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-18180

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 08 November 2013
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 19 November 2013

To ask the Scottish Government when its review of the community pharmacy application process will conclude and whether there will be a public consultation on the outcome.

I refer the member to the answer to the health portfolio question S4O-02539 on 6 November 2013. All answers to oral parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28862.aspx?r=8604, community pharmacies.

The next stage of the review will involve consultation on a range of complex and important issues that have been identified, which I aim to get underway in the coming weeks.

Question reference: S4W-18178

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 08 November 2013
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 19 November 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what guarantee Opportunities for All: Supporting all young people to participate in post-16 learning, training or work provides for 16 to 19-year-olds.

Opportunities for All is an explicit commitment to offer a place in learning or training to every 16-19 year old who is not currently in employment, education or training.

Young people will be guaranteed an offer of appropriate opportunities within the post-16 learning system. This includes, but is not limited to, staying on at school, undertaking a course of higher or further education, being in work or a modern apprenticeship or any pre-employment training or third sector provision. It also takes account of young people undertaking mandated training as part of the DWP work programme as these young people will not be free to undertake another course of training or learning.

Through Opportunities for All we aim to re-engage those young people who are not already participating in education, training or employment by offering a range of targeted support primarily through Skills Development Scotland.

Question reference: S4W-18176

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 November 2013
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 18 November 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd regarding the Air Accident Investigation Branch’s suggestion for an upgrade in sea rescue craft to be stationed at Sumburgh Airport in light of the fatal helicopter accident on 23 August 2013 and what action has been taken.

Question reference: S4W-17299

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 25 September 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will begin consulting on crofting law reform in 2013.

My officials have already begun discussions with key stakeholders on how to take this issue forward and discussions will continue on an ongoing basis.

However, as I indicated in the Scottish Parliament on 25 June 2013 (Official Report column 21444), addressing issues relating to crofting legislation is a complex task which cannot happen overnight. All concerned need some time to take stock and to ensure that what we do next is right for crofting and for remote and rural Scotland.

Scottish Ministers will keep members informed of progress via correspondence with the Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environment Committee and the Cross Party Group on crofting.

Question reference: S4W-16419

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 12 July 2013
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 9 August 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how Skills Development Scotland identifies the training and workshop needs in communities such as Shetland and how local offices are involved in this process.

Question reference: S4W-16422

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 12 July 2013
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 9 August 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how much it cost Skills Development Scotland to hire a facilitator for the week beginning 24 June 2013 to travel to three islands and Inverness; how this exercise will be evaluated, and whether local employers were asked in advance for their (a) input, (b) requirements and (c) availability.

Question reference: S4W-16421

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 12 July 2013
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 9 August 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether and, if so, how Skills Development Scotland will re-evaluate its Shetland operational planning following the non-attendance at the Lerwick workshop for local employers on 24 June 2013, for which no more than one week’s notice was given.

Question reference: S4W-16420

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 12 July 2013
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 9 August 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how it assesses how well businesses and employers understand the full extent of services available from Skills Development Scotland.

Question reference: S4W-16418

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 12 July 2013
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 9 August 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how it assesses the effectiveness of Skills Development Scotland’s local offices (a) in general and (b) in Shetland.

Question reference: S4W-16160

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 June 2013
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 30 July 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how many bulls were used in 2012-13 and have been used in 2013-14 in each of the crofting counties under the crofting bull hire scheme.

The Figures requested are as follows:

Crofting Cattle Improvement Scheme Bulls Hired Out in season 2012-13, Breakdown of areas:

Caithness	0
Orkney	0
Shetland	3
East Highlands:-
S Sutherland	4
E Ross	3
E Inverness	2
West Highlands:-
N Sutherland	2
W Ross	6
W Inverness	3
Skye	26
South West Highlands:-
S Inverness	1
Argyll	2
Tiree	5
Western Isles:-
Lewis	7
Harris	2
N Uist	18
S Uist	9
Barra	10
Total	103

Crofting Cattle Improvement Scheme Bulls Hired Out in season 2013-14, Breakdown of areas:

Caithness	0
Orkney	0
Shetland	2
East Highlands:-
S Sutherland	5
E Ross	3
E Inverness	2
West Highlands:-
N Sutherland	2
W Ross	6
W Inverness	3
Skye	20
South West Highlands:-
S Inverness	1
Argyll	2
Tiree	5
Western Isles:-
Lewis	7
Harris	3
N Uist	17
S Uist	10
Barra	10
Total	98