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-02581

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 12 September 2011
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 21 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidelines there are to assist police forces in enforcing The Environmental Protection (Restriction on Use of Lead Shot) (Scotland) (No. 2) Regulations 2004.

Guidelines on these controls are set out in Protecting Waterfowl from Lead in Wetlands – A Practical Guide to the Lead Shot Regulations in Scotland published jointly by the then Scottish Executive, Scottish Natural Heritage and the British Association of Shooting and Conservation. A link to the guidance follows:

http://www.basc.org.uk/en/utilities/document-summary.cfm/docid/D5C9615C-C762-40F1-8AD9E3509B0B46E2.

Question reference: S4W-02647

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 12 September 2011
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 21 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason charities created after 1999 cannot receive a water rates exemption.

The Water Services Charges Exemption Scheme was set up as a temporary measure in 2002 to help small organisations that had received relief from water charges on 31 March 1999 make the transition to paying for them. The scheme was subsequently extended and is paid for by other water customers.

Scottish ministers have written to Scottish Water asking them to review the scheme in collaboration with key stakeholders such as the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations with the aim of devising a new scheme that could run from the next regulatory period in 2015.

Question reference: S4W-02580

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 12 September 2011
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 21 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how it monitors compliance with The Environmental Protection (Restriction on Use of Lead Shot) (Scotland) (No. 2) Regulations 2004.

Question reference: S4W-02648

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 12 September 2011
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 21 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to review the criteria for charities’ exemption from water rates.

Question reference: S4W-02585

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 12 September 2011
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 21 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the Food and Environment Research Agency’s recent report, Review of evidence concerning the contamination of wildlife and the environment arising from the use of lead ammunition, suggesting that there is a threat to terrestrial wildlife from the use of lead ammunition in sporting firearms.

The Food and Environment Research Agency’s recent report, Review of evidence concerning the contamination of wildlife and the environment arising from the use of lead ammunition, looks at the position in England where the ban on the use of lead shot in wildfowling is implemented in a different way. In Scotland the ban is based on a prohibition of shooting on or over wetlands with lead shot whereas controls in England are species related.

Question reference: S4W-02650

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 September 2011
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 21 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how many prosecutions there have been under the Children (Performances) Regulations 1968 in each of the last five years.

Question reference: S4O-00178

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 September 2011
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review the eligibility criteria for exemptions from the payment of water rates.

Question reference: S4W-02285

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 19 August 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 6 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to introduce legislation to increase protection for owners of park homes.

Question reference: S4W-02054

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 August 2011
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 30 August 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether section 37(3) of the Children and Young Persons Act 1963 applies in Scotland.

Question reference: S4W-02057

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 August 2011
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 30 August 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to issue new guidance to local authorities and amateur groups regarding the use of Body of Persons Approvals under the Children and Young Persons Act 1963 and the Children (Performances) Regulations 1968.

The Scottish Government intends to engage with local authorities and other relevant organisations in order to explore what action might be necessary to refine the suite of safeguards currently in place for children participating in performances. Recent developments elsewhere in the UK, including the publication of guidance regarding the use of “body of persons” approvals, will be considered as part of this activity.