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-24562

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 23 February 2015
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 5 March 2015

To ask the Scottish Government on what dates since 25 November 2014 the Cabinet Secretary for Justice has had meetings with the (a) Scottish Prison Service and (b) Prison Officers Association.

Question reference: S4W-24561

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 23 February 2015
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 5 March 2015

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has "no strike" agreements with groups of public sector employees other than prison officers and, if so, which groups.

Question reference: S4W-24544

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 February 2015
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 5 March 2015

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Cabinet Secretary for Justice will meet residents in Dumbarton and Vale of Leven to discuss Police Scotland’s proposal to merge K and L divisions in advance of a decision being made.

The decision on these proposals is ultimately for Police Scotland, with the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) providing oversight. I understand Police Scotland is continuing local consultation to listen to the views of local communities. To date, the consultation process has included engagement with elected representatives in the areas concerned, who have received written communication from Divisional Commanders and one-to-one meetings. In addition, Police Scotland met with local scrutiny committees, local authority chief executives, community planning partnerships, local stakeholders and representatives of community councils. Graham Houston and Douglas Yates, the SPA board members with responsibility for the relevant local authority areas, have also engaged with key local stakeholders on this issue.

Question reference: S4W-24543

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 February 2015
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 5 March 2015

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will ensure that all consultation responses relating to Police Scotland's proposal to merge K and L divisions are considered in advance of a decision being made.

The decision in this matter is ultimately for Police Scotland acting under the oversight of the Scottish Police Authority. As you are aware Police Scotland have undertaken a comprehensive consultation process to gather views on these proposals to strengthen local policing. Through this process all councillors, MSPs and MPs received written communication from Divisional Commanders and other engagement, including one-to-one meetings, area-based focus groups and presentation to local scrutiny committees, has been undertaken. Police Scotland are continuing their local consultation process in the North East and Argyll and Bute, West Dunbartonshire, Inverclyde and Renfrewshire areas. They want to ensure that the views from local communities are fully considered so that any future decisions are based on the strongest possible consensus

Question reference: S4W-24493

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 February 2015
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 4 March 2015

To ask the Scottish Government whether the recently agreed bonus payments for prison officers comply with its public sector pay policy and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

The pay settlement for frontline prison officers was negotiated and reached between the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) and the Prison Officers Association (Scotland). This settlement recognises the evolutionary role of frontline prison officers in Scotland and is a step on a long term investment strategy for the future of the prison service in Scotland. Any financial costs incurred will therefore be met by the SPS’ own existing budgets. No additional provision will be made by the Scottish Government to meet these costs, nor will they impact on future pay bills for this group of staff. Ministers agreed, exceptionally, that SPS could negotiate a pay settlement outside normal Scottish Government pay policy with the aim of securing ongoing engagement from frontline prison officers in the development of the role of a prison officer in the period ahead.

Question reference: S4W-24491

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 February 2015
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 3 March 2015

To ask the Scottish Government whether the recently agreed bonus payments for prison officers will be included as baseline salary for future negotiations.

Question reference: S4W-24490

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 February 2015
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 3 March 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what the cost (a) is in 2015-16 and (b) will be in future years of the recently agreed bonus payments for prison officers.

Question reference: S4W-24492

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 February 2015
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 3 March 2015

To ask the Scottish Government whether payments similar to the recently agreed bonuses for prison officers are being made to other prison service staff.

Question reference: S4W-24494

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 February 2015
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 2 March 2015

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is typical of ministers to be directly involved in pay negotiations and when this has been the case in the last three years.

Question reference: S4W-24418

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 February 2015
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 23 February 2015

To ask the Scottish Government whether it remains its position that it would lower the rate of corporation tax by 3p less than the rest of the UK.

The Scottish Government is committed to using every lever possible to create long-term comparative advantage and genuine economic value.

With full responsibility for corporation tax, the Scottish Government would be able to target tax incentives carefully to encourage the rebalancing and reindustrialisation of the Scottish economy – for example, through more effective capital allowances or to encourage innovation and investment in research and development.