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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

Filter your results Hide all filters

Displaying 135 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S4W-11754

Asked by: Graeme Dey, MSP for Angus South, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 December 2012
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 17 December 2012

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to introduce Scots language qualifications so that adult learners can demonstrate to employers that they have achieved a certain level of Scots.

Question reference: S4W-11753

Asked by: Graeme Dey, MSP for Angus South, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 December 2012
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 17 December 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what provisions are made for adults wishing to learn the Scots language.

Question reference: S4O-01606

Asked by: Graeme Dey, MSP for Angus South, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 December 2012
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 12 December 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made under the common agricultural policy reform process on agreeing practical greening measures that could be implemented in Scotland.

Greening continues to be discussed in council and in the European Parliament and considerable progress has been made to get the European Commission’s draft proposals towards a form that could work in Scotland and elsewhere in Europe. However, there is still more to be done before we can be sure that Greening will deliver the environmental benefits that we want whilst not having any unintended consequences in Scotland.

Most recently agriculture ministers have discussed the idea of “equivalence” in October’s council. This is the idea that other measures may be able to substitute for the Commission’s three standard measures. This is potentially an attractive idea but we must also ensure that the other elements of greening are suitable for Scottish farming.

Question reference: S4O-01426

Asked by: Graeme Dey, MSP for Angus South, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 October 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 November 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to realise the potential of peatland restoration for emissions reduction purposes.

Question reference: S4O-01411

Asked by: Graeme Dey, MSP for Angus South, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 October 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 31 October 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to assist small business in Angus.

Question reference: S4O-01320

Asked by: Graeme Dey, MSP for Angus South, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 September 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 September 2012

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met representatives of the World Health Organization.

Question reference: S4O-01256

Asked by: Graeme Dey, MSP for Angus South, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 September 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 September 2012

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to work with local authorities to improve performance in relation to the planning system.

Question reference: S4O-01207

Asked by: Graeme Dey, MSP for Angus South, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 June 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 June 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what it is doing to improve access to public sector contracts for small companies.

Question reference: S4O-01024

Asked by: Graeme Dey, MSP for Angus South, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 May 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 May 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on providing selective dorsal rhizotomy on the NHS.

Question reference: S4W-06568

Asked by: Graeme Dey, MSP for Angus South, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 02 April 2012
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 25 April 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on whether average speed cameras deter speeding.

The only permanent average speed camera system used for enforcement in Scotland is operated by the Strathclyde Safety Camera Partnership on the A77. Surveys conducted during 2005 before the installation of the camera system showed that on average almost 16.5% of all traffic was travelling in excess of the relevant speed limits. This dropped substantially following installation of the system in July of that year, and five years later the there was still a marked reduction in traffic speeds with on average only 6% of traffic exceeding the limits. Average vehicle speeds also reduced by 3% during the same comparative period which in real terms means the average speed of traffic is at least 9 mph below the actual limit where the cameras have been installed.