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: S3O-06578

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 April 2009
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 23 April 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what issues were raised during the First Minister’s recent visit to China.

Question reference: S3W-22554

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 April 2009
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 22 April 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive how the provisions in its forthcoming draft housing Bill will improve energy performance in the domestic sector.

Question reference: S3W-22351

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 March 2009
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 15 April 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what the terms of reference will be for the independent assessment of the energy options open to Scotland, as recommended in the First Annual Report of the Council of Economic Advisers: December 2008.

Question reference: S3W-22352

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 March 2009
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 15 April 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive who will be commissioned to carry out the independent assessment of the energy options open to Scotland, as recommended in the First Annual Report of the Council of Economic Advisers: December 2008.

Question reference: S3W-22353

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 March 2009
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 15 April 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to publish its independent assessment of the energy options open to Scotland, as recommended in the First Annual Report of the Council of Economic Advisers: December 2008.

Question reference: S3O-06274

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 March 2009
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 19 March 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the UK Government concerning the need for anti-discrimination protection for the Scottish Gypsy/Traveller community and whether it would support legislation in this area.

On 26 June 2007 the Deputy First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon MSP, wrote to the then Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Ruth Kelly, on this issue, seeking to open the debate and suggested that the UK Government takes the opportunity of the Single Equality Bill to establish Scottish Gypsies/Travellers as a minority ethnic group. Scottish ministers have not yet received a response to this letter. During 2008 this issue was discussed with UK Government officials.

Equalities and discrimination legislation is a reserved matter. However, the Scottish Government recognise Gypsies/Travellers as a distinct ethnic group and have confirmed as much in a number of published documents including the Scottish Government Race Equality Scheme.

Question reference: S3W-21613

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 March 2009
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 17 March 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive whether ministers share the positive view of the Forth Estuary Transport Authority chief engineer of the effectiveness of the cable-drying system being applied to the Forth Road Bridge.

Question reference: S3W-21616

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 March 2009
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 17 March 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what impact the new routes for traffic joining the proposed Forth Replacement Crossing will have on air quality in South Queensferry and Kirkliston and on noise pollution and the quality of life of residents.

Question reference: S3W-21614

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 March 2009
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 17 March 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Forth Road Bridge will be able to remain open to HGV traffic beyond 2021 if the Forth Estuary Transport Authority chief engineer is correct in his assessment of the effectiveness of the cable drying.

If the dehumidification process is successful, the requirement for weight restrictions would need to be assessed to take account of the deterioration to the cables that has already occurred. However, the Forth Road Bridge (FRB) has a number of maintenance problems which are worsened by the presence of HGV traffic. It is clearly not certain that the FRB will provide a reliable and resilient crossing for the current weight of traffic in the long-term.

Question reference: S3W-21615

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 March 2009
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 17 March 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive whether uncertainty about the future strength of the Forth Road Bridge cables due to corrosion remains the sole reason for the construction of an additional crossing.