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: S3W-39242

Asked by: George Foulkes, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 February 2011
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 23 February 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how many meetings the Cabinet Secretary for Justice had with (a) each chief or deputy chief constable, (b) each police board and (c) the director of the Scottish Police Services Authority to discuss the future of forensic services in Scotland prior to a decision being made.

I meet regularly with chief constables and conveners of police boards to discuss a range of matters. I chair the Scottish Policing Board which is attended by chief constables and conveners. In April 2010, the Chief Executive of the Scottish Police Services Authority (SPSA) gave a presentation to the Policing Board which covered the forensics modernisation programme. He also has regular meetings with the Convener of the SPSA.

I gave careful consideration to the written submissions received from all eight forces and the two police boards who responded to the SPSA options paper published in July 2010, prior to a decision being made.

Question reference: S3W-39230

Asked by: George Foulkes, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 February 2011
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 23 February 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people aged (a) 25 to 50 and (b) 51 to 75 have been convicted of dangerous driving in each of the last five years; how many have (i) received a lifetime ban and (ii) had their licence removed, and what the average period of disqualification was.

The available information is given in the following table.

Persons Convicted of Dangerous Driving in Scottish Courts¹, 2005-06 to 2009-10

Dangerous Driving	2005-06	2006-07	2007-08	2008-09	2009-10
25 to 50
Convicted	412	478	512	435	378
Disqualified	383	398	410	404	351
Of which: Disqualified for life	6	7	1	0	0
Average disqualification (months)²	23	26	26	25	26
51 to 75
Convicted	31	44	50	49	43
Disqualified	26	33	40	44	36
Of which: Disqualified for life	0	0	0	0	2
Average disqualification (months)²	23	27	18	18	27

Notes:

1. Where Main offence.

2. Excludes disqualifications for an indeterminate period.

Question reference: S3W-39226

Asked by: George Foulkes, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 February 2011
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 23 February 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has commissioned any (a) agencies, (b) organisations or (c) services to produce Scottish history books or books containing elements of Scottish history for young people and, if so, what the titles are; whether it provided guidelines as to the content, and what the total cost was.

Question reference: S3W-39063

Asked by: George Foulkes, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 January 2011
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 22 February 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has (a) estimated the cost of operating and (b) researched the logistics of establishing armed forces should Scotland become independent

As set out in the Scottish Government''s White Paper Your Scotland, Your Voice, published on 30 November 2009, there would be a range of choices for an independent Scotland''s defence policy and defence capability, the logistics and costs for which would depend upon the decisions of the Scottish Parliament and Scottish Government following independence, and the terms of the independence settlement. The Scottish Government would work closely with the UK Government and with international partners during the transition from current UK defence arrangements to the establishment of a Scottish defence service.

Question reference: S3W-39234

Asked by: George Foulkes, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 February 2011
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 22 February 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how many registered charity street workers there are and how many are on commission.

Question reference: S3W-39233

Asked by: George Foulkes, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 February 2011
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 22 February 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what regulations are in place regarding the conduct of charity street workers; what limitations the regulations place on their conduct, and whether it will review the regulations with the aim of ensuring that people are not pressurised to give to charity.

Public charitable collections are currently regulated by section 119 of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982, and the Public Charitable Collections (Scotland) Regulations 1984, as amended. Local authorities are responsible for issuing licences for street collections and can specify certain conditions, such as the conduct of collectors.

The Scottish Government is currently developing a new scheme for regulating public benevolent collections and intends to consult widely on this later in 2011.

Question reference: S3W-38732

Asked by: George Foulkes, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 January 2011
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 17 February 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has estimated the cost of setting up separate departments for (a) pensions, (b) employment, (c) social security benefits, (d) road tax, (e) passports, (f) driving licences, (g) defence, (h) foreign affairs and (i) other reserved areas should Scotland become independent.

Question reference: S3W-39228

Asked by: George Foulkes, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 February 2011
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 17 February 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has a policy of encouraging a sense of national identity among young children; whether it has provided schools with literature or guidelines to achieve this end, and, if so, at what total cost.

Taking pride in a strong, fair and inclusive national identity is one of the Scottish Government''s national outcomes. This is supported by a range of policies, programmes and initiatives across sectors and in partnership with a range of organisations.

The Scottish Government has not provided literature or guidelines to specifically encourage a sense of national identity amongst young people.

In education, developing knowledge and understanding of Scotland and our place in the world is among the entitlements of a broad general education within Curriculum for Excellence. Within broad curricular guidance teachers are empowered to deliver creative, challenging and relevant learning experiences to meet the needs of young people in a modern Scotland and fast changing world.

Resources have been provided to support learning about Scotland''s history, for example, and Homecoming Scotland 2009 offered children and young people exciting opportunities to celebrate and explore Scotland''s rich culture, history and heritage. Homecoming was also celebrated at the 2009 Scottish Education Awards.

Question reference: S3W-39238

Asked by: George Foulkes, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 February 2011
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 15 February 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what (a) agencies, (b) organisations and (c) public bodies and services it provided with literature for the purpose of celebrating St Andrew’s day 2010.

The Scottish Executive has transferred operational responsibility for the delivery of St Andrew''s day and winter festivals commitments to EventScotland from 2010 onwards. I have asked EventScotland to respond. Its response is as follows:

EventScotland arranged for the distribution of Scotland''s Winter Festivals Events Guides to the agencies, organisations and public bodies listed in the following table.

Visitor Information Centres/Sites

Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Fort William, Glasgow, Inverness, St Andrews, Aberfeldy, Aberfoyle, Aviemore, Ballater, Balloch, Isle of Arran, Callander, Campbeltown, Isle of Mull, Dumfries, Dundee, Dunfermline, Edinburgh International Airport, Falkirk Wheel, Glasgow International Airport, Gretna, Inveraray, Jedburgh, Kirkwall, Lerwick, Oban, Peebles, Perth, Pitlochry, Portree, Rothesay, Southwaite Service Area, Stirling, Stornoway, Stranraer, Arbroath, Ayr, Blairgowrie, Bowmore, Braemar, Brechin, Crieff, Drumnadrochit, Dunkeld, Durness, Elgin, Hawick, Kelso, Kirkcaldy, Kirkcudbright, Lanark, Linlithgow, North Berwick, Kessock, Paisley, Sumburgh Airport, Melrose.

Scottish Government Offices

Victoria Quay, St Andrew''s House, Atlantic Quay, Europa Building.

It also arranged for copies of the events guide to be distributed to sites across Scotland. A full list is available direct from EventScotland.

Question reference: S3W-39601

Asked by: George Foulkes, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 11 February 2011
Current Status: Awaiting answer

To ask the Scottish Executive how the Infrastructure Investment Group ensured that the Scottish Government’s infrastructure investment programme provided appropriate investment to enable sustainable economic growth in 2010.