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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

Filter your results Hide all filters

Displaying 2683 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S4W-15535

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 June 2013
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 17 June 2013

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4O-02112 by Humza Yousaf on 15 May 2013 (Official Report, c. 19792), when the meetings between Scottish Government ministers and representatives of the Kurdistan Regional Government took place, in which locations, and which ministers were involved.

The meetings are outlined in the following table:

Date	Minister	Meeting	Location
12 June 2013	Mr Yousaf, Minister for External Affairs and International Development	Ms Bayan Sami Abdul Rahman, UK High Representative of the Kurdistan Regional Government	Scottish Parliament
9 November 2011	Mr Fergus Ewing, Minister for Energy, Enterprise & Tourism	President of the Kurdistan Regional Government	Brussels
26 October 2011	First Minister	HE Mr Karim Sinjari, Minister for the Interior at Kurdistan Regional Government	Bute House
29 June 2011	Mr Fergus Ewing, Minister for Energy, Enterprise & Toursim	HE Sinan Celebi, Minister for Trade & Industry and HE Samir Abdullah Mustafa, Minister for Municipalities & Tourism	Scottish Parliament
29 June 2011	Ms Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs	Also met the above delegation	Scottish Parliament

Question reference: S4W-15537

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 June 2013
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 17 June 2013

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-15103 by Humza Yousaf on 3 June 2013, whether it has had discussions with the Government of Turkey on the future of Iraqi Kurdistan in the last six months.

Question reference: S4W-15534

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 June 2013
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 17 June 2013

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-15104 by Humza Yousaf on 3 June 2013, which parts of the document, Scotland’s International Framework, set out the policy objectives for its engagement with (a) Iraqi Kurdistan, (b) Iraq and (c) Turkey.

I refer the Member to my previous answer (S4W-15104). All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at;

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

The Scottish Government is committed to delivering maximum value for Scotland through its overseas engagement, it helps Scotland connect with the main players overseas in attracting opportunities for/to Scotland, thus contributing to this Government’s purpose of sustainable economic growth.

Our priority markets remain Canada, China, Europe and EU, India, Pakistan, South Asia and the USA. We will also develop and strengthen our connections with other nations around the world which help us deliver our purpose.

Question reference: S4O-02270

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 June 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 June 2013

To ask the Scottish Government when people and businesses in Shetland will be advised whether their area will be included in the 75% of the islands that Highlands and Islands Enterprise has stated will have access to superfast broadband.

Question reference: S4W-15166

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 May 2013
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 6 June 2013

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-14555 by Humza Yousaf on 10 May 2013, for what reasons ministers have not set limits on the topics that can be discussed with ministers and officials from the Government of Argentina.

Question reference: S4W-15165

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 May 2013
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 4 June 2013

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-14554 by Humza Yousaf on 10 May 2013, in the absence of guidance from ministers, what position its officials would take in response to any discussion of the future of the Falkland Islands initiated by officials of the Government of Argentina.

Question reference: S4W-15163

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 May 2013
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 4 June 2013

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-14553 by Humza Yousaf on 10 May 2013, whether the meeting with Ms Chiqui Gonzalez on 6 December 2012 included any reference to the (a) future of the Falkland Islands and (b) views of the President of Santa on the future of the Falkland Islands.

Question reference: S4W-15099

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 20 May 2013
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 4 June 2013

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4O-02111 by Humza Yousaf on 15 May 2013 (Official Report, c.19791), whether it had considered the (a) reported approaches of the (i) Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to the US Secretary of State, (ii) Under Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to the US Deputy Secretary of State in April 2013 and (iii) Secretary of State for Defence to the US Defense Secretary in (A) June 2012 and (B) January 2013 and (b) the comment by the Under Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on 24 April 2013 that “the UK Government simply believe that the continued detention of Shaker Aamer is wrong without charge or trial, and we will continue to do all in our power to seek to return him to the United Kingdom”, prior to the minister stating that “there has barely been a peep from successive UK governments” regarding the detention of Mr Aamer.

The Scottish Government fully supports any attempts that the UK Government makes to end the continued detention of Shaker Aamer. However, he continues to be detained at Guantanamo Bay, 11 years after detention and six years after being cleared. As I have previously stated, it is vital that we learn from the lessons of the past and that, in the present, we are guided by international human rights standards. This is an approach to which the Scottish Government is committed.

Question reference: S4W-15098

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 20 May 2013
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 4 June 2013

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4O-02111 by Humza Yousaf on 15 May 2013 (Official Report, c.19791), whether the minister’s comment that “there has barely been a peep from successive UK governments” regarding the detention of Shaker Aamer reflects the Scottish Government’s position on the matter and what information the minister considered prior to making the comment.

Question reference: S4W-15105

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 May 2013
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 3 June 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how many times ministers have met officials from the government of Iraqi Kurdistan in the last 12 months; where the meetings took place, and what was discussed.

No meetings with ministers and officials from the Kurdistan Regional Government took place over the last 12 months.

I had a courtesy meeting with Mr Zaid Izzadin Mohammed Noori, Consul General for Iraq and Dr Alawi, First Consul for Iraq who are based in Manchester on 19 February at the Scottish Parliament.

The Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs, Fiona Hyslop had an informal meeting with Abdulrahman Dheyab, the General Director of Iraqi Culture Centre during the course of the Edinburgh International Culture Summit of 13 and 14 August. They discussed the forthcoming performance of the National Youth Orchestra of Iraq during the Edinburgh Fringe and future ways of Iraq and Scotland future working together. Mr Dheyab and Ms Hyslop also attended the performance of the National Youth Orchestra of Iraq on 26 August at Greyfriars Kirk in Edinburgh.