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: S4W-16910

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 30 August 2013
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 5 September 2013

To ask the Scottish Government which elements of Dumfries and Galloway Council’s claim under the Bellwin Scheme to cover additional expenditure incurred by the snowstorms of March 2013 were deemed ineligible for assistance because they were not (a) incurred as a result of providing relief or carrying out works to safeguard life or property or prevent suffering or severe inconvenience, (b) of a revenue nature, (c) net of any receivable income from other sources, (d) of an uninsurable nature and (e) incurred within a two month period from the date of the incident and what the total financial value was of these elements.

Dumfries and Galloway’s claim under the Bellwin scheme following the severe winter weather in late March 2013 was submitted in two parts. The second part of the claim amounted to over £794,000 for repairing the damage caused to the roads by the severe snow storms. This part of the claim was ruled out because the expenditure was to be incurred outwith the two month period following the incident. The council, in submitting the claim accepted that this part of the claim was outwith the two month period.

This left the first part of the claim which amounted to almost £965,000 of which around £650,000 was in respect of the immediate snow clearing and providing an emergency response following the incident. Unfortunately, this did not breach the council’s published Bellwin threshold of £679,994 that they are expected to budget for (0.2% of their net revenue budget) to cope with emergency situations. The remainder of the first part of the claim (almost £315,000) was in respect of work on drainage, fencing, dyking, hedging, resurfacing, surface dressing and verge repair, none of which would fall under the eligible costs of the scheme as it was not work to safeguard life or property in the immediate aftermath of an emergency situation.

Question reference: S4W-16774

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 19 August 2013
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Burgess on 4 September 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what information it will issue to residents of park homes regarding the changes to their rights arising from the Mobile Homes Act 1983 (Amendment of Schedule1) (Scotland) Order 2013.

We have produced a leaflet giving permanent park home residents information about their new and existing rights and responsibilities. This is being distributed to all affected residents and sites for which we have addresses. We are also writing to site owners and local authorities, and have contacted relevant advice organisations to make them aware of the changes. In addition the leaflet is available on the Scottish Government website at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2013/08/9282.

Question reference: S4W-16462

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 July 2013
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 23 August 2013

To ask the Scottish Government who the independent expert group on opiate replacement therapies has consulted.

Question reference: S4W-16461

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 July 2013
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 23 August 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether, as stated on the Scottish Drugs Strategy Delivery Commission website, the independent expert group on opiate replacement therapies made recommendations to it in Spring 2013 and, if so, whether these were made available to the Parliament and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

Question reference: S4W-16463

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 July 2013
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 23 August 2013

To ask the Scottish Government when the recommendations of the independent expert group on opiate replacement therapies will be made available to the Parliament.

The report of the independent expert group on opioid replacement therapies was published on 22 August 2013. Notification of the publication was sent to the Scottish Parliament’s Justice and Health committees, the Cross Party Group on Drug and Alcohol Misuse and the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe).

The report is available on the Scottish Government website:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2013/08/9760.

Question reference: S4W-16459

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 July 2013
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 23 August 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how many meetings of the independent expert group on opiate replacement therapies have taken place.

Question reference: S4W-16460

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 July 2013
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 23 August 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether ministers have had meetings with the independent expert group on opiate replacement therapies to discuss progress on evidence gathering.

The Minister for Community Safety and Legal Affairs had no meetings with the independent expert group on opioid replacement therapies to discuss progress on evidence gathering. However, the minister met with the researchers for the group, as a stakeholder, to provide information to the group as part of their evidence gathering process. The Minister was also kept informed of the group’s progress during the course of the evidence gathering.

The report of the independent expert group is available on the Scottish Government website: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2013/08/9760.

Question reference: S4W-16233

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 July 2013
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 9 August 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will issue a public consultation on extending the powers of the Scottish SPCA to investigate wildlife crime and, if so, when.

Question reference: S4W-16027

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 July 2013
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 22 July 2013

To ask the Scottish Government when it last discussed its fares policy with community groups who use Northern Isles ferry services.

In preparation for the tendering of the 2012-18 Northern Isles ferry services contract, in June 2010, the Scottish Government launched a detailed consultation on all aspects of the Northern Isles ferry services. The views of ferry service users and other stakeholders were sought on a broad range of issues including timetabling, routes and ports and also fares. As part of that consultation exercise, a number of public meetings were held with communities in the Northern Isles.

The consultation elicited over 400 responses from individuals and organisations whose comments were fully considered and influenced the final form of the tendered service specification.

In addition, Ministers and Transport Scotland officials regularly meet with local ferry users in the Northern Isles to discuss a range of policy and operational issues.

Question reference: S4W-16025

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 July 2013
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 22 July 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of the concessionary fare schemes available to (a) pensioners, (b) students and (c) school pupils in (i) 2006-07, (ii) 2007-08, (iii) 2008-09, (iv) 2009-10, (v) 2010-11 and (vi) 2011-12 on Northern Isles ferry services.

The previous Northern Isles ferry services contract operated from 2006 to 2012. While few concessions were specified in the contract, during that period the following fare concessions operated:

Islander discount a 30% discount on passenger and car fares for island residents.

National Concessions a 25% concession to senior citizens, disabled passengers and those in full-time education.

Schools and Community low season passenger fare discount all year round together with 25% discount on cabin accommodation.

Sponsorship programme for local community groups.

Blind Persons Concession: a 100% fare discount for blind people.