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: S5O-03439

Asked by: John Scott, MSP for Ayr, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 June 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 June 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made in developing new face-to-face assessments for new devolved benefits.

Question reference: S5O-03361

Asked by: John Scott, MSP for Ayr, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 June 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 June 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to improve the road network in South Ayrshire.

Question reference: S5W-22958

Asked by: John Scott, MSP for Ayr, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 May 2019
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 14 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that fire breaks are adequately maintained by swiping or other methods on Forestry Commission Scotland-owned land and forests, following reports of many moorland wildfires in 2019, and what analysis it has carried out of the effectiveness of this work recently.

Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) take a landscape level approach to land management, endeavouring to manage the land under its care with regard to a number of risks, including wildfire. This is focused primarily on employment of best practice in land management planning, wildfire prevention and wildfire suppression operations. Management of rides and roadsides through mowing and flailing does take place on parts of Scotland’s national forests and land where required e.g. some mature forests and new woodland creation sites. This work is undertaken to meet a number of objectives, including access management, conservation, wildlife management and safety.

Analysis of recent wildfires, prevention and control methods is an ongoing subject of joint working between FLS and other partners within the Scottish Wildfire Forum led by the Scottish Fire & Rescue Service (SFRS). At a national level FLS is working on a number of items related to wildfire management on Scotland’s national forests and land. This has included a joint SFRS and FLS wildfire scenario exercise and discussions regarding communications, wildfire danger assessments, fire plans, fire mapping and recording and data sharing. Working with SFRS, FLS is committed to seek out and follow developments in wildfire management practice. An output of wildfire research within the forestry sector is the practice guide titled ‘Building Wildfire Resilience into Forest Management Planning’ which FLS staff use as guidance in their land management decision making.

Question reference: S5O-03222

Asked by: John Scott, MSP for Ayr, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 May 2019
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 15 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on encouraging behavioural change with regard to food production, in light of evidence received by the Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Committee from the Committee on Climate Change.

Question reference: S5O-03188

Asked by: John Scott, MSP for Ayr, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 May 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how it allocates funding from the Scottish Welfare Fund to local authorities.

Question reference: S5O-03166

Asked by: John Scott, MSP for Ayr, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 April 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to minimise the risks to patient care arising from warnings of budget deficits in NHS Ayrshire and Arran and other NHS board areas.

Question reference: S5O-03137

Asked by: John Scott, MSP for Ayr, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 April 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 April 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with South Ayrshire Council regarding the preservation of listed buildings and other built heritage.

Question reference: S5O-03112

Asked by: John Scott, MSP for Ayr, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 March 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 April 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what it can do to help NHS Ayrshire and Arran reduce waiting times for treatment for mental health problems.

Question reference: S5O-03081

Asked by: John Scott, MSP for Ayr, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 March 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with NHS Ayrshire and Arran and South Ayrshire Council regarding the reported shortage of funded packages of care in South Ayrshire.

Question reference: S5O-03025

Asked by: John Scott, MSP for Ayr, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 March 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the education secretary's previous comments that the Education Bill could still be introduced if "sufficient progress" is not made, whether it has ruled out doing so in 2019.