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-21758

Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Stirling, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 13 June 2014
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 16 June 2014

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the consultation on the draft Scottish Independence Bill.

The Scottish Independence Bill: a Consultation on an Interim Constitution for Scotland is being published today.

The consultation document includes a draft Bill, which would be introduced to the Scottish Parliament following a vote for independence in the referendum. The draft Bill provides for Scotland to be an independent State and sets out an interim constitution which would apply from Independence Day until a permanent written constitution has been prepared by a Constitutional Convention. The consultation will run until 20 October 2014.

The consultation document can be accessed online at:

www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2014/06/8135, as can a summary of the document, which can be found at:

www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2014/06/7881.

Copies of the consultation document have been placed in the Scottish Parliament’s Information Centre (SPICe) (Bib number 55965). A link to the online version of the document is also being sent to all MSPs.

Question reference: S4O-03312

Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Stirling, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 May 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 June 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how its legislation on air weapons will achieve a balance between protecting communities and allowing legitimate shooting in a safe environment.

Question reference: S4W-21284

Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Stirling, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 May 2014
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 22 May 2014

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the costs of events associated with Scotland’s Future: Your Guide to an Independent Scotland.

The Scotland’s Future events programme began with the launch of this document on 26 November 2013 and includes a stakeholder event on 10 December 2013 and a programme of public Q&A events hosted across Scotland.

The following expenditure in relation to events associated with Scotland’s Future has been made in financial year 2013-14:

Information on the costs of the launch event was published on 18 December 2013 in response to Parliamentary Question S4W-18195. The text of this response is available from:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/S4_ChamberDesk/WA20131218.pdf

Stakeholder Event 10 December 2013

Description	Spend
Venue hire, catering and services	£10,380.00
Transport	£180.00
Production of name badges and banners (banners reused at subsequent events)	£2,145.62
Technical Services – stage and AV costs	£15,445.20
Total	£28,150.82

Public Engagement Town Hall Events

Costs associated with equipment used at all town hall events

Description	Spend
Production	£379.00
Equipment	£7,128.14
Total	£7,507.14

Dingwall - 31 January 2014

Description	Spend
Venue hire, catering and services	£241.00
Technical Services	£540.00
Media Local Press	£540.12
Production	£170.00
Total	£1,491.12

Falkirk - 11 February 2014

Description	Spend
Venue hire, catering and services	£587.50
Total	£587.50

Stirling – 13 February 2014

Description	Spend
Venue hire, catering and services	£263.18
Media Local Press	£424.42
Production	£138.67
Total	£826.27

Dunblane - 17 February 2014

Description	Spend
Technical Services	£558.00
Media Local Press	£109.67
Production	£138.67
Total	£806.34

Coatbridge - 17 February 2014

Description	Spend
Venue hire, catering and services	£151.00
Technical	£313.20
Media Local Press	£246.76
Production	£138.67
Total	£849.63

Paisley – 19 February 2014

Description	Spend
Venue hire, catering and services	£234.00
Media Local Press	£265.95
Production	£138.67
Total	£638.62

Dunfermline – 25 February 2014

Description	Spend
Venue hire, catering and services	£61.15
Technical services	£547.20
Media Local Press	£842.98
Production	£138.67
Total	£1,590.00

Lochgilphead - 3 March 2014

Description	Spend
Venue hire, catering and services	£49.00
Media Local Press	£219.34
Production	£129.72
Total	£398.06

Dundee – 3 March 2014

Description	Spend
Venue hire and catering	£494.60
Media Local Press	£622.37
Production	£129.72
Total	£1,246.69

Montrose – 5 March 2014

Description	Spend
Venue hire, catering and services	£230.00
Technical services	£583.20
Media Local Press	£191.92
Production	£129.72
Total	£1,134.84

Eyemouth – 5 March 2014

Description	Spend
Media Local Press	£246.76
Production	£138.67
Total	£385.43

East Kilbride – 17 March 2014

Description	Spend
Technical services	£219.00
Production	£84.72
Total	£303.72

Newtongrange – 18 March 2014

Description	Spend
Venue hire, catering and services	£300.00
Media Local Press	£268.69
Production	£129.72
Total	£698.41

Glasgow – 19 March 2014

Description	Spend
Media Local Press	£423.29
Production	£129.72
Total	£553.01

Aberdeen – 20 March 20 2014

Description	Spend
Media Local Press	£570.28
Production	£129.72
Total	£700.00

Blairgowrie – 26 March 2014

Description	Spend
Technical Services	£433.80
Media Local Press	£315.85
Production	£129.72
Total	£879.37

Arran – 30 March 2014

Description	Spend
Technical Services	£836.64
Media Local Press	£141.47
Production	£129.72
Total	£1,107.83

Question reference: S4W-21283

Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Stirling, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 May 2014
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 22 May 2014

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the public information costs associated with Scotland’s Future: Your guide to an Independent Scotland.

When Scotland’s Future was published, I announced a budget of £450,000 to ensure the public were made aware of how to access information about the Scottish Government’s proposals for independence.

Of this, £350,000 was spent in financial year 2013-14. The following table provides a breakdown of spend to date:

Description	Spend
Media including postcard production and delivery	£222,785.75
Creative and production fees	£126,501.45
Total	£349,287.20

Question reference: S4O-03254

Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Stirling, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 May 2014
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 21 May 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what action Skills Development Scotland is taking to encourage apprenticeships in traditional skills.

Skills Development Scotland works with Sector Skills Councils and other partners, to promote the uptake of all apprenticeship frameworks through My World of Work and Our Skillsforce. This includes working with Historic Scotland to promote opportunities for apprenticeships in traditional skills.

This week during the fourth annual Scottish Apprenticeship Week Scottish Ministers, and indeed MSPs from across the Chamber, will take part in a range of activities and events across the country to promote the benefits that apprenticeships bring to individuals, employers and the economy.

Right now Historic Scotland are promoting apprenticeships in traditional sectors, with a two day event taking place in St Andrew’s Square showcasing traditional building skills.

Question reference: S4O-03158

Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Stirling, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 April 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 April 2014

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the findings of its consultation on the control of entry arrangements and dispensing GP practices.

Question reference: S4W-20364

Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Stirling, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 March 2014
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Burgess on 17 April 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how the £2.5 million it provided to Citizens Advice Scotland has been used to help people affected by welfare reform.

The funds are being distributed to local Citizen’s Advice Bureaux across Scotland to enable them to increase their front line capacity to meet the growing demand for advice services in the face of the UK Government’s welfare reforms.

We recognise the key role of the third sector in dealing with the consequences of these reforms and we remain committed to working with them to mitigate the worst impacts for people in Scotland.

Question reference: S4W-19590

Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Stirling, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 February 2014
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 4 March 2014

To ask the Scottish Government whether, in considering its response to the Report of the Review of Higher Education Governance in Scotland, it will take into consideration the mechanism for deciding the remuneration of university principals.

Question reference: S4W-19586

Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Stirling, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 February 2014
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 4 March 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what remuneration the principal of each university receives and what the mechanism is for agreeing such remuneration.

As autonomous institutions, the salary levels of principals and other senior staff are a matter for each university’s governing body and remuneration committee.

The Scottish Government expects university Principals and senior management to refer to the recommendations set out in the Von Prondzynski review in respect of remuneration:

further percentage increases beyond those awarded to staff in general should not take place until existing processes have been reviewed and, if appropriate, amended;
in the light of the wider public debate about executive pay and bonuses, universities ensure that any payments that may be perceived as bonuses are either abolished or at least transparently awarded and brought into line with the scale of 'contribution payments' available to on-scale staff;
remuneration committees should include staff and student members and the work of the committee should be transparent, and in particular, the basis upon which pay is calculated should be published.

Question reference: S4W-19589

Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Stirling, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 February 2014
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 4 March 2014

To ask the Scottish Government when it will announce its recommendations in response to the Report of the Review of Higher Education Governance in Scotland.

In an announcement to Parliament on 28 June 2012, we broadly accepted the recommendations in the report and advised that they would be taken forward by engaging key sector stakeholders as implementing partners; engaging the sector itself in implementing recommendations by agreement; and employing legislation where necessary.

The Scottish Code of Good Higher Education Governance, developed by the Committee of Scottish University Chairs, covers a number of the recommendations in the review and was published in July 2013. In addition, we are currently considering the focus and timing of new legislation.