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: S4O-00628

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 January 2012
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 26 January 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what initiatives are in place to encourage children to read more.

The launch of the Literacy Action Plan on 27 October 2010 heralded our commitment to raising standards of literacy for all, from the early years to adulthood.

We continue to work with our partners to support measures to develop our nation’s literacy and to encourage more reading, with a particular focus on the early and school years. This includes working with the Scottish Book Trust to deliver our Play Talk Read and Book Bug campaigns and we also provide funding to the Scottish Library and Information Council to increase the number of children and young people reading and using public libraries.

Question reference: S4W-04696

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 December 2011
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 12 January 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the UK Government about maritime reconnaissance aircraft provision in Scotland.

In September 2010, the Scottish Government made representations regarding the replacement of the Nimrod MRA4 reconnaissance capability through its response to the UK Government’s Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) in a cross party submission with the main Scottish party leaders. The First Minister also wrote to the Secretary of State for Defence, Liam Fox, to express his concern following the announcement to cancel the Nimrod contract in October 2010.

Question reference: S4W-04695

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 December 2011
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 12 January 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the UK Government about search and rescue helicopter provision in Scotland.

On 28 October 2011, the Minister for Community Safety and Legal Affairs, Ms Cunningham, wrote to the Secretary of State for Transport to outline the current position of the Scottish Government in relation to Search and Rescue Helicopters, to seek reassurance regarding current and future provision in Scotland and to highlight the importance of Scottish Government representation at future discussions. In response, the Scottish Government has been invited to take part in the UK Strategic Committee for Search and Rescue and will attend future meetings to ensure Scotland’s interests are taken into account.

Question reference: S4O-00581

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 January 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 January 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans are in place to allow artworks of national importance to be displayed throughout the country.

Question reference: S4W-04694

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 December 2011
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 4 January 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the UK Government about the venues for military inquests of Scottish soldiers killed in action overseas.

Sections 12 and 50 of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 make provision for a fatal accident inquiry to be held in Scotland into the death abroad of any service personnel domiciled in Scotland. These provisions have not yet been commenced by the Ministry of Justice. Scottish Government officials are in regular contact with the Ministry of Justice regarding the commencement of those provisions.

A protocol is being drawn up between the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Justice for how transfers of responsibility for investigations into deaths of Scottish service personnel will be carried out.

When it becomes possible for such inquiries to be held in Scotland, the court venue will be identified as part of the investigation process by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and in discussion with court authorities. It is expected that the inquiry will be held at a court near to the home of the nearest relatives.

Question reference: S4O-00490

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 December 2011
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 15 December 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive when the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth last met the leader of Aberdeen City Council.

Question reference: S4W-04234

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 November 2011
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 7 December 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding rolling out the 4G network across Scotland.

The Scottish Government most recently held official-level discussions with the UK Government about mobile telecommunications issues on 16 November 2011. The opportunities for Scotland arising from the UK Government’s October announcement of £150 million to improve mobile “not spots” and this initiative’s relationship to 4G deployment were raised in the discussion.

However, the bulk of the Scottish Government’s discussions in relation to 4G has taken place with the regulator Ofcom, which has responsibility for conducting the forthcoming 4G auction and regulating its outcomes. Ofcom consulted on its assessment of likely future competition in mobile markets and proposals for award of the 800MHz and 2.6GHz spectrum bands earlier this year. The Scottish Government’s formal response made clear its view that there is a need to ensure the use of this spectrum facilitates the highest possible coverage for Scotland, particularly in rural areas, and that rural Scotland must benefit from 4G mobile services at an early stage. The Scottish Government’s formal response can be found at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2011/06/14092555/0.

Question reference: S4O-00437

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 November 2011
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 December 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what recent discussions it has had with Aberdeen City Council about improvements to the trunk road network in the north east.

Question reference: S4W-03773

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 November 2011
Current Status: Answered by David Stewart on 16 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what testing was done on the Parliament's new voting system before it became operational.

As part of the evaluation process, prior to contract let, a test environment was set up which allowed testing using sample votes. Post contract let, after installation of the system in the chamber, rigorous acceptance testing was undertaken to demonstrate that the system functioned as specified and that it met stringent performance and reliability criteria. The outcome of the acceptance testing, which included vote tests, was that the system passed and was deemed ready for use.

Question reference: S4W-03776

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 November 2011
Current Status: Answered by Tricia Marwick on 16 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it has discussed changes to Standing Orders to allow for votes to be taken in the event of failure of the electronic voting system.