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: S1W-22960

Asked by: Michael McMahon, MSP for Hamilton North and Bellshill, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 11 February 2002
Current Status: Answered by Iain Gray on 12 February 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will respond to the Equal Opportunities Committee's 6th Report 2001, Consultation on the Implementation of the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000.

Question reference: S1W-22309

Asked by: Michael McMahon, MSP for Hamilton North and Bellshill, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 January 2002
Current Status: Answered by Andy Kerr on 28 January 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made with respect to the Standards Commission for Scotland.

I am pleased to announce that I have appointed Professor Hugh Begg as Convener of the Standards Commission for Scotland and Mr David Stuart Allan as the Chief Investigating Officer. As members of the commission I have appointed Mrs Linda Costelloe-Baker, Professor Lorne Crerar, Mrs Wendy Goldstraw, Mrs Elinor Smith, and Mr Albert Tait.These appointments were carried out in accordance with the guidelines set out by the Commissioner for Public Appointments and will extend for a period of three years from 17 January 2002. The commission headquarters will be at Rosyth.

Question reference: S1W-21380

Asked by: Michael McMahon, MSP for Hamilton North and Bellshill, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 21 December 2001
Current Status: Answered by Hugh Henry on 18 January 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the allocation of the Learning Disability Services Change Fund to local authorities in the financial year 2002-03 will be part of their Grant Aided Expenditure or whether the allocation will be hypothecated for learning disability services.

Question reference: S1W-21379

Asked by: Michael McMahon, MSP for Hamilton North and Bellshill, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 21 December 2001
Current Status: Answered by Hugh Henry on 18 January 2002

To ask the Presiding Officer what plans it has to allocate the Learning Disability Services Change Fund in the financial year 2002-03, and whether this allocation will be dependent on the use local authorities made of their allocation from the fund in the current financial year.

Question reference: S1W-20893

Asked by: Michael McMahon, MSP for Hamilton North and Bellshill, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 December 2001
Current Status: Answered by Andy Kerr on 11 December 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it is making towards implementing the proposals contained in Rate Relief for Small Businesses: Consultation Paper, published earlier this year.

We will introduce a rates relief scheme for small businesses with effect from 1 April 2003. This scheme has been devised after careful consideration of the responses received to the consultation paper we issued earlier this year.An estimated 70% of Scotland's businesses will benefit from rates relief. For those businesses, rates are a higher proportion of costs than for larger businesses. Our aim is to spread the burden of rates more fairly.Rate relief will be available to businesses, occupying a single property with a rateable value up to and including £10,000 as outlined in the table.

Rateable Value	Percentage Relief
Less than £3,000	50%
£3,000 to < £4,000	40%
£4,000 to < £5,000	30%
£5,000 to < £6,000	20%
£6,000 to < £7,000	10%
£7,000 £ £10,000	5%

Businesses occupying properties with rateable values greater than £10,000, and up to and including £25,000, will pay the standard poundage rate. Businesses occupying properties with rateable values above £25,000 will pay a slightly higher poundage. We will also introduce rate relief measures for rural communities which address commitments made in the Scottish Executive's A Forward Strategy for Scottish Agriculture document and recommendations made in the Scottish National Rural Partnership's Report Services in Rural Scotland. In particular, a new rate relief scheme for farm diversification projects; an extension to the existing rural (village shops) relief scheme to singly owned pubs, singly owned garages and shops selling mainly food; extension of agricultural exemption to farm buildings used for machinery rings, contract and share farming enterprises; and exemption of Automatic Telling Machines (ATMs) located in designated rural areas from non-domestic rates. Implementation of these rural rate relief measures will require primary legislation but it is our intention to include provisions in the next Local Government Bill.

Question reference: S1O-04066

Asked by: Michael McMahon, MSP for Hamilton North and Bellshill, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 November 2001
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 15 November 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to allow local authorities to introduce speed restriction measures in built-up areas.

Local authorities have power to set speed limits on local roads in built-up areas and elsewhere. In particular, local authorities have power to set 20 mph speed limits where they are considered appropriate. Other speed limits below 30 mph require the consent of the Scottish ministers. Scottish ministers have power to set speed limits on trunk roads in built-up areas and elsewhere.Local authorities also have power to construct road humps and traffic calming measures to control the speed of traffic on local roads.

Question reference: S1O-03953

Asked by: Michael McMahon, MSP for Hamilton North and Bellshill, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 October 2001
Current Status: Answered by Jackie Baillie on 25 October 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any timetable for implementation is being prepared in response to the Race Equality Advisory Forum report, Making it Real: A Race Equality Strategy for Scotland.

The Scottish Executive will publish its response to the Race Equality Advisory Forum (REAF) report by the end of January 2002. This response will detail work in hand, and plans for further action based on the report's recommendations. However, responsibility for implementation of the recommendations goes wider than just the Executive. We will therefore be working with other organisations over the coming year to take forward the agenda mapped out by REAF.

Question reference: S1O-03758

Asked by: Michael McMahon, MSP for Hamilton North and Bellshill, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 September 2001
Current Status: Answered by Susan Deacon on 13 September 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to tackle coronary heart disease.

Question reference: S1O-03702

Asked by: Michael McMahon, MSP for Hamilton North and Bellshill, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 August 2001
Current Status: Answered by Angus MacKay on 6 September 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it can supply further details about the arrangements for the review of Scotland's cities.

Question reference: S1W-17829

Asked by: Michael McMahon, MSP for Hamilton North and Bellshill, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 August 2001
Current Status: Answered by Angus MacKay on 30 August 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it can supply further details about the arrangements for the review of Scotland's cities.

Since the First Minister's announced that a Review of Scotland's Cities would be undertaken, the Executive has carried out preparatory work for the first phase of the work programme. The second phase of external discussion and consultation is now under way. A Sounding Board and Academic Panel have been established to inform and test the review's emerging thinking.Details of the members are as follows:

Sounding BoardMs Oonagh Aitken, CoSLAMr Bryan Beattie, Eden Court TheatreProfessor David Begg, Robert Gordon UniversityMs Ann Clark, Highland CouncilMs Susan Dalgetty, Edinburgh Evening NewsMr Iain Dickson, George Watt & StewartMs Rani Dhir, Drumchapel Housing Co-operativeMr Matthew Farrow, CBI ScotlandMr Mike Galloway, Dundee City Council

Mr Vincent Goodstadt, Glasgow & Clyde Valley Structure Plan Joint Committee

Professor Stuart Gulliver, University of GlasgowMr Stephen Inch, Glasgow City Council Mr Donald McGougan, City of Edinburgh CouncilMrs Lucy McTernan, SCVOMr Mike Scott, Aberdeen City CouncilMr Douglas Smith, Insignia Richard EllisMr Eddie Thompson, Morning Noon and NightMs Lesley Thomson, Liddell Thomson

Ms Tracey White, STUCSir Alan Langlands, University of Dundee Dr Raymond Young, University of Glasgow Mr Alf Young, The Herald

Academic PanelProfessor Brian Ashcroft, Fraser of Allander Institute/University of Strathclyde

Professor Liz Bondi, University of Edinburgh

Professor Glen Bramley, Edinburgh College of Art/Heriot-Watt UniversityDr Nick Fyfe, University of DundeeProfessor Stephen Graham, University of NewcastleProfessor Stuart Gulliver, University of GlasgowProfessor Cliff Hague, Edinburgh College of Art/Heriot-Watt University

Mr Gerry Hassan, DemosProfessor George Hazel, MacLean HazelProfessor Ade Kearns, University of GlasgowProfessor Greg Lloyd, University of DundeeMr Colin Mair, University of StrathclydeMr James McCormack, Scottish Council FoundationProfessor Alan McGregor, University of Glasgow

Dr John McKendrick, Glasgow Caledonian UniversityProfessor Peter Roberts, University of DundeeProfessor Michael Pacione, University of StrathclydeProfessor Susan Smith, University of EdinburghProfessor Ivan Turok, University of GlasgowDr Nick Williams, University of AberdeenAdditional members are likely to be invited to join both groups, to cover further specific issues, as the review develops.I intend to meet with council leaders collectively at internals during the process and each city will have the opportunity to make its case on the particular mix of problems and opportunities it faces.The review is planned to conclude in early 2002. It will be firmly set within the changing urban pattern of Scotland and will involve a fundamental review of the key long-term challenges and opportunities affecting Scotland's cities, with tangible and deliverable measures for progressing the emerging agenda.