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-00226

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 May 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 23 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive, in relation to the M8, M73 and M74 network improvements, how long the operational period of the non-profit distributing arrangements will be and what the expected capital investment is for 2011-12 and each of the following four financial years.

Question reference: S4W-00552

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 June 2011
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 22 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is required to introduce regulations under section 64 of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 in relation to its report, Regulation of Energy Efficiency in Housing, and, if so, how it will do so.

Section 64 of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 requires the Scottish ministers to make regulations to improve the energy efficiency of existing housing. Section 64(6)(b) requires the Scottish ministers to publish a report on its plans for use of these enabling powers. Regulation of Energy Efficiency in Housing was therefore published on 21 March 2011 and sets out the Scottish Government’s position that it would not be appropriate to introduce regulations under section 64 before 2015.

The Scottish Government will begin a range of actions to prepare for an appropriate level of regulation, including identifying a suitable process to examine the issues and costs affecting regulation; commissioning research, and seeking to influence the UK Government in developing the Green Deal and Energy Company Obligation to ensure that these programmes meet Scotland's needs, and complement options for regulation.

Question reference: S4W-00553

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 June 2011
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 21 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what further assistance and incentives it has introduced or will introduce in relation to its report, Regulation of Energy Efficiency in Housing, in order to meet its obligations under section 64 of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009.

The Scottish Government will continue to provide support and encouragement to home owners and landlords to install energy efficiency measures, including through our national Energy Assistance Package and area-based insulation and energy efficiency programmes. This will be complemented by a range of other support including the Carbon Emission Reduction Target and the Community Energy Saving Programme, until they are replaced by new obligations to be placed on energy companies under the Energy Bill at the end of 2012. We are working closely with the UK Government to influence the development of this and the Green Deal, to ensure that these programme meet Scotland's needs, and complement options for regulation under section 64 of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009.

Question reference: S4W-00214

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 May 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 21 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive, in relation to the modernisation of the Glasgow subway, what funding mechanism will be used; what the timetable is for delivery of the project; what the expected capital investment is for 2011-12 and each of the following four financial years, and what the projected total cost is.

Question reference: S4W-00212

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 May 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 21 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive, in relation to the electrification of the Central Scotland rail network, what funding mechanism will be used; what the timetable is for the delivery of the project; what the expected capital investment is for 2011-12 and each of the following four financial years, and what the projected total cost is.

The capital cost of the Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement Programme (EGIP) is currently estimated at £1.08 billion.

The programme remains on schedule for final completion by December 2016.

EGIP will be fully funded by the Scottish Government. Network Rail and the Office of Rail Regulation have confirmed that Network Rail’s regulatory asset base financing facility is available to finance the infrastructure elements of the EGIP programme.

While the precise detail of the EGIP delivery programme and final procurement plans for the years following 2011-2012 remain under development, the current delivery programme contains provision for EGIP investment of circa £25 million during 2011-12.

Question reference: S4W-00221

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 May 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 21 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive, in relation to the Glasgow Fastlink project, what funding mechanism will be used; what the timetable is for delivery of the project; what the expected capital investment is for 2011-12 and each of the following four financial years, and what the projected total cost is.

The Scottish Government has reaffirmed its commitment to Fastlink and, in particular, a core scheme which improves bus services between the city centre, the Southern General Hospital, and the SECC, with obvious benefits for the 2014 Commonwealth Games. Our objective, in the forthcoming spending review, is to ensure that full funding for this element of Fastlink is achieved and we are working with Strathclyde Partnership for Transport as they complete their final project specification and an appropriate funding package.

Question reference: S4W-00507

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 06 June 2011
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 16 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive which public body has responsibility for (a) organising, (b) monitoring and (c) meeting the costs of referenda organised by local authorities.

Question reference: S4W-00508

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 06 June 2011
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 16 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with (a) Aberdeen City Council and (b) other interested parties regarding holding a local referendum.

Question reference: S4W-00506

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 06 June 2011
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 16 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what referenda have been organised by local authorities since May 1999 and on what subjects.

Question reference: S4W-00391

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 May 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 16 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the impact of changes to housing benefit on residents of communities with high-cost housing.

We wrote to the Lord Freud, Minister for Welfare Reform at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), on 20 December 2010 to express our significant concerns about the adverse consequences of the UK Government’s housing benefit reforms, and followed that by providing DWP officials with a full Scottish Impact Assessment paper.

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Built-Environment/Housing/Supply-Demand/Chma/Benefitchanges

We anticipate that the raft of reforms will put considerable pressure on the availability of lower cost accommodation in many areas, not only in communities where housing costs are higher, and on services to support people suffering from financial or housing difficulties. It will adversely affect Scottish Government policies on the prevention of homelessness, the promotion of mixed communities, and the promotion of fair opportunities for disabled people.

We have raised our concerns with DWP ministers and officials at various discussions since then, and will continue to take every opportunity available to us to do so.