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-01577

Asked by: Margaret McDougall, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 November 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 December 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what new responsibilities are outlined in the Water Resources (Scotland) Bill for Scottish Water relating to sewage treatment plants.

Question reference: S4W-10161

Asked by: Margaret McDougall, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 October 2012
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 12 November 2012

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has investigated working with other organisations to reduce the cost for owners of the cost of microchipping dogs and, if so, what effect this would have on the cost of introducing compulsory microchipping.

Dogs are only required to be microchipped in Scotland if they are the subject of a notice issued under the Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010 or under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991. If the Scottish Government were to bring forward proposals on the introduction of compulsory microchipping for all dogs, the need to ensure this was as cost effective for owners as possible would be considered further.

Question reference: S4W-10158

Asked by: Margaret McDougall, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 October 2012
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 12 November 2012

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4O-00789 by Richard Lochhead on 15 March 2012 (Official Report, c. 7344) what further consideration it has given to the compulsory microchipping of dogs.

In answer to S4O-00789, the Scottish Government replied that: “The Scottish Government recognises the benefits of microchipping in helping to re-unite dogs with owners where dogs have been lost or stolen, which is why it is recommended as best practice in the Code of Practice for the Welfare of Dogs (published in 2010). In addition, we have ensured that the owners of dangerous or out of control dogs can be required to microchip their dogs by the issue of a Dog Control Notice under the Control of Dogs (Scotland) Acts 2010. However, there are currently no plans to introduce compulsory microchipping more widely.” This position has not changed although we continue to monitor the development of proposals for compulsory microchipping in England and Wales with interest.

The Official Report can be viewed at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28862.aspx?r=7173&i=65264&c=1334363&s=microchipping%20in%20helping%20to%20reunite%20dogs

Question reference: S4W-10160

Asked by: Margaret McDougall, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 October 2012
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 12 November 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what the cost of a dog licence would be under a system requiring the compulsory microchipping of dogs.

Question reference: S4W-10157

Asked by: Margaret McDougall, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 October 2012
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 12 November 2012

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to introduce dog welfare legislation.

The welfare of dogs is covered by the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006. Other relevant legislation includes the Breeding and Sale of Dogs (Welfare) Act 1999, the Breeding of Dogs Act 1991 and the Licensing of Animal Dealers (Young Cats and Young Dogs) Regulations 2009. The Scottish Government intends to review the legislation relevant to the sale and breeding of dogs, although it is not possible to give a timetable for this at present.

Question reference: S4W-10162

Asked by: Margaret McDougall, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 October 2012
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 12 November 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what meetings it has had with stakeholders regarding the compulsory microchipping of dogs and when these took place.

Question reference: S4W-10159

Asked by: Margaret McDougall, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 October 2012
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 12 November 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what it would cost to establish and maintain a national database of dogs.

Question reference: S4W-10493

Asked by: Margaret McDougall, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 29 October 2012
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 7 November 2012

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will monitor whether additional travel costs are making it impossible for students to continue their studies following college mergers.

Question reference: S4W-10490

Asked by: Margaret McDougall, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 29 October 2012
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 7 November 2012

To ask the Scottish Government at what stage during its consultation on college mergers it considered a possible increase in student travel costs.

In our joint consultation with the SFC “College regionalisation: Proposals for implementing Putting Learners at the Centre” we made clear we expected the major campuses that currently exist to remain. The consultation also made clear the importance, in defining the new college regions, of reflecting distances students have to travel.

Respondees strongly welcomed the Government’s intention to protect local access-level provision within the college regions proposed in the consultation, recognising that college regionalisation offered a number of opportunities to improve and enhance the learner experience.

Question reference: S4W-10491

Asked by: Margaret McDougall, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 29 October 2012
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 7 November 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what consultations it had with stakeholders regarding the impact on student travel of college mergers.