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 334 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S5W-27463

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 17 February 2020
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Fergus Ewing on 18 February 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to help the beef livestock sector meet its contribution to the Scottish Government's greenhouse gas reduction targets.

The Scottish Government has committed to take action on climate change with legally binding targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It also has committed to contributing towards biodiversity targets. It is important that agricultural businesses are supported to improve their environmental performance, whilst producing quality food for the Scottish Food and Drink Sector.

Specifically for the beef sector, on 12 February 2020, I announced the formation of the Suckler Beef Climate Group. The Group will meet over a short timeframe to examine climate change, environmental and production efficiency aspects of the more intensive suckler beef sector. It is intended that this will be the first of a number of ‘short life’ sectoral groups in farming and food production to provide recommendations on actions the Scottish Government may take to assist the sector in making its contribution to meeting our greenhouse gas emission targets.

This is an industry led Group with members taken from the beef sector in Scotland and the Group will be co-chaired by Jim Walker from the farming industry and John Kerr from the Scottish Government. The Group, which consists of four women and six men from beef farms across Scotland met for the first time on 17 February 2020.

Question reference: S5O-04087

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 January 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 February 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what the impact will be on Dumfries and Galloway Council of the UK Government’s decision to publish its Budget on the same day that local authorities in Scotland must legally set their rates of council tax.

Question reference: S5W-26992

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 January 2020
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 28 January 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how much was spent by each NHS board on child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) in 2018-19, and how this compared with 2006-07, also broken down by the percentage change in expenditure that this represents.

The following table provides the information requested. The figures given have not been adjusted to account for inflation.

Child and Adolescent Mental Health Expenditure (£000) 2006-07 & 2018-19
NHS Board	2006-07	2018-19	Percentage change
NHS Ayrshire & Arran	975	3,734	283.0%
NHS Borders	693	1,066	53.9%
NHS Fife	762	3,212	321.6%
NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde	11,570	17,676	52.8%
NHS Highland	664	2,942	343.1%
NHS Lanarkshire	627	6,121	876.2%
NHS Grampian	1,482	5,837	293.8%
NHS Orkney	17	44	159.5%
NHS Lothian	1,681	13,643	711.6%
NHS Tayside	3,536	7,184	103.2%
NHS Forth Valley	671	3,320	394.7%
NHS Western Isles	0	425	N/A
NHS Dumfries & Galloway	1,109	1,734	56.4%
NHS Shetland	0	309	N/A
Scotland	£23,788	£67,248	182.7%

Source: Scottish Health Service Costs, Report R300, R340, R04LSX, SFR 5.9 and SFR 8.3, ISD Scotland

Question reference: S5F-03921

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 January 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 January 2020

To ask the First Minister whether she will provide an update on the impact of minimum unit pricing of alcohol.

Question reference: S5O-03990

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 January 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 15 January 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what the impact could be on meat products imported to Scotland as part of a future UK trade deal of the reported plans by the US to introduce a system of self-regulation and policing for slaughterhouses.

Question reference: S5W-26851

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 06 January 2020
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Fergus Ewing on 7 January 2020

To ask the Scottish Government when the interim chief executive of South of Scotland Enterprise will be appointed.

I can advise that, following a process to recruit an interim Chief Executive for South of Scotland Enterprise (SOSE) from Scottish Government and its agencies, Nick Halfhide will be appointed. Mr Halfhide is currently Director of Sustainable Growth at Scottish Natural Heritage and will take up the post on 3 February 2020. We expect SOSE to begin the recruitment process for its permanent chief executive in the late summer of 2020 and Mr Halfhide will remain in post until the permanent chief executive is appointed.

Question reference: S5O-03914

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 December 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 December 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on establishing a process that will allow adopted children to have a legal right of emancipation from their adoptive parents.

Question reference: S5O-03853

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 November 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 December 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has regarding levels of puppy trafficking through the port of Cairnryan and how much revenue has been recovered by HMRC from this.

Question reference: S5O-03834

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 November 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what the impact will be on Dumfries and Galloway Council of the delay to the Scottish Budget because of the General Election.

Question reference: S5O-03774

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 November 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether an independent Scotland could allow people whose immigration status is being challenged through a tribunal or court to continue to work, study or volunteer.