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-02004

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 August 2011
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 30 August 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to make changes to the qualifying criteria for free school meals.

Question reference: S4W-02006

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 August 2011
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 30 August 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities provide financial support to kinship carers of children who are not looked after but have needs comparable to those of children who are.

Question reference: S4W-02005

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 August 2011
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 30 August 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the recommendation in the report, Relative Value: The experiences of kinship carers using the Scottish CAB service, that “local authorities and the Scottish Government need to recognise that the needs, including the need for financial support, of kinship carers of non looked after children are often the same as the needs of kinship carers of looked after children”.

The Scottish Government recognises that many kinship carers care for children who are not looked after but who also need additional financial and non-financial help. That is why we believe kinship carers should be supported financially by the tax and benefit system first and foremost. We are committed to securing further changes from UK Government to make this happen and have been in regular dialogue with relevant departments.

In addition, when the national Kinship Advice, Outreach and Support Service was launched in March in partnership with Children 1st, “informal kinship carers” were specifically included within its remit. The service can be contacted through Parentline on 0800 028 2233.

Question reference: S4W-02001

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 August 2011
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 30 August 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to regulate the provision of (a) foster and (b) kinship care allowances.

Question reference: S4W-01969

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 01 August 2011
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 24 August 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive which office in which of its directorates is responsible for policy in relation to people with a hearing loss and which official has lead responsibility for rehabilitation services.

Question reference: S4W-01975

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 01 August 2011
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 22 August 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what resources it has provided to ensure that lipreading classes are held in each area since 2006.

Lipreading classes in Scotland are funded in a variety of ways: sources include health boards, local authorities and the lottery. The Scottish Government provided very significant resources to health boards and local authorities in these years to meet the needs of their population. In addition the Scottish Government provided grant totalling £50,255 to the Scottish Course to Train Tutors of Lipreading over the three calendar years 2006, 2007 and 2008.

Question reference: S4W-01974

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 01 August 2011
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 22 August 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what resources it has provided to enable lipreading teachers to be trained in 2011.

Question reference: S4W-01973

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 01 August 2011
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 22 August 2011

Question reference: S4W-01971

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 01 August 2011
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 22 August 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive which office in which of its directorates is responsible for policy in relation to lipreading and which official has lead responsibility.

Question reference: S4W-01799

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 July 2011
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 17 August 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what recent guidance it has issued to local authorities regarding the provision of transport for school pupils.

Scottish Executive Education Department Circular (No.7 of 2003), a copy of which is available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 29135), offered extensive guidance on all aspects of school transport, as did the more recent School Transport: Survey of Good Practice booklet issued in March 2007 which is also available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 45729).