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-27721

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 25 September 2015
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 18 January 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on tail docking for working dogs.

I can confirm that since the publication of the Glasgow University research on tail docking in 2015, and the collection of further evidence about the experience of applying exemptions from the ban on docking for working dogs in other countries, over the last few months I have been carefully considering the strongly held views on both sides of the argument about the possibility of allowing tail docking of working dogs in Scotland.

I have concluded, after discussions with the Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environment Committee, that the Scottish Government should seek views on a tightly defined exemption to the ban on tail docking of working dogs. It is planned that this consultation will issue in February 2016.

Question reference: S4W-27723

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 25 September 2015
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 18 January 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-26902 by Richard Lochhead on 28 August 2015, when it will inform the Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environment Committee of the findings of its research on tail docking.

Question reference: S4W-27724

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 25 September 2015
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 18 January 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to introduce an exemption to tail docking for working dogs, following the research that it commissioned from the University of Glasgow that was published in Veterinary Record in April 2014.

Question reference: S4W-27722

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 25 September 2015
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 18 January 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what evidence it has taken in the last six months on tail docking.

Question reference: S4O-05235

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 January 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 13 January 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether e-cigarettes are now available on prescription from the NHS.

Question reference: S4O-05205

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 December 2015
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 January 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how many uniformed officers have been deployed to roles previously filled by civilian staff since Police Scotland came into existence.

Question reference: S4F-03136

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 14 December 2015
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 December 2015

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to the final report of the Commission on Local Tax Reform.

Question reference: S4W-28677

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 November 2015
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 10 December 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on the percentage of (a) land area and (b) wild land area from which at least one wind turbine of more than 20 metres in height is visible.

Question reference: S4W-28658

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 November 2015
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 10 December 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what the percentage take-up of free school meals is for pupils in primary one to three, broken down by local authority.

This government's action to provide a free school meal to every child in primary one to three has had huge take up. Our action is helping to ensure that every child in Scotland gets the best possible start while tackling inequalities and saving parents around £380 a year for each child.

The latest statistics on free school meal uptake were published on 17 June 2015 in the Scottish Government statistics publication - Summary statistics for attainment, leaver destinations and healthy living, No. 5: 2015 Edition. Table 7 in the accompanying supplementary data, provides details of the number of primary one to three pupils present and taking free school meals on the day of the survey, broken down by local authority, and can be accessed at the following address:

http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Statistics/Browse/School-Education/MealsSD/mealspesd/mealspesd2015.

Question reference: S4W-28637

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 20 November 2015
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 7 December 2015

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) whole-time equivalent and (b) headcount places were available in science, technology, engineering and maths subjects at each college in (i) 2013-14 and (ii) 2014-15.

Data on students in colleges in Scotland are collected by the Scottish Funding Council. The latest available data is for 2013-14 and I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-23591 on 19 January 2015 where this data was provided. Data for 2014-15 will be available in January 2016.

All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.