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 505 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S3W-23559

Asked by: Ms Wendy Alexander, MSP for Paisley North, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 May 2009
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 14 May 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive how the planning reform progress and e-planning launch event on 29 April 2009 contributed to the inclusive and sustainable aims of the modernised planning system as set out in the 2005 white paper, Modernising the Planning System.

The Scottish Government is committed to improving the planning system by: strengthening the involvement of communities; speeding up decisions; reflecting local views better, and allowing quicker investment decisions. ePlanning is an integral part of this modernisation and culture change and the event on 29 April provided an opportunity to allow key stakeholders to reflect on the progress being made on planning reform and to promote the e-planning launch.

The ePlanning programme contributes to planning modernisation by:

Reducing bureaucracy via the ePlanning Scotland website which will clearly explain the planning process and guide applicants swiftly through the submission of their application.

Increasing consistency across Scotland by providing a standard set of planning application forms and advice for Scotland on the ePlanning Scotland website.

Being more open and transparent, providing more information with an easily accessible 24x7 service for citizens, agents, consultees and businesses. Users will be able to view plans of proposed developments, understand where applications are in the process and provide comments online.

Being more inclusive allowing more individuals, communities and businesses to engage in the development of their neighbourhoods through increased online interaction in the creation of local plans and processing of applications.

Question reference: S3W-23560

Asked by: Ms Wendy Alexander, MSP for Paisley North, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 May 2009
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 14 May 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive how the interests of local communities and other third parties involved in the planning system were represented at the planning reform progress and e-planning launch event on 29 April 2009.

The Association of Scottish Community Councils and Planning Aid Scotland were invited to represent the interests of local communities. Planning Aid Scotland are a charity who provide training and support and encourage engagement in the planning process.

In addition to local and national park authorities, agencies and developers, invites were sent to professional organisations, planning schools, banks, and other interest groups.

Question reference: S3O-06597

Asked by: Ms Wendy Alexander, MSP for Paisley North, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 April 2009
Current Status: Answered by Adam Ingram on 23 April 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that sufficient resources are allocated for the education of children with additional support needs.

Question reference: S3W-22312

Asked by: Ms Wendy Alexander, MSP for Paisley North, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 March 2009
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 15 April 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-21839 by Kenny MacAskill on 23 March 2009, in what parts of Scotland police have not notified the local licensing boards of reports that they have made to procurators fiscal about offences concerning the sale of alcohol to people under 18.

Question reference: S3W-21839

Asked by: Ms Wendy Alexander, MSP for Paisley North, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2009
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 23 March 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of its previous assurances that all prosecutions for the sale of alcohol to under 18-year-olds are routinely notified to the relevant licensing boards, whether any remedial action has been necessary to ensure that this is happening.

It is standard practice in most parts of Scotland for the police to notify local licensing boards of any reports that they make to the Procurator Fiscal about offences concerning the sale of alcohol to those under 18.

This position will be strengthened when the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 comes into force on 1 September 2009 as it will require all convictions of premises licence holders and personal licence holders for sales to those under 18 to be notified to the relevant licensing board.

Both the court and the licence holder will be required to notify the licensing board of a relevant conviction. The licensing board may then hold a hearing to decide whether further action should be taken.

Question reference: S3O-06290

Asked by: Ms Wendy Alexander, MSP for Paisley North, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 March 2009
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 19 March 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will re-examine the operation of legal aid rules that in practice mean that many mortgage borrowers facing repossession are not eligible for assistance or, where they are eligible, that many lawyers will not assist because they are required to recover fees from clients if successful.

Question reference: S3O-06190

Asked by: Ms Wendy Alexander, MSP for Paisley North, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2009
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 12 March 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will abandon its proposal to lease out a large proportion of Forestry Commission Scotland land, given that 71% of respondents to its consultation opposed the idea.

Question reference: S3W-21004

Asked by: Ms Wendy Alexander, MSP for Paisley North, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 13 February 2009
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 6 March 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list all notified cases of the 078 strain of Clostridium difficile, broken down by hospital.

As at February 2009, there has been 16 isolates of 078 strain of Clostridium difficile reported, detailed in the following table:

Board	No. of Isolates	Relevant Hospitals
Ayrshire and Arran	4	1 “ Crosshouse Hospital, Kilmarnock 1 “ Biggart Hospital, Prestwick 2 “ Community based (from GP samples)
Fife	2	1 - Victoria Hospital, Kirkcaldy 1 - Queen Margaret Hospital, Dunfermline
Grampian	1	1 - Aberdeen Royal Infirmary
Greater Glasgow and Clyde	4	1 - Southern General Hospital 1 - Stobhill Hospital 1 - Victoria Infirmary 1 “ Royal Alexandra Hospital, Paisley
Highland	1	1 - Belford Hospital, Fort William
Lothian	2	1 “ Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh 1 “ Royal Victoria Hospital
Tayside	2	1 “ Ninewells Hospital, Dundee 1 “ Perth Royal Infirmary
Total	16

Question reference: S3W-21080

Asked by: Ms Wendy Alexander, MSP for Paisley North, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 February 2009
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 4 March 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive how many pensioners between the ages of 60 and 74 not in receipt of the guaranteed element of the pension credit have received a central heating system under the central heating programme as a result of their system being (a) broken beyond repair or (b) partial or inefficient since 22 May 2008.

To better target the fuel poor, since 22 May 2008 central heating systems were made available to applicants who fall into the priority groups announced by the Cabinet Secretary on 22 May 2008 and again on 18 October 2008. On 22 May the priority group was those who have never had a central heating system; those who have a system which is broken beyond repair and are aged 80 or over; and those who have a system which is broken beyond repair and are aged 60 to 79 and in receipt of the guarantee element of pension credit.

On 18 October the Cabinet Secretary announced that from 27 October the priority group would be widened to include those who have never had a central heating system; those who have a system which is broken beyond repair and are aged 75 or over; those who have a system which is broken beyond repair and are aged 60 to 74 and in receipt of the guarantee element of pension credit, and those who have a partial or inefficient system and are in receipt of the guarantee element of pension credit or are aged 80 or over.

Applicants aged 60 to 74 and not in receipt of the guarantee element of pension credit are not in a priority group.

Question reference: S3W-20926

Asked by: Ms Wendy Alexander, MSP for Paisley North, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 February 2009
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 4 March 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive how many pensioners who were assessed as eligible but not prioritised have received a central heating system under the central heating programme since 22 May 2009.