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-12256

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 January 2013
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 28 January 2013

To ask the Scottish Government which of the recommendations from chapter (a) 2, (b) 3, (c) 4 and (d) 5 of Independent Budget Review: The Report of Scotland's Independent Budget Review Panel have been implemented.

The Independent Budget Review (IBR) report sets out a menu of options for delivering public services within a significantly constrained public expenditure environment. Following the publication of the report, the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth led a programme of consultation meetings across Scotland. Discussions also took place with key stakeholders including Community Planning Partnerships and business organisations and the views of the general public were sought at open meetings and through a web-based consultation.

On the back of this engagement, Ministers have driven forward a programme of reform incorporating many of the recommendations of the IBR and has delivered balanced Scottish Budgets in each of the three years since it was published, through a balanced approach of rigorous efficiency, pay restraint, reform of public services and an innovative approach to infrastructure investment.

Question reference: S4F-01141

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 21 January 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 January 2013

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

Question reference: S4W-12103

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 07 January 2013
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 17 January 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has provided a definition of Scottish values to the Expert Working Group on Welfare.

Scottish Ministers have set out their vision on welfare in an independent Scotland in Your Scotland, Your Voice and in Working for Scotland: The Government’s Programme for Scotland 2012-13. Opportunities for debate on the principles and values that should underpin welfare in an independent Scotland will be created through a programme of wider stakeholder engagement.

We established the Expert Working Group on Welfare to review and provide assurance on work being undertaken by the Scottish Government on the cost of benefit payments in an independent Scotland and the delivery of those payments in an independent Scotland. The group will seek to acquire further information from the UK Government as appropriate.

The group will also offer views on what aspects of the UK Government’s current reforms to working-age benefits should be an immediate priority for change in an independent Scotland.

The full remit of the group and other information on appointments, meetings, expenses and members can be accessed at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/People/welfarereform/EXPERTWORKINGGROUPONWELFARE. The conclusions of the group will be submitted to Scottish Ministers in May 2013 and will be published shortly thereafter.

Question reference: S4W-12102

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 07 January 2013
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 17 January 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it gave to appointing (a) women and (b) people with incomes in the lower five deciles of Scottish incomes to the Expert Working Group on Welfare.

Question reference: S4W-12106

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 07 January 2013
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 17 January 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what statistical evidence it used to construct the definition of Scottish values to be used by the Expert Working Group on Welfare.

Question reference: S4W-12109

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 07 January 2013
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 17 January 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish the letters of appointment issued to the members of the Expert Working Group on Welfare.

Question reference: S4W-12111

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 07 January 2013
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 17 January 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Expert Working Group on Welfare has been asked to consider which elements of the Welfare Reform Act 2012 should be reversed.

Question reference: S4W-12110

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 07 January 2013
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 17 January 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Expert Working Group on Welfare has been asked to use the welfare system in place prior to May 2010 as a baseline.

Question reference: S4W-12101

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 07 January 2013
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 17 January 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how many people it has invited to join the Expert Working Group on Welfare and what proportion (a) was women and (b) has an income in the lower five deciles of Scottish incomes.

Question reference: S4W-12112

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 07 January 2013
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 17 January 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Expert Working Group on Welfare has been asked to recommend which elements of the £2.5 billion in reductions referred to in its news release of 6 January 2012, A welfare system for Scotland, should be reversed.