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: S5W-10795

Asked by: Margaret Mitchell, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 August 2017
Current Status: Answered by Annabelle Ewing on 4 September 2017

To ask the Scottish Government when it will provide guidance in relation to the Apologies (Scotland) Act 2016.

The Scottish Government is working with the InterAction Action Plan Review Group to ensure survivors of historical childhood abuse are able to benefit as much as possible from the different strands of the Action Plan on Justice for Victims of Historic Abuse of Children in Care. This includes consideration of how information about the Apologies (Scotland) Act 2016 and its benefits can best be communicated.

Question reference: S5W-10785

Asked by: Margaret Mitchell, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 August 2017
Current Status: Answered by Annabelle Ewing on 1 September 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been convicted of puppy farming, and what penalties have been imposed, in each of the last three years.

Question reference: S5W-10784

Asked by: Margaret Mitchell, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 August 2017
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 30 August 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has carried out of the profitability of illegal puppy smuggling compared with drug smuggling, and the associated penalties, in each of the last three years.

The Scottish Government has not specifically assessed the profitability of puppy smuggling compared to drug smuggling or the associated penalties in each of the last three years, although public demand is known to fuel a lucrative trade in both. There are various legal and illegal ways in which puppies from other countries can be moved to Scotland for sale and various possible offences, with appropriate penalties available, associated with the trade in these puppies. These can include fraud and failure to declare taxable income; animal welfare offences such as dealing without a licence, welfare in transport offences and causing unnecessary suffering; as well as failing to comply with commercial import health and identity requirements for dogs or the Pet Travel Scheme requirements depending on the precise circumstances of the case.

Question reference: S5W-09534

Asked by: Margaret Mitchell, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 May 2017
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 16 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, further to its news release of 16 December 2016, £10 million to support workforce development, how the Flexible Workforce Development Fund will operate, and from what date companies will be able to apply for support.

Question reference: S5W-09645

Asked by: Margaret Mitchell, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 09 June 2017
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 13 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many firms in the (a) North Lanarkshire, (b) South Lanarkshire and (c) Falkirk local authority area are liable for the large business rates supplement.

The estimated number of properties liable for the large business supplement in 2017-18, by local authority area, is shown in the following table:

Local authority area*	Estimated number of properties liable for the large business supplement in 2017-18
Falkirk	496
North Lanarkshire	1,045
South Lanarkshire	1,046

* Falkirk Council collects non-domestic rates at a national level in respect of certain docks and harbours, as does South Lanarkshire Council in respect of certain electricity utilities, under the statutory ‘designated assessor’ arrangements.

Question reference: S5W-09535

Asked by: Margaret Mitchell, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 June 2017
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 6 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how much revenue will be generated by the large business rates supplement in 2017-18 in the (a) Falkirk, (b) North Lanarkshire and (c) South Lanarkshire local authority area.

The estimated 2017-18 non-domestic rates income in respect of the large business supplement by local authority area is shown in the following table:

Local authority area*	Estimated 2017-18 non-domestic rates income in respect of large business supplement
Falkirk	£3.2 million
North Lanarkshire	£4.6 million
South Lanarkshire	£15.1 million

Question reference: S5W-09319

Asked by: Margaret Mitchell, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 May 2017
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 5 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many people in each (a) police division or constabulary and (b) local authority area have been arrested for human trafficking offences in each year since 2012, also broken down by the legislation that they were arrested under; how many were subsequently (i) charged, (ii) prosecuted and (iii) convicted, broken down by form of disposal, and how many remain on remand.

The Scottish Government does not hold data on arrests nor does it hold information on the number of people charged or on remand.

Information on the number of persons proceeded and convicted for human trafficking offences by the local authority of court location is available from the Scottish Parliament Information Centre - Bib number 58788. Information by police division is not held centrally.

Question reference: S5T-00569

Asked by: Margaret Mitchell, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 May 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 May 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of disruption over the bank holiday weekend arising from the M8 M73 M74 improvements projects, whether it will confirm the completion date of the work and provide details of how Transport Scotland plans to reduce the level of disruption.

Question reference: S5W-09213

Asked by: Margaret Mitchell, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 12 May 2017
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 30 May 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what the completion date is for the M8 M73 M74 Motorway Improvements Project.

Following on from the opening of the new M8 Motorway in April and the M74 Raith Underpass in February, the final sections of the new and improved M8, M73 and M74 motorways will open fully across the M8 M73 M74 Motorway Improvements Project over the coming days. More traffic management is being removed across the project each day, with the motorways expected to be fully open by the end of this week.

As is usual for projects of this nature, the contractor will now focus on necessary finishing and snagging works, and local road improvements which have been held back until the new roads were available. These works will continue until at least September, but will not affect peak time traffic flows.

Question reference: S5O-00929

Asked by: Margaret Mitchell, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 April 2017
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 3 May 2017

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met Dyslexia Scotland.

My officials meet regularly with Dyslexia Scotland through the ‘Dyslexia Making Sense’ and the ‘Addressing Dyslexia Toolkit’ Working Groups. They last met on 26 March and are due to meet again on 3 May.

I have also met with Sir Jackie Stewart and Cathy Magee of Dyslexia Scotland in November 2016 and again at the launch of the refreshed Addressing Dyslexia Toolkit on the 8 March 2017.