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-17145

Asked by: John Lamont, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 26 September 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to explore the creation of a new national parks strategy.

Question reference: S4W-17225

Asked by: John Lamont, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 16 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 25 September 2013

To ask the Scottish Government when the Scottish Firearms Consultative Panel last met and whether it will meet to discuss the licensing of air weapons under the proposed Licensing Bill and, if so, when.

Question reference: S4W-15988

Asked by: John Lamont, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 30 August 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether an independent Scotland would have its own (a) security and (b) signals intelligence and, if so, how much it would cost to (i) establish and (ii) operate.

Question reference: S4W-15878

Asked by: John Lamont, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 30 August 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what estimates it has made of the costs to (a) business and (b) individual taxpayers of the transition to a new tax system if Scotland became independent.

Question reference: S4W-15985

Asked by: John Lamont, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 June 2013
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 30 August 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the number of jobs in Scotland dependent on Ministry of Defence contracts.

It cannot be assumed that all defence industry jobs in Scotland are dependent on Ministry of Defence contracts. It should be noted that the numbers working in defence-related industries has been falling from its peak as work on the Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers nears completion. Following a ‘yes’ vote the Scottish Government and its agencies Scottish Enterprise and Scottish Development International would continue to support Scotland’s indigenous defence industries in existing, new and emerging markets.

Question reference: S4W-15870

Asked by: John Lamont, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 June 2013
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 30 August 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what changes it would seek to make to personal taxation bands if Scotland became independent.

Question reference: S4W-15981

Asked by: John Lamont, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 June 2013
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 30 August 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with shipyard workers or their representatives about the consequences of independence.

There have been discussions with shipyard workers and their representatives this year:

13 February 2013 – Deputy First Minister and the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth met Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions (CSEU) trade union representatives: Jamie Webster, GMB; John Dolan, GMB; Duncan McPhee, UNITE; Billy Mckay, UNITE

28 February 2013 – the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth had a teleconference with CSEU representatives

31 May 2013 – The Minister for Transport and Veterans addressed a meeting of shop stewards from the defence and manufacturing sector who are members of CSEU unions

Question reference: S4W-15992

Asked by: John Lamont, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 June 2013
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 30 August 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether an independent Scotland would receive a proportionate share of GCHQ's resources.

Question reference: S4W-16004

Asked by: John Lamont, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 June 2013
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 30 August 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what body in an independent Scotland would carry out the duties of the (a) Prudential Regulation and (b) Financial Conduct Authority.

Question reference: S4W-16008

Asked by: John Lamont, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 June 2013
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 30 August 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what body in an independent Scotland would undertake the role performed by the Office of Rail Regulation.

Proposals for economic and competition regulation in an Independent Scotland were published by the Scottish Government earlier this year. This included proposals for the economic and safety regulatory functions for Scotland’s railways currently performed by the Office of Rail Regulation. Full details can be found at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/publications/2013/02/1911

The Scottish Government will publish its detailed white paper with positive proposals on the opportunities and gains of independence in the autumn. Material on the referendum and the Scottish Government’s proposals for an independent Scotland can be found at: www.scotreferendum.com including published papers and speeches. This site will be regularly updated with additional material including the Scottish Government’s white paper in the run up to the referendum.

Decisions on these and other proposals will be made by the parliament and government of an independent Scotland elected in 2016 and thereafter. Political parties, stakeholders, and individuals will have their own preferences for the policies to be pursued in an independent Scotland and the arguments for and against, and between, the range of policy choices available to an independent Scotland will form a central part of the national debate before the referendum and then in the run up to the 2016 Scottish election.