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: S3W-08526

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 January 2008
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 22 January 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there were any outstanding bills to be paid by it to the Marcliffe of Pitfodels Hotel in Aberdeen as at 31 December 2007.

Question reference: S3W-08524

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 January 2008
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 22 January 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive how many times and on what dates since May 2007 the First Minister has stayed overnight at the Marcliffe of Pitfodels Hotel in Aberdeen in his official capacity.

Question reference: S3W-08362

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 11 January 2008
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 22 January 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-7680 by Nicola Sturgeon on 9 January 2008, whether the specific legislation published at public expense in Annex B to the White Paper “Choosing Scotland’s Future” is within the legislative competence of the Parliament.

Question reference: S3W-07662

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 10 December 2007
Current Status: Answered by Elish Angiolini on 16 January 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive how many prosecutions have been brought under section (a) 311, (b) 313, (c) 315, (d) 316, (e) 317 and (f) 318 of the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 in each year since the Act came into force and how many of the prosecutions have resulted in conviction.

Since the implementation of theMental Health (Care and Treatment)(Scotland) Act 2003, four charges have been prosecuted undersection 311 of the act. As at 17 December 2007, only one of these charges had reacheda conclusion and the accused was convicted of an alternative charge of breach of the peace. Charges can also be reported to the Procurator Fiscal under the MentalHealth (Scotland) Act 1984 if alleged offences took place before the 2003act came into force.

Question reference: S3W-07754

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 December 2007
Current Status: Answered by Bruce Crawford on 15 January 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-6782 by Bruce Crawford on 3 December 2007, what the likely date of publication is for the revised version of the Scottish Ministerial Code.

Question reference: S3W-07905

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 14 December 2007
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Maxwell on 15 January 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive what further action it will take to combat fuel poverty.

Question reference: S3W-07904

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 14 December 2007
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Maxwell on 15 January 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive when the full Scottish Fuel Poverty Forum last met.

Question reference: S3W-07903

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 14 December 2007
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Maxwell on 15 January 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will reconvene the Scottish Fuel Poverty Forum.

Question reference: S3W-08054

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 December 2007
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 14 January 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to ensure that frontline staff in local authorities and other bodies that operate the concessionary travel scheme are properly trained to ensure that those who are entitled to the scheme under any of the qualifying criteria receive the card.

Staff within localauthorities who have responsibility for concessionary travel have been issuedwith a copy of The National Bus Travel Concession Scheme for Older and DisabledPersons (Eligible Persons and Eligible Services) (Scotland) Order 2006 which explainsthe operation of Scotland-Wide Free Bus Travel for Older and Disabled People.

They have also been issuedwith guidance notes prepared by Transport Scotland which gives further information relating toeligibility criteria and documentary evidence which must be supplied to supportan application on grounds of disability. The guidance notes also giveinformation on how to validate the application to ensure the applicant receivesthe correctly branded National Entitlement Card.

Transport Scotland staffhave provided training to local authority staff on aspects of concessionarytravel and have offered to provide further training if requested. Transport Scotlandrelies on local authority staff to ensure information is cascaded to all theappropriate staff within their public offices and third party agents which maybe used.

Question reference: S3W-08053

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 December 2007
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 14 January 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review the information provided to local authorities and other bodies that provide concessionary travel cards to ensure that people with learning disabilities who are entitled to the cards receive them and that they are fully aware of the 15 qualifying criteria under which someone may be eligible.

Guidance notes which areissued to local authorities are reviewed on a regular basis to provide as muchinformation as possible to staff who deal with the validation of applicationforms for Scotland-Wide Free Bus Travel for Older and Disabled People.

The guidance notes providedetailed information relating to all eligibility criteria and provide advice tolocal authority staff to ensure application forms are validated correctly. Theguidance notes explain in detail the qualifying criteria for anyone with a learningdisability and the NCT002 mental health certificate which is required to becompleted, clearly states the qualifying criteria and who is authorised tovalidate the application.

Local authorities areexpected to ensure that their staff and agents are fully aware of alleligibility criteria and the supporting documentary evidence required.