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: S3W-24899

Asked by: Helen Eadie, MSP for Dunfermline East, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 June 2009
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 2 July 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has produced guidance for local authorities on the desirability of establishing mother and baby fun swimming classes.

The Scottish Government has not issued any guidance to local authorities on this matter.

However, promoted alongside the national Learn to Swim programme, Scottish Swimming offers a Adult and Child Swimming programme. This resource offers a valuable water-based experience to children aged around six months and over with their adult helpers.

It is for individual local authorities to determine whether or not to adopt programmes of this nature and how they should be implemented according to local needs and priorities.

Question reference: S3W-24887

Asked by: Helen Eadie, MSP for Dunfermline East, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 June 2009
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 30 June 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive how many swimming pools there are per head of population.

Question reference: S3W-24891

Asked by: Helen Eadie, MSP for Dunfermline East, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 June 2009
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 30 June 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken, separate from local authorities, to build world-class swimming pools in the next two years.

Question reference: S3W-24894

Asked by: Helen Eadie, MSP for Dunfermline East, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 June 2009
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 22 June 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what capital budget the Scottish Swimming Healthy Living Manager has.

Question reference: S3W-24895

Asked by: Helen Eadie, MSP for Dunfermline East, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 June 2009
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 22 June 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what schemes the Scottish Swimming Healthy Living Manager has developed to ensure that as many people as possible start to swim.

The work of the Scottish Swimming Healthy Living Manager falls into two areas:

Targeting those who are inactive through swimming/aquatics programmes;

Targeting those who already swim but who could be encouraged to do more or to maintain their involvement.

The managers are supporting interested local authorities in developing a tailored programme, building on existing initiatives.

Examples so far include:

Glasgow (free/discounted swimming lessons at Gorbals Leisure Centre for pre-schoolers; aquatics programme with former prostitutes who live in a hostel nearby);

Fife (work with young mums and their children in adult and child swimming sessions; older adults swimming programme);

Western Isles (GP referral scheme within Well North programme, which includes swimming lessons, aquafit, and swim/gym);

East Lothian (aqua splash programme in two secondary schools);

Dumfries and Galloway (primary school swimming entitlement).

Question reference: S3W-24893

Asked by: Helen Eadie, MSP for Dunfermline East, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 June 2009
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 19 June 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what revenue budget the Scottish Swimming Healthy Living Manager has.

The Scottish Swimming Healthy Living Manager has access to a small revenue budget of £20,000 through Kellogg''s Swim Active.

The point is to build on existing activity. The Healthy Living Managers will work closely with the Scottish Swimming management team, local authorities and key partners to lead the implementation of:

A discounted lesson scheme and other initiatives for driving participation;

A sustainable framework for monitoring swimming participation and progress against specific targets;

A marketing strategy to build awareness of swimming as both a healthy and accessible activity for all.

Question reference: S3W-24892

Asked by: Helen Eadie, MSP for Dunfermline East, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 June 2009
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 19 June 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive how long the Scottish Swimming Healthy Living Manager post has been occupied.

Question reference: S3O-07429

Asked by: Helen Eadie, MSP for Dunfermline East, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 June 2009
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 18 June 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive when it last attended a Council of Ministers meeting.

Question reference: S3W-24665

Asked by: Helen Eadie, MSP for Dunfermline East, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 June 2009
Current Status: Awaiting answer

To ask the Scottish Executive when it last attended a Council of Ministers meeting.

Question reference: S3O-07101

Asked by: Helen Eadie, MSP for Dunfermline East, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 May 2009
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 28 May 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what evidence it has of any adverse financial impact on individuals and couples arising from problems in relation to missives for new-build properties.

Both MSPs and members of the public have highlighted a number of financial difficulties that people are experiencing when purchasing new homes. (These include having to sell their existing property in a much less favourable market than would previously have been the case, and having to buy a home at a pre-arranged price which is in excess of the current market value.)

Scottish Government officials have raised these issues with Homes for Scotland, as part of our regular programme of engagement with the industry. The Scottish Government has also provided input into the Office of Fair Trading Report on home-building. The Report concluded that homebuyers need more protection when buying a new home and called for consumer protection issues to be addressed through a new code of conduct developed by the home building industry. We are pressing for a quick and effective implementation of the new code. If this fails, there should be immediate further intervention in the form of a statutory redress mechanism. As consumer protection is generally reserved to the UK Government, we would work closely with them on this issue.