Questions and answers

Question reference: S5O-01030

Asked by: Mairi Gougeon, MSP for Angus North and Mearns, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 May 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 May 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve access to transport for people in rural areas.

Question reference: S5O-01002

Asked by: Mairi Gougeon, MSP for Angus North and Mearns, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 May 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 May 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has sought assurances from the UK Government that Scotland's fishing industry will not be used as a "bargaining chip" in the Brexit negotiations.

Question reference: S5O-00805

Asked by: Mairi Gougeon, MSP for Angus North and Mearns, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 March 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has received assurances from the UK Government that it will not impose the changes to housing benefit for 18- to 21-year-olds in Scotland while discussions regarding a possible exemption are ongoing.

Question reference: S5O-00767

Asked by: Mairi Gougeon, MSP for Angus North and Mearns, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 March 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 15 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what is being done to tackle mental health stigma and discrimination in the workplace.

Question reference: S5W-07304

Asked by: Mairi Gougeon, MSP for Angus North and Mearns, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 17 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 3 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact of the Schmallenberg virus on sheep stocks, in light of reports that more than 50 flocks in England and Wales have been infected.

On the basis of current evidence, including an assessment by the European Food Safety Authority, the long-term impact on the UK susceptible livestock from Schmallenberg virus is likely to be low. However, it can have a significant effect on a small number of flocks and herds. The impact on individual flocks and herds depends on the number of ewes or cattle without immunity that are at the vulnerable stage of pregnancy when infection begins, so it is possible that in a small number of cases the consequences could be much more severe than the average. Tests are available commercially to enable farmers to find the status of their herds and flocks.

The Scottish Government continues to fund Scotland’s Rural College to help diagnose new cases of the disease and that information will be shared with the relevant livestock sectors to help farmers make better informed choices during the breeding season.

Question reference: S5W-06969

Asked by: Mairi Gougeon, MSP for Angus North and Mearns, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 2 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how it works with (a) Europol and (b) Interpol to reduce the likelihood of terrorist attacks.

Question reference: S5W-07242

Asked by: Mairi Gougeon, MSP for Angus North and Mearns, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 1 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the economic impact on ports and harbours from the downturn in the oil and gas industry.

Our ports are forward looking and adaptable and seek to diversify in times of downturn in certain cargos/business areas.

Projects such as the Aberdeen Harbour expansion, expected to start on site in April /May, will allow the port to access new markets and provide enhanced services to existing customers as well as providing a significant boost to the local economy.

The North Sea will have a bright future if the focus of industry and Government is on maximising economic recovery, efficiency of extraction and encouraging new investment. As the fields reach the end of their economic lives, decommissioning is an economic opportunity in its own right.

That is why we launched the £5 million Decommissioning Challenge Fund, focused on innovation in salvage and investment in ports and harbours to facilitate disposal activity.

Question reference: S5W-06970

Asked by: Mairi Gougeon, MSP for Angus North and Mearns, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 28 February 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how it works with (a) Europol and (b) Interpol to tackle drug-related crime.

Question reference: S5W-06924

Asked by: Mairi Gougeon, MSP for Angus North and Mearns, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 27 February 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making with its plan to extend broadband to 95% of premises by the end of 2017.

The Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband (DSSB) programme has brought fibre broadband access to over 700,000 homes and businesses so far and remains on track to deliver access to at least 95% of premises across Scotland by the end of 2017. This has been a huge undertaking with over 7,300km of access cabling and 400km of subsea cabling laid to date, and over 3,400 cabinets now enabled for connections.

Without this investment from the Scottish Government and our partners, only 66% of premises across Scotland would have been reached, with just 21% coverage across the Highlands and no coverage at all in Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles.

Question reference: S5W-06925

Asked by: Mairi Gougeon, MSP for Angus North and Mearns, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 27 February 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many homes in (a) Angus North and Mearns and (b) Scotland are connected to fibre broadband, and what information it has regarding how many are connected as a result of the Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband programme.

The Scottish Government does not hold information on the number of premises connected through commercial deployment of superfast broadband. Ofcom’s Connected Nations Report 2016 indicates that speeds of 30 Mbps or above are now available to 83% of premises in Scotland, up from 73% in 2015.

The Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband programme has brought fibre broadband access to over 700,000 homes and businesses so far and will extend to at least 95% of premises across Scotland by the end of 2017. Without this, only 66% of premises would have been reached, with just 21% coverage across the Highlands and no coverage at all in Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles. Over 7,000 premises in Angus North and Mearns now have access to fibre broadband as a result of the DSSB programme, over 80% of which are capable of accessing superfast speeds.

We are committed to extending superfast broadband access to every premise in Scotland by 2021. At the end of last year we launched an Open Market Review to determine commercial investment plans over the next three years. This is a key state aid requirement ahead of any large-scale public investment programme in broadband and will help Scottish Government determine a new intervention area, ahead of new procurement activity to begin later this year.

Tell us your views

Seòmar agus comataidhean