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: S5O-00410

Asked by: Gordon Lindhurst, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 30 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce obesity levels.

We are committed to addressing Scotland's excess weight and in line with the evidence we are maintaining activity across the whole of society that makes it easier for people to be more active, to eat less and to eat better.

We are investing in a range of areas from healthy weight interventions such as Football Fans In Training to programmes which encourage healthy eating including the Healthy Living Award, Healthy Living Programme and Community Food and Health Scotland. As well as delivering a range of initiatives to encourage people to be more physically active, including 157 Community Sports Hubs with funding to create a total 200 Hubs by 2020.

Question reference: S5O-00379

Asked by: Gordon Lindhurst, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 November 2016
Current Status: Awaiting answer

To ask the Scottish Government what effect it anticipates leaving the EU will have on university student numbers studying in Scotland.

Question reference: S5O-00344

Asked by: Gordon Lindhurst, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 16 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what impact Edinburgh’s World Heritage Site status, and the built heritage within it, has on visitor numbers to the city.

Edinburgh’s built heritage is world-renowned and is a remarkable asset for the city. While the information requested is not routinely collected or held by the Scottish Government, a survey of visitors to Edinburgh conducted in 2012 on behalf of the Edinburgh Tourism Action Group found that 15% of visitors were motivated to visit by the city’s World Heritage status. The same survey found that over two thirds of visitors were motivated to visit the city by its history.

Question reference: S5O-00274

Asked by: Gordon Lindhurst, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 October 2016
Current Status: Awaiting answer

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to show that Scotland is open for business with non-EU countries.

Question reference: S5W-02680

Asked by: Gordon Lindhurst, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Annabelle Ewing on 26 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered appeals made to it by the Friends of the Museum of Fire in Edinburgh to retain the museum in the former Central Fire Station at Lauriston Place in Edinburgh.

Yes. The Scottish Government has been mindful of the appeals made by the Friends of the Museum of Fire in Edinburgh, and recognises the importance of Scotland’s firefighting history, and the role of the Museum in telling this story. The location of the Museum is a matter for the Board of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

SFRS has committed to retain the Museum of Fire within the City of Edinburgh and will be announcing its new location soon.

Question reference: S5W-02618

Asked by: Gordon Lindhurst, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 26 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what funding it makes available to charities seeking to offer respite care to children with long-term, often terminal illnesses and their families.

Scottish Government provides funding to the Children’s Hospice Association Scotland (CHAS) through the Children, Young People and Families Early Intervention and Adult Learning and Empowering Communities Fund. In 2016-17 CHAS has been awarded £136,300.

Between 2010 and 2016 the Scottish Government invested over £17 million towards the voluntary-run Short Breaks Fund. A further £3 million is committed in 2016-17. This fund includes the Better Breaks and Take a Break programmes, providing responsive and creative short break opportunities and personalised leisure activities for disabled children, young people and their families.

Question reference: S5W-02620

Asked by: Gordon Lindhurst, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 26 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has regarding how many current and former prisoners have smoke-related illnesses, and how this compares with the rest of the general population.

Information about smoking illness among prisoners and former prisoners is not held centrally so cannot be compared to illness rates in the rest of the general population. Smoking rates are however significantly higher amongst prisoners (72%) compared to the general population (22%) and the consequence of this will be higher rates of smoking related disease in prisoners and former prisoners.

In line with the Scottish Government’s Tobacco Control Strategy for Scotland, the Scottish Prison Service are working in partnership with government colleagues and local NHS boards to develop plans for indoor smoke-free prison facilities. The Cabinet Secretary for Justice, Michael Matheson, has accepted the recommendations of the National Tobacco Strategy Workstream that all Scottish prisons should be smoke-free within a timescale of up to five years.

Question reference: S5W-02621

Asked by: Gordon Lindhurst, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 22 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making in considering options to introduce indoor smoke-free prison facilities since this was announced in February 2016.

I have asked Colin McConnell, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:

The National Tobacco Strategy Workstream has recommended that all Scottish prisons should be smoke-free within a timescale of up to 5 years.

The smoke-free policy will be comprehensive i.e. smoking will not be permitted indoors or outdoors in Scottish prisons.

SPS will be working closely with NHS Health Boards and Scottish Government as well as other partner agencies to develop comprehensive plans in preparation for the change.

Smoking cessation services in prisons are delivered by NHS Health Boards. NHS Boards do not currently have plans in place for implementation of smoke-free prisons. They will be key stakeholders in the partnership approach with Scottish Government and SPS. Health Boards will need sufficient time to model demands on cessation services and required resources (e.g. skilled smoking cessation staff and pharmacotherapy), agree budgets, and put funding in place to expand the service to meet demand.

Implementation of smoke-free prisons will be supported and monitored by a large scale study, which will play a vital role in helping SPS and NHS boards prepare to make changes.

A decision has still to be made on whether e-cigarettes will be allowed. This is being considered by a working group, which includes NHS specialists and leading academics from Scottish universities, to support an informed decision on e-cigarettes.

Question reference: S5W-02619

Asked by: Gordon Lindhurst, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 22 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what action Police Scotland is taking to ensure that the 30 and 40 mph speed zones in Edinburgh are being enforced where there is a roll out of 20 mph zones on nearby roads.

Question reference: S5O-00203

Asked by: Gordon Lindhurst, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 September 2016
Current Status: Awaiting answer

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met representatives of high street banks that have retail operations in Scotland and what was discussed.