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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

Filter your results Hide all filters

Displaying 262 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S2W-26413

Asked by: John Swinney, MSP for North Tayside, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 May 2006
Current Status: Answered by Ross Finnie on 8 June 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been spent on set-aside payments in each of the last five years.

Set-aside payments made ineach of the last five years are:

Year	Set-Aside Payment (£)	Scheme
2001	19,179,626.20	Arable Area Payments Scheme
2002	18,238,448.30	Arable Area Payments Scheme
2003	21,647,445.10	Arable Area Payments Scheme
2004	15,700,025.50	Arable Area Payments Scheme
2005	11,273,374.49	Single Farm Payment Scheme

Question reference: S2W-26054

Asked by: John Swinney, MSP for North Tayside, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 May 2006
Current Status: Answered by Rhona Brankin on 31 May 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive how many private water supplies there are in Scotland.

Question reference: S2W-26053

Asked by: John Swinney, MSP for North Tayside, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 May 2006
Current Status: Answered by Andy Kerr on 31 May 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide the names and places of residence of the members of the NHS appeals panel that considered the case for the Kinloch Rannoch Medical Practice to opt out of providing 24-hour medical cover.

Question reference: S2W-25074

Asked by: John Swinney, MSP for North Tayside, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 April 2006
Current Status: Answered by Rhona Brankin on 4 May 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive why the transition period for the charge regime under the Controlled Activities Regulations has been extended.

The Water Environment ChargingScheme, which came into full effect on 1 April 2006,provides for a reduced level of application fees for those on-going activities,such as abstractions and impoundments, which were commenced prior to that date.

During the consultation on theproposed charges, it became clear that some existing operators had experienced difficultiesin applying by the specified deadline. The Scottish Environment Protection Agencydecided, with our agreement, to extend the period for reduced fees for these activities,until September 2006, to facilitate the introduction of the Water Environment (ControlledActivities) (Scotland) Regulations 2005 and encourage operators to comply with theirlegal obligations.

Question reference: S2W-25196

Asked by: John Swinney, MSP for North Tayside, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 April 2006
Current Status: Answered by Hugh Henry on 27 April 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to appoint a Scottish Legal Services Ombudsman.

Question reference: S2W-25197

Asked by: John Swinney, MSP for North Tayside, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 April 2006
Current Status: Answered by Hugh Henry on 27 April 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it took to appoint a Scottish Legal Services Ombudsman after receiving notification of the resignation of Linda Costelloe Baker.

Mrs Linda Costelloe Baker tenderedher resignation on 25 January this year and her period of notice expired on 25 April.An advertisement to recruit a new Scottish Legal Services Ombudsman was publishedon 31 March 2006.

To ensure that there is no gapin office, Jane Irvine has been appointed as Scottish Legal Services Ombudsman witheffect from 26 April 2006 until such time as a successor to Mrs Linda CostelloeBaker is identified.

Question reference: S2W-24303

Asked by: John Swinney, MSP for North Tayside, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 March 2006
Current Status: Answered by Nicol Stephen on 31 March 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive on which dates since June 2003 ministers met to discuss the provision of grant funding to install a wood fuel heating system in PPP school projects and which ministers were present on each occasion.

Question reference: S2W-24297

Asked by: John Swinney, MSP for North Tayside, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 March 2006
Current Status: Answered by Rhona Brankin on 29 March 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive on which dates between 30 November 2005 and 14 March 2006 ministers met representatives of the Water Industry Commission for Scotland to discuss Scottish Water's Business Plan.

Question reference: S2W-24299

Asked by: John Swinney, MSP for North Tayside, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 March 2006
Current Status: Answered by Rhona Brankin on 29 March 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive on which dates between 30 November 2005 and 14 March 2006 ministers met representatives of the Drinking Water Quality Regulator to discuss Scottish Water's Business Plan.

Question reference: S2W-24298

Asked by: John Swinney, MSP for North Tayside, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 March 2006
Current Status: Answered by Rhona Brankin on 29 March 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive on which dates between 30 November 2005 and 14 March 2006 ministers met representatives of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency to discuss Scottish Water's Business Plan.