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-00867

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 April 2017
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 19 April 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to promote technologies that help tackle climate change.

As set out in the draft Climate Change Plan, the Scottish Government is committed to working with business leaders and others to co-design policies and proposals which maximise commercial, export and job opportunities. For example, our Scottish Energy Efficiency Programme will support thousands of jobs across Scotland, creating a substantial Scottish market and supply chain for energy efficiency and renewable heat services and technologies and related expertise which is transferable to international markets.

Question reference: S5W-08354

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 April 2017
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 19 April 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will ensure that it only procures goods and services from organisations that pay at least the living wage.

The Scottish Government considers the payment of the Living Wage to be a significant indicator of an employer's commitment to fair work practices and that the payment of the Living Wage is one of the clearest ways that an employer can demonstrate that it takes a positive approach to its workforce. As a Government we are, and encourage others to be, a Living Wage Accredited Employer.

We issued statutory guidance Addressing Fair Work Practices, including the Living Wage, in Procurement in October 2015. We have regard to this guidance as early as possible in all procurement processes to ensure that where relevant and proportionate we include a question on fair work practices and evaluate bidders' responses along with other relevant criteria.

Question reference: S5W-08795

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S5W-08056

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 29 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-06985 by Paul Wheelhouse on 13 March 2017, what (a) financial and (b) other support was offered by (i) Scottish Development International, (ii) Scottish Enterprise and (iii) other public bodies to help prevent the closure of the Greggs bakery in Loanhead.

Scottish Enterprise and Scottish Development International provided information on the types of public sector support, including financial support, SE Account Management, and Scottish Manufacturing Advisory Service engagement, that could potentially be made available both to safeguard jobs at the Loanhead bakery and to assist with the development of a Centre of Excellence at Cambuslang. Whilst Greggs welcomed the information provided, they did not ultimately take this forward despite attempts to engage with the company to progress the offer of support in the second half of 2016.

However, I note that building work has commenced on upgrading Clydesmill to a Centre of Excellence for sweet bakes production and will be complete within the next few months. The upgrading process will take up to two years based on a phased approach as different bakeries begin making the other products made at Clydesmill.

Question reference: S5W-08058

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 29 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-06985 by Paul Wheelhouse on 13 March 2017, what (a) financial and (b) other support was (i) offered and (ii) provided to Greggs plc from (A) Scottish Development International, (B) Scottish Enterprise and (C) other public bodies to assist the company with its plans for a centre of excellence at the Clydesmill bakery in Cambuslang.

Question reference: S5W-08227

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 17 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 29 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what meetings it has had with the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) since the EU referendum; what was discussed, and whether it will publish any notes or minutes of the meetings.

Question reference: S5W-08237

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 17 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 29 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish any minutes or notes of meetings with officials or representatives from the EU, including consuls, ambassadors and other representatives of EU member states, since the EU referendum.

To maintain trust and credibility with foreign governments, we will not as a matter of course, proactively publish any minutes or notes of meetings with officials or representatives from the EU or other European Member States. We do retrospectively publish a list of Ministerial engagements on the Scottish Government website. The Scottish Government will however continue to update Parliament as appropriate on key European developments.

Question reference: S5W-08232

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 17 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 24 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what meetings ministers have had with assessors regarding the revaluation of non domestic rates, and what the outcome was of these meetings.

Question reference: S5W-08234

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 17 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 24 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what the average time taken has been to make decisions on appeals from householders regarding council tax banding rates in each of the last five years.

Question reference: S5W-08235

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 17 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 24 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many appeals against non domestic rates valuations there have been in each of the last five years, and what percentage of these were upheld.

The Scottish Government publishes regular analysis on the progress and results of revaluation appeals following the 2010 Revaluation. The latest publication, which can be found at: http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Local-Government-Finance/NDR-Rates-Relief, shows that to date for the 2010 revaluation cycle, 67,026 properties have appealed their valuation and 66,664 of these have been resolved (99%) resulting in a total reduction in Rateable Value of £240 million.

Data on what proportion of appeals were successful is not held by the Scottish Government.