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: S1W-11918

Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 December 2000
Current Status: Answered by Jack McConnell on 19 January 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive how many bilateral meetings between Her Majesty's Government and member states of the EU have been attended by representatives from the Executive, when these meetings were held, who represented the Executive and member states and what the purpose was of each meeting.

Information at the level of detail requested is not recorded comprehensively. Examples are Sarah Boyack's attendance at a meeting in London in October of this year between Noel Dempsey of the Irish Government and Michael Meacher to discuss implementation of EU environment policy, and some of the bilateral discussions with Germany, France, Ireland and Denmark during the course of the fisheries negotiations between the EU and Norway last month. Where the Scottish Executive is not present, devolved interests will always be subject to consultation and agreement in advance.

Question reference: S1W-11993

Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 December 2000
Current Status: Answered by Sam Galbraith on 19 January 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-10333 by Mr Sam Galbraith on 20 November 2000, whether any water authority sought advice from or made representations to the Executive regarding exemption from the Competition Act 1998, and whether public authorities seeking such exemption apply directly to Her Majesty's Government or whether all applications are made through the Executive.

The water authorities have not sought advice from or made representations to the Executive about exemptions under the Competition Act 1998. The Executive and the authorities are proceeding on the basis that, within the framework of legislation that the Water Services Bill will establish, competition will work to the benefit of the authorities' customers by delivering innovation, greater efficiency and improved services.As a matter of principle, public bodies for which the Executive is accountable to the Scottish Parliament would not seek exemptions without the Executive's agreement.

Question reference: S1W-11825

Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 December 2000
Current Status: Answered by Susan Deacon on 19 January 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive in how many cases in each of the last three years it has been concluded that a fatality resulted from a delay in ambulance response, broken down by ambulance control room.

Question reference: S1W-11821

Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 December 2000
Current Status: Answered by Susan Deacon on 19 January 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average time taken to answer a 999 call was in each ambulance control room in each of the last three years.

Question reference: S1W-12184

Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 22 December 2000
Current Status: Answered by Rhona Brankin on 18 January 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail any areas of disagreement that arose between it and Her Majesty's Government during the December meeting of the EU Fisheries Council.

Question reference: S1W-12185

Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 22 December 2000
Current Status: Answered by Rhona Brankin on 18 January 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to put in place any area closures or other conservation measures in time for the 2001 spawning season for cod.

Question reference: S1W-12181

Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 22 December 2000
Current Status: Answered by Rhona Brankin on 18 January 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive how many bilateral meetings it has arranged as a result of the outcome of the December meeting of the EU Fisheries Council, with whom and when.

Question reference: S1W-12180

Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 22 December 2000
Current Status: Answered by Rhona Brankin on 18 January 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the economic impact of the quota cuts agreed at the December meeting of the EU Fisheries Council, including any estimated figures for loss of income and job losses within the fishing industry.

The Executive will continue discussions with the fishing industry about the economic impact of the outcome of the December Council early in 2001. Only in relation to North Sea cod and North Sea whiting would we expect to see significant shortfalls compared to landings in 2000. It will also be important to take into account the impact of any cod recovery plan (the details of which are not yet determined) and likely movements in fish prices.

Question reference: S1W-12182

Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 22 December 2000
Current Status: Answered by Rhona Brankin on 18 January 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to meet with Her Majesty's Treasury to discuss financial issues affecting the fishing industry and, if so, when.

Question reference: S1W-12183

Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 22 December 2000
Current Status: Answered by Rhona Brankin on 18 January 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it made to Her Majesty's Government during the December meeting of the EU Fisheries Council, what response it received and what the outcome was of its representations.