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

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: S4O-05554

Asked by: Dave Thompson, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 February 2016
Current Status: Awaiting answer

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the potential environmental impact if the Cromarty Firth Port Authority’s application for ship-to-ship oil transfer in the Cromarty Firth is granted.

Question reference: S4O-05493

Asked by: Dave Thompson, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 January 2016
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 27 January 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what it considers to be the value of education to children and young people.

The value of education to children and young people is infinite. We need Scottish education to deliver both excellence in terms of ensuring children and young people acquire a broad range of skills and capacities at the highest levels, whilst also delivering equity so that every child and young person has the best opportunity to succeed regardless of their social circumstances or additional needs.

The recent report Improving Schools in Scotland: An OECD Perspective, published on 15 December 2015, gave positive praise for the implementation of Curriculum for Excellence and for what is being delivered in our schools. We are ambitious about delivering a world class education system that meets the needs of our young people and Scotland’s future.

Question reference: S4O-05243

Asked by: Dave Thompson, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 January 2016
Current Status: Awaiting answer

To ask the Scottish Government how it supports and promotes participation in Highland sports, including shinty and Highland games' heavy events.

Question reference: S4W-28709

Asked by: Dave Thompson, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 November 2015
Current Status: Answered by Marco Biagi on 9 December 2015

To ask the Scottish Government whether provision can be made in the proposed Islands Bill to establish Skye, Lochalsh and Lochaber as a local authority in its own right.

As indicated when I met the member on 5 November 2015, the Scottish Government has no current plans to restructure local government in Scotland. Instead, we are working with local government to look at ways to improve performance and efficiency. We are also seeking to build on the ethos of the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act to ensure increased community empowerment and local decision making.

Question reference: S4W-28710

Asked by: Dave Thompson, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 November 2015
Current Status: Answered by Marco Biagi on 9 December 2015

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of (a) its distance from the headquarters of Highland Council, (b) the area having similar issues in relation to remoteness as Orkney, Shetland and Na h-Eileanan an lar, (c) its Gaelic culture and (d) its reliance on ferry services, what its position is on Skye, Lochalsh and Lochaber being established as a local authority in its own right.

Question reference: S4O-04735

Asked by: Dave Thompson, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 October 2015
Current Status: Awaiting answer

To ask the Scottish Government what additional powers over tax it considers should be devolved.

Question reference: S4O-04681

Asked by: Dave Thompson, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 September 2015
Current Status: Awaiting answer

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the closure of rural schools and nurseries.

Question reference: S4O-04529

Asked by: Dave Thompson, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 August 2015
Current Status: Awaiting answer

To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers that enough is being done to tackle prejudice towards people with faith.

Question reference: S4O-04428

Asked by: Dave Thompson, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 June 2015
Current Status: Awaiting answer

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing in the Highlands to ensure that NHS infrastructure is fit for the 21st century.

Question reference: S4W-24759

Asked by: Dave Thompson, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 March 2015
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Derek Mackay on 6 March 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made in respect of the speed limit review.

Transport Scotland has been progressing with the speed limit reductions identified in the speed limit review since it was published in late 2012. Progress has been good and nine of the orders are complete and in place. Consultation on others has been progressing and we welcome the opportunity this has given local communities to comment on the proposals.

Transport Scotland has recently updated the background information for the speed limit review, recognising the time that has passed and the benefits of making decisions on the basis of the most current road safety performance data. This update supports the continued delivery of the majority of the remaining speed reductions. Consultation on these will continue. Others will be taken away for further consideration and evidence gathering before proposals are finalised.

A small number (five from the original 44 proposed reductions) are not supported by the updated traffic and accident information. These include both of the proposed speed limit reductions on the A87, one on the A84 and a further two on the A95. Work on these will end and the speed limit on these will remain as it currently is.

Road safety is of paramount importance and the proposed speed limit reductions are part of our wider programme of measures to ensure that casualty numbers continue to fall across the country.

The ‘setting local speed limits’ guidance which framed the original publication of the speed limit review encourages updates to the findings where new information becomes available. The recent update to the background information reflects this and supports our continued ability to make evidence based decisions.

Consultation is central to the consideration of any speed limit order and we will continue to engage with communities in promoting the orders recommended by the speed limit review.

The five orders we are intent on not progressing are:

A87 Invergarry to Viewpoint

A87 Cluanie Inn to Kintail Lodge

A84 Buchany to Drumvaich

A95 Craigellachie

A95 Ballindalloch