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-29850

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 February 2016
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 24 February 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-29256 by John Swinney on 15 January 2016, what percentage of the unadjusted average revenue funding per capita Aberdeen City Council has received in each year since 2011-12.

In 2011-12 before the introduction of 85% funding floor Aberdeen City Council received 84.0% of the Scottish average revenue funding per head. Following the introduction of the new floor Aberdeen would have received 83.5%/84.1%/84.6% over the three year settlement 2012-15. As a result of the new floor Aberdeen City Council received over 85% of the Scottish average.

These figures were calculated before the transfer of responsibility for police and fire from local to central government on 1 April 2013 and as is standard practice the local government finance settlements were not reopened.

In 2015-16 as a result of the transfer of police and fire Aberdeen City Council's revenue funding per head would have been 79.2% but following the adjustment for police and fire the council once again received 85% of the adjusted Scottish average.

Question reference: S4W-29849

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 February 2016
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 24 February 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-29258 by John Swinney on 15 January 2016, whether it plans to make adjustments in determining the average local authority revenue support per capita and, if so, (a) what these are and (b) what the reason is for doing so.

Question reference: S4W-29852

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 February 2016
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 24 February 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-29258 by John Swinney on 15 January 2016, in light of local authorities having no continuing responsibility for police and fire services, how it will calculate the support funding floor for the forthcoming spending review period.

Question reference: S4W-29664

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 February 2016
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 22 February 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what legal obligation has been undertaken by each signatory party as a result of signing the Heads of Terms agreement for the Aberdeen City Region Deal.

The Heads of Terms agreement outlines the principles of the Aberdeen City Region Deal. Although the Heads of Terms does not form a legally binding contract it signifies both the Scottish and UK Governments' commitment to the region. Further detail on the implementation of specific interventions of the deal will follow over the coming weeks and months and the Scottish Government will work with the civic and business leaders of Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire to ensure the successful implementation of the agreed deal.

Question reference: S4W-29660

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 February 2016
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 22 February 2016

To ask the Scottish Government when it made its decision to allocate £200 million of funding for the dual tracking of the East Coast railway line at Montrose and when it first announced that decision.

Question reference: S4W-29663

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 February 2016
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 17 February 2016

To ask the Scottish Government when it made its decision to allocate £9 million to digital infrastructure developments in Aberdeen and when it first announced that decision.

Question reference: S4W-29551

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 January 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 11 February 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to the supplementary to question S4O-05500 by Fergus Ewing on 28 January 2016 (Official Report, c. 5), how many apprenticeships have been lost in Scotland as a result of the downturn in the oil and gas sector.

The Scottish Government is aware of 58 Modern Apprentices in the oil and gas sector who have been made redundant since December 2014 and that 38 of these Modern Apprentices are back in work. Work is underway through our skills agency, Skills Development Scotland, to support those who have not yet been supported back into work.

Of the 38 Modern Apprentices who are back in work, 21 were supported through the enhanced Adopt an Apprentice offer.

Question reference: S4W-29558

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 January 2016
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Burgess on 11 February 2016

To ask the Scottish Government (a) how it will allocate and (b) when it will spend the £20 million in infrastructure funding to support the construction of houses, and how many houses this additional infrastructure will support.

Officials have had early discussions with Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire Council. A considerable amount of work will now have to be done by local authorities with the housing industry to develop concrete proposals that when funded will unlock development at scale within the region. In light of the work that will need to be done it is not possible to put a time frame on the funding at the moment, however we would like to see proposals developed as quickly as possible.

These local authorities have told us that this type of support is what they need to help unlock housing sites that are of strategic importance – which is why we are committing this funding for the area.

Question reference: S4W-29560

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 January 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 11 February 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to the supplementary to question S4O-05500 by Fergus Ewing on 28 January 2016 (Official Report, c. 5) how many jobs have been lost in Scotland as a result of the downturn in the oil and gas sector.

Question reference: S4W-29554

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 January 2016
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 9 February 2016

To ask the Scottish Government when work will begin on dualling the single track stretch of the East Coast railway line at Montrose, and when it will be completed.