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-14221

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 January 2018
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 9 February 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has sought or will seek EU advice on the establishment and operation of the Scottish Investment Bank in relation to state aid rules.

Question reference: S5W-14217

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 January 2018
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 9 February 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Scottish Investment Bank will provide export financing for SMEs.

Export financing is a matter currently reserved to the UK Government. However Scottish Development International work closely with UK Export Finance (UKEF) and the Enterprise Agencies and their partners to ensure that Scottish companies benefit fully from the financial products available.

The Scottish Government believes that more needs to be done to ensure that Scottish businesses get their fair share of opportunities. For example, the newly established Scottish Trade Board has specifically identified actions to be taken forward around export finance.

Question reference: S5W-14078

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 January 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 8 February 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what the longest time is that the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner has taken, in days, to have dealt with a complaint.

Question reference: S5W-14077

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 January 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 8 February 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what the average number of days is that the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner takes to deal with complaints.

Question reference: S5W-14079

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 January 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 8 February 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how it monitors the quality and standard of the work of the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner.

The Scottish Government holds regular sponsorship meetings with the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner as set out in the Governance and Accountability Framework. The quality and standard of reports is a matter for the PIRC. In relation to criminal matters, PIRC undertakes investigations under the direction and supervision of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.

An Annual Report is laid before the Scottish Parliament under section 43(5) of the Police Public Order and Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2006. The latest was laid in December 2017 (SG / 2017 / 216). It is also available on PIRC’s website https://pirc.scot/media/4441/pirc-commissioners-report-final.pdf.

Question reference: S5W-14080

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 January 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 8 February 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how the performance of the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner compares to similar bodies in the rest of the UK.

Question reference: S5W-13983

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 22 January 2018
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 7 February 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has regarding how many apprentices were employed by Carillion in Scotland, broken down by (a) trade and (b) construction project, and how many have secured alternative employment.

The Scottish Government is working with the Construction Industry Training Board, Skills Development Scotland (SDS) and other partners to support the 128 apprentices identified as being employed by Carillion. All of these apprentices were following the General Construction Operative framework and were deployed in groundwork activities on construction sites within the Glasgow area. To date, 28 have secured employment, another 26 are about to complete their apprenticeship and the remaining 74 are being supported to complete their MA. All 74 apprentices are being case managed by Career Information Advice and Guidance staff in SDS. The wider impact of Carillion’s liquidation is both complex and continues to evolve. We are undertaking further investigations, as well as monitoring the situation and are ready to respond to the needs of the apprentices affected.

Question reference: S5W-14060

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 January 2018
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 6 February 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-12966 by Keith Brown on 21 December 2017, what these internal processes were and on what dates they were carried out.

The Statutory processes are set out in Section 22 of the Public Finance and Accountability (Scotland) Act 2000 which requires Scottish Ministers to lay a copy of the accounts and the auditor's report before the Parliament and to publish the accounts and auditor's report by no later than 31 December - in this instance 31 December 2017.

For financial year 2016-17 the letters and reports from the Auditor General for Scotland for SE and HIE were received on 11 July and 19 September respectively and their Annual Reports and Accounts were laid and published within the statutory timeline.

Question reference: S5W-14025

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 January 2018
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 6 February 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the level at which public sector project bank accounts are put in place should be set at £2 million, in line with the practice in Wales and Northern Ireland.

Question reference: S5W-14024

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 January 2018
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 6 February 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on introducing legislation to ensure that all retention sums for public sector construction works are put into a protected fund.