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-07069

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 May 2012
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 14 May 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what its (a) position is on and (b) plans are to develop research into the link between epigenetic changes and the development of breast cancer.

There are well-established environmental and genetic risk factors for breast cancer, and it is likely that a proportion of breast cancer risk is explained by their interaction.

The Chief Scientist Office (CSO) within the Scottish Government has responsibility for encouraging and supporting research into health and healthcare needs in Scotland. CSO does not ring fence funds for specific areas of research but supports projects of a sufficiently high standard initiated by the research community in Scotland. This role is well known and advertised throughout the healthcare and academic community.

There is already research in progress in Scotland on the epigenetics of breast cancer susceptibility. CSO would welcome further proposals for research that will help to understand and prevent breast cancer, which would be subject to the usual peer and committee review.

Question reference: S4O-00970

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 May 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 May 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive when it next plans to meet North Ayrshire Council and what will be discussed.

Question reference: S4O-00949

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 April 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 May 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with North Ayrshire Council regarding the proposed changes to council tax benefit by the UK Government.

Question reference: S4O-00893

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 April 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 April 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in its response to the BBC Trust consultation, Delivering Quality First, it raised the issue of the share of licence fee income that is spent on Scottish programming.

Question reference: S4F-00530

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 March 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 March 2012

To ask the First Minister what the implications are of the findings in the Scottish Government's recently published State of the Economy report.

Question reference: S4O-00753

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 February 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to raise the Antarctic and Scotland's role there with the UK Government as part of any future discussions on devolution or an independence settlement.

Question reference: S4O-00572

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 January 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 January 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the House of Lords having an influence in determining the franchise for the proposed independence referendum.

Question reference: S4W-04448

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 December 2011
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 14 December 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how much additional tax will be raised in Scotland by the UK Treasury through increases in public sector pensions for which the Scottish Government has responsibility.

Question reference: S4O-00426

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 November 2011
Current Status: Awaiting answer

To ask the Scottish Executive what its plans are to roll out family nurse partnerships.

Question reference: S4W-04026

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 14 November 2011
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 23 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4W-03748 by Michael Russell on 10 November 2011, what the capital cost of James Watt College's contract was and how much of it (a) has been paid and (b) is due to be paid in each remaining year.