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-05746

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 17 February 2012
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 1 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what investment it will make to improve broadband in Highland Perthshire and the (a) Glenshee and (b) Killin areas.

On 31 January, the Scottish Government published Scotland's Digital Future - Infrastructure Action Plan.

The action plan sets out our ambition and commitment, and the clear steps we will take to deliver world-class, future proofed digital infrastructure across all of Scotland by 2020, with a step change by 2015. By 2015, we are aiming for speeds of 40-80 Mbps for 85-90% of the population, and the best possible speeds for those where it is not yet possible to deliver 40-80 Mbps. We have so far secured over £250 million of public sector investment to deliver our 2015 targets.

This funding will be allocated in two closely related procurements: the current Highlands and Islands procurement, and a separate procurement for the rest of Scotland. Highland Perthshire, Glenshee and Killin will be included within the scope of this separate procurement for the rest of Scotland.

We will produce a procurement strategy for the rest of Scotland by the end of March 2012. Our intention is to commence this procurement by summer 2012 and award a contract in the first half of 2013 at the latest.

Question reference: S4O-00733

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 February 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider the interim operating base at Perth Community Fire Station as the permanent base for the proposed single fire and rescue service.

Question reference: S4F-00478

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 February 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 February 2012

To ask the First Minister what impact Rangers FC going into administration will have on the economy.

Question reference: S4W-05328

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 January 2012
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 9 February 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what work it is doing with the Care Inspectorate to promote and raise the profile of the inspectorate's complaints' process.

We have agreed with the Chair of the Care Inspectorate that we will support the Inspectorate in the work they are doing to promote their complaints processes with the objective of encouraging more people to come forward if they have concerns about the treatment they, their relatives or friends are receiving. Addressing complaints is a key way in which we can take forward service improvement.

The Care Inspectorate has recently undertaken a consultation process on its complaints process and included within this consultation focus groups with people who had made or had to respond to complaints. A report on the outcome of the consultation will be available on the Care Inspectorates website in March.

The Care Inspectorate also require that all providers of care services inform users and their carers that they have the right to raise concerns directly with the Care Inspectorate.

Question reference: S4W-05329

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 January 2012
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 9 February 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what work the Care Inspectorate is doing to improve care homes and personal care and support services.

All services regulated by the Care Inspectorate are assessed against a standard rating scale which enables an assessment of how services are performing in relation to the National Care Standards. If services fall below an adequate standard of care the Care Inspectorate will issue improvement notices and may take enforcement action to ensure standards are met.

In addition, poorly performing services are inspected more frequently under the risk based scrutiny arrangements. New regulations came into force on 8 February 2012 that increase the frequency of planned unannounced inspections for a number of services including care homes and care at home. The Care Inspectorate is working to improve and promote its complaints processes and also increasing the engagement of service users and their carers in the scrutiny process.

Question reference: S4F-00450

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 January 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 February 2012

To ask the First Minister what support the Scottish Government has given to Edinburgh's bid to host the Green Investment Bank.

Question reference: S4W-04794

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 23 December 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 19 January 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what work it has done with train operating companies to roll out wi-fi services on train services in 2012.

Question reference: S4W-04799

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 23 December 2011
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 18 January 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers flooding one of the most prominent risks to communities and households in Perthshire.

Perthshire has experienced its share of flooding events in recent years with communities and businesses suffering the misery, chaos and disruption such events bring. The Scottish Government recognises that the impacts of flooding can be devastating and long lasting. That is why we are pressing on with the implementation of the Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009 which introduced a more sustainable and modern approach to flood risk management across the whole of Scotland, suited to the needs of the 21st century and to the impact of climate change.

Question reference: S4W-04801

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 23 December 2011
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 18 January 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will undertake a national review of flood prevention measures and identify priority areas for improvements.

In 2007, all the existing flood defences in Scotland were assessed as part of the establishment of the Scottish Government’s Flood Defence Asset Database. There were only a few flood defences where minor problems were identified, one of which was Bridge of Earn. Perth and Kinross Council was given the report and has taken appropriate action to resolve the maintenance issues identified.

Since then, a new National Flood Risk Assessment has been undertaken by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, the outputs from which were approved by ministers on 22 December 2011.

The assessment has identified areas where significant flood risk exists (“Potentially Vulnerable Areas”) – and for the first time we have a national picture of flood risk across Scotland. This is a key milestone towards Scotland being able to target efforts to plan and invest in reducing impacts in areas most vulnerable to flooding. This will help Scotland become more resilient to the impacts of flooding.

Question reference: S4W-04797

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 23 December 2011
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 18 January 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what support it is giving to conservation agencies to protect the Scottish wildcat.

Scottish Natural Heritage is the main funder of the Cairngorm Wildcat Project through the Species Action Framework (2007-12). Project management is delivered via the Cairngorms National Park Authority and, over the lifetime of the project, Scottish Government agencies will have contributed £172.5 thousand to the project. Following conclusion of the project, there will be an evaluation of the approaches trialled and an assessment of the costs of their application to other geographies.