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-15808

Asked by: John Lamont, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 June 2013
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 24 July 2013

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-15300 by John Swinney on 12 June 2013, whether it considers that an appropriate time to seek a draft credit rating would be before the referendum on Scottish independence.

Question reference: S4W-15807

Asked by: John Lamont, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 June 2013
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 24 July 2013

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-14922 by John Swinney on 28 May 2013, whether it will provide the information requested in relation to a draft credit rating.

Question reference: S4W-16305

Asked by: John Lamont, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 05 July 2013
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 19 July 2013

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-13149 by Kenny MacAskill on 28 February 2013, when it plans to commence sections 1 to 4 of the Prisons (Interference with Wireless Telegraphy) Act 2012, which received Royal Assent on 19 December 2012.

I have asked Colin McConnell, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:

The timescales for commencing sections 1 to 4 of the Act continue to be dependent on the conclusion of a Memorandum of Understanding with OFCOM and telephone operators. When this has been concluded, we will be in a position to progress to the procurement of suitable solutions and thereafter, in accordance with section 30 of the Interpretation and Legislative Reform (Scotland) Act 2010, a commencement order will be laid before Parliament. As this is work in progress, there is, as yet, no firm date for commencement.

Question reference: S4W-15642

Asked by: John Lamont, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 June 2013
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 25 June 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how much land it estimates will be required to house the number of turbines needed to meet its renewable energy targets.

Question reference: S4W-15300

Asked by: John Lamont, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 May 2013
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 12 June 2013

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-14922 by John Swinney on 28 May 2013, whether it will provide the information that was requested and confirm whether it will seek a draft opinion on an independent Scotland’s credit rating from a credit rating agency.

Question reference: S4W-15182

Asked by: John Lamont, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 May 2013
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 7 June 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what advice was provided by its economists as referred to in paragraph 4.3 of Shaping Scotland's Court Services: The Scottish Court Service Response to the consultation and recommendations for a future court structure in Scotland and whether it will publish it before the Justice Committee considers the subordinate legislation concerning court closures.

Question reference: S4W-15172

Asked by: John Lamont, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 May 2013
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 6 June 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what parts of Scotland will be served by the proposed justice centres in (a) the Borders, (b) Fife, (c) Lanarkshire and (d) the Highlands and what discussions it has had with the Scottish Court Service on (i) the timetable for completion of these centres and (ii) their impact on the existing court estate.

The Scottish Court Service (SCS) stated in its response to their consultation paper “Shaping Scotland’s Court Services” that their longer term vision for the courts service in Scotland includes the development of Justice Centres in key strategic population centres, including the Borders, Fife, Lanarkshire and the Highlands. They envisage that these centres will provide a full range of specialist support services and will complement the high quality courts which exist in many of Scotland’s cities.

The Chief Executive of the SCS has stated that they will be undertaking feasibility studies in these four locations. The purpose of these studies will be to identify the best configuration of courts in those areas. Further details about justice centres are a matter for the SCS and this process is at a very early stage and is a long term plan.

The Scottish Government is committed to reform of our justice system and any future proposals would need to go through the relevant processes, including through Parliament if any changes were to be made to court locations.

Question reference: S4O-02229

Asked by: John Lamont, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 May 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 June 2013

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what the average number of customers using the Queensberry House lounge is on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays before 4pm.

Question reference: S4W-15109

Asked by: John Lamont, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 May 2013
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 30 May 2013

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-14923 by John Swinney on 16 May 2013, what impact it considers the comments from the respondents will have on an independent Scotland's ability to borrow.

An independent Scotland will have access to the same sources of borrowing as any other independent country. Lenders will look at all the relevant facts and at our fiscal track record when deciding at what rates of interest they are prepared to lend, not at unattributed responses to a UK Government consultation.

The Scottish Government believes the macro-economic framework set out by the Fiscal Commission Working Group in their report of February this year provides a stable basis for Scotland’s fiscal and macro-economic future. This combined with Scotland’s economic strengths and natural resources, and the financially responsible record of the Scottish Government, would make an independent Scotland attractive to lenders.

Question reference: S4W-14922

Asked by: John Lamont, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 May 2013
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 28 May 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will seek a draft opinion on an independent Scotland’s credit rating from a credit rating agency and, if so, when.

Given our position of relative financial strength we have every confidence in securing a top credit rating for an independent Scotland - almost two thirds of countries with an AAA rating are small countries with a population of less than 10 million.

SG believes the macro-economic framework set out by the Fiscal Commission Working Group would provide a stable basis for Scotland and rUK in the best interests of both, and, combined with Scotland’s economic strengths and natural resources, and the responsible record of the Scottish Government, would make an independent Scotland attractive to lenders.