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-21384

Asked by: Alex Johnstone, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 May 2014
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 9 June 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what assistance it will give to communities who wish to take over former sheriff court buildings.

The Scottish Court Service (SCS) gives priority to, and provides full support and assistance to community interest groups who express an interest in taking on the ownership of former SCS properties.

The Scottish Government also provides a range of support for communities to acquire land and buildings. Advice and assistance is available from the Community Ownership Support Service, operated by the Development Trusts Association Scotland with Scottish Government funding, or from Highlands and Islands Enterprise for communities in the agency’s area. Funding for purchase may also be available through the Scottish Land Fund, in rural areas, and a range of other Scottish Government grants for community initiatives.

Question reference: S4W-21386

Asked by: Alex Johnstone, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 May 2014
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 9 June 2014

To ask the Scottish Government whether the business case for the closure of sheriff court buildings included capital being realised from the redundant assets.

Question reference: S4W-21385

Asked by: Alex Johnstone, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 May 2014
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 9 June 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what provision was made in the business case to close sheriff court buildings to finance any additional costs associated with their redeployment.

Question reference: S4O-03350

Asked by: Alex Johnstone, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 June 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 June 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to extend support for the adoption of environmentally friendly public transport such as hydrogen and electric fuelled buses.

Question reference: S4O-03258

Asked by: Alex Johnstone, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 May 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 May 2014

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has undertaken any further investigation into whether an over reliance on wind turbines as a source of electricity played a role in the grid failure on 16 April 2014.

Question reference: S4W-20939

Asked by: Alex Johnstone, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 April 2014
Current Status: Answered by Lesley Thomson on 14 May 2014

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of a conviction for the sale of drug-taking paraphernalia in Yorkshire and a decision by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service not to pursue a case in Angus, for what reasons such prosecutions are not being brought in Scotland.

The decision for raising criminal proceedings in Scotland in any case is a matter for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS). In any case there has to be a sufficiency of evidence in law available before consideration of raising proceedings can be made, and this is taken only after a full and careful consideration of all the available evidence and applicable law.

Section 9A(1) of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 prohibits the supply or offer of supply of articles that may be used or adapted to be used in the administration by any person of a controlled drug to himself or another, believing that the article is to be used in the unlawful administration of the controlled drug. COPFS have recorded three instances where people have been successfully prosecuted under section 9A(1).

Question reference: S4W-20938

Asked by: Alex Johnstone, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 April 2014
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 14 May 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what measures it can take to prohibit the sale of drug-taking paraphernalia from retail premises.

The classification of drugs and supply of drug paraphernalia is a reserved matter.

The Scottish Government recently hosted a summit on enforcement methods to tackle the emergence of new psychoactive substances (so-called ‘legal highs), building on the learning from the summit held last year. Representatives from the Home Office, Trading Standards, police, health, and community organisations attended with the aim of creating a shared understanding of how new psychoactive substances are affecting people across Scotland; the approaches that could be used to tackle the supply of these drugs and; actions to take against those involved in the production and sale of these substances.

The information gathered from discussions at this conference will inform the Scottish Government’s response to the Home Office review of legislative options to address the emergence of these new drugs.

Question reference: S4F-01981

Asked by: Alex Johnstone, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 17 March 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 March 2014

To ask the First Minister what assessment the Scottish Government has made of the cost of an independent Scotland’s welfare system and whether it would seek the co-operation of the UK Government in its implementation.

Question reference: S4O-03016

Asked by: Alex Johnstone, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 March 2014
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 13 March 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had regarding the availability of flood insurance for homes and businesses in areas that have experienced flooding.

I spoke to the Association of British Insurers (ABI) on 27 February 2014 about a number of issues relating to flood insurance in Scotland. In particular, I passed on concerns that had been raised with me by David MacDonald of Stonehaven Flood Action Group and a number of MSPs, about the continued availability of flood insurance, particularly in areas such as Stonehaven that had experienced flooding in the recent past and where many policies were coming up for renewal.

I was assured by the ABI that, while work to develop the new flood re-insurance scheme continues, ABI members will voluntarily meet their commitments to their existing customers under the old statement of principles agreement. The ABI said they would be happy to look into local cases to establish where ABI members were not abiding by that voluntary agreement. The ABI also suggested that residents struggling to get insurance contact the British Insurance Brokers Association through their website, which can help to identify a range of brokers who can quote for flood insurance, whether as a stand-alone policy or as part of a bundled, household policy.

To that end, I have asked the Scottish Flood Forum to let the Scottish Government know of the details of any such cases which have been brought to their attention, and we will take them up with the ABI. However, clearly MSPs can play an important role in supplying such cases to the Scottish Flood Forum on behalf of constituents.

Question reference: S4O-03027

Asked by: Alex Johnstone, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 March 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 March 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how many units have been completed under the National Housing Trust.