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-14639

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 03 May 2013
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 16 May 2013

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its air quality standard objectives, whether it plans to hold discussions with the UK Government regarding the recent Supreme Court ruling that the UK has failed to deliver improvements in air quality in the appropriate timescale.

The Scottish Government is in regular contact with the UK Government and other devolved administrations as we pursue a shared goal of improving air quality. We are committed to improving air quality across Scotland and have seen significant reductions in pollution emissions over recent decades through tighter industrial regulation, improved fuel quality, cleaner vehicles and an increased focus on sustainable transport.

Together with the other UK administrations we have produced the Air Quality Strategy for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, which sets out our air quality policy framework and vision to 2050. In addition, Scotland's National Transport Strategy includes amongst its three strategic outcomes a commitment to improve air quality.

The Scottish Government, in partnership with Transport Scotland, Scottish Environmental Protection Agency, local authorities and others is working on a range of measures to ensure full compliance as soon as possible. These measures are set out in detail in the UK's application to the Commission for a time extension on nitrogen dioxide limit values.

The whole of Scotland is expected to comply with these limit values by 2015, based on a combination of current and planned measures, with the exception of one road stretch, the missing link of the M8 between Newhouse and Baillieston to the east of Glasgow. Within the Glasgow city area, there are expected to be no exceedences of the Limit Values by 2015. This road is due to be upgraded to motorway, with Transport Scotland estimating completion in 2017-18. Once the upgrade is complete, emissions along this road will also comply with the limit values.

We are meeting both domestic and European air quality targets across most of Scotland, although there are still localised hotspots of poorer air quality in a number of urban areas. We recognise that we must build on achievements to date and continue to take action to improve air quality. Where appropriate local authorities have developed local air quality management areas to address localised issues and are required to submit and annual report on progress to the Scottish Government.

Financial support from the Scottish Government is available to councils across Scotland to support air quality monitoring and specific actions to support these plans.

Fife Council has received financial and practical support from the Scottish Government to help develop and implement the air quality action plan in the Cupar Air Quality Management Area. We will continue to liaise closely with the council as this work progresses.

Question reference: S4W-14640

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 03 May 2013
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 16 May 2013

To ask the Scottish Government when it expects to meet its air quality standard objectives and what information it has on how this compares to those set by the (a) UK and (b) EU.

Question reference: S4W-14643

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 03 May 2013
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 16 May 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will commission an audit of local authority air quality action plans in order to establish whether their air pollution targets are being met.

Question reference: S4W-14641

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 03 May 2013
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 16 May 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what action it plans to take to improve air quality and whether it will provide additional assistance to local authorities to help them meet air quality standards.

Question reference: S4W-14645

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 03 May 2013
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 16 May 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what assistance it is providing to Fife Council to address pollution in Cupar's air quality management areas.

Question reference: S4O-02143

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 May 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 May 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made with the Educational Psychologists Workforce Planning Group.

Question reference: S4W-14139

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 April 2013
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 13 May 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide financial assistance to farmers for the purchase of extra feed as a result of the recent bad weather conditions.

Question reference: S4W-14143

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 April 2013
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 13 May 2013

To ask the Scottish Government (a) how many meetings it has had in the last year with and (b) what support it offers to the Royal Scottish Agricultural Benevolent Institution.

Question reference: S4O-02132

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 May 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 May 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with NHS Scotland regarding the decision to cancel the Dunfermline-based Sheds Hairdressing’s contract to provide hairpieces.

Question reference: S4W-14121

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 April 2013
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 7 May 2013

To ask the Scottish Government when it became aware of reports regarding the mislabelling of fish in the retail sector and what action it took.

On 28February 2013 I asked Seafish to write to retailers and processors reminding them of the need to maintain the highest level of labelling standards, and Seafish did so on 12March 2013. Seafood substitution was discussed with the major supermarkets at the Scottish Groceries Retail Forum on 27 February 2013, where industry was reminded of their responsibilities to ensure that food and food products are correctly labelled, and do not mislead consumers.

The Scottish Government was informed by the Food Standards Agency on 5 March 2013 about specific reports regarding the mislabelling of fish in the retail sector. The report presented in the press was referencing results from a local survey undertaken by local authorities in the west of Scotland during 2008.