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: S2W-12438

Asked by: Phil Gallie, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 19 November 2004
Current Status: Answered by Jim Wallace on 6 December 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish any calculations it has carried out in respect of the saving of CO2 emissions as a consequence of the 2010 and 2020 renewable energy targets.

Question reference: S2W-12190

Asked by: Phil Gallie, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 November 2004
Current Status: Answered by Euan Robson on 24 November 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive what research has been carried out on kinship care.

Question reference: S2W-12191

Asked by: Phil Gallie, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 November 2004
Current Status: Answered by Euan Robson on 24 November 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ensure that any research carried out on kinship care will be published prior to any further legislation on child care being implemented.

The Social Work Services Inspectorate has commissioned research into kinship care in Scotland as part of a wider review of services for looked after children. The research will be published as soon as it has been received by ministers and the Executive will consider whether there is any action needed following publication. There is, however, no intention to implement legislation relating to childcare in the current parliamentary session.

Question reference: S2W-11887

Asked by: Phil Gallie, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 01 November 2004
Current Status: Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 19 November 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-10835 by Lewis Macdonald on 26 October 2004, whether it will respond with reference to the specific research referred to in the question and whether it will acknowledge that the visiting group report of the Research Organisation Assessment Exercise noted that, against a background of a significant shift in the emphasis of research, research at the Hannah Research Institute achieved a high national rating.

The visiting group undertaking the ROAE at the Hannah Research Institute assessed three programmes of research which were: Life and Death of the Cell, Lifestyle Metabolism and Health and CHARIS Food Research. The areas of research referred to in S2W-10835 were not specifically identified and assessed by the visiting group, although most of them formed part of one or other of these three research programmes.

The visiting group report noted that the overall quality of the research at the Hannah Research Institute was of a high national standing, but that, while the overall quality of science undertaken there was good, there was room for improvement.

Question reference: S2O-04038

Asked by: Phil Gallie, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 November 2004
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 18 November 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will approve the use of Taser guns by police forces.

We have supported the use of the Taser gun by police forces in Scotland as a less lethal alternative to a firearm under certain strict conditions. These include the provision of rigorous training for police firearms officers and that the circumstances of any deployment during the first six months will be reported to a committee set up to monitor and assess the medical implications of its use.

While it is an operational matter for Chief Constables to determine the appropriate response to any firearms incident, I am satisfied that Taser provides the police with another tactical option that is less lethal than conventional firearms.

Question reference: S2O-04040

Asked by: Phil Gallie, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 November 2004
Current Status: Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 18 November 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive what area of land is designated for restoration at Upper Beoch through sewage sludge incorporation.

Question reference: S2W-11241

Asked by: Phil Gallie, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 October 2004
Current Status: Answered by Nicol Stephen on 3 November 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive how much public money has been allocated for road improvements to the infrastructure surrounding the Blindwells New Settlement site in East Lothian.

Question reference: S2W-11239

Asked by: Phil Gallie, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 October 2004
Current Status: Answered by Nicol Stephen on 3 November 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the Strategic Rail Authority with regard to the building of a new railway station at the Blindwells New Settlement site in East Lothian.

Question reference: S2W-11240

Asked by: Phil Gallie, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 October 2004
Current Status: Answered by Nicol Stephen on 3 November 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the Strategic Rail Authority with regard to the upgrading of the railway line adjacent to the Blindwells New Settlement site in East Lothian.

The railway line adjacent to the Blindwells New Settlement site in East Lothian is the east coast main line. Its enhancement is the responsibility of the Strategic Rail Authority. The Scottish Executive is in regular discussion withthe Strategic Rail Authority on a wide range of issues, including the east coastmain line franchise reletting and their Route Utilisation Strategy for the eastcoast main line.

Question reference: S2W-11246

Asked by: Phil Gallie, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 October 2004
Current Status: Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 2 November 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is confident that land ownership issues in respect of the land at the Blindwells Development Site in East Lothian will be resolved and that the area will be developable.