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: S5W-13413

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 December 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 3 January 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of services each year on the Borders Railway have arrived at each stop on time.

The Scottish Government does not hold information on the percentage of services each year on the Borders Railway that have arrived at each stop on time.

Performance in the railway system in Great Britain is measured using the Public-Performance Measure (PPM), which counts all trains planned to run, which run and arrive within five minutes of their scheduled arrival time.

ScotRail provides Transport Scotland with performance information by Sector Group and these are monitored against the specified benchmarks contained in the Franchise Agreement.

Question reference: S5W-13417

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 December 2017
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 22 December 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the proposal by the SQA to phase out hand-written exams.

Question reference: S5W-13422

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 December 2017
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 22 December 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce obesity levels among children.

The Scottish Government wants all children and their families to eat healthily, have a healthy weight and enjoy the same healthy life expectancy no matter where they live. We recognise there is no simple solution and are presently consulting on a bold new diet and obesity strategy. This proposes a package of measures to improve the food environment and improve children’s diet including limiting the promotion of products high in fat, sugar and salt and tackling advertising. The consultation on A Healthier Future - Action and Ambitions on Diet, Activity and Healthy Weight' runs until 31 January 2018.

Through the Curriculum for Excellence, every school pupil is entitled to learn about food and health, not just practical cooking skills but also nutrition, hygiene and making choices alongside the influence of advertising. We are also supporting children to eat a healthy balanced diet throughout their school day including free school meals for Primary 1-3. Between 2015-19 we are investing £50 million in Active Schools.

Question reference: S5W-13420

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 December 2017
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 21 December 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in response to reports that there is an infestation of bed bugs in the Govanhill area of Glasgow.

Question reference: S5W-13423

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 December 2017
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 21 December 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the article in The Scotsman on 8 December 2017, which suggests that the number of crimes involving hunting dogs has more than doubled in the last year.

The source of the statistic provided by The Scotsman article in question is the Scottish Government's 2016 Annual Report on Wildlife Crime in Scotland which is available via the following web link: http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2017/12/7653.

Hare coursing, an offence covered by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and the Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Act 2002, accounted for 38 of the 44 offences involving hunting with dogs in 2015/16. A significant element of the increase in this crime is attributable to greater awareness of the offence and improved reporting of suspicious activity.

Police Scotland recognises hare coursing as a Wildlife Crime Priority (noting that it is often linked with other types of rural crime) and is considering ways to further address it in 2018. Anyone witnessing suspicious activity should report it to Police Scotland by dialling 101 or 999 if a crime is in progress.

Question reference: S5W-13431

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 December 2017
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 21 December 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what main environmental impacts of the A9 dualling project between Killiecrankie and Glen Garry were recorded in the recent assessment by Jacobs.

The Environmental Statement for the A9 Dualling Killiecrankie to Glen Garry project was published on 28 November 2017. This provides full details of the environmental impacts, mitigation and residual impacts associated with the project. It is publicly available and can be viewed on the Transport Scotland website at https://www.transport.gov.scot/projects/a9-dualling-perth-to-inverness/a9-killiecrankie-to-glen-garry/

Question reference: S5W-13579

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S5W-13577

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S5W-13424

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 December 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 20 December 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what the total annual salary of nurses has been in each year since 2006-07.

Nurses are on the Agenda for Change pay system which matches staff to a series of pay bands according to their job description. There are nursing staff from Band 2 to Band 9, depending on their level of responsibility, with qualified nurses starting at Band 5. Pay scales for NHS Scotland staff are published each year and become Annex 3(S) of the Scottish Agenda for Change Terms and Conditions Handbook. An archive of historic pay rates going back to 2004 is set out in Annex 2(S). The Handbook can be found on-line at - www.msg.scot.nhs.uk/pay/agenda-for-change.

Question reference: S5W-13418

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 December 2017
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 20 December 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the compulsory teaching of LGBT issues in schools to help tackle bullying.

We published guidance on relationships, sexual health and parenthood (RSHP) education in 2014 and the LGBTI Inclusive Education Working Group are currently looking at what else can be done to improve the delivery of LGBTI inclusive RSHP education. Scotland does not have a statutory curriculum, learning is tailored to meet the needs of individual children and young people.

The Scottish Government published Respect for All: The National Approach to Anti-bullying for Scotland's Children and Young People on 15 November 2017 which provides guidance to schools on tackling prejudice-based bullying.