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: S4W-02132

Asked by: Mark McDonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 August 2011
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 13 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance is issued to local authorities on the management of Japanese knotweed in their programmes of grounds maintenance.

The Scottish Executive has not specifically issued guidance to local authorities on the management of Japanese knotweed.

There is a wide range of information and advice readily available online regarding the management and disposal of Japanese knotweed.

The Scottish Environmental Protection Agency are responsible for regulating waste. They have produced a Technical Guidance Note: On-site management of Japanese Knotweed and associated contaminated soils. http://www.sepa.org.uk/waste/waste_regulation/guidance__position_statements.aspx.

Information for operators on the management and disposal of Japanese knotweed can be found at: http://www.bgateway.com/bdotg/action/layer?site=202&topicId=1086726920.

The Invasive Non-Native Species Scottish Working Group co-ordinates policy and action by public-sector bodies in Scotland to the environmental, social and economic challenges presented by invasive non-native species. A representative from COSLA sits on the Scottish Working Group.

Question reference: S4O-00170

Asked by: Mark McDonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 September 2011
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 15 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how much it will cost to provide non-domiciled UK students with free university education.

Question reference: S4W-02130

Asked by: Mark McDonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 August 2011
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 5 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive to what obligations owners of land are subject in order to prevent the spread of Japanese knotweed.

Japanese knotweed is listed on Part II of Schedule 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, which makes it an offence (under Section 14 of that act) for any person to plant or otherwise cause it to grow in the wild.

Japanese knotweed and the soil containing particles of the plants or their rhizomes, once removed, is regarded as controlled waste for the purposes of Part II of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. Controlled waste must be disposed of in accordance with Section 33 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

Question reference: S4W-02131

Asked by: Mark McDonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 August 2011
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 5 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what penalties can be applied for a failure by an owner of land to control the spread of Japanese knotweed.

Japanese knotweed is listed on Part II of Schedule 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, which makes it an offence (under Section 14 of that Act) for any person to plant or otherwise cause it to grow in the wild. The offence is punishable in most cases by a fine of up to £10,000 or 12 months imprisonment.

A failure to prevent the spread of Japanese knotweed will generally not be an offence. However, a landowner who does not control the spread of Japanese knotweed might in some circumstances incur civil liability to his or her neighbours.

Japanese knotweed and the soil containing particles of the species or their rhizomes, once removed, is regarded as controlled waste for the purposes of Part II of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. Controlled waste must be disposed of in accordance with Section 33 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

Section 33 of the Environmental Protection Act states that it is an offence to deposit, treat, keep or dispose of controlled waste without a licence. The offence is punishable in most cases by a fine of up to £50,000 and/or 12 months imprisonment.

Question reference: S4O-00112

Asked by: Mark McDonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 August 2011
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will seek international investment to support the dairy sector.

Question reference: S4W-01424

Asked by: Mark McDonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 June 2011
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 1 August 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) planned and (b) unplanned home births there were in each NHS board area in each year since 1999

Question reference: S4W-01473

Asked by: Mark McDonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 04 July 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 27 July 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what authority is responsible for licensing and regulating the sale of alcohol on trains.

The 2005 Licensing (Scotland) Act governs the sale of alcohol in Scotland including on trains. Railway vehicles engaged on journeys are exempt from the requirement for a premises licence under the Act, although they do have to comply with certain other requirements of the Act, such as not allowing the sale of alcohol to young people.

In addition, National Railway Byelaws create offences in relation to intoxication. It is for the British Transport Police and the Courts to enforce the law on trains.

Question reference: S4W-01425

Asked by: Mark McDonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 June 2011
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 25 July 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance is offered to NHS boards regarding the provision of support for women who suffer still-birth or miscarriage.

The Refreshed Framework for Maternity Care was launched in January 2011 to ensure that maternity services maximise their contribution to ensuring the best possible health outcomes for mother and baby. Care should be individualised to a woman’s needs and women with complex health and social care needs should receive additional support.

The Framework outlines the services we expect to be in place for women and babies. We expect NHS Boards to plan services to suit the needs of their local population in line with this and ensure that care is person centred, safe and effective. We expect all women who experience complications in early pregnancy to have access to an early pregnancy assessment service and that Boards offer women who miscarry, a range of care options.

Guidance has also been provided to accompany the framework to support NHS Boards in improving their capacity to reach and manage women and babies in high risk groups and reduce antenatal health inequalities.

In addition, a small short life Stillbirth Sub-Group of the Maternity Services Action Group met for the first time in February 2011 and will consider, as part of its role and remit, issues pertinent to stillbirth, including support, improvements in bereavement care and research. Membership of the Group includes NHS Boards, Royal Colleges, the charity SANDS, Healthcare Improvement Scotland and others. Papers from the Group will be placed on the Maternity Services website www.maternityservices.scot.nhs.uk.

Question reference: S4W-01426

Asked by: Mark McDonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 June 2011
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 25 July 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive when the provision of support for women who suffer still-birth or miscarriage was last reviewed and whether there are any plans to conduct a review in the future.

A small short-life Stillbirth Sub-Group of the Maternity Services Action Group met for the first time in February 2011 and will consider as part of its role and remit, issues pertinent to stillbirth, including support, improvements in bereavement care and research. Membership of the Group includes NHS Boards, Royal Colleges, the charity SANDS, Healthcare Improvement Scotland and others. Papers from the Group will be placed on the Maternity Services website www.maternityservices.scot.nhs.uk.

The Refreshed Framework for Maternity Care in Scotland, which was launched in January 2011, outlines the services which are expected to be in place for women and babies. NHS Boards are expected to plan services to suit the needs of their local population in line with this and ensure that care is person centred, safe and effective. All women who experience complications in early pregnancy should have access to an early pregnancy assessment service and Boards should offer women who miscarry, a range of care options.

Question reference: S4W-00613

Asked by: Mark McDonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 June 2011
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 16 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how many children under the age of 16 have been registered as a carer for an adult relative in each local authority area in each year since 1999.

There is no formal register of young carers.

The 2001 Census identified 16,701 children and young people in Scotland who were providing unpaid care. However young carers are sometimes difficult to identify and other studies suggest that there could be between 80,000 and 115,000 young carers in Scotland.

The Scottish Government is introducing a classification of “young carers” into the 2012 school census, which will report on the numbers of young carers who have been identified in schools. This will help raise awareness of young carers, resulting in more being identified and supported.