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-06794

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 April 2012
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 2 May 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the possible implications for Scotland of the legal challenge by the Union of German Sheep Farming Associations (Vereinigung Deutscher Landesschafzuchtverbände) to the introduction of legislation on the electronic identification of sheep.

Question reference: S4W-06792

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 April 2012
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 2 May 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on when the report from the EC’s Food and Veterinary Office visit to Scotland in April 2011 will be available.

Question reference: S4W-06793

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 April 2012
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 2 May 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what evidence it is providing to the European Commission from the electronic identification of sheep pilot.

The Scottish Government has commenced several strands of evidence based research work. On completion of this work we will write to the Commission and UK Government to highlight the key elements of our traceability system and its robustness. This will outline the challenges we have overcome through our own efforts and those challenges which will require assistance in the form of a re-evaluation of the EID Regulation and the associated cross compliance requirements.

Question reference: S4O-00940

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 April 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 May 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what map scale is used to assess land eligible for agricultural support under the Integrated Administration and Control System 2012.

Question reference: S4W-06487

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 April 2012
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 24 April 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment has been made of the impact of the EC common agricultural policy proposal on the definition of permanent grassland on single farm payments to individual crofters and farmers across Scotland.

Question reference: S4W-06488

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 April 2012
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 24 April 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what amendments it has proposed to the European Commission to the proposed definition of permanent pasture under common agricultural policy reform.

Scottish Government has suggested amending the definition along the following lines:

“permanent pasture means land used to grow grasses or other forage species suitable/utilised for grazing naturally (self-seeded), through cultivation (sown) or managed and that has not been included in the crop rotation of the holding for five years or longer”.

This amendment has been fed into discussions with UK Government and other devolved administrations ahead of European Working Groups.

Question reference: S4W-06489

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 April 2012
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 24 April 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive (a) on what date and (b) in what forum it last raised the proposed definition of permanent pasture under common agricultural policy reform with the (i) European Commission, (ii) UK Government and (iii) other devolved administrations.

Question reference: S4W-06486

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 April 2012
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 23 April 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment has been made of the impact of the EC common agricultural policy proposal on the definition of permanent grassland on the amount of land in Scotland defined as permanent grassland under existing regulations.

Commission officials have indicated that the proposed permanent grassland definition is not intended to change the status quo, for example regarding the grazing of heather. However, this is not clear from the definition as it is currently worded. The Scottish Government is therefore concentrating its efforts on securing a rewording of the definition to accommodate traditional Scottish farming practices and to meet the needs of Scotland’s farmers.

Question reference: S4W-06491

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 April 2012
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 23 April 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what the eligibility criteria are for the European Commission's proposed European Maritime and Fisheries Fund.

Question reference: S4W-06415

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 23 March 2012
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 16 April 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4W-05973 by Alex Neil on 29 February 2012, which referred to a commitment to deliver a "future proofed digital infrastructure across of all of Scotland by 2020," whether its previously stated target of 95-98% coverage has changed and, if not, how it will ensure that any of the existing so-called not spots do not keep that status.

Scotland’s Digital Future - Infrastructure Action Plan makes clear the Scottish Government’s 2015 connectivity targets – broadband at a speed of 40-80 Megabits per second (Mbps) to 85-90% of premises. We will also put in place measures to ensure an uplift in service can be delivered to the remaining 10-15% for whom delivery of broadband at this speed will not be possible. These targets apply to all of Scotland, including areas which are currently “not-spots”.