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: S4O-02213

Asked by: Fiona McLeod, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 May 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 June 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what mechanisms are available to the Forestry Commission Scotland for the support of social enterprises.

Question reference: S4O-02104

Asked by: Fiona McLeod, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 May 2013
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 9 May 2013

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the impact on jobs and communities, what input it has into consultations on Post Office closures.

Question reference: S4O-02133

Asked by: Fiona McLeod, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 May 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 May 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what procedures are in place for funeral directors to attain and retain their accreditation.

Question reference: S4O-01973

Asked by: Fiona McLeod, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 March 2013
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 March 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what its plans are for Book Week Scotland 2013, following the successful launch of Book Week Scotland in 2012.

Question reference: S4O-01939

Asked by: Fiona McLeod, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 March 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 March 2013

To ask the Scottish Government when the Scotland route of the Queen's Baton Relay will be announced.

Question reference: S4O-01784

Asked by: Fiona McLeod, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 January 2013
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 6 February 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what support will be available for people who want to volunteer at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

The games offer a fantastic opportunity for people from all over Scotland to volunteer.

To encourage a wide range of people to apply for this opportunity, we have taken a number of practical steps to provide support for people who wish to volunteer.

The organising committee has created a drop-in centre where potential volunteers can gain advice and assistance. A contact centre is also available to provide advice by both telephone and email to those who are based further afield.

We also recognise that some people may need additional assistance to overcome practical and financial barriers to volunteering. To help tackle this, the Scottish Government has teamed up with the BIG Lottery Fund and the organising committee to develop the Legacy 2014 Volunteer Support Programme. This £500,000 programme was announced in January and is expected to open in autumn 2013.

Question reference: S4O-01767

Asked by: Fiona McLeod, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 January 2013
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 31 January 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what guidelines Education Scotland provides for local authorities regarding informal consultations on school closures.

Education Scotland does not provide guidelines or advice to local authorities regarding informal consultations on school closures.

Informal consultation on school closure proposals is not required by law and is undertaken by local authorities at their own discretion to inform the decision making process. Its outcome has no formal bearing on the process required by legislation

For formal consultations under the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010 the Scottish Government provides statutory guidance to local authorities on its website.

A local authority must provide an Educational Benefits Statement when formally proposing a school closure and the 2010 Act places a statutory requirement for Education Scotland to provide an independent report on the educational aspects of any closure proposal.

Question reference: S4O-01732

Asked by: Fiona McLeod, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 January 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 January 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what transport options are available for care home patients who are discharged from accident and emergency departments at night and what guidance is given to NHS boards regarding this.

Question reference: S4W-11827

Asked by: Fiona McLeod, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 December 2012
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Burgess on 15 January 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with the housebuilding sector on how to increase the supply of private sector housing for older people.

The housebuilding industry body Homes for Scotland is represented on the working group established to support development of Age, Home and Community: A Strategy for Housing for Scotland's Older People: 2012 - 2021, published in December 2011, and its subsequent delivery.

Ministers and officials meet regularly with Homes for Scotland and other representatives of the housebuilding industry to discuss a range of issues of relevance to housing supply.

Question reference: S4W-11828

Asked by: Fiona McLeod, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 December 2012
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Burgess on 15 January 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it provides to local authorities regarding the provision of affordable housing as part of new specialist housing developments for older people.