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-05210

Asked by: Joan McAlpine, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 14 December 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of recent comments by the Secretary of State for Scotland, whether it has had any notification of a further transfer of powers to the Scottish Parliament following Brexit.

The Scottish Government has not received any notification from the UK Government regarding a further transfer of powers to the Scottish Parliament. Leaving the EU will however fundamentally change the nature of the United Kingdom’s constitution, and the implications for Scottish devolution will need to be carefully considered.

Regarding the process for repatriating EU competencies, there can be no attempt to reserve current devolved powers, and we therefore welcome the Secretary of State for Scotland’s assurance that “whatever the circumstances, no powers will be re-reserved to Westminster.” Beyond this lies the need for substantial further devolution, to ensure that current protections provided by EU law, in areas such as employment, can be continued , should the Scottish Parliament choose.

Question reference: S5W-05014

Asked by: Joan McAlpine, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 November 2016
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 25 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what information it can provide regarding the First Minister’s visit to Iceland in October 2016.

The First Minister visited Reykjavik in Iceland from 6-8 October to participate in the Arctic Circle Assembly at the invitation of former Icelandic President Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson.

The First Minister gave a keynote speech at the Assembly, which was attended by around 2000 delegates from Arctic Circle countries and the wider international community. In her speech the First Minister highlighted Scotland’s achievements in tackling climate change and its commitment to international cooperation on Arctic issues. She also announced £1m of funding for the Capacity Building Initiative for Transparency.

Other plenary speakers included the Premier of Quebec, the US Special Representative for the Arctic, and the Swiss Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, all of whom the First Minister had the opportunity to meet on the margins of the conference. The First Minister also had a bilateral meeting with the Finnish Minister for Foreign Affairs to discuss the outcome of the EU Referendum and emphasise the importance the Scottish Government places on working to protect Scotland’s relationship with the EU.

The First Minister spoke at the launch event of the Prospect North exhibition, which was displayed for the duration of the conference. The immersive exhibition, created by Scottish architecture and design firms and supported by the Scottish Government, examined Scotland’s position in the northern region and how design and technology can play a role in shaping the future of communities across the Arctic and beyond.

This was the subject of a break-out session at the Assembly which was chaired by the Scottish Government’s Chief Architect and involved participants from a wide range of countries. The Chief Scientific Adviser for Rural Affairs and the Environment also attended and chaired a break-out session on international Arctic science research.

Outwith the Assembly the First Minister participated in a number of engagements to strengthen the relationship between Scotland and Iceland, including meetings with the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister to discuss existing links, explore opportunities for future collaboration and to explain Scotland’s position following the EU referendum. She also attended a dinner hosted by the President of Iceland, along with Icelandic party leaders and academics.

To promote trade and investment links, the First Minister addressed a reception at the UK Ambassador’s residence, attended by Icelandic business leaders and the Icelandic Tourism Minister. There she witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Visit Scotland and the Icelandic Tourism Agency on exchanging best practice and information in areas of strategic benefit to both organisations; a prime example of the positive existing collaboration between Scotland and Iceland.

The First Minister, along with representatives of Scottish Development International also visited Össur, the Icelandic company which recently acquired Touch Bionics, based in Livingston, to discuss their investment in Scotland and their future plans.

Overall the visit served to deepen diplomatic ties with Iceland and countries represented at the Assembly; promote trade and investment links; showcase Scotland’s expertise in areas such as climate change, research, and architecture and design; and communicate to a large international audience Scotland’s ambitions to work with international partners and play a positive role in the world.

More information about the Assembly and a video of the First Minister’s speech can be found at: http://www.arcticcircle.org/assemblies/2016

Question reference: S5O-00405

Asked by: Joan McAlpine, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 November 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the reported sharp rise in social care charges for disabled people under 65 in Dumfries and Galloway, and whether it considers this a consequence of COSLA recommending an applicable income allowance of £132 per week.

Question reference: S5O-00364

Asked by: Joan McAlpine, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 17 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what measures are in place to prevent local authorities from overcharging disabled people for care services.

Local authorities have the ability to make charges for care services provided, but those charges must not be more than the cost of providing the service. In addition, local authorities are able to waive or reduce charges for social care, according to individual circumstances, taking into account financial hardship.

COSLA's Charging Guidance sets out the framework under which local authorities should charge for social care services.

Question reference: S5O-00277

Asked by: Joan McAlpine, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 2 November 2016

To ask the Scottish whether it will provide an update on female employment and unemployment figures.

The latest official statistics, sourced from the Labour Force Survey and published by the Office for National Statistics on the 19 of October 2016 for June-August 2016 show that, Scotland continues to outperform the UK on female employment and unemployment rates; with an employment rate of 70.5 per cent, compared to 69.7 per cent in the UK, and an unemployment rate of 4.1 per cent compared to 4.9 per cent in the UK.

Question reference: S5W-03434

Asked by: Joan McAlpine, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 03 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 31 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government which local authorities have changed their recycling services to comply with the Waste (Scotland) Regulations 2012, also broken down by how much they received from Zero Waste Scotland to roll out these changes.

Information on which local authorities have changed their recycling services since the introduction of the Waste (Scotland) Regulations 2012 is not held centrally. It is for local authorities to satisfy themselves that they have met their statutory duties.

Local authorities have received funding from Zero Waste Scotland to support implementation of food waste and kerbside collection services.

The following table indicates the level of funding awarded since 2011 to each council in this respect.

LOCAL AUTHORITY	FUNDING (£)
Aberdeen	1,429,517
Aberdeenshire	1,590,467
Angus	203,367
Clackmannanshire	347,831
Dumfries & Galloway	1,653,283
Dundee	213,791
East Ayrshire	1,006,675
East Dunbartonshire	806,673
East Lothian	221,840
City of Edinburgh	2,477,961
Falkirk	776,280
Fife	556,645
Glasgow	3,243,470
Highland	957,541
Inverclyde	685,000
Midlothian	537,816
North Ayrshire	886,370
North Lanarkshire	1,400,000
Renfrewshire	1,733,383
Scottish Borders	113,583
South Ayrshire	1,031,269
South Lanarkshire	708,649
Stirling	268,000
West Dunbartonshire	370,060
West Lothian	1,084,462
TOTAL	24,303,933

In addition, the Scottish Household Recycling Charter sets out a consistent approach to delivering the requirements of the Regulations. To date 19 Councils have voluntarily signed the Charter and it is expected that these Councils will outline their transition plans over the coming months.

Question reference: S5F-00374

Asked by: Joan McAlpine, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 October 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 October 2016

To ask the First Minister whether she will provide an update on discussions with the UK Government on protecting Scotland’s position within the EU.

Question reference: S5O-00262

Asked by: Joan McAlpine, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 October 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making on implementing the recommendations of the report, Chronic pain services in Scotland: Where are we now?.

Question reference: S5O-00209

Asked by: Joan McAlpine, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 29 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking as a result of the recent transport summit in Dumfries and Galloway.

We published a report on the 19 September 2016 which detailed 13 actions which cover a range of short, medium and longer term measures, the first of which is a traffic study for the villages of Crocketford and Springholm on the A75.

We have also committed to review that National Transport Strategy and the Strategic Transport Projects Review which together, will provide a blueprint for transport in Scotland for the 21^st Century.

Question reference: S5O-00237

Asked by: Joan McAlpine, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 September 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what impact leaving the EU and the Single Market could have on Scotland's red meat exports.