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: S4O-01756

Asked by: Angus MacDonald, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 January 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 January 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to ensure that combating wildlife crime is a priority for the Police Service of Scotland.

Question reference: S4W-11932

Asked by: Angus MacDonald, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 December 2012
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 22 January 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on ship-to-ship oil transfers.

This is a matter of considerable public interest in Scotland. The Scottish Government recognises that ship-to-ship transfer of oil as cargo is an internationally recognised practice that is important to the shipping industry and has an excellent safety record in UK waters but we remain vigilant to the need to ensure the highest standards of protection for our marine environment.

Scottish Ministers have previously requested devolution of the Secretary of State’s powers to control, by regulations, the ship-to-ship transfer of oil as cargo in Scottish waters. We continue to believe there is a very valid case for Scottish Ministers to have a clearly defined role in the consenting process for any programmes of ship-to-ship transfers in waters adjacent to Scotland given the Scottish Government’s responsibility for environment protection in Scotland.

Question reference: S4W-11929

Asked by: Angus MacDonald, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 December 2012
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 18 January 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what recent progress has been made in developing a dryport in Central Scotland to allow sustainable urban distribution of goods and the shift of goods from road to rail and water.

<>The South East of Scotland Transport Partnership and the Transport Research Institute were the Scottish partners in an EU funded initiative to study the role dryports can play in maximising the capacity and efficiency of sea ports, whilst also shifting traffic from road and onto rail or inland waterways. This three year project is now concluded and a report was published in June 2012. A link to the dryport webpage is http://www.dryport.org/.

The development of a dryport in Central Scotland would be driven by the commercial sector. We are unaware of any intention by the logistics sector to build a dryport at the current time.

Question reference: S4W-12176

Asked by: Angus MacDonald, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 January 2013
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 16 January 2013

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-09951 by Keith Brown on 24 October 2012, whether it has received a report and recommendation regarding the proposed Rosyth international container terminal from the Directorate for Planning and Environmental Appeals and, if not, when it expects to.

Question reference: S4O-01693

Asked by: Angus MacDonald, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 January 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 January 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what recent progress has been made in introducing the EU 1+2 model of language teaching.

Question reference: S4W-11930

Asked by: Angus MacDonald, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 December 2012
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 21 December 2012

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider giving supermarkets that contribute toward business improvement districts dispensation from the public health levy.

Question reference: S4O-01627

Asked by: Angus MacDonald, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 December 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 December 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made in rolling out the Childsmile service to schools and nurseries in the NHS Forth Valley area.

Question reference: S4W-11556

Asked by: Angus MacDonald, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 November 2012
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 11 December 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what representations it has made to the UK Government regarding border inspections in Scotland for products of animal origin from countries outwith the European Union.

The Scottish Government is a signatory to a Service Level Agreement that sets out working arrangements across Great Britain for complying with European Union legislation governing the import of products of animal origin. The other signatories are the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; the United Kingdom Border Agency; Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs; the Food Standards Agency; the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency; and the Welsh Government. The Service Level Agreement includes provision for regular meetings of the signatories to discuss matters of mutual concern.

Question reference: S4W-11376

Asked by: Angus MacDonald, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 November 2012
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 3 December 2012

To ask the Scottish Government whether local authorities will be asked to include a social enterprise adviser as part of the Business Gateway service.

Delivery of the business gateway service locally, is the legal responsibility of local authorities. New contractual arrangements for the delivery of that service came into effect on 1 October 2012 which will deliver a nationally consistent universal service supporting start-ups businesses and growth businesses, with scope for local discretion responding to particular needs and opportunities. Last year, the business gateway helped over 11,000 businesses to start up.

The just enterprise programme, a £3 million business support contract (2011-14) provides start up support, business development support, and learning services to social entrepreneurs and enterprising third sector organisations across Scotland. To date just enterprise has provided support to 1600 enterprising third sector organisations.

Just enterprise complements the economic development infrastructures in Scotland – Scottish enterprise, Highlands and Islands enterprise, business gateway and third sector interfaces. This ensures that services are not duplicated and that organisations are referred to that part of the support infrastructure that can support them best. We also support the social enterprise academy a social business that designs and delivers leadership and enterprise development for people and organisations working for social purpose across Scotland. Its core function and principal business activities are the delivery of accredited learning and development programmes, focusing on three specialist areas: leadership, enterprise and social impact.

Question reference: S4O-01558

Asked by: Angus MacDonald, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 November 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 December 2012

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met Falkirk Council and what matters were discussed.