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: S4O-04239

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 April 2015
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 April 2015

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met NHS Fife and what issues were discussed.

Question reference: S4O-04201

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 March 2015
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 1 April 2015

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has carried out an evaluation of the impact on the retail sector of the delay in the review of business rates.

64 per cent of retail properties in Scotland are estimated to have zero or reduced business rates due to this government’s package of rates relief, which is estimated at £618 million in 2015.

Small and medium retailers in Scotland already receive the best deal in the UK, with over 96,000 properties estimated to benefit last year from the Small Business Bonus Scheme, and the prospect of rates relief up to £4,800 in 2015-16.

Question reference: S4W-24652

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 February 2015
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 11 March 2015

To ask the Scottish Government how many antisocial behaviour orders have been issued in Fife in each of the last five years and for what offences.

Question reference: S4O-04102

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 March 2015
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 March 2015

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding is available for the 2015 Edinburgh Festivals Expo Fund and when the details will be announced.

Question reference: S4O-04056

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 February 2015
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 February 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Burntisland Fabrications Ltd regarding reports of potential job losses.

Question reference: S4W-24282

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 February 2015
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 17 February 2015

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) quad bikes and (b) other similar single-person operated vehicles have been reported stolen in Fife in each of the last five years.

Question reference: S4W-24281

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 February 2015
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 17 February 2015

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) antisocial behaviour orders and (b) spot fines have been issued in Fife due to the inappropriate use of (i) quad bikes and (ii) other similar single-person operated vehicles in each of the last five years.

Police Scotland inform us there have been no antisocial behaviour orders issued in Fife in relation to the use of quad bikes over the past five years and that information on the number of fixed penalty notices issued for inappropriate use of quad bikes is not held centrally.

Reducing the impact of antisocial behaviour is a top priority for Police Scotland in Fife, as outlined within the West Fife and Coastal Villages Multi Member Ward Plan 2014. Local community policing teams are ideally placed to engage with members of their community to identify areas causing concern which can be prioritised for proactive patrols to prevent repeat instances of such behaviour and deal with any offences. In Fife, school based officers often undertake diversionary work aiming to explain the impact of antisocial behaviour and outlining the legal implications of such behaviour.

Question reference: S4W-24284

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 February 2015
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 17 February 2015

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will promote the DVLA's voluntary registration scheme for (a) quad bikes and (b) other similar single-person operated vehicles and, if so, how.

Most quad bikes cannot be used on the road because they don’t meet road safety standards. If using a quad bike off road you do not need to register the quad bike, pay tax or hold a driving licence. This lack of registration and other requirements means that quad bikes and other similar single-person operated vehicles are an easy asset to sell on if stolen, especially if stolen with the original key. Furthermore, if a quad bike is being used antisocially and then seized by the police, it can be difficult to ascertain who the owner is, and whether or not the person riding the quad bike is the owner.

I am supportive of any initiative that could help prevent the theft of quad bikes and other similar single-person operated vehicles. I will be writing to the DVLA to seek more information on their voluntary registration scheme and will intend to approach National Farmers Union for Scotland with a view to assessing whether through options such as FarmWatch or other similar initiatives we can ensure a higher take-up of registration of vehicles, such as quad bikes, to enable Police Scotland to more reliably identity the rightful owner and prosecute those in possession of a stolen vehicle.

Question reference: S4W-24283

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 February 2015
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 17 February 2015

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) quad bikes and (b) other similar single-person operated vehicles have been seized by the police in Fife in each of the last five years.

Information on the number of vehicle seizures, broken down by vehicle type, is not currently collated or held centrally by Police Scotland. A manual exercise would be required for each of the five years to generate the information requested by the member. This would not be feasible in the time scales set out for responding to this parliamentary question, but as discussed with the member during our meeting of 21 January 2015 , Police Scotland have been asked to explain how such information might best be recorded and accessed in the future.

Question reference: S4W-24092

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 January 2015
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 2 February 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with (a) Dundee City Council and (b) other partners regarding the (i) construction, (ii) timetable and (iii) cost of the Dundee V&A project.

2010	28
2011	33
2012	26
2013	21
2014	43