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-01016

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 June 2011
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 1 July 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance NHS boards are given regarding do-not-resuscitate orders; what information must be provided to patients' relatives, and whether they may appeal against such an order.

In May 2010 NHS boards were made aware of the NHSScotland Do Not Attempt Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (DNACPR) policy and the publication of other related materials including the information leaflet, Decisions about Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, Information for Patients, Their Relatives and Carers, which details the way in which relatives can be involved in the DNACPR decision making process.

Full details of the NDACPR policy and the other related materials are available at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Health/NHS-Scotland/LivingandDyingWell/ShortLifeGroups/-DNACPR.

Question reference: S4W-00750

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 13 June 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 21 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether speed bumps are required in 20 mph zones in residential areas.

Question reference: S4W-00749

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 13 June 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 21 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance is provided regarding the operation of 20 mph zones in residential areas.

Between 1992 and 2006, the Scottish Government published several circulars which provided guidance to local authorities about 20 mph zones. In addition, traffic advisory leaflets published by the Department for Transport for use by all UK local authorities provide advice and practical examples of how a 20 mph zone might be operated. However, it is entirely a matter for each local authority to determine how it should operate a 20 mph zone in its own area within the regulations.

Question reference: S4F-00073

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 June 2011
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 June 2011

To ask the First Minister what steps the Scottish Government will take to provide confidence to investors in light of the report by the Ernst and Young Scottish ITEM Club that the prospect of continuing constitutional change could put Scotland at an economic disadvantage.

Question reference: S4W-00307

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 May 2011
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 13 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether its policy on no compulsory redundancies will apply to the Scottish Intellectual Assets Centre.

Question reference: S4W-00310

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 May 2011
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 9 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to changes the rights of succession to allow grandchildren to succeed grandparents into farming tenancies.

The Scottish Government published a consultation paper on 22 March 2011 with a draft Bill which would amend the definition of “near relatives” in the Agricultural Holdings (Scotland) Act 1991 to include grandchildren.

Where a tenant farmer dies and his tenancy passes by succession, a landlord is entitled to serve a notice to quit on the successor tenant. A landlord can serve an incontestable notice to quit on any successor as tenant if they are not a "near relative" of the deceased tenant. Where the successor tenant is a "near relative" of the deceased tenant, that person is entitled to give the landlord a counter notice requiring that the Land Court consents to operation of the notice to quit. In other words, "near relatives" enjoy a degree of protection that other successors do not.

The Scottish Government considers that the class of persons entitled to this degree of statutory protection should be widened to include a grandchild. It is therefore proposed to achieve this through extending the definition of "near relative" to include "grandchild" within the list of relatives of a deceased tenant who are entitled to give a landlord counter notice requiring the Land Court to consent to the operation of a notice to quit.

The consultation is due to close on 30 June 2011.

Question reference: S4W-00309

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 May 2011
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 9 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how it encourages new entrants into the tenanted farming sector.

During the last parliamentary session, the Scottish Government asked the Tenant Farming Forum to consider what measures were needed in order to reduce the barriers to new entrants wishing to gain entry in to tenant farming. The forum responded with a number of recommendations on 14 October 2009. The Scottish Government responded positively to the forum’s recommendations and has implemented six of the eight changes to agricultural tenancy legislation through the Public Service Reform (Agricultural Holdings) (Scotland) Order, which came into affect on 22 March 2011. The Scottish Government is currently consulting on a draft Bill that would implement the other two recommendations.

As well as the above, the Scottish Government have introduced a range of support mechanisms for young new entrant entrants to farming, including significant grant support of up to 60% towards capital improvements and modernisation projects. The Scottish Government was also the first Scottish administration to launch a dedicated new entrants support measure, currently worth up to £27,397 in interest rate relief along with an one-off establishment grant of up to £20,548.

Question reference: S4W-00308

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 May 2011
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 9 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether its policy on no compulsory redundancies will apply to teaching staff in (a) further and (b) higher education establishments.

The Scottish Government extended until 31 March 2012 the no compulsory redundancies policy for staff working in the Scottish Government and in non-ministerial departments, executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies. Ministers have also made clear that they do not wish to see staff of any public sector institution being made compulsorily redundant. Colleges and higher education institutions are independent employers of staff and ultimately take their own decisions on employment matters against the background of their legal responsibilities as employers. Ministers have, however, made clear their wish that compulsory redundancies be avoided in colleges and universities.

Question reference: S4W-00284

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 May 2011
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 9 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what treatment is available through the NHS for plagiocephaly in young babies.

The current treatment of babies with plagiocephaly includes supervised “tummy time”, avoiding bouncy chairs, and repositioning the baby’s head away from the flattened side when sleeping.

A leaflet was developed in 2007, Protect your baby’s natural headshape: tummy time to play, back to sleep, a copy of which is given to all new parents. The leaflet advises new parents that it is good for a baby’s development to experience different positions when awake whilst reinforcing the “back to sleep” message.

Question reference: S4W-00313

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 May 2011
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 9 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider consolidating agricultural holdings legislation.