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: S4O-00444

Asked by: Rob Gibson, MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 November 2011
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 December 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how it promotes and celebrates Scotland's traditional arts.

Question reference: S4W-03578

Asked by: Rob Gibson, MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 October 2011
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 8 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what support Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd is providing for the Routemap for Renewable Energy in Scotland.

Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd (HIAL) is contributing to the work being led by the Scottish Government and Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) to promote the renewable energy sector in the region.

Alongside this, the Scottish Government is working with the aviation industry and other key stakeholders to develop solutions to radar and other aviation issues which present a potential barrier to the deployment of renewable energy across Scotland.

Question reference: S4W-03579

Asked by: Rob Gibson, MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 October 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 7 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd's position is on the efficacy of approach landing radar systems.

Question reference: S4O-00332

Asked by: Rob Gibson, MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 November 2011
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made by Transport Scotland in designing improvements to the A9 at Berriedale Braes.

Question reference: S4F-00220

Asked by: Rob Gibson, MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 31 October 2011
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 November 2011

To ask the First Minister how the Scottish Government can alleviate the financial pressures on charities and voluntary organisations.

Question reference: S4W-02830

Asked by: Rob Gibson, MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 September 2011
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 29 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the staffing formula for small rural secondary schools might put students at an academic disadvantage.

Scottish local authorities have a statutory duty under the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 to provide an adequate and efficient level of school education to the children in their area. As part of those responsibilities they are responsible for determining an appropriate staff complement for each of their schools based on locally determined staffing formulae and any other relevant considerations.

I am aware that there can be significant challenges in relation to the staffing of such schools and welcome the opportunity provided by the Commission on the Delivery of Rural Education to consider this as part of its review of the provision of education in Scottish rural communities.

Question reference: S4W-02778

Asked by: Rob Gibson, MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 September 2011
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 26 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what it considers would be the benefits of responsibility for race relations being devolved to the Scottish Parliament and whether there would be particular benefits for Gypsy/Travellers.

The Scottish Government already has the power to encourage good race relations under the devolution settlement. We are further supported in our ability to tackle race inequality by the Public Sector Equality Duty.

Gypsies/Travellers are one of the most disenfranchised and discriminated against ethnic groups in Scotland. In order to address this we have been engaging with the community, particularly around the issues of health, education and accommodation, the three policy areas which tend to affect Gypsies/Travellers’ lives to the greatest extent.

Under the Scotland Act 1998 legislation on other aspects of equal opportunities is reserved to the Westminster parliament. The Scottish Government’s white paper Your Scotland Your Voice published on 30 November 2009 underlined the potential benefits of the Scottish Parliament being given in powers in this area. This would enable equalities legislation to be developed in a Scottish policy context and in coherence with legislation in other areas such as health, education and housing.

Question reference: S4O-00217

Asked by: Rob Gibson, MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 September 2011
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what it can do to aid cereal farmers whose crops are in jeopardy as a result of unusually wet weather.‬‪‬

Question reference: S4W-02520

Asked by: Rob Gibson, MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 September 2011
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 15 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive to whether local residents were warned to prepare for the controlled explosions near Loch More that were conducted by Ordnance Test Solutions Ltd in August 2011.

Question reference: S4W-02519

Asked by: Rob Gibson, MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 September 2011
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 15 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what the effect was on wildlife of the controlled explosions near Loch More that where conducted by Ordnance Test Solutions Ltd in August 2011.

Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) undertook a site visit to establish the level of damage to the site. The principal interest was blanket bog which had material from the explosion landing as rubble in a radius of approximately 300 metres. Tracking from vehicles on the bog surface also caused some damage. It is possible that there will be an enrichment effect on surrounding habitats and waterbodies from the fallout of the fertiliser used within the explosive material. There is also likely to have been disturbance to qualifying birds within a Special Protected Area. SNH plan an inspection visit next year to check for signs of habitat recovery. SNH has met with the landowner to discuss remedial action at the site and to remind him of his responsibilities in relation to Sites of Special Scientific Interest.