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-11772

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 07 December 2012
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Burgess on 18 December 2012

To ask the Scottish Government whether the tenant information pack required under the Private Rented Housing (Scotland) Act 2011 will include certification of the last electrical inspection of the property and details of any residual-current device installed.

There is no legal requirement for a landlord to provide such information. However, a private landlord will have the ability to include an electrical safety certificate or details of any residual-current device within the tenant information pack.

The tenant information pack will inform tenants that their landlord must ensure that any electrical installations and appliances provided within a privately rented property are in reasonable repair and proper working order. This is a requirement linked to meeting the repairing standard set out in the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006.

The pack will highlight the Electrical Safety Council suggestion that the best way for landlords to meet their statutory obligations is to undertake portable appliance testing at suitable intervals. The pack will also signpost tenants and landlords to further information on this within the Health and Safety Executive website.

Subject to Parliament agreeing the necessary secondary legislation early next year, we aim to introduce the legal requirement to issue a tenant information pack from 1 May 2013.

Question reference: S4W-11601

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 November 2012
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 13 December 2012

To ask the Scottish Government, further to John Swinney's statement on 28 November 2012 (Official Report, c. 14011), what assessment the cabinet secretary has made of the impact of early retirement, particularly among those on higher salaries, on the sustainability of public sector pension funds.

Question reference: S4W-11633

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 03 December 2012
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 12 December 2012

To ask the Scottish Government how it will address the change from disability living allowance to personal independence payments for holders of concessionary bus passes.

We are working with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to ensure that appropriate passporting links between Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and eligibility for concessionary travel, under the national concessionary travel scheme for older and disabled people, can be established. We are awaiting further statistical information and final PIP assessment criteria from DWP before decisions can be made about new arrangements. We expect to receive this information later in December.

Question reference: S4O-01599

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 December 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 December 2012

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will meet the remaining annual emissions targets set out in the Climate Change (Annual Targets) (Scotland) Order 2010.

Question reference: S4W-11244

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 November 2012
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 27 November 2012

To ask the Scottish Government how marine (a) planning and (b) licensing decisions will manage competing demands for the use of the sea while protecting the marine environment until the National Marine Plan and its strategic environment assessment process are in place.

Question reference: S4W-11183

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 November 2012
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 27 November 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what status draft marine sectoral plans will have in guiding development.

Draft sectoral marine plans and the related reports and documents issued to build the plans are non statutory. The published sectoral marine plans will be a statement of ministers policy, including ministers spatial policies for the sector being covered. Sectoral planning actively incorporates consideration of environmental impacts at all levels and includes strategic environmental appraisal (SEA) and habitats regulations assessment (HRA) to guide development. The SEA and HRA are both required under legislation and statutory consultation is required under SEA legislation to guide development of sectoral plans. These plans and assessments would be relevant considerations in guiding development.

The spatial output of marine renewable sectoral plans will be integrated into the National Marine Plan. This will give the outputs of the sectoral plans full statutory weight.

Question reference: S4W-11182

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 November 2012
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 27 November 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what planning and policy framework will be in place until the first National Marine Plan is introduced in 2014.

Until the National Marine Plan is adopted, decisions regarding marine activities and developments will continue to be made under existing frameworks which include: Scotland’s marine licensing regime and terrestrial planning policy, in addition to sectoral plans and policy such as aquaculture planning and fisheries management policy. These existing frameworks take account of social and environmental impacts, promoting a sustainable approach to planning and licensing decisions for Scotland’s seas.

Question reference: S4O-01427

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 October 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 November 2012

To ask the Scottish Government on what date it will publish its National Marine Plan.

Question reference: S4W-10036

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 October 2012
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 29 October 2012

To ask the Scottish Government who will be responsible for any shortfalls in funding for projects funded by tax incremental financing if anticipated additional business rates revenue is not realised.

The Executive Note for the Non-Domestic Rating Contributions (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2010 (SSI 2010/391) outlines that:

The local authority undertakes the borrowing and is therefore liable for the repayments. The local authority takes any risk associated with the additional non-domestic rate revenue generated by the project not materialising in the way that is expected and the local authority keeps nothing if receipts are below the amount required to generate an amount for it to retain.

Question reference: S4W-10088

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 October 2012
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 29 October 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what funding allocations it has made to local authorities to improve the cycle route (a) along the A90 between Edinburgh and Fife and (b) from the Barnton roundabout to the Forth Road Bridge.

The Scottish Government has allocated a total of £600,000 for the City of Edinburgh Council to work in partnership with Sustrans to upgrade the A90 cycle route between Edinburgh and Fife. The council will match that amount for works to the sections of the route between Edinburgh and Fife, including from the Barnton roundabout to the Forth Road Bridge.

All councils are welcome to submit match funded bids to Sustrans for cycle paths and community links in their areas.