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-06435

Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 26 March 2012
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 19 April 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on whether the proposed changes to the basis of payment of Bus Service Operators Grant will not invalidate the rights under which payments are not subject to review or potential revocation under EU state aid rules.

Question reference: S4W-06432

Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 26 March 2012
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 19 April 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has consulted the Department for Transport to ensure that the proposed changes to the basis of payment of Bus Service Operators Grant will not invalidate the rights under which payments are not subject to review or potential revocation under EU state aid rules and, if so, what advice was given.

Question reference: S4W-06434

Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 26 March 2012
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 19 April 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has asked the Department for Transport to consult the European Commission to ensure that the proposed changes to the basis of payment of Bus Service Operators Grant will not invalidate the rights under which payments are not subject to review or potential revocation under EU state aid rules.

Question reference: S4W-06431

Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 26 March 2012
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 19 April 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has consulted the European Commission to ensure that the proposed changes to the basis of payment of Bus Service Operators Grant will not invalidate the rights under which payments are not subject to review or potential revocation under EU state aid rules and, if so, what advice was given.

Question reference: S4W-06433

Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 26 March 2012
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 19 April 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has taken legal advice to ensure that the proposed changes to the basis of payment of Bus Service Operators Grant will not invalidate the rights under which payments are not subject to review or potential revocation under EU state aid rules and, if so, what advice was given.

Question reference: S4O-00796

Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 March 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 15 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive when it received the business case for the Union Terrace Gardens project in Aberdeen and when it will decide whether to approve it.

Question reference: S4O-00751

Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 February 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what dialogue it has had with Aberdeen City Council on the potential for funding new contemporary arts initiatives in the city.

Question reference: S4W-05132

Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 23 January 2012
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 6 February 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of the contracts awarded by the Scottish Futures Trust has gone to Scottish firms, broken down by year.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information, and Scottish Futures Trust (SFT) does not directly award contracts other than in relation to its administrative expenditure (e.g. advisory and legal services).

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of public contracts to the Scottish economy and that is why we have worked with business bodies to ensure that Scottish businesses have equality of opportunity and that procurement processes are standardised and streamlined to encourage local businesses to bid for public contracts. We launched a contract advertising portal, Public Contracts Scotland (PCS), in 2008 and 75% of all contracts advertised on PCS (82% of spending through PCS) go to suppliers registered with a Scottish address.

Question reference: S4O-00660

Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 February 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 February 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to improve transport infrastructure in North East Scotland.

Question reference: S4O-00493

Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 December 2011
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 15 December 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will reassess its growth forecasts in light of the revised forecasts for UK growth by the Office for Budget Responsibility.