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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

Filter your results Hide all filters

Displaying 552 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S2W-07287

Asked by: Tricia Marwick, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 29 March 2004
Current Status: Answered by Peter Peacock on 27 April 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make a public commitment to comply fully with its obligations under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages.

Question reference: S2W-07283

Asked by: Tricia Marwick, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 29 March 2004
Current Status: Answered by Peter Peacock on 27 April 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will take account of the report and recommendations of the Council of Europe in respect of the United Kingdom's application of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages during the final drafting of its Gaelic Language Bill.

In the final drafting of theGaelic Language Bill, the Scottish Executive will take account of the wide range of discussions andrecommendations. This will include the responses to public consultation, the discussionsheld between ministers and Gaelic interest groups, the advice of Bòrd na Gàidhligand the report and recommendations of the Committee of Experts on the Council ofEurope’s Charter for Regional or Minority Languages.

Question reference: S2W-07284

Asked by: Tricia Marwick, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 29 March 2004
Current Status: Answered by Peter Peacock on 27 April 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive what specific actions it is taking to ensure that it complies “as a matter of priority”, as requested by the Council of Europe, with the recommendations made by the council in respect of the United Kingdom's application of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages.

The recommendations from theCouncil of Europe report that fall to the Scottish Executive relate to the availabilityof Gaelic education; the monitoring and reporting on Gaelic education; the provisionof guidance to those working in Gaelic education and the administration of Gaelic,and the use of Scots in public life.

The Council of Europe’s committeeof experts collected evidence as long ago as January 2003. The Executive is addressingits recommendations through its support for Gaelic education, the exercise of thepowers available to ministers under the Standards in Scotland’s Schools Act etc.2000, the activity of Her Majesty’s Inspector of Education and its work to takeforward its commitments to the two partnership agreements of a Gaelic language actand a languages strategy to guide the development of Scotland’s languages.

Question reference: S2W-06976

Asked by: Tricia Marwick, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 March 2004
Current Status: Answered by Patricia Ferguson on 14 April 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive what additional financial resources will be allocated to the Executive by Her Majesty's Government to implement in Scotland the provisions of UK legislation that have been the subject of Sewel motions in the Scottish Parliament during this session, broken down by Bill.

Question reference: S2W-06975

Asked by: Tricia Marwick, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 March 2004
Current Status: Answered by Patricia Ferguson on 14 April 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive what the expected costs will be to it of implementing the provisions of UK legislation that have been the subject of Sewel motions in the Scottish Parliament during this session, broken down by Bill.

Question reference: S2W-06961

Asked by: Tricia Marwick, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 15 March 2004
Current Status: Answered by Patricia Ferguson on 14 April 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive what additional financial resources were made available by Her Majesty's Government to the Executive to implement in Scotland the provisions of UK legislation that were the subject of Sewel motions in the Scottish Parliament, broken down by Act.

Question reference: S2W-06960

Asked by: Tricia Marwick, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 15 March 2004
Current Status: Answered by Patricia Ferguson on 14 April 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive what the costs were to it of implementing in Scotland the provisions of UK legislation that were the subject of Sewel motions in the Scottish Parliament, broken down by Act.

The information is notavailable in the form requested.

Information on the financialimplications of devolved provisions in UK legislation has on each occasion been included withinthe Sewel memorandum that the Scottish Executive has provided to the relevantCommittee of the Scottish Parliament since September 2003. This supplementsinformation on the overall financial implications that is included within the explanatorynotes that Her Majesty’s Government provides with UKlegislation that it introduces at Westminster.

Additional financialresources would not normally be made available by Her Majesty’s Government tomeet the financial implications of devolved provisions in UK legislation,as responsibility for devolved matters rests with the Scottish Executive and Scottish Parliament.

Question reference: S2W-06945

Asked by: Tricia Marwick, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 March 2004
Current Status: Answered by Andy Kerr on 7 April 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive what the purpose was of the reception held on the evening of 11 March 2004 at Bute House; whether it was a private function; whether any of the public areas of Bute House were used for the reception, and whether the cost of catering was met from public funds.

Question reference: S2W-06948

Asked by: Tricia Marwick, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 15 March 2004
Current Status: Answered by Andy Kerr on 7 April 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive how many receptions and functions hosted by the First Minister have been held at locations other than Bute House since 1 May 2003, detailing the date on which such function was held, the location of each function, who attended and what the cost was of hire of the facilities and the catering.

A list of the officialreceptions and functions hosted by Ministers at Scottish locations other thanBute House since 1 May 2003 is provided below. Some of the events were not a call on Scottish Executive funds. The totalcost to date to the Scottish Executive is £52,094.

No central records are keptof attendance at functions.

Official functions hosted byScottish Executive Ministers at Scottish venues other than Bute House:

Date Occasionand Venue

12 June Reception -International Hepatitis C Conference

Edinburgh Castle

1 July Dinner -400th Anniversary of the Union of the Crowns

Royal Museum

6 Sept Reception- Boys’ Brigade UK Council Annual Meeting

Tulliallan Castle

8 Sept Dinner: 9thWorld Route Development Forum

Palace of Holyroodhouse

6 Oct Reception- Police Heroes

Edinburgh Castle

27 Oct Reception- 15th Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers

28 Oct Dinner -15th Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers

Royal Museum

4 Nov Reception- MTV Awards

Edinburgh Castle

7 Nov Reception- Atlantic Treaty Assembly

Edinburgh Castle

14 Nov CharityDinner - Children in Scotland

Edinburgh Castle

30 Nov StAndrew’s Day Address

Royal Scottish Academy ofMusic and Drama

22 Jan Reception- Scottish Executive Lothian Lecture

Royal College ofPhysicians

22 Jan Dinner - Centenaryof Entente Cordiale

Edinburgh Castle

9 March Reception -Children’s Panel Members

Edinburgh Castle

16 March Reception -25th Anniversary of the National

YouthOrchestras of Scotland

Edinburgh Castle

18 March Reception -Marshall Scholars

Edinburgh Castle.

Question reference: S2W-06944

Asked by: Tricia Marwick, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 15 March 2004
Current Status: Answered by Andy Kerr on 7 April 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive how many private functions or receptions have been held at Bute House since 1 May 2003 and on what dates.