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-10707

Asked by: Alex Johnstone, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 November 2012
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 9 November 2012

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) summary and (b) solemn criminal trials at sheriff courts were called but adjourned for lack of court time in 2011.

Question reference: S4W-10716

Asked by: Alex Johnstone, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 November 2012
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 9 November 2012

To ask the Scottish Government how many civil debates at sheriff courts were called but adjourned for lack of court time in 2011.

Question reference: S4T-00066

Asked by: Alex Johnstone, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 01 October 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 October 2012

To ask the Scottish Government when its proposed smart travel card scheme will be able to provide integrated public transport ticketing throughout Scotland.

Question reference: S4W-09625

Asked by: Alex Johnstone, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 September 2012
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 21 September 2012

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that sportscotland is withholding funding from it, what action it is taking to avoid redundancies at the Scottish Gymnastics Association.

My understanding is that the Scottish Gymnastics Association has issued redundancy notices to seven of its sport development and high performance staff. In order to safeguard these posts, sportscotland has stepped in and will pay these staff members directly on exactly the same terms and conditions until the overall funding position is resolved. Sportscotland is able to do this as it currently manages the Scottish Gymnastics Association payroll function. These staff will remain as employees of the Scottish Gymnastics Association.

Question reference: S4W-09387

Asked by: Alex Johnstone, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 September 2012
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Burgess on 18 September 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to allow housing charities that are not housing associations to access government subsidy for the construction of new homes.

The Scottish Government has already supported a number of housing charities in the construction of new homes. The 2011 Innovation and Investment Fund allowed housing charities to submit proposals, under a competitive bidding process, for government subsidy. Housing charities can currently submit bids to the £4 million Empty Homes Loan Fund with bids to be with Scottish Government by 3 October 2012. In addition to that the £10 million Greener Homes Innovation Scheme, which will be launched imminently, will be open to bids from a number of housing organisations including housing charities.

Question reference: S4W-08500

Asked by: Alex Johnstone, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 29 June 2012
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 24 July 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the level of sports governance is adequate to deliver athletes to represent Scotland effectively at the Commonwealth Games.

We are confident that sportscotland has the appropriate levels of sport governance in place to deliver for the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games.

Sportscotland is developing and strengthening Scotland’s performance sport infrastructure by direct investment in the 17 games sports governing bodies with the ultimate aim of increasing the number of Scottish athletes performing and achieving success on the world stage.

I have asked Stewart Harris, Chief Executive of sportscotland, to write to you with further details of sportscotland’s role in high performance sport.

Question reference: S4W-08499

Asked by: Alex Johnstone, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 29 June 2012
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 24 July 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what factors other than performance and management information are assessed in relation to the funding decisions of sportscotland.

Sportscotland is responsible for its own funding decisions and is accountable to ministers for them. Its investment in Scottish governing bodies of sport (SGBs) is based on SGBs’ detailed plans which as well as performance must also set out development and participation outcomes and demonstrate good governance and workforce arrangements. I have asked Stewart Harris, Chief Executive of sportscotland, to write to you setting out in detail the funding principles and the processes behind the agency’s funding decisions.

Question reference: S4W-08498

Asked by: Alex Johnstone, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 29 June 2012
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 23 July 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive under what powers a retired senior civil servant has been invited to investigate the governance of Scottish Gymnastics and what the terms of the inquiry are.

Sportscotland is accountable for the major investment of public funding into Scottish governing bodies, including the Scottish Gymnastics Association (SGA). Following receipt of certain serious allegations, sportscotland has instigated an independent review of the association.

Sportscotland’s authority to appoint such an independent reviewer emanates from its Royal Charter. Provision 2(dd) stipulates that:

In furtherance of its objects the council shall have the following powers:

to encourage and support the adoption of the highest ethical standards among persons or teams from Scotland participating in sport and physical recreation.

The remit of the independent review, as clearly outlined to the SGA, is as follows:

investigation into the allegations relating to the fair treatment of SGA staff, and

investigation into the allegations that the SGA has failed to comply with the application of its internal disciplinary and child protection policies.

I have asked Stewart Harris, Chief Executive of sportscotland, to write to you with further details of the independent review.

Question reference: S4W-07886

Asked by: Alex Johnstone, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 June 2012
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 28 June 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive when home buyers will be able to access the national mortgage indemnity scheme and, in light of a similar scheme being launched in England in March 2012, for what reason the scheme is not yet available.

The Scottish Government’s guarantee and other key legal agreements for the scheme, which is led by Homes for Scotland, have now been agreed by the relevant parties and a number of housebuilders and lenders are committed to supporting it. The scheme has not yet launched as further work is needed by housebuilders and lenders to establish partnerships and because lenders require to make changes to ensure that their systems are ready to accept applications in Scotland.

Question reference: S4W-07921

Asked by: Alex Johnstone, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 June 2012
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 26 June 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive how many attacks on livestock by raptor species have been recorded in the last five years and how this information is published.