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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

Filter your results Hide all filters

Displaying 2411 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S4O-00303

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 October 2011
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether tenant farmers relinquishing their tenancy have a right to compensation for investment made in their farms and, if so, whether the proposed agricultural holdings bill will alter this.

Question reference: S4W-03063

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 September 2011
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 25 October 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will change the process allowing schools to appeal students’ examination grades to the Scottish Qualifications Agency and, if so, (a) for what reason, (b) what the changes will be and (c) when they will be introduced.

The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) has responsibility for setting and assessing qualifications. The appeals system was originally designed as a safety net for use in exceptional circumstances (for example, where a candidate is absent through bereavement or illness). However, there has been a significant rise in the number of applications in recent years and SQA has undertaken research and engagement to establish reasons for this and explore alternative arrangements. The review identified that the current system is no longer being solely used for exceptional circumstances for which it was originally designed and that stakeholders wish to return to this approach.

Alternatives have been considered at both pre-appeal and post-appeal.

SQA is currently working through the operational requirements for these alternatives and will confirm its proposals for implementation in the autumn.

Question reference: S4W-02501

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 02 September 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 29 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether local authorities can access the Cycling, Walking and Safer Streets fund in order to fund 20 mph speed limits around schools.

Question reference: S4O-00258

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 September 2011
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 October 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how planned reductions in the NHS workforce will impact on newly qualified nurses and midwives.

Question reference: S4W-02793

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 September 2011
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 27 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are in place to prevent land managers from destroying species-rich grassland.

Land managers who are in receipt of subsidy must adhere to Cross Compliance rules. Under these rules, Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition (GAEC) measures 12, 13 and 14 are in place to protect ‘pasture of high environmental value’ and ‘semi natural areas’ such as species-rich grassland.

For all three of these measures, if a farmer is considering doing improvement works on these types of area such as ploughing, draining, reseeding, spraying etc. he/she should first seek consent.

Consent in this context means prior written consent from Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) in relation to Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and Special Areas of Conservation (SAC), or from Scottish Ministers for land under an agri-environment agreement or works that require approval under the Environmental Impact Assessment (Agriculture)(Scotland) Regulations 2006.

In addition, under the Cross Compliance System there is also a Statutory Management Requirement (SMR 5) that protects flora and fauna on land designated as an SAC and protects plants that are European Protected Species.

Question reference: S4W-02792

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 September 2011
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 22 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how much species-rich grassland was lost between 1983 and 2005 and has been lost since.

Question reference: S4W-02794

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 September 2011
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 22 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what incentives are available under the Scotland Rural Development Programme for land managers to enhance areas of species-rich grassland.

There are two options within the rural priorities element of the Scotland Rural Development Programme which provide support for the creation and/or management of species-rich grassland. Uptake figures for these options are provided below.

Option

Applications with Option

Committed

Funding

Management of Species Rich Grassland

1,688

£7,005,759

Creation and Management of Species Rich Grassland

422

£1,908,758

Further information about these options, including the type of support available and payment rates, is available on the Rural Priorities website:

www.scotland.gov.uk/topics/farmingrural/srdp/ruralpriorities.

Question reference: S4W-02647

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 12 September 2011
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 21 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason charities created after 1999 cannot receive a water rates exemption.

The Water Services Charges Exemption Scheme was set up as a temporary measure in 2002 to help small organisations that had received relief from water charges on 31 March 1999 make the transition to paying for them. The scheme was subsequently extended and is paid for by other water customers.

Scottish ministers have written to Scottish Water asking them to review the scheme in collaboration with key stakeholders such as the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations with the aim of devising a new scheme that could run from the next regulatory period in 2015.

Question reference: S4W-02585

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 12 September 2011
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 21 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the Food and Environment Research Agency’s recent report, Review of evidence concerning the contamination of wildlife and the environment arising from the use of lead ammunition, suggesting that there is a threat to terrestrial wildlife from the use of lead ammunition in sporting firearms.

The Food and Environment Research Agency’s recent report, Review of evidence concerning the contamination of wildlife and the environment arising from the use of lead ammunition, looks at the position in England where the ban on the use of lead shot in wildfowling is implemented in a different way. In Scotland the ban is based on a prohibition of shooting on or over wetlands with lead shot whereas controls in England are species related.

Question reference: S4W-02580

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 12 September 2011
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 21 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how it monitors compliance with The Environmental Protection (Restriction on Use of Lead Shot) (Scotland) (No. 2) Regulations 2004.