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: S5O-00825

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 23 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on airport expansion.

We fully support the ambition of Scotland’s airports to increase the number of services to international and domestic destinations in order to support economic growth by improving connectivity for business and facilitating increased inbound tourism.

The expansion of services and Scotland’s airports needs to strike a balance between the benefits that an airport and new services bring in terms of economic growth and employment, whilst mitigating the impact on local communities and more widely. We have made our view clear on numerous occasions that we expect local communities to be fully consulted on any plans to expand activity at airports.

Question reference: S5W-08101

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 22 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government when it will next review what is included in home reports.

Question reference: S5W-08104

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 22 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what advice it offers to homeowners who find asbestos in buildings that wasn't identified in the home report.

The property questionnaire which a seller completes as part of the home report asks for information if the seller is aware of the presence of asbestos in the house. However, a seller may be unaware of the presence of asbestos. UK Health and Safety Executive’s advice is that asbestos is not usually a danger to householders if it is sealed and undisturbed, but any work done on parts containing asbestos should be done by a properly qualified professional. We advise home owners to contact their local authority, where the Environmental Health Team will be able to provide information about professional services for work involving asbestos.

Question reference: S5W-08103

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 22 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered or will consider including an asbestos survey in home reports.

The Scottish Government has no plans to review what is included within Home Reports. The Home Report includes a single survey and energy report, which are completed by a member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, and a property questionnaire, which is completed by the seller.

When completing the single survey, the chartered surveyor is not acting as a licensed asbestos inspector and is not considered an expert in that field. The single survey is a non-invasive survey and the surveyor will assume that no harmful or hazardous materials or techniques have been used in the construction. A chartered surveyor may however highlight the possibility of asbestos in their report in the interests of best practice but there is no legal obligation for them to do so.

There is also specific provision within the property questionnaire for the seller to provide information if he or she is aware of the presence of asbestos in the house.

Question reference: S5W-07998

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 13 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 22 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what funding it will provide to West Lothian Council to repair any damages to minor roads arising from the closure of the A71.

The Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 places the statutory responsibility for local roads improvement, maintenance and repair with local roads authorities. It is the responsibility of each local authority to allocate the total financial resources available to it on the basis of local needs and priorities having first fulfilled its statutory obligations and the jointly agreed set of national and local priorities, including the Scottish Government's key strategic objectives.

With regards to the closure of A71, although under no statutory obligation to do so, Networ Rail carried out de-vegetation works on the diversionary routes and plan to carry out road safety improvement works at a total cost of £48,500. West Lothian Council officials have requested that these improvements are delayed until after the road closure is removed.

Network Rail and West Lothian Council will also re-survey the diversionary routes covered by the pre-commencement survey and any required reinstatement will be jointly agreed between the Council and Network Rail.

Question reference: S5W-07818

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 22 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many times since May 2007 (a) the First Minister, (b) each (i) cabinet secretary, (ii) minister and (iii) special adviser and (c) its officials (A) has been in contact or (B) have been contacted by Andrew Wilson or Charlotte Street Partners, and for what reason.

Question reference: S5W-07799

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 21 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how the closure of the University of Edinburgh’s undergraduate primary school teacher education course will affect teacher recruitment in (a) the central belt and (b) eastern Scotland.

It is not expected that the closure of Edinburgh’s undergraduate primary teacher education course will have an impact on recruitment in the central belt or Eastern Scotland as the university will still be offering primary teacher education at postgraduate level. In addition other universities will be offering additional places for primary teaching students and once qualified they will be available to take up teaching posts throughout Scotland.

Question reference: S5W-07728

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 06 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 20 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will allow mesh procedures (a) that have no proven benefit and (b) where the risks are believed to outweigh the benefits to be carried out after the Independent Review of Transvaginal Mesh Implants reports.

Question reference: S5W-07727

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 06 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 20 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will allow (a) transobturator mesh tape and (b) prolapse mesh procedures to be used after the Independent Review of Transvaginal Mesh Implants reports.

Question reference: S5W-07926

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 20 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-06201 by Aileen Campbell on 7 March 2017, what account it took of the impact of the £15.3 million reduction in the drug and alcohol budget for 2016-17 when setting the budget allocation for 2017-18.