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-08382

Asked by: John Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 July 2012
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 27 July 2012

To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that businesses based in Scotland are given priority in relation to public procurement contracts awarded by Scottish Water.

As a publicly owned utility entity, Scottish Water must comply with the European Union Treaty which prohibits discrimination on grounds of locality or nationality and specific EU rules on procurement by utilities, given effect in Scots law by the Utilities Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2012. These regulations require that higher value contracts are advertised in the EU Official Journal and awarded after fair and open competition.

All Scottish Water procurement requirements that go through the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) are also placed within the Scottish Government's public contracts Scotland portal, to ensure visibility to all organisations that might have interest. Over 85% of Scottish Water's external spend goes through a supply chain with locations in Scotland, and over 60% of Scottish Water's supply chain are classified as small and medium enterprises.

Question reference: S4W-08380

Asked by: John Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 July 2012
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 27 July 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what criteria Scottish Water uses when awarding contracts.

Question reference: S4W-08379

Asked by: John Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 July 2012
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 27 July 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Scottish Water since April 2011 regarding procurement policy issues.

Question reference: S4W-08381

Asked by: John Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 July 2012
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 27 July 2012

To ask the Scottish Government how it monitors the delivery of the public procurement contracts awarded by Scottish Water.

Question reference: S4W-08307

Asked by: John Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 June 2012
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 19 July 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure the financial viability of housing associations for 2013 and beyond.

Question reference: S4W-08305

Asked by: John Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 June 2012
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 19 July 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive, following the introduction of the proposed universal credit, whether it considers that housing associations will have a role in establishing credit unions.

Question reference: S4W-08306

Asked by: John Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 June 2012
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 19 July 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the potential impact of the Welfare Reform Act 2012 on housing benefit, what mechanisms are in place to assess the performance of housing associations.

Question reference: S4O-01211

Asked by: John Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 June 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 June 2012

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what impact the recent changes to the Parliament's IT system have had on services to members.

Question reference: S4O-01204

Asked by: John Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 June 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 June 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to improve the broadband infrastructure in Central Scotland.

Question reference: S4O-01104

Asked by: John Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 May 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 June 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what employment initiatives it is pursuing in Central Scotland.