (a) formal and (b) informal meetings that (i) ministers and (ii) officials have had regarding the (A) Borderlands and (B) Ayrshire Growth Deal; when these took place; who attended; where the location was; at which meetings a minute or note of the proceedings was taken, and whether it will publish these minutes or notes.

The Scottish Government is fully committed to finding ways to support regional economies to thrive in Scotland. Ministers and Scottish Government officials have engaged regularly with a range of stakeholders as the proposals for both the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal and Ayrshire Growth Deal have developed. We are committed to working with regional partners over the coming months as they shape and refine proposals for Inclusive Growth Deals for Ayrshire and for the Borderlands.

Question reference: S5W-12701

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 November 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 23 November 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-11823 by Humza Yousaf on 26 October 2017, when the review of objections commenced; what additional information has been commissioned, and when it expects that information to be made available to ministers.

The objection period ended on 18 January 2016 and reviews of the objections commenced thereafter. Transport Scotland is clear on the opinions voiced by objectors and is collecting further technical evidence to inform any decision regarding the speed limit. It is expected that this information will be available later this year, at which point it will be evaluated. At present it is too early to say exactly when a recommendation will be made as to whether this limit may change. Road safety will, however, remain of paramount importance in any decision that is made regarding the speed limit at this location.

Question reference: S5O-01524

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 November 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 November 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to ensure that sport is funded to enable access for all.

Question reference: S5W-12625

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 November 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 21 November 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the adoption of medicines and treatments for ultra rare diseases, given that Scottish Medicines Consortium requirements for trial numbers and outcomes may be difficult to meet in these cases.

Question reference: S5O-01484

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 November 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 November 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has carried out of the economic importance of the port of Cairnryan to the south west and nationally.

Question reference: S5W-12258

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 13 November 2017

To ask the Scottish Government in light of the findings in the Bliss Scotland Baby Report 2017 that six-out-of-eight neonatal units did not have enough nurses in post, two-thirds did not have enough medical staff and 10-out-of 11 found it "challenging" to ensure that their nurses received sufficient training, what action it has taken and progress has been made with the (a) staffing and (b) resourcing of the units.

The Scottish Government welcomed the publication of the report by Bliss Scotland in January this year. Bliss played a vital part in our national maternity and neonatal review and are represented on the ‘Best Start’ Implementation Programme Board.

The Programme Board will be examining neonatal workforce and education as part of their programme of work to take forward the package of recommendations. This modelling work will align with a national and regional workforce planning system across the NHS in Scotland which we have committed to introducing.

Health Boards must, of course, ensure that their neonatal units are appropriately and safely staffed. We have committed to enshrine safe staffing in law, placing the existing nursing and midwifery workload and workforce planning tools on a statutory footing.

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