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: S4T-00880

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 05 January 2015
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 January 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what involvement it will have in the investigation into the sinking of the cargo vessel, Cemfjord, in the Pentland Firth.

Question reference: S4W-23549

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 05 December 2014
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 19 December 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what criteria it used to select the people whom it invited to attend the first meeting of the Scottish Rural Parliament.

Question reference: S4W-23548

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 05 December 2014
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 19 December 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what process it used to choose the directors of Scottish Rural Action and which (a) people and (b) groups it consulted as part of this.

The inaugural Scottish Rural Parliament took place in Oban on 6-8 November 2014 and was attended by over 400 delegates from across rural Scotland. The event was organised by Scottish Rural Action, an independent, not-for-profit organisation.

Further information relating to the key themes discussed at the Rural Parliament, the delegate invitation process as well as information on funding, costs, administration and governance can either be found on the Rural Parliament website: http://www.scottishruralparliament.org.uk/ or by contacting Scottish Rural Action.

Question reference: S4W-23550

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 05 December 2014
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 19 December 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how much it cost to (a) set up and (b) run the first meeting of the Scottish Rural Parliament, and what its annual operating costs will be.

Question reference: S4W-23551

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 05 December 2014
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 19 December 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how many organisations it approached for assistance in funding the running costs of the first meeting of the Scottish Rural Parliament, and which contributed.

Question reference: S4W-23553

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 05 December 2014
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 19 December 2014

To ask the Scottish Government which (a) people and (b) organisations assisted in deciding the key themes of the first meeting of the Scottish Rural Parliament.

Question reference: S4W-23552

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 05 December 2014
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 19 December 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how many organisations it has approached for assistance in funding the annual running costs of the Scottish Rural Parliament, and which have (a) made and (b) indicated that they will make a contribution.

Question reference: S4W-23654

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 December 2014
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 19 December 2014

To ask the Scottish Government when it will receive recommendations from NHS chief executives regarding the future funding of hyperbaric services.

The Scottish Government received recommendations on hyperbaric medicine services in Scotland in October 2014.

Scottish Ministers have agreed the recommendations, which will see the nationally designated service extended to include independent hyperbaric chambers in Scotland, including Orkney. This will ensure the continued provision of a safe and sustainable hyperbaric service for those who need it.

The new arrangements are expected to be in place by April 2015.

Question reference: S4W-23655

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 December 2014
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 19 December 2014

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will take a decision on the future funding of hyperbaric services in time for any changes to take effect in 2015-16.

Question reference: S4W-23375

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 24 November 2014
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 8 December 2014

To ask the Scottish Government which local authorities offer junior individual savings accounts to looked-after children, and what information it has on the take-up rate.

28 of the 32 local authorities in Scotland have signed up to the UK junior individual savings accounts scheme for looked-after children. The four who have not are East Ayrshire, East Renfrewshire, North Lanarkshire and Stirling. The Scottish Government understands that discussions are ongoing about signing up to the scheme. There is no deadline for registration.

Local authorities and The Share Foundation (the body contracted by the UK Government to administer the scheme until the end of March 2015) have the latest information on take-up rate.

The Scottish Government considers the scheme as a core function of a local authority’s corporate parenting responsibilities as set out in the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014, and would expect them to comply for the interests of looked-after children within their care to get maximum benefits from this.