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-15975

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 April 2018
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 1 May 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what the remit is of the Scottish Exchequer Project; what resources have been allocated to it, and when the project's outputs will be published.

There is not a Scottish Exchequer project. The recent creation of the Scottish Exchequer function within the Scottish Government is a response to the continued implementation of new fiscal powers devolved to Scotland.

A new role of Director General: Scottish Exchequer has been established, and the civil service capacity of the former Directorate General Finance is being adapted and strengthened to create the Scottish Exchequer to meet the changing needs of the Scottish Government.

Question reference: S5W-15980

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 April 2018
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 1 May 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been community first responders in each year since 2011, also broken down by how many have (a) completed training for, (b) retired from and (c) resigned from the role.

Question reference: S5W-15978

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 April 2018
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 1 May 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many Scottish Ambulance Service community first responder teams there have been in each year since 2011, also broken down by how many have resigned their affiliation with the service.

Question reference: S5O-02051

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 April 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 May 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how recent developments at NHS Tayside could affect the delivery of patient care.

Question reference: S5W-15713

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 19 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many people under 18 have died from drug-related deaths in each of the last five calendar years.

Drug Related Deaths are recorded and reported by the National Records of Scotland (NRS). NRS report on Drug Related Deaths by age group and include age groups of ‘14 and under’ and ‘15-24’. The most recent data are published on the NRS website at the following link.

https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/statistics-and-data/statistics/statistics-by-theme/vital-events/deaths/drug-related-deaths-in-scotland/2016/list-of-tables-and-figures

Question reference: S5O-02012

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 April 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what work is being done to ensure that historic battlefields are preserved.

Question reference: S5O-01974

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 April 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator regarding the use of public funds by NHS boards.

Question reference: S5W-15357

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 16 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 4 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that letting agents are able to comply with the separate client bank account provision of the Letting Agent Code of Practice.

The Scottish Government is liaising with UK Finance, HM Treasury and a number of individual banks to address concerns that some letting agents have been unable to open a suitable undesignated client bank account. This engagement has led to increased access to client bank accounts for this group, although this may mean moving to an alternative bank.

However, the Scottish Government is aware that some agents are continuing to experience difficulties. Officials will continue to work with UK Finance, UK Government, HM Treasury and individual banks to enable letting agents to comply with the client money requirements of the Letting Agent Code of Practice.

Question reference: S5W-15356

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 16 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 4 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether letting agents that are unable to obtain undesignated client accounts will be given a grace period to comply with the Letting Agent Code of Practice.

The Letting Agent Code of Practice came into force on the 31 January 2018. Section 8 of the Code requires those carrying out letting agency work who hold or handle client money to have one or more separate and dedicated client bank accounts. No grace period is in place or planned in relation to the requirements in the Code.

The Scottish Government recognises that some banks’ restrictions on undesignated (pooled) client banks accounts will mean some of their letting agent clients cannot access a pooled client bank account from their existing bank. However, there are banks and other institutions who do provide a product that meets the requirements of the Code.

The Letting Agent Code of Practice is enforced through the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland (Housing and Property Chamber). The Tribunal is an independent judicial body and Scottish Ministers do not have powers to direct how the Tribunal operates. However, if a case for breach of the Code is brought in relation to Client Bank Accounts, the Scottish Government expects that the Tribunal will consider all of the facts in the case, including efforts that an organisation has made to secure a separate and dedicated client bank account.

Question reference: S5W-15358

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 16 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 4 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government which banks it has engaged with regarding (a) undesignated client bank accounts, (b) money laundering regulations and (c) the Letting Agent Code of Practice.