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-06441

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 26 March 2012
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 29 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider linking non-domestic rate levels for licensed premises to the amount of alcohol sold.

Question reference: S4W-05688

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 February 2012
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 15 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the UK Government has provided funding to help house military personnel who have been made redundant.

Funding by the UK Government is a matter for the UK Government. But to support those who have served in the armed forces to find suitable housing the Scottish Government has:

Published a tailored housing options leaflet: A Scottish housing guide for people leaving the armed forces and ex-service personnel, which provides information on housing options and where to go for further advice and support. The leaflet is available online at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2010/03/24165717/0;

Issued a new practical guide to social housing allocations in March 2011, which strengthens guidance on housing ex-service personnel to help social landlords address their needs to ensure they are not disadvantaged;

Amended Scottish legislation in 2010 to allow homeless ex-service personnel to establish a “local connection” through their service in an area in the same way that others can;

Provided priority access to people in the armed forces or veterans, widows, widowers and other partners of service personnel killed in action to the Scottish Government's Low-Cost Initiative for First Time Buyers (LIFT) shared equity schemes, and

In December 2011, announced funding to Ownership Options to provide a new project to help disabled ex-servicemen and women to access suitable housing. Ownership Options will recruit and train a disabled ex-service person to provide this service helping them to engage more effectively with the veterans’ community.

Question reference: S4W-05689

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 February 2012
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 15 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to issue guidance to local authorities on the allocation of social housing to veterans and those leaving the military.

A practical guide to social housing allocations was published online in March 2011. This aims to help social landlords understand the requirements and the flexibilities they have in allocating their housing. It includes revised guidance on housing ex-service personnel to help social landlords consider and address their needs and ensure they are not disadvantaged. The guide also provides practical examples of approaches being used by landlords to manage housing allocations including in relation to ex-service personnel. The guide is available on the Scottish Government’s website at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Built-Environment/Housing/16342/management/socialhousingaccess/allocations/Guide.

To further support landlords to understand and meet the needs of the armed forces community, additional practice examples of approaches being taken by social landlords to support service personnel will be developed and shared through the guide. Once additional practice examples have been identified, we will remind all social landlords of the importance of addressing the housing needs of our armed forces and veterans’ community and highlight the guidance, additional practice examples as well as the Scottish housing options leaflet for people leaving the armed forces and ex-service personnel.

Question reference: S4W-05690

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 February 2012
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 8 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the UK Government has given any indication of its intention to transfer military housing to local authorities or housing associations.

Question reference: S4W-05691

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 February 2012
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 8 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive how many former military personnel are on each council house waiting list.

Question reference: S4O-00807

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 March 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 15 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average council tax saving has been in Aberdeen since the council tax freeze was introduced.

Question reference: S4W-05705

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 February 2012
Current Status: Answered by Liam McArthur on 5 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it plans to review the audit processes of the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman.

Under the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman Act 2002, the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman is required to keep and prepare accounts in respect of each financial year in accordance with an Accounts Direction from Scottish Ministers. The Ombudsman must send a copy of the annual accounts to the Auditor General for Scotland for auditing.

The audit of accounts is undertaken by Audit Scotland, on behalf of the Auditor General, and the auditors’ responsibility is to audit and express an opinion on the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and international standards on auditing. The SPCB has no plans to review this statutory financial audit process.

Question reference: S4O-00768

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 February 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in securing a Tax Increment Funding pilot for Aberdeen.

Question reference: S4O-00735

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 February 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Aberdeen City Council regarding the business rates incentivisation scheme.

Question reference: S4F-00477

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 February 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 February 2012

To ask the First Minister, given the economic impact, what action the Scottish Government is taking to ensure that competition remains on routes from Scotland to Heathrow airport.