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-13184

Asked by: Margaret McDougall, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 February 2013
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 4 March 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will meet the target in Scotland's Digital Future - Infrastructure Action Plan that "next generation broadband will be available to all by 2020."

Question reference: S4W-13185

Asked by: Margaret McDougall, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 February 2013
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 4 March 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made on upgrading each telephone exchange in North Ayrshire and what the timescale for this programme is.

Question reference: S4O-01882

Asked by: Margaret McDougall, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 February 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 March 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what the impact of the housing benefit changes in April 2013 will be on the number of homeless people in Scotland.

Question reference: S4W-12596

Asked by: Margaret McDougall, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 28 January 2013
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 19 February 2013

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4O-01687 by Michael Russell on 16 January 2013 (Official Report, c.15514), whether it plans to hold further discussions with the University of London regarding the University Marine Biological Station Millport and what it considers the economic impact of the station closing would be.

The Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning met with the University of London and other stakeholders on 17 January 2013. Discussions were constructive and a second meeting was scheduled for February 2013.

As the economic development agency for the area, Highland and Islands Enterprise commissioned Sneddon Economics Ltd to carry out an independent economic impact study to outline the socio-economic importance of the Station to the island of Cumbrae. According to that study, completed on 7 January 2013, the total direct and indirect economic impact of the Station was 37 full time equivalent jobs. It also recognised that the socio-economic impact of the station extended beyond employment to the social fabric of Cumbrae.

Question reference: S4O-01822

Asked by: Margaret McDougall, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 February 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 February 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what protection there is for young children in cases where allegations of sexual abuse have been made but no evidence has been found.

Question reference: S4O-01654

Asked by: Margaret McDougall, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 December 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 January 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how changes to Nomenclature of Units of Territorial Statistics boundaries will affect European Structural Fund allocations.

Question reference: S4W-11478

Asked by: Margaret McDougall, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 23 November 2012
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 10 December 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what the cost is to local authorities of enforcing the Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010 and what its position is on whether local authorities have adequate (a) support and (b) resources to do so.

The Scottish Government does not hold information relating to the enforcement costs incurred by local authorities as a consequence of implementing the 2010 Act. The financial impact on local authorities of the implementing, monitoring and enforcing the new Dog Control Regime will be, to a large extent, dependant on how local authorities make use of the legislation.

Information provided by local authorities confirmed that a total of 92 Dog Control Notices were served by local authorities during the period 26 February 2011 to
5 March 2012. Based on the number of Dog Control Notices served, we believe that local authorities have adequate support and resources in place to implement the 2010 Act effectively.

Question reference: S4W-11479

Asked by: Margaret McDougall, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 23 November 2012
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 10 December 2012

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has established a dog control database as referred to in section 8 of the Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010 and, if so, how much this costs to maintain.

Under section 4 of the Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010, local authorities are required to keep their own records of dog control notices issued within its area. Section 4 of the Act also places a requirement on local authorities to cooperate and share information with the police and other local authorities regarding the Act. The Scottish Government remains to be convinced of the need for a national database as envisaged by the Act, and we have no plans, at this time, to make use of the enabling power that would allow Scottish Ministers to bring forward an order providing the framework for the establishment of a database.

Question reference: S4W-11484

Asked by: Margaret McDougall, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 23 November 2012
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 7 December 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to ensure that Areva will source materials in such a way that it will benefit the local economy.

Under the Memorandum of Understanding, AREVA and Scottish Enterprise will work to develop the supply chain for offshore wind manufacturing and ensuring that the sites under consideration are capable of accommodating supply chain companies.

The Minister for Energy, Enterprise and Tourism accompanied a delegation of Scottish supply chain companies on a visit to AREVA's facility in Bremerhaven in June 2012. In September 2012, Scottish Development International organised two Scottish supply chain events in conjunction with AREVA held in Aberdeen and Inverness.

Question reference: S4W-11482

Asked by: Margaret McDougall, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 23 November 2012
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 6 December 2012

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) permanent full-time jobs and (b) apprenticeships will be (i) created and (ii) offered to local people when Areva opens its wind turbine factory.

The announcement made on 19 November stated that the Memorandum of Understanding between AREVA and Scottish Enterprise had the potential to create 750 jobs in Scotland from manufacturing and the supporting supplies chain. Details such as apprenticeships and the recruitment of staff remain under discussion, although we would anticipate that AREVA would, as far as possible, seek to recruit locally.