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: S5W-15915

Asked by: Angus MacDonald, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 16 April 2018
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 26 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what work it has commissioned to determine the level of susceptibility of the deer population to the prion condition, chronic wasting disease.

The first European cases of chronic wasting disease were reported from Norway in 2016. The Scottish Government has been keeping abreast of developments with chronic wasting disease for more than 3 years. This has included coordinating work on advice to the deer sector with Scottish Natural Heritage, and on risk assessments and research with the UK Government and the Animal and Plant Health Agency.

As part of this coordination Scottish Government are aware of Defra supported research on the susceptibility of deer species across Great Britain to chronic wasting disease.

Question reference: S5O-02007

Asked by: Angus MacDonald, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 April 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding EventScotland will receive in the current financial year.

Question reference: S5O-01959

Asked by: Angus MacDonald, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 March 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to protect the rights of council tenants who are in a minority position regarding essential communal repairs.

Question reference: S5W-15360

Asked by: Angus MacDonald, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 16 March 2018
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Fergus Ewing on 19 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what support it is giving to help strengthen community groups in the Carron Valley.

I am pleased to advise that on 28 February 2018, Forest Enterprise Scotland approved the request by Valley Renewables Group, the development trust for the Carron Valley, to buy 21 hectares at the entrance to the Carron Valley Forest to develop a community woodland.

This decision recognises that community ownership can help to build community resilience and capacity. The community in the Carron Valley area have no access to community facilities so ownership of this area of woodland will provide a focus for activities, such as community events with woodland walks and adventure trails.

Valley Renewables Group has committed to invest community funds from the Craigenhalt wind farm to improve the recreation facilities, to support the long-term running costs and to build community capacity through training and participation.

Working together Forest Enterprise Scotland and the community also intend to develop a joined up approach to the existing public facilities and new community facilities, to continue to welcome the many visitors to the Carron Valley Forest.

This is the second request approved under the Community Asset Transfer Scheme for the National Forest Estate, following the approval in November 2017 of transfer of the Fairy Pools Car Park to the Minginish Community Hall Association.

Question reference: S5O-01833

Asked by: Angus MacDonald, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 February 2018
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 28 February 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what support and encouragement it gives to the independent filmmaking sector.

Scottish Government supports our independent producers of film and television in many ways by working in partnership with broadcast regulator Ofcom, through Creative Scotland’s development and production funding, and by investing in training. We fund MG Alba, which in 2016-17 spent £8.9m on 439 hours of new programmes from 20 different production companies. Of that, £8.6m was spent in the independent production sector.

Question reference: S5W-14460

Asked by: Angus MacDonald, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 February 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 22 February 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how much compensation ScotRail has paid to passengers in each year since April 2015 because of service disruption.

Question reference: S5O-01764

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S5W-13515

Asked by: Angus MacDonald, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 18 December 2017
Current Status: Answered by Maureen Watt on 11 January 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many Changing Places toilets there are in each local authority area.

There are currently 157 Changing Places Toilets (CPT’s) across Scotland, distributed across 29 local authority areas. Unlike other areas across the U.K Scotland has seen an increase in the number of CPTs.

The Scottish Government works closely with Pamis, the only organisation in Scotland that works solely with people with profound and multiple learning disabilities and their families for a better life. Pamis are continuing to progress the CPT campaign and have engaged with a range of stakeholders particularly in areas where there are limited or no CPT’s.

In the autumn of last year, the Minister for Local Government and Housing wrote to the 32 local authority Chief Executives to establish CPT provision in each authority, particularly any that are not listed on the PAMIS website. There has been a good response from the local authorities, however we are still awaiting a few to return their findings. Upon receipt of the complete information, officials will analyse the returns and thereafter provide you with an update.

You can find a breakdown of CPT’s in each local authority area by using the Changing Places Toilet map on the Pamis website at http://pamis.org.uk/campaigns/changing-places-toilets/.

Question reference: S5W-13517

Asked by: Angus MacDonald, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 18 December 2017
Current Status: Answered by Maureen Watt on 10 January 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what assistance it gives to the Changing Places consortium.

The Scottish Government work closely with Pamis who are members of the Changing Places consortium and have provided funding in 2017-18 for the Changing Places campaign officer position within PAMIS. Scottish Government officials attend the Changing Places steering group which meets on a quarterly basis.

Pamis are also currently supporting the whole UK campaign and have been in conversation with Westminster officials. We have just embarked on a new partnership with Muscular Dystrophy UK who will be co-partners in leading the Changing Places Toilet Campaign.

Question reference: S5W-13516

Asked by: Angus MacDonald, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 18 December 2017
Current Status: Answered by Maureen Watt on 10 January 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on updating it strategy, Keys to Life, to include a new target for Changing Places toilets.