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: S3W-23025

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 April 2009
Current Status: Answered by Adam Ingram on 13 May 2009

To ask the Scottish Executivewhether it will commit to maintaining the distinctive identity of the children’s hearings system in the Orkney, Shetland and Comhairle nan Eilean Siar local authority areas.

Question reference: S3W-23026

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 April 2009
Current Status: Answered by Adam Ingram on 13 May 2009

To ask the Scottish Executivewhat support it has received in (a) Orkney, (b) Shetland and (c) the Western Isles for the creation of a national body to administer the children’s hearings system.

Responses to Strengthening for the Future, the consultation on the reform of the children''s hearings system, were received from Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles and have been published along with the other responses on the Scottish Government website:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2009/04/29131808/0.

We have carefully listened to all the responses and taken the time to adapt our policy to more closely address the concerns and issues raised. As a result we are bringing forward proposals for two, not one, national bodies:

A new body, the Scottish Children''s Hearings Tribunal, will be responsible for all functions associated with the Children''s Panel, including recruitment, selection and training of panel members.

The Scottish Children''s Reporter Administration will continue to deliver the Children''s Reporters service.

Question reference: S3W-23023

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 April 2009
Current Status: Answered by Adam Ingram on 13 May 2009

To ask the Scottish Executivewhen it will publish a draft Bill to reform the children’s hearing system.

Question reference: S3W-23021

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 April 2009
Current Status: Answered by Adam Ingram on 13 May 2009

To ask the Scottish Executivewhen it will publish the responses to Strengthening for the Future: A Consultation on the Reform of the Children’s Hearings System.

Question reference: S3W-22664

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 03 April 2009
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 6 May 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what the original budget allocation was for the (a) agri-environment, (b) business development and (c) forestry elements of the Rural Priorities scheme.

The Scottish Rural Development Programme (SRDP) financial tables set out the funding available for each of the 30 European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development measures the programme draws on. These are grouped under eight broad headings in the Scottish Government budget. The different parts of the SRDP are funded through one or more of these budget lines.

In order to retain budget flexibility and in response to stakeholders'' views, the budget provision for Rural Priorities was not ring-fenced in total or within each budget line. Rural Priorities spending comes from budget headings which also fund other SRDP spending, for instance on Land Managers Options and on legacy payments for agreements entered into under the previous programme.

At the start of the SRDP, taking assumptions for the amount of spending on the other elements within the relevant budget headings, around £500 million was expected to be available for new commitments under Rural Priorities overall. The amount actually available for new commitments under Rural Priorities will depend on a number of factors, including the level of uptake for demand-led elements within the relevant budget headings, and any future policy changes.

Of the £500 million, the following sums fell within the budget headings for agri-environment, business development and forestry:

(a) Agri-Environment	£170 million
(b) Business Development	£ 90 million
(c) Forestry	£150 million

Question reference: S3W-22662

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 03 April 2009
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 5 May 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of applications were successful under the (a) agri-environment, (b) business development and (c) forestry elements of the Rural Priorities scheme.

Question reference: S3W-22661

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 03 April 2009
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 5 May 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications were received under the (a) agri-environment, (b) business development and (c) forestry elements of the Rural Priorities scheme.

Question reference: S3W-22663

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 03 April 2009
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 5 May 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what the level of spending has been on successful applications under the (a) agri-environment, (b) business development and (c) forestry elements of the Rural Priorities scheme.

Question reference: S3W-23064

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 20 April 2009
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 30 April 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any meetings between ministers and the European Commission to discuss its state aid investigation into support for ferry services in Scotland have taken place since 12 December 2008 and whether further meetings are planned.

The most recent meeting between Scottish ministers and the European Commission to discuss this investigation was held on 12 December 2008.

Whilst there are currently no plans for any further such ministerial meetings, Scottish ministers will continue to engage with the Commission, both directly and indirectly as appropriate, to protect the support for lifeline ferry services to Scotland''s remote and island communities.

Question reference: S3W-23065

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 20 April 2009
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 30 April 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make available copies of its submissions to the European Commission regarding the state aid investigation into support for ferry services in Scotland.

(a) Agri-Environment	1,269
(b) Business Development	588
(c) Forestry	231

(a) Agri-Environment	£66.1 million
(b) Business Development	£32.9 million
(c) Forestry	£8.6 million