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-17669

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 07 October 2013
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 4 November 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what evidence the Minister for Energy, Enterprise and Tourism has for his statement on 17 September 2013 that (a) the opencast coal industry "sustains 1,500 direct full-time jobs and 3,000 indirect full-time jobs" (Official Report, c. 22530) and (b) "Longannet coal power station is expected to keep generating electricity until 2023" (Official Report, c. 22531).

(a) The Scottish Coal Industry Economic Impact Assessment, published November 2012 provides details on the direct and indirect jobs in the coal industry in Scotland sourcing original data from the Coal Authority (June 2011) and Scottish Annual Business Statistics (2010).

(b) In Scottish Power's strategy document “Longannet: Securing A Future Beyond 2020” published 2012, page 7, states that:

“As a general rule, installations such as Longannet have until 2016 to comply with the stricter emission limits or opt-out of the Industrial Emissions Directive (IED). Operators must decide by December 2013 if they wish to opt out of the IED and commit to limited hours of operation, within the emission limits set by the LCPD, and closure by the end of 2023”.

This strategy paper demonstrates that the company is committed to looking at ways to sustain the plant into the next decade and sets out activities the company is developing to reduce its environmental impact and the strategy adopted and investments made in emissions reduction technology going forward.

In May 2013 Scottish Power announced a £25 million upgrade at Longannet.

This follows a £20 million upgrade project in 2012.

Question reference: S4W-17671

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 07 October 2013
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 4 November 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the (a) funds available from restoration bonds in relation to open cast coal mining and (b) cost of restoring both former and current open cast coal sites.

There is not now nor ever has been any Scottish Government estimate of specific budgetary provision for restoration of open cast coal sites.

Planning permissions for opencast coal operations are granted by the relevant planning authority. As part of that process it is the responsibility of the planning authority to ensure sufficient bond coverage is in place to effect restoration of opencast coal operations for every site. Each planning authority is working through the bond provision for specific sites to develop their restoration plans. Scottish Ministers have established the Scottish Mines Restorations Trust to help facilitate this process.

Scottish Ministers are to launch an open consultation on how best to improve regulations relating to the open cast coal sector. This consultation will be open to the public and will welcome responses from all interested parties.

Question reference: S4W-17514

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 29 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what measures are in place to prevent the teaching of creationism in Scotland's schools.

Evolution is specifically covered in the experiences and outcomes for the sciences that form a core element of the Curriculum for Excellence.

It is of course for teachers, schools and local authorities to determine how best to deliver learning and teaching on any topic and subject in line with the Curriculum for Excellence and we expect teachers to use their professional judgement, experience and understanding of their pupils to respond sensitively to complex and challenging issues, such as those posed by the existence of differing belief systems.

There are support materials on how best to achieve this, including how best to teach evolution, and these are available to all teachers via the Education Scotland website.

Question reference: S4W-17516

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 28 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that teacher training courses and in-service training address concerns regarding staff who hold creationist beliefs being given responsibility to discuss evolution or Earth sciences.

The accreditation of initial teacher education courses is the responsibility of the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTC Scotland) which, since April 2012, has been the independent, self-regulatory body of the teaching profession in Scotland.

In-service training is the responsibility of local authorities and they will address issues of concern to their teachers.

All teachers are required to adhere to GTC Scotland’s Code of Professionalism and Conduct which describes to the profession and members of the public the standards of conduct and competence expected of teachers. Notwithstanding that teachers will hold a range of personal beliefs, the Code includes a requirement that all teachers should help pupils to understand different views, perspectives and experiences.

Question reference: S4W-17515

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 28 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance exists for schools regarding the appropriate way to teach evolution.

Curriculum for Excellence includes guidance on learning and teaching in all curricular areas through the principles and practice papers and the experiences and outcomes. It is for schools and local authorities to determine how best to deliver learning and teaching of any topic and subject, such as evolution, in line with Curriculum for Excellence.

Evolution is specifically covered in the experiences and outcomes for the sciences, and can be introduced when learners relate the physical and behavioural characteristics of living things to their survival and extinction. Learners may also have opportunities to learn about evolution in other curricular areas.

Question reference: S4O-02509

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 October 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what safeguards are in place to regulate the undercover policing of non-violent political protest and what the extent of such activity is in Scotland.

Question reference: S4W-17672

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 07 October 2013
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 23 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how its consultation on the regulation of the coal industry will link to its revision of Scottish Planning Policy.

Question reference: S4T-00474

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 07 October 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it is giving to the future of local government powers and finance.

Question reference: S4W-16702

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 12 August 2013
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 2 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what powers it has to extend new applications for accreditation under the Renewables Obligation beyond the proposed end date of 2017 and whether it plans to exercise these.

Question reference: S4W-17082

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 19 September 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what powers it has to prevent adverts that might be considered offensive, misleading or liable to incite racial hatred being placed in public buildings.