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-18840

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 December 2013
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 20 December 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what assistance local authorities can seek from the (a) Coal Authority and (b) Department of Energy and Climate Change when taking forward restoration projects at former opencast coal sites.

The UK Government’s Department of Energy and Climate Change and the Coal Authority and local authorities are represented on the Scottish Coal Industry Taskforce chaired by Mr Ewing, Energy Minister and local authorities are of course free to consult either of these bodies in the preparation of their restoration plans.

The UK Coal Authority collects royalties of £0.17 from each tonne of coal extracted under licence in the UK. In Scotland this has amounted to £15 million (since 1995).

Mr Ewing has written to the UK Energy Minister Mr Fallon to ask that this money be used to help fund the legacy of unrestored open cast coal sites in Scotland.

Question reference: S4W-18838

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 December 2013
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 19 December 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide additional guidance to planning authorities on securing the restoration of opencast mining sites and, if so, whether it has discussed this with (a) planning authorities and (b) the reporters unit.

The Scottish Government’s current consultation, Opencast Coal Restoration: Effective Regulation invites views on revisions to planning policy and advice including Planning Advice Note 64: Reclamation of Surface Mineral Workings. The consultation is open until 27 February 2014. The matter has been discussed with planning authorities represented on the Scottish Coal Task Force’s Restoration Bonds Working Group. There was no specific requirement to discuss the consultation with the reporters unit. All responses to the consultation will be taken into account.

Question reference: S4W-18836

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 December 2013
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 19 December 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to ensure that local authorities have access to expert advice when considering applications for opencast coal developments.

This is primarily a matter for planning authorities. However, the Scottish Government’s current consultation Opencast Coal Restoration: Effective Regulation, invites views on capacity building and skills within planning authorities. The consultation is open until 27 February 2014. The Scottish Mines Restoration Trust has also been set up to offer advice and expertise to assist councils in the facilitation of plans for site restoration.

Question reference: S4W-18837

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 December 2013
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 19 December 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the reported comment by the Scottish Opencast Communities Alliance that local authorities should be allowed to introduce fees for monitoring and enforcing planning consents.

In 2010, a consultation on Resourcing a High Quality Planning System sought views on the introduction of fees for monitoring and enforcing planning conditions. Responses on this were mixed, and so the proposal was not included in the changes to the fees regulations in 2012. Planning fees increase in April 2013. Planning authorities customarily secure funding for opencast monitoring and compliance officers from operators through legal agreements.

Question reference: S4O-02736

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 December 2013
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Burgess on 18 December 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting the building of new affordable housing in Edinburgh.

Question reference: S4F-01739

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 02 December 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 December 2013

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation report, Coping with the cuts? Local government and poorer communities.

Question reference: S4O-02596

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 November 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 November 2013

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met the board of Edinburgh College.

Question reference: S4O-02524

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 October 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 31 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to introduce a scheme for local authorities similar to the City Deal programme in England.

Question reference: S4O-02464

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 September 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what priority it attaches to community policing.

Question reference: S4O-02325

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 August 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 September 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how much its pledge to maintain the so-called triple lock for pensions will cost.