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-11826

Asked by: Fiona McLeod, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 December 2012
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 9 January 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what funding is available for start-up training providers.

Business Gateway is the key delivery channel offering a first point of contact for all publicly funded advice to potential start-up, early stage and established businesses in Scotland. Responsibility for its delivery was transferred to local authorities as part of the 2007 enterprise network reforms, recognising their key role in growing local economies, supporting local businesses and ensuring good integration with other local authority services.

Once established, training providers can bid on an annual basis to Skills Development Scotland (SDS) to deliver national training programmes. SDS is obliged to adhere to the procurement policy guidance provided by the Scottish Government’s Scottish Procurement Commercial Directorate (SPCD) when commissioning.

Question reference: S4W-11657

Asked by: Fiona McLeod, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 December 2012
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 12 December 2012

To ask the Scottish Government whether the transfer of a child to a more expensive nursery can be facilitated by a parental top-up.

Question reference: S4W-10129

Asked by: Fiona McLeod, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 08 October 2012
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 1 November 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what rehabilitation treatment is available for people with facial palsy.

Question reference: S4W-10128

Asked by: Fiona McLeod, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 08 October 2012
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 30 October 2012

To ask the Scottish Government how many people there are in Scotland with facial palsy.

Question reference: S4W-09745

Asked by: Fiona McLeod, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 September 2012
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 2 October 2012

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) public and (b) school libraries provide wi-fi access for users.

<>Information provided on the Scotland’s Information website shows that 28 local authorities provide wi-fi in approximately 185 public libraries in Scotland. Locations of wi-fi enabled library services can be checked on www.scotlandsinformation.com.

Provision of wi-fi in schools, including school libraries, is the responsibility of individual local authorities. Whilst the Scottish Government does not hold details of this provision, it does encourage positive approaches to access and use of new technologies, including w-fi, in schools for the benefit of learning and teaching.

Question reference: S4W-09746

Asked by: Fiona McLeod, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 September 2012
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 28 September 2012

To ask the Scottish Government how many colleges in Glasgow offer courses in hard landscaping.

Question reference: S4W-09242

Asked by: Fiona McLeod, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 August 2012
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Burgess on 14 September 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to encourage private sector development of specialist housing for older people.

Age, Home and Community: A Strategy for Housing for Scotland’s Older People: 2012 – 2021, published in December 2011, sets the policy direction for housing and housing-related support for older people in Scotland, to enable them to live independently in their own homes for as long as possible. It identifies five main outcomes that should be achieved for older people’s housing. One of these is that investment in new housing provision of all types and tenures should meet the future needs of older people.

Local authorities continue to have responsibility for assessing the need for housing of all types and tenures and related support services for their local populations, including older people. These needs should be reflected in their Local Housing Strategies to inform future investment in housing and related services in their areas.

Question reference: S4W-09243

Asked by: Fiona McLeod, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 August 2012
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Burgess on 14 September 2012

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to redefine affordable housing to include adapted housing for older people.

Accessible housing for older people and other groups with particular needs is funded through the Affordable Housing programme. Funding decisions are based on the priorities of local authorities as identified in their Housing Need and Demand Assessments, Local Housing Strategies and Strategic Housing Investment Plans.

Funding is also provided to support the adaptation of existing housing to meet the needs of older people and disabled people.

Question reference: S4O-01251

Asked by: Fiona McLeod, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 September 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 September 2012

To ask the Scottish Government how it will use the budget to address the reductions in the block grant from the UK Government.

Question reference: S4O-01117

Asked by: Fiona McLeod, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 May 2012
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 7 June 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what start-up support is available for tourism-related social enterprises.