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-05590

Asked by: John Mason, MSP for Glasgow Shettleston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 February 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 February 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has made of the economic impact in Scotland of the recent flotation of the Clydesdale Bank.

Question reference: S4O-05550

Asked by: John Mason, MSP for Glasgow Shettleston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 February 2016
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 11 February 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has made of the potential economic impact on Scotland of the Clydesdale Bank being floated on the stock market.

Question reference: S4O-05521

Asked by: John Mason, MSP for Glasgow Shettleston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 January 2016
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 3 February 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what its policy is on unpaid internships that last longer than one month.

We believe that fair work is crucial to delivering inclusive growth. The Scottish Government only offers support to external graduate placement programmes that offer good quality, paid internships. All interns on these programmes are paid at least the Scottish living wage for the work they do and these programmes are currently operating on a conversion rate of between 75 and 80 per cent of placements leading to permanent employment.

Question reference: S4F-03177

Asked by: John Mason, MSP for Glasgow Shettleston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 18 January 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 January 2016

To ask the First Minister what discussions the Scottish Government has had with the UK Government regarding the possible reintroduction of the post-study work visa.

Question reference: S4O-05290

Asked by: John Mason, MSP for Glasgow Shettleston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 January 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 January 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had regarding the homeless hostel, the Bellgrove Hotel.

Question reference: S4O-05198

Asked by: John Mason, MSP for Glasgow Shettleston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 December 2015
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 December 2015

To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers that the three Glasgow colleges each receive a fair share of the region’s resources.

Question reference: S4O-04896

Asked by: John Mason, MSP for Glasgow Shettleston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 November 2015
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 December 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with First Group concerning its proposed closure of the Parkhead bus depot and the potential for redundancies or job transfers.

Question reference: S4W-28362

Asked by: John Mason, MSP for Glasgow Shettleston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 November 2015
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 19 November 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with HM Revenue and Customs regarding when it will be able to set the different rates of income tax band independently of each another, and from what date it expects it will be able to do so.

Question reference: S4W-28363

Asked by: John Mason, MSP for Glasgow Shettleston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 November 2015
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 19 November 2015

To ask the Scottish Government when it expects powers over varying the Scottish rate of income tax to be devolved.

The Scottish rate of income tax will commence in April 2016, under powers devolved in the Scotland Act 2012, and the rate will be proposed in the Draft Budget for 2016-17. It will be for the Scottish Parliament to decide whether to approve the rate proposed. The Scotland Bill currently before the UK Parliament proposes new powers over income tax for the Scottish Parliament to change rates and thresholds. The UK Government has indicated that these new powers could commence in April 2017, once enacted. Before the Scotland Bill can be enacted, a Legislative Consent Motion must be passed by the Scottish Parliament. I have indicated that before Scottish ministers bring forward a legislative consent motion, we must be satisfied that a satisfactory fiscal framework is agreed between the two governments.

Question reference: S4O-04744

Asked by: John Mason, MSP for Glasgow Shettleston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 October 2015
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 4 November 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to setting the Scottish rate of income tax at a higher rate than the rest of the UK.