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-27059

Asked by: Alex Fergusson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 August 2015
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 9 September 2015

To ask the Scottish Government when it will respond to the legal basis for claims of harm against the Scottish Government set out by agricultural tenants affected by the Salvesen v Riddell judgement.

Question reference: S4W-26745

Asked by: Alex Fergusson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 July 2015
Current Status: Answered by Aileen McLeod on 5 August 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to (a) monitor and (b) prevent the spread of giant hogweed.

The Scottish Government does not monitor giant hogweed, however the distribution of the plant is recorded. The Botanical Society of the British Isles periodically publishes a complete atlas of plant distribution, based on records gathered by volunteers. Records of giant hogweed are also collated and made available on the National Biodiversity Network and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) is developing a tool on Scotland’s environment website that will use that data to show changes in the distribution of invasive species over time.

Control of any non-native plant is the responsibility of the owner of the land on which it is growing. Transport and utility companies control invasive plants as part of their annual maintenance regime on land that they own or manage. They operate extensive networks and often rely on others to report the presence of invasive plants to them. Most local authorities control giant hogweed on land that they own or manage, such as parks, playing fields, footpaths and road verges. Some encourage the public to report sightings to them. Local authorities also have powers to take action on private land where giant hogweed is a risk to the public or harms amenity. Farmers can receive Scottish Rural Development Programme payments for controlling giant hogweed.

Sustainable control however, requires coordinated action across entire river catchments and in some areas giant hogweed is actively controlled as part of a formal programme. In rural areas this is usually led by a local fisheries trust as part of efforts to restore river bank vegetation, with local authorities or countryside trusts sometimes involved. The Rivers and Fisheries Trust Invasive Species and Biosecurity Programme was the first initiative to coordinate invasive plant control over a large geographic area with biosecurity plans prepared by 23 of the local fisheries trusts covering 90% of Scotland. Giant hogweed is absent or very rare in 10 of these areas, and any occurrence is dealt with swiftly. Coordinated control programmes have been initiated in 10 out of the 13 local fisheries trust areas where giant hogweed is widespread. In some areas, such the Tweed, populations have already been reduced to very low levels. In others, control is at an early stage and concentrated on the upper parts of the catchment. The projects have been supported by the SEPA Restoration Fund, Scottish Natural Heritage, European Union funding and various local funders.

Question reference: S4O-04434

Asked by: Alex Fergusson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 June 2015
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 June 2015

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will reconsider its decision to discontinue core funding for the Neurological Alliance of Scotland.

Question reference: S4O-04345

Asked by: Alex Fergusson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 May 2015
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 May 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to address skills shortages in key industries of economic growth.

Question reference: S4O-04307

Asked by: Alex Fergusson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 May 2015
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 13 May 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is taking to improve literacy standards in primary schools.

Question reference: S4O-04292

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S4F-02762

Asked by: Alex Fergusson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 April 2015
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 April 2015

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's position is on reports of issues relating to the new single application form IT system.

Question reference: S4O-04249

Asked by: Alex Fergusson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 April 2015
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 April 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with NHS Dumfries and Galloway regarding future GP provision.

Question reference: S4O-04193

Asked by: Alex Fergusson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 March 2015
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 April 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to help regenerate the economy of Dumfries and Galloway.

Question reference: S4O-04181

Asked by: Alex Fergusson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 March 2015
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 March 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take following the publication in March 2014 of research into tail injuries to working dogs that it commissioned from the University of Glasgow.