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-12994

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 February 2013
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 21 February 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what the average single bus fare is and how this compares with 2006-07.

Question reference: S4O-01841

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 February 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 February 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how it supports students wanting to go into postgraduate education.

Question reference: S4O-01783

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 January 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 February 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that patients requiring radiotherapy after surgery receive it as soon as possible.

Question reference: S4O-01748

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 January 2013
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 30 January 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to involve communities in the decision-making process in relation to new special protection areas required under EU directives.

The Statutory Nature Conservation Bodies use the UK Special Protection Area selection guidelines to identify the most suitable territories for the bird species that are covered by the provisions of the EU Wild Birds Directive. Once suitable locations have been identified Ministers will ensure that communities and authorities are engaged in discussions on the future management implications before a formal public consultation and classification process is undertaken.

Question reference: S4W-12235

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 14 January 2013
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 25 January 2013

To ask the Scottish Government when Protected Geographical Indicator status for Stornoway black pudding is expected to be granted.

Protected Geographical Indicator status (PGI) for Stornoway Black Pudding is expected to be granted around the end of January/mid February 2013. The EU wide consultation ended on 15 December following which the Commission will start making arrangements for the name to be added to the register of EU protected food names. Due to the administrative procedures including translation in the EU community languages this takes a further 6-8 weeks before publication of the registered name in the EU Official Journal.

Question reference: S4W-12160

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 January 2013
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 23 January 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how many of the 180 jobs referred to on page 84 of the Scottish Spending Review 2011 and Draft Budget 2012-13 Gamesa has created at its offshore wind technology centre at Strathclyde Business Park.

In June 2011, Gamesa announced it would create up to 180 jobs as part of a new offshore wind technology centre. This project was supported by a £1.5 million regional selective assistance (RSA) grant from Scottish Enterprise.

All job numbers associated with RSA grants are the company’s forecast figures and are subject to change depending on future economic conditions and other factors affecting the businesses concerned. Payment of RSA is made in instalments, typically over several years during the lifetime of a project and only when job and capital expenditure targets are met.

As this is an on-going project, we cannot release details of job numbers associated it as it could impact on the company's commercial operations.

Question reference: S4W-12161

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 January 2013
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 23 January 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how many of the planned 200 jobs referred to on page 84 of the Scottish Spending Review 2011 and Draft Budget 2012-13 Mitsubishi Power Systems Europe Ltd has created.

Question reference: S4W-12159

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 January 2013
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 23 January 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether Gamesa has created the 300 jobs referred to on page 84 of the Scottish Spending Review 2011 and Draft Budget 2012-13.

Question reference: S4W-12162

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 January 2013
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 23 January 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether Amazon has created (a) 750 permanent new jobs and (b) a further 1,500 temporary jobs during the peak Christmas period at its fulfilment centre at Dunfermline as announced in the Scottish Government news release of 15 November 2011, Amazon opens in Fife.

This project was supported by a £1.4 million regional selective assistance (RSA) grant from Scottish Enterprise.

All job numbers associated with RSA grants are the company's forecast figures, and are subject to change depending on future economic conditions and other factors affecting the businesses concerned. Payment of RSA is made in instalments, typically over several years during the lifetime of a project and only when job and capital expenditure targets are met.

As this is an ongoing project, we cannot release details of associated job numbers, as this could impact on the company's commercial operations.

Figures covering temporary jobs during the Christmas period are currently being collated by Amazon and an announcement on these jobs numbers will be made in the next couple of weeks.

Question reference: S4W-12158

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 January 2013
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 23 January 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether Doosan Power Systems has created up to 1,700 jobs through its offshore wind plans, as referred to on page 84 of the Scottish Spending Review 2011 and Draft Budget 2012-13.

Doosan Power Systems plans for investing in Scotland’s offshore wind market changed in mid-December 2011. With that, the company decided not to press forward with its 10 year plan to invest £170 million in Scottish wind power, which had the potential to create 1,700 jobs. The company cited the overall economic conditions and liquidity issues in Europe as the reason for its decision. However, Doosan Power Systems remains a major employer in Scotland with over 1,200 staff and the company continues to be committed to its Scottish operations.