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: S4O-02325

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 August 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 September 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how much its pledge to maintain the so-called triple lock for pensions will cost.

Question reference: S4O-02311

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 June 2013
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 26 June 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it has issued to further education colleges on the need to provide education and training opportunities for disabled people.

In my strategic guidance, I have asked the SFC to work in partnership with Enable, the Scottish Consortium for Learning Disabilities and other partners in securing improvements in retention, attainment and progression for college students with learning disabilities.

This has led to the SFC building partnerships to improve outcomes for disabled learners through a range of measures, including the creation of support posts in colleges and a new good practice guide.

Specific guidance to colleges is then provided by the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) who are responsible for negotiating college outcome agreements, which include targets for students with additional support needs.

Question reference: S4W-15786

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 June 2013
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 21 June 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it or the Scottish Court Service has carried out regarding the impact on accessibility of the proposed closure of sheriff courts.

Question reference: S4W-15787

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 June 2013
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 21 June 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what the staffing implications are for Edinburgh Sheriff Court of the closure of Haddington and Peebles sheriff courts.

Question reference: S4W-15789

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 June 2013
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 21 June 2013

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the proposed closure of sheriff courts, what representations it or the Scottish Court Service has received regarding accessibility for disabled people (a) travelling to sheriff courts and (b) in the buildings housing sheriff courts.

Question reference: S4W-15788

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 June 2013
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 21 June 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what investment will be required to increase the capacity at Edinburgh Sheriff Court as a result of the proposed closure of Haddington and Peebles sheriff courts.

Question reference: S4W-15264

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 May 2013
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 13 June 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that strategic environmental assessments of single outcome agreements are carried out; what benefits such assessments bring, and what the implications might be if they are not undertaken.

The Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005 requires a Responsible Authority to secure the carrying out of an environmental assessment in relation to a qualifying public plan or programme during the preparation of that plan or programme. The main benefit of environmental assessments is to ensure that the likely impact on the environment of public plans and programmes is considered before they are finalised. The iterative assessment procedures can enhance the public consultation processes by ensuring that those consulted are better informed of the likely environmental effects of a public plan or programme.

A single outcome agreement (SOA) would only require an environmental assessment if it is regarded as being a public plan or programme as defined in the 2005 Act. The Scottish Government believes that in principle SOAs are unlikely to fall within the 2005 Act definition of a public plan or programme and so are unlikely to be subjected to Strategic Environmental Assessment. However, whether a particular SOA falls within the scope of the 2005 Act will depend on its content. It is therefore for each community planning partnership to interpret and apply the 2005 Act in relation to its own SOA and decide whether an assessment should be carried out.

Question reference: S4O-02285

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 June 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 June 2013

To ask the Scottish Government which policies in the Draft Scottish Planning Policy will inform local authority development plans in relation to housing needs for older people.

Question reference: S4W-15232

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 May 2013
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 4 June 2013

To ask the Scottish Government when the second round of data from the 2011 Scottish Census results, in relation to religion, will be released.

Question reference: S4O-02187

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 May 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 May 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with NHS Lothian.