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: S5W-26335

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 11 November 2019
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 25 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the review of mineral permissions, which includes peat extraction, currently taking place every 15 years, what its position is on whether this should be shortened, given changing attitudes to the importance of peat to the environment and habitats.

Question reference: S5O-03807

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 November 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, with reference to its policy that does not permit parliamentary-funded publications to be issued within three months of a UK parliamentary general election or referendum, and, in light of the frequency of such events since 2015, whether it plans to revise its rules in this regard.

Question reference: S5W-22449

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 01 April 2019
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 26 April 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, in the event of a no deal Brexit, what measures are in place to secure the welfare of animals sent through England for export to the rest of Europe.

Existing EU regulations will be retained in UK law in the event of an exit from the EU. Technical amendments to both this retained EU law and Scottish animal transport legislation have been made to ensure the continued operation of relevant animal welfare rules post-exit, including in the event of a no deal exit.

Authorisation for the export of live animals are determined on behalf of the Scottish Ministers by the Animal and Plant Health Agency. That Agency will only authorise transport plans which contain clear contingency measures to assure the welfare of animals on export journeys that could be delayed as a result of travel disruption.

Question reference: S5W-22448

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 01 April 2019
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 24 April 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-14474 by Fergus Ewing on 13 March 2018, how many animals were consigned from Scotland to continental Europe on journeys via England for (a) breeding, (b) fattening/production and (c) slaughter in each year since 2017, broken down by species.

Information supplied by the Animal and Plant Health Agency lists 2,421 animals as having been consigned from Scottish holdings to continental Europe on journeys via England in 2018.

2018 Live Exports	Cattle	Sheep	Pigs	Goats
Breeding	2,231	170	0	0
Fattening/Production	0	20	0	0
Slaughter	0	0	0	0

The number of animals exported for breeding includes 1,275 male dairy calves who were transported to northern Spain as certified for breeding. It is believed that these calves will actually enter the fattening and production process.

Question reference: S5F-03189

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 18 March 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 March 2019

To ask the First Minister, in light of the reported travel chaos on the Borders Railway last weekend as a result of a number of train cancellations, whether the Scottish Government considers that the ScotRail franchise continues to be sustainable.

Question reference: S5O-03049

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 March 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body how it will mark the contribution to the Parliament of staff past and present who were here in 1999.

Question reference: S5F-03103

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 25 February 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 February 2019

To ask the First Minister whether the Scottish Government is confident that it will end traditional black bag waste and a range of recyclable materials being buried in the ground by its target of 2021.

Question reference: S5F-03043

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 04 February 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 February 2019

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's position is on whether learning to play a musical instrument should be a core subject in schools.

Question reference: S5W-20291

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 November 2018
Current Status: Answered by Andy Wightman on 4 December 2018

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, further to the answer to question S5W-17225 by Andy Wightman on 25 June 2018, whether it will provide an update on how many cross party groups there are.

Question reference: S5F-02837

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 26 November 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 November 2018

To ask the First Minister whether the Scottish Government will ban the use of dog shock collars.