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: S5O-00324

Asked by: Angus MacDonald, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 November 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making with its Nordic Baltic strategy.

Question reference: S5W-03435

Asked by: Angus MacDonald, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 03 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Annabelle Ewing on 27 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the findings of the consultation paper, Developments in environmental justice in Scotland; what analysis it is carrying out of the responses, and whether it will publish this analysis.

Question reference: S5W-03258

Asked by: Angus MacDonald, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 17 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason data on sustainable urban drainage systems is not collated at a national level.

The Scottish Planning Policy is clear that the planning system should seek to manage surface water sustainably by minimising the area of impermeable surfaces and through the use of Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS). The discharge of surface water to sewer is not allowed unless there is no practicable alternative. We note the recommendation of the Committee on Climate Change that SEPA should ensure the next Flood Risk Management Strategies monitor and report the number and capacity of SuDS installed in new developments. Over the last year Scottish Water and local authorities with support from the Scottish Government, have worked in partnership to develop a collaborative framework for shared sustainable drainage systems. The framework is in the form of a memorandum of understanding which outlines the principles of working together to minimise the costs to roads authorities, Scottish Water and developers. Although not legally binding, all local authorities will be encouraged to adopt the framework and enter into a maintenance agreement with Scottish Water. This type of co-operation and collaboration is fundamental to integrated surface water management and will, in future, provide a record of where SuDS are located.

Question reference: S5W-03257

Asked by: Angus MacDonald, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 17 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason data on new-build on flood plains is not collated at a national level.

The Scottish Planning Policy is clear that development plans, which guide decision making on new development, should take account of flood risk management strategies. We note the recommendation of the Committee on Climate Change that SEPA should ensure the next Flood Risk Management Strategies monitor and report on the number of planning applications for new developments in the floodplain that were granted. We have continued to engage with flood risk matters and in 2015 published the report ‘Mapping Flood Disadvantage in Scotland’. A finding of the report is that of around 100,000 properties noted in the OS AddressBase dataset with a start date on or after 1 January 2009, a very small proportion (single-digit percentage) could potentially be located in areas affected by flooding, although there are significant caveats attached to that finding. The report is available from the Scottish Governments’ website: www.gov.scot.

Question reference: S5O-00238

Asked by: Angus MacDonald, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 6 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the BBC regarding an increase in funding for BBC Alba.

Question reference: S5W-03147

Asked by: Angus MacDonald, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 23 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 5 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to simplifying the re-application process for existing Blue Badge holders.

The Scottish Government has no plan to review the blue badge application process which was last reviewed in 2012 and tested by a number of disability organisations before introduction.

Local authorities are required to undertake a number of checks on every applicant for a blue badge. In cases where a person has previously been issued with a blue badge the local authority must still carry out checks to determine whether the applicant continues to meet the eligibility criteria for a badge and verify the identity of the applicant to reduce the likelihood of fraud. However, in cases where an applicant is assessed as meeting the eligibility criteria and due to the nature of their condition the local authority believes that no improvement over time is likely, the local authority can prescribe that no further assessment of their condition be carried out on future re-application and record this on the blue badge database.

Applicants are required to complete the sections of the application which relate only to their specific circumstances.

Question reference: S5W-02312

Asked by: Angus MacDonald, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 15 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the future of the Edinburgh cleft lip and palate surgical service.

Question reference: S5F-00228

Asked by: Angus MacDonald, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 12 September 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 15 September 2016

To ask the First Minister how the Scottish Government will seek to make land ownership transparent.

Question reference: S5W-02103

Asked by: Angus MacDonald, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 August 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 8 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what advice it has issued to farmers and crofters on treating Mycobacterium Avium subspecies Paratuberculosis.

There is no effective treatment for Mycobacterium Avium subspecies Paratuberculosis, which causes Johne’s disease in individual cattle and other ruminants, however, the Scottish Government provides advice on preventing, controlling and eradicating the disease in herds. That advice is available on the Scottish Government website at: http://www.gov.scot/Topics/farmingrural/Agriculture/animal-welfare/Diseases/disease/johnes.

In 2010 the Scottish Government and the Scottish Funding Council provided £800,000 to a consortium led by the Scottish Agricultural College (now part of SRUC) to develop the Paraban project, a knowledge exchange initiative to improve control of Johne’s disease in Scottish cattle. Following this the Scottish Government provided approximately £84,500 funding via the Scottish Rural Development Programme skills development scheme for the Paraban Reloaded project. This was run by Quality Meat Scotland to provide training and support directly to cattle farmers, to encourage them to review and improve their management of Johne’s disease.

Question reference: S5O-00098

Asked by: Angus MacDonald, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 August 2016
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 7 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Constitution last met MG Alba to discuss funding for Gaelic broadcasting.