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-10692

Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 October 2012
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 14 November 2012

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has met or plans to meet officials from Glasgow City Council to learn from their experiences of promoting and building credit union membership through their credit union development programme.

The Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism met with credit union representatives on Monday 18 June 2012 to discuss ways in which the Scottish Government might assist credit unions in Scotland. The meeting was attended by an official from Glasgow City Council’s Department of Development and Regeneration Services, who shared information about the Council’s support for Glasgow’s credit unions.

Question reference: S4W-10697

Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 October 2012
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 14 November 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what support it offers credit unions regarding their development and the role that they can play in providing alternatives to high-interest short-term lenders.

The Scottish Government recognises that credit unions can offer affordable alternatives to high-interest short-term lenders, and will do all that it can to promote them.

The Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism is due to meet with stakeholders, including the Association of British Credit Unions, on 9 November 2012, to discuss what action can be taken by the Scottish Government to assist those who are suffering from financial difficulty due in particular to borrowing from high-interest short-term lenders.

We shall explore at that meeting whether the Scottish Government should provide additional resources to credit unions to develop alternative ethical and affordable products and services.

Question reference: S4W-10696

Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 October 2012
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 14 November 2012

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to establish a guaranteed loan fund for credit unions.

Question reference: S4W-10699

Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 October 2012
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 14 November 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what grant-based funding streams are open to credit unions for funds appropriate to their development.

Question reference: S4W-10695

Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 October 2012
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 14 November 2012

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to introduce a credit union development fund.

The Scottish Government recognises the valuable role played by credit unions in providing financial services and products to a wide range of customers, including those facing financial exclusion. We continue to engage with credit union representatives to ensure we are doing as much as possible to support and promote them.

Credit Union’s have benefited from funding through the Third Sector Enterprise Fund and will be eligible to apply for any future Scottish Government third sector organisational development funds.

The Minister is meeting with stakeholders, including the Association of British Credit Unions, on 9 November 2012. We shall explore then whether the Scottish Government should provide additional resources to credit unions to support their development.

Question reference: S4W-10698

Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 October 2012
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 14 November 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what financial support has been given to credit unions, broken down by (a) provider and (b) the credit union in receipt of the support, in each of the last three years.

Between 2008 and 2010 the Scottish Government invested £12m in the Third Sector Enterprise Fund. 32 awards were made to credit unions as follows:-

Organisation	Award	Local Authority Area
Grampian Credit Union	£66,704	Aberdeen
North East Credit Union	£60,000	Aberdeen
Cumnock & Doon Valley Credit Union	£70,300	East Ayrshire
Capital Credit Union	£69,000	Edinburgh
Craigmillar Credit Union	£25,000	Edinburgh
First University Credit Union	£25,000	Edinburgh
SCVO Credit Union	£19,308	Edinburgh
Kingdom Credit Union	£7,500	Fife
North East Fife Credit Union	£2,560	Fife
Baillieston Credit Union	£3,105	Glasgow
Drumchapel Credit Union	£20,100	Glasgow
Glasgow South Credit Union	£24,700	Glasgow
Glasgow West Credit Union	£18,990	Glasgow
Greater Govan Credit Union	£73,245	Glasgow
Greater Govan Credit Union	£100,000	Glasgow
Parkhead Credit Union	£25,000	Glasgow
Penilee Credit Union	£13,644	Glasgow
Pollok Credit Union	£53,675	Glasgow
Ruchill Credit Union	£8,899	Glasgow
Scottish Police Credit Union	£12,525	Glasgow
Scottish Transport Credit Union	£95,200	Glasgow
1^st Alliance (Ayrshire) Credit Union	£49,025	North Ayrshire
Cumbernauld South Credit Union	£10,000	North Lanarkshire
Renfrewshire-wide Credit Union	£6,000	Renfrewshire
Renfrewshire-wide Credit Union	£57,000	Renfrewshire
Blantyre Credit Union	£68,500	South Lanarkshire
East Kilbride Credit Union	£20,650	South Lanarkshire
ML9 Credit Union	£22,000	South Lanarkshire
Scotcentral Credit Union	£79,803	Stirling
Dumbarton Credit Union	£10,000	West Dunbartonshire
Livingston Credit Union	£32,029	West Lothian
Western Isles Credit Union	£64,650	Western Isles

In 2011, two of Scotland’s largest credit unions, Scotwest and Capital, received a joint investment of £1m from the Scottish Investment Fund. The award is enabling the two credit unions to develop and implement a new operating and account management system.

Question reference: S4W-10761

Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 October 2012
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 14 November 2012

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to bring together the various teams involved in criminal justice drug treatment, including Drug Treatment and Testing Orders teams, for a conference to share experiences about practice.

Question reference: S4W-10663

Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 October 2012
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 13 November 2012

To ask the Scottish Government how effective it considers the Fireworks (Scotland) Regulations 2004 have been in preventing antisocial behaviour involving fireworks.

Question reference: S4W-10740

Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 October 2012
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 13 November 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken in response to the recommendations in the Review of Alcohol Sponsorship Guidelines for Scotland of March 2012.

Alcohol Sponsorship Guidelines for Scotland were published in 2009 to ensure that sponsorship was carried out in a responsible way. In March 2012, the Scottish Government Alcohol Industry Partnership commissioned a review which concluded that the Guidelines, in their current form, are seen as being necessary, worthwhile and effective.

The Alcohol Sponsorship Guidelines for Scotland, along with the review and its recommendations, are now being used to inform the Portman Group’s development of a UK-wide alcohol sponsorship guide.

Question reference: S4W-10741

Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 October 2012
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 13 November 2012

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to implement any of the recommendations of the Scottish Youth Commission on Alcohol and, if so, which recommendations.

The Scottish Government welcomed the Youth Commissioner's report at the time it was published. There has been progress around a number of the recommendations such as an evaluation of the effectiveness of test purchasing, and other measures to enforce underage alcohol sales regulation. The Scottish Government agrees about the importance of ensuring young people are involved in the licensing process, and they can do this through their local licensing forums.

Youth Commissioners have also presented to a number of influential organisations and networks, and fed into the development of the Quality Alcohol Treatment and Support report, published in March 2011. The views of the Commission, along with other key stakeholders, informed the report recommendations which support improved service delivery at local level.

These are just some of the ways that the Youth Commission report has helped inform our policy and practice, as well as setting a positive example for the future involvement of young people at both local and national level.