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: S5W-04788

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 30 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government when it will announce how much money employers will receive from the revenue raised by the Apprenticeship Levy.

Question reference: S5W-04789

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 30 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether all the revenue raised by the Apprenticeship Levy will be invested in learning and training infrastructure and initiatives.

Ultimately, as with all areas of devolved responsibility, it will be for Scottish Ministers to decide how to use Levy funding as part of the wider Scottish block grant.

We have committed to developing a distinctly Scottish approach to apprenticeships and wider skills development and to drive closer engagement with industry in our efforts to enhance productivity and inclusive economic growth.

Following our recent consultation we are finalising plans for responding to the introduction of the UK Apprenticeship Levy as part of the forthcoming Scottish Budget.

Question reference: S5O-00412

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 30 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what advice it has received from the Scottish Medicines Consortium regarding the use of stem cell treatment for people with MS.

Question reference: S5W-04286

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 25 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what estimates it has made of the impact of Brexit on passporting for financial services in Scotland.

Analysis published by the Scottish Government (“Potential Implications of the UK Leaving the EU on Scotland’s Long Run Economic Performance”) on 23 August 2016 summarises the impact that leaving the EU could have on the Scottish economy based on a range of recent studies covering different trading relationships that the UK could adopt.

The analysis shows that the potential cost to Scottish GDP of leaving the European Union could be up to £11.2 billion per year by 2030 than under a scenario where the UK remains a member. The analysis also indicates that leaving the EU could result in a reduction in Scottish tax revenues of up to £3.7 billion a year by 2030.

Evidence published by the European and External Relations Committee based on analysis by the Fraser of Allander Institute confirms the risks Brexit poses to Scotland’s economy. The Fraser of Allander Institute forecast that leaving the EU could result in the number of people in employment being up to 80,000 lower after
10 years.

Question reference: S5W-04316

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 23 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the Minister for the UK Negotiations on Scotland’s Place in Europe has had with the UK Government regarding people from the rest of the EU who live in Scotland having the right to remain in the country post-Brexit.

Question reference: S5W-04318

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 23 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Minister for UK Negotiations on Scotland's Place in Europe has discussed with the Prime Minister proposals to reassure EU nationals about their residency status post-Brexit.

The Scottish Government has repeatedly requested assurances from the UK Government that immigration status and rights of EU nationals currently living in Scotland will not change in the future. The First Minister and I attended the Joint Ministerial Committee (plenary), chaired by the Prime Minister, on 24 October, where we again raised this important issue.

I have also raised this issue - and will continue to do so - in my discussions with David Davis, Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union.

Question reference: S5W-04214

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 23 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the Minister for the UK Negotiations on Scotland’s Place in Europe has had with the UK Government regarding people from Scotland who live elsewhere in the EU having the right to remain in the country that they are living in post-Brexit.

The Scottish Government is firm in its belief that the rights of Scots living in the EU should be maintained. I have raised this issue in my discussions with the UK Government, both through bi-lateral meetings with David Davis, Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, and during the first Joint Ministerial Committee (EU Negotiations) which took place earlier this month. I have, and will continue, to make clear that membership of the single market and the benefits that flow from it, including free movement of labour, is essential for the economic prosperity of Scotland.

Dr Allan, Minister for International Development and Europe is due to meet with the UK Minister of State for Immigration Mr Goodwill on 1 December and will raise issues relating to freedom of movement during that discussion.

Question reference: S5W-04317

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 23 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the Minister for the UK Negotiations on Scotland’s Place in Europe has had with the UK Government regarding whether people from Scotland will need to apply for visas to travel to the EU post-Brexit.

Question reference: S5W-03505

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 22 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, when it will provide substantive answers to questions S5W-02189 and S5W-02190, which received holding responses on 26 September 2016, and what the reason is for the delay in providing the answers.

Question reference: S5W-04206

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 22 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of what engagement it has had or plans with the (a) Norwegian, (b) Swiss, (c) Canadian and (d) US Government since the EU referendum result regarding future trade arrangements with Scotland.

Powers to make trade agreements are not currently held by the Scottish Government but are held by the UK which is not able to make any trade agreements whilst it remains a member of the European Union. The Scottish Government’s priority at present is to protect our relationship with Europe and ensure Scotland and the UK remain members of the single market. We are engaging directly with the UK government to achieve those objectives and to protect Scotland's interests. In the meantime, our trade and investment strategy published in March this year set out a comprehensive action plan to boost Scotland’s export activity and to make it clear that Scotland is open for business with Europe and with the rest of the world. Following the Brexit result, engagement has taken place with a number of countries, including Switzerland, Canada, US and Norway to discuss the implications of the result on Scotland on trade and other matters.