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-13264

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 February 2013
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 12 March 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish the First Minister’s speech to EU ambassadors on 12 February 2013.

No, as this was a private meeting between the First Minister and the EU ambassadors.

The Deputy First Minister made it clear that the Scottish Government is committed to continued membership of the European Union in her speech at a European Policy Centre Event in Brussels on 26 February 2013. The text of that speech can be found here:

http://www.scotreferendum.com/2013/02/26/speech-to-european-policy-centre-in-brussels-26-february-2013/.

Question reference: S4W-13263

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 February 2013
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 12 March 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether it (a) sought and (b) received agreement from the Secretary of State for Scotland for his letter to the Deputy First Minister of 15 January 2013 to be published on its referendum blog.

The Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland was informed that the Scottish Government intended to publish the letter before it was released. The substance of the Secretary of State's response had been made available to the media the day before the Government received his letter, and did not accurately represent the Scottish Government’s proposals for preparatory discussions, as my earlier blog post of 0010 and that of 1806 on 15 January explained.

Question reference: S4W-13261

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 February 2013
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 12 March 2013

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-12656 by Nicola Sturgeon on 20 February 2013, which member states have responded to the Deputy First Minister’s letter.

Question reference: S4F-01244

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 11 March 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 14 March 2013

To ask the First Minister what issues will be discussed at the next meeting of the Cabinet.

Question reference: S4W-13398

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 01 March 2013
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 11 March 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to carry out a revaluation of the council tax bands.

Question reference: S4W-13262

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 February 2013
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 11 March 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether it (a) sought and (b) received agreement from the European Commission for Vice-President Šefcovic's letter to the Deputy First Minister of 23 January 2013 to be published on its referendum blog.

Question reference: S4W-13077

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 February 2013
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 8 March 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on concerns noted in the Audit Scotland report, Protecting consumers, regarding a loss of experience and expertise from food safety services due to staff reductions.

The report recommends that Councils work with the FSA in Scotland to develop a workforce strategy, which identifies the staffing levels and skills required to sustain an effective food safety service over the next 5 to 10 years, and take action to address any shortfalls identified.

The FSA will engage with local authorities to address this recommendation either individually or collectively through COSLA as local authorities deem appropriate.

Question reference: S4W-13079

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 February 2013
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 8 March 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how many staff have been employed in local authority food safety services in each of the last five years.

Question reference: S4W-13078

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 February 2013
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 8 March 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to ensure that the (a) staffing levels and (b) skills required to sustain an effective food safety service are in place.

Last week saw the launch of the Scottish Government’s public consultation on its proposals for a single independent public body with responsibility for food safety and standards in Scotland. The important principles in delivering better standards are that advice on food safety, as well as nutrition and labelling, should be independent, evidence based and transparent, and should be provided by an organisation which should remain at arm’s length from central Government.

This consultation on the scope and responsibilities of the new food body is an opportunity for consumers as well as industry to tell us what they think about what the new food body should do, and how food safety and standards should be addressed in Scotland in the future.

Furthermore, the Audit Scotland report “Protecting Consumers” published 31 January 2013, recommends that Councils work with the FSA in Scotland to develop a workforce strategy, which identifies the staffing levels and skills required to sustain an effective food safety service over the next 5 to 10 years, and take action to address any shortfalls identified.

The FSA will engage with local authorities to address this recommendation either individually or collectively through COSLA as local authorities deem appropriate.

Question reference: S4W-13082

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 February 2013
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 8 March 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how many public analysts there are and what local authority areas they cover.

There are currently seven public analysts in Scotland operating from four local authority public analyst laboratories: two each based in Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow and one based in Aberdeen. One public analyst laboratory based in England and appointed by West Lothian Council after competitive tender in April 2012, has seven public analysts.

There are currently four public analyst laboratories in Scotland serving 31 local authorities in Scotland, and one public analyst laboratory in England serving 1 local authority in Scotland. The breakdown per local authority is as follows:

Laboratory

Local Authority

Aberdeen Scientific Services

Aberdeen City

Aberdeenshire

Highland

Moray

Orkney

Dundee Scientific Services

Angus

Clackmannanshire

Dundee City

Falkirk

Fife

Perth and Kinross

Stirling

Edinburgh Scientific Services

City of Edinburgh

East Lothian

Mid Lothian

Scottish Borders

Shetland Islands

South Lanarkshire

Glasgow Scientific Services

Argyll and Bute

Comhairle nan Eilean Siar

Dumfries and Galloway

East Ayrshire

East Dunbartonshire

East Renfrewshire

Glasgow

Inverclyde

North Ayrshire

North Lanarkshire

Renfrewshire

South Ayrshire

West Dunbartonshire

Eurofins*

West Lothian

2009-10	273
2010-11	304
2011-12	259
2012-13	236