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-29836

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 February 2016
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 1 March 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-29498 by John Swinney on 9 February 2016, on what date it will announce plans to extend superfast broadband to the remaining 5%.

It is not yet possible to confirm a date, although we expect to begin new procurement activity later in 2016. There are a number of steps that need to be taken prior to announcing our plans in detail. This includes finalising coverage to be delivered by the Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband programme, undertaking an Open Market Review to establish commercial plans and agreeing the appropriate state aid route. Currently we are working with the UK Government to develop a proposal to the European Commission for a new UK-wide state aid scheme for broadband. We expect this to be finalised in the coming months.

Question reference: S4W-29706

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 February 2016
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 1 March 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the responses that Zero Waste Scotland received to its call for additional evidence for a deposit return scheme for beverage containers in Scotland, whether it has considered (a) the capacity of small retailers to store empty containers, (b) who will pay for the installation of reverse vending machines, (c) whether local authorities will lose out from a reduction in scrap costs, (d) the impact on the price of various containers for consumers and what other issues it had considered.

Question reference: S4W-29727

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 February 2016
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 1 March 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it would need to introduce legislation to establish a deposit return scheme for beverage containers.

Question reference: S4W-29698

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 February 2016
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 1 March 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-29452 by Richard Lochhead on 3 February 2016, on what dates its officials held discussions with Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive officials; whether these were conducted face-to-face; what was discussed at each meeting, and whether it will publish the associated records.

Scottish Government officials discussed the work undertaken thus far on deposit return and the Scottish Government’s plans for future work via teleconference with colleagues from the Welsh Government and the Northern Ireland Executive on 7 October 2015, with the Northern Ireland Executive on 1 February 2016 and with both administrations on 22 February 2016. The discussions covered updates on progress and issues that have been raised in relation to a deposit return system. There are no records associated with these meetings.

Question reference: S4W-29702

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 February 2016
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 1 March 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-29439 by Richard Lochhead on 3 February 2016, on what dates its officials held discussions with UK Government officials; whether these were conducted face-to-face; what was discussed at each meeting, and whether it will publish the associated records.

Question reference: S4W-29700

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 February 2016
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 1 March 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-29439 by Richard Lochhead on 3 February 2016, on what date the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Food and Environment wrote to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs about implementing a deposit return system for beverage containers and whether it will publish the letter.

Question reference: S4W-29701

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 February 2016
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 1 March 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-29439 by Richard Lochhead on 3 February 2016, whether it will publish the response from the Secretary of State for Environment, Food Rural Affairs regarding implementing a deposit return system for beverage containers.

Question reference: S4W-29703

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 February 2016
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 1 March 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-29439 by Richard Lochhead on 3 February 2016, whether the UK Government is supportive of the implementation of a deposit return system for beverage containers.

Question reference: S4W-29699

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 February 2016
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 1 March 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-29452 by Richard Lochhead on 3 February 2016, whether the Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive are supportive of the implementation of a deposit return system for beverage containers.

Question reference: S4W-29874

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 February 2016
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 1 March 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how many extra staff it has recruited to deal with the backlog of applications under the Basic Payment Scheme and other common agricultural policy measures and how these have been allocated by area office.

Rural Payments and Inspections Division have recruited 36 additional staff in order to help speed up processing and payments. The location of each of these staff members is shown on the following table:

Office	Staff Recruited
Ayr	2
Hamilton	0
Dumfries	3
Galashiels	4
Inverness (including Portree)	9
Inverurie	4
Elgin	2
Kirkwall	2
Lerwick	1
Golspie	1
Thurso	1
Oban	2
Stornoway	2
Benbecula	1
Tiree	0
Perth	2
Total	36