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-07123

Asked by: James Kelly, MSP for Rutherglen, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 11 May 2012
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 25 May 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will pay the First Minister's legal fees in connection with the Leveson Inquiry and, if not, how they will be paid.

Question reference: S4W-06988

Asked by: James Kelly, MSP for Rutherglen, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 May 2012
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 16 May 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the Minister for Energy, Enterprise and Tourism's evidence to the House of Commons Energy and Climate Change Committee on 17 April 2012 where he stated that the "economic benefits [of North Sea oil and gas] total around £1.5 trillion, although all these figures are dependent upon a large number of calculations that are dependent upon the oil price", what methodology (a) it uses to determine the future cumulative revenue to be accrued from North Sea oil and gas and (b) assumptions it makes regarding the future price of oil.

The Scottish Government estimates that remaining oil and gas reserves could have a wholesale value of up to £1.5 trillion in 2012 prices. The calculation is based on the following assumptions.

(a) Up to 24 billion recoverable barrels of oil and gas equivalent remain in the North Sea, as estimated by Oil and Gas UK.

(b) Oil prices will average $100 a barrel in real terms from 2012 onwards. By comparison, the Office for Budget Responsibility’s Fiscal Sustainability Report assumes a long term oil price of $107 a barrel in real terms.

(c) A Sterling/Dollar exchange rate of £1/$1.60 is used to derive the Sterling value of remaining reserves. This is the average exchange rate during 2011.

Question reference: S4W-07042

Asked by: James Kelly, MSP for Rutherglen, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 May 2012
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 11 May 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to deal with shoplifting gangs that target charity shops.

The Scottish Government is committed to tackling crime in all its forms, including organised shoplifting gangs.

In order to support business the Scottish Government provides an annual funding contribution to the Scottish Business Crime Centre (SBCC) - which is a partnership between business, police and government to raise awareness of crime and help business to combat it.

The SBCC’s work includes effective anti-shoplifting initiatives such as the Retail Radio Link system which is an interactive element within a local crime reduction partnership and allows retailers, pubs and clubs, town centre management, shopping centres and CCTV management suites to share information with each other instantaneously and with the local police. The SBCC have also produced a Targeting Retail Crime in Scotland publication, which is a training booklet for retailers to assist in reducing their crime risk and to act as a general retail crime prevention tool.

Question reference: S4O-00955

Asked by: James Kelly, MSP for Rutherglen, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 April 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 May 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what its plans are in relation to the introduction of a local income tax.

Question reference: S4O-00929

Asked by: James Kelly, MSP for Rutherglen, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 April 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 April 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to maximise the use of the school estate for sporting activities.

Question reference: S4W-06567

Asked by: James Kelly, MSP for Rutherglen, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 02 April 2012
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 10 April 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps the Cabinet Secretary for Justice is taking to implement the recommendations made by Lord Gill in the Scottish Civil Courts Review and when these will be put in place.

The Scottish Government is committed to modernisation of Scotland’s civil justice system, based on the reforms recommended by the Scottish Civil Courts Review. Implementation will require a combination of primary legislation and procedural reforms by the courts.

It is intended to phase in a series of measures, but there will be consultation on a Courts Reform (Scotland) Bill towards the end of 2012.

Several recommendations made by Lord Gill are already being taken forward, including the independent Review of Expenses and Funding of Civil Litigation in Scotland, under Sheriff Principal James Taylor, which will report later this year.

The creation of a Scottish Civil Justice Council, another of Lord Gill’s recommendations, will aid the pace of reform, as it will be ready for early implementation of the necessary rules changes. A bill will be brought forward to establish this soon.

Question reference: S4O-00830

Asked by: James Kelly, MSP for Rutherglen, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 March 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will officially launch its climate justice fund.

Question reference: S4W-06014

Asked by: James Kelly, MSP for Rutherglen, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 05 March 2012
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 8 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive whether funding from the Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme will be made available to Rutherglen and Cambuslang.

Question reference: S4O-00816

Asked by: James Kelly, MSP for Rutherglen, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 March 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 15 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with COSLA on the local government settlement for 2012-13.

Question reference: S4O-00778

Asked by: James Kelly, MSP for Rutherglen, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 February 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with local authorities regarding the implementation of the new exams linked to the Curriculum for Excellence.