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: S4W-12421

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 January 2013
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 31 January 2013

To ask the Scottish Government when applications can next be made for funding from the CashBack for Communities programme.

Since the inception of the highly successful CashBack for Communities Programme in 2007, over £50 million recovered from the proceeds of crime has been invested throughout Scotland, directly benefitting over 600,000 young people and generating over 11,000 young person volunteers who are now putting something back into their communities.

The Scottish Government allocates available funds to large national partner organisations, which are responsible for running projects across Scotland. Based on the Scottish Government’s commitment to continue to expand the successful CashBack for Communities Programme, all PoCA recoveries currently available to the Programme have been committed through to 2015-16.

As part of that commitment, there will be tranches of smaller individual grants available to applications for youth work and cultural activities delivered by YouthLink Scotland and Youth Scotland and Creative Scotland respectively in the next financial year 2013-14.

Question reference: S4W-12178

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 January 2013
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 29 January 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to issue updated guidance to local authorities and housing associations on housing revenue accounts as a result of the introduction of the recent welfare reforms.

The Scottish Government is working with Local Government and other stakeholders to support the Scottish housing community as it deals with the UK Government's welfare reforms. Scottish Government investment is supporting awareness raising, training and guidance for local authorities and housing associations on the welfare reforms. Our action plan is available at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Built-Environment/Housing/16342/hbreform/sg.

The housing revenue account is an internal account particular to the finances of local authorities. This account records income and expenditure in relation to a local authority’s own direct provision of housing. The introduction of the welfare reforms does not alter the rationale for local authorities to maintain these accounts. There are therefore no plans to incorporate welfare reform issues into the guidance.

Question reference: S4O-01744

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 January 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 January 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to prevent the spread of squirrel pox in Dumfriesshire and the south of Scotland.

Question reference: S4W-11971

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 December 2012
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 23 January 2013

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-08399 by Keith Brown on 27 July 2012, when construction of the A75 Hardgrove to Kinmount improvement scheme will start.

Question reference: S4W-12179

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 January 2013
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Burgess on 22 January 2013

To ask the Scottish Government by what mechanisms registered tenant organisations can communicate with it on policy development.

Individual registered tenant organisations (RTOs) can communicate with the Scottish Government on policy development by responding to public consultations and by corresponding with ministers and officials. They can communicate collectively with the government through the nine Regional Networks of RTOs. Representatives of the networks have bi-annual meetings with the Minister for Housing and Welfare; are members of the Housing Policy Advisory Group and of other Government working groups on housing, welfare and related matters; and are in regular contact with officials.

Question reference: S4W-12180

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 January 2013
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Burgess on 22 January 2013

To ask the Scottish Government who is responsible for updating the Regional Networks website.

Question reference: S4W-12177

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 January 2013
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 21 January 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has made a decision regarding the funding of the Choose Life suicide prevention programme.

The Scottish Government has set up a working group to consider future policy and action on prevention of suicide and self harm, in the context that the Choose Life strategy and action plan is approaching the end of its 10 year lifetime. The aim is to produce a new national strategy on suicide and self harm, to be published by the Scottish Government in late summer or autumn 2013.

Work is now well underway towards the development of a public engagement paper, which we will publish in late February 2013. The engagement paper will not be a draft strategy. It is being prepared in order to prompt discussion around key issues. This discussion will then inform development of a new strategy on prevention of suicide and self harm. Four public engagement events are being run in late February and early March 2013, once the engagement paper has been published, to allow stakeholders an opportunity to feed in views on future policy and action.

In 2013-14 we will, subject to discussion of detail with NHS Health Scotland, continue to provide national mental health improvement funding to NHS Health Scotland, including funding to support the Choose Life national programme. Funding for local suicide prevention action is in general allocations to local authorities under the Single Outcome Agreement. Decisions on how this is used locally are for local authorities in conjunction with their community planning partners.

Between 2000-02 and 2009-11, there has been an overall downward trend in suicide rates, with an overall decrease of 17%.

Question reference: S4O-01701

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 January 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 January 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how policing in Dumfries and Galloway will be accountable to local people once the single police force becomes operational.

Question reference: S4W-11787

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 10 December 2012
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 20 December 2012

To ask the Scottish Government how many applications were made to Disclosure Scotland regarding people employed as Father Christmas and his assistants prior to Christmas (a) 2009, (b) 2010 and (c) 2011.

Elaine Murray (Dumfriesshire) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government how many applications were made to Disclosure Scotland regarding people employed as Father Christmas and his assistants prior to Christmas (a) 2009, (b) 2010 and (c) 2011.

(S4W-11787)

Aileen Campbell: For the years in question, Disclosure Scotland has been able to identify the following number of applications from people being employed in the role of Father Christmas and his assistants. In 2009, 44 applications; in 2010, 18 applications; and in 2011, 27 applications.

Question reference: S4F-01084

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 17 December 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 December 2012

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's position is on Shelter Scotland's claim that one in four people believe they are "one pay cheque away" from losing their home.