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-08282

Asked by: John Lamont, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 June 2012
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 31 August 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it would create a central bank in an independent Scotland and, if so, what form such a bank would take.

Question reference: S4W-08287

Asked by: John Lamont, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 June 2012
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 31 August 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in an independent Scotland, national insurance contributions that had been previously made in employment in the rest of the UK would count toward benefits in Scotland.

Question reference: S4W-08293

Asked by: John Lamont, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 June 2012
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 31 August 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive whether people collecting the state pension in an independent Scotland would be able to collect their pension if they moved to England, Wales or Northern Ireland and, if so, which government would pay the pension.

At the time of independence, welfare benefits and the state pension would continue to be paid as they are. Spending on pensions and benefits accounted for 42 per cent of total government revenue in the UK in 2010-11, but only 40 per cent in Scotland – meaning that pensions will be more affordable in an independent Scotland than they are by Westminster. Those who are eligible will receive the state pension regardless of where they reside. Thereafter, a key advantage of independence is that the Scottish parliament can decide on a welfare and pension system that best meets the needs of the people of Scotland.

Question reference: S4W-08289

Asked by: John Lamont, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 June 2012
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 31 August 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive whether an independent Scotland would remain part of the national grid.

Scotland already has two transmission system owners, Scottish Hydro Electric Transmission Ltd and Scottish Power Transmission Ltd, who work closely with National Grid Plc to develop, maintain and operate the electricity grid on a GB-wide basis. The Scottish Government strongly believes that it is in the shared interests of Scotland and the rest of the UK to continue a GB-wide approach to the operation of energy infrastructure and markets after Scottish independence, in line with the drive towards more integrated energy markets across the EU.

Full details of the government's proposals on energy will be provided in the white paper on independence to be published in November 2013.

Question reference: S4W-08275

Asked by: John Lamont, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 June 2012
Current Status: Answered by Bruce Crawford on 31 August 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive whether British citizens resident in an independent Scotland would be able to vote in all Scottish elections.

Question reference: S4W-08296

Asked by: John Lamont, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 June 2012
Current Status: Answered by Bruce Crawford on 31 August 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive whether an independent Scotland would have a written constitution and, if so, how this would be (a) drawn up and (b) ratified and whether it will have an option to allow Scotland to become a republic.

Paragraph 9.19 of the Scottish Government publication Your Scotland, Your Voice (November 2009) states that an independent Scotland could consider “formulating and agreeing a fully codified and written constitution.” Full details of the Scottish Government’s proposals for independence will be provided within the comprehensive white paper to be published in November 2013, which will include The Queen as Head of State.

Question reference: S4W-08281

Asked by: John Lamont, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 June 2012
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 31 August 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it would guarantee retail deposits in Scottish banks in an independent Scotland.

Scottish Ministers have outlined their intention to retain sterling in a formal monetary union with the UK, in an independent Scotland. As I set out in my speech to the David Hume Institute on 2 February 2012, our proposal is to maintain the Bank of England as the central bank as part of a formal monetary union. This will include continued protection for depositors.

?Scottish Ministers also announced the Fiscal Commission Working Group on 25 March 2012 which has since been coordinating the work to help establish a fiscal and macroeconomic framework for Scotland. The outputs of the group will be published in due course.?

?Full details of the Scottish Government’s proposals for independence will be provided in the comprehensive white paper to be published in November 2013.

Question reference: S4W-08292

Asked by: John Lamont, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 June 2012
Current Status: Answered by Bruce Crawford on 31 August 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive whether military personnel based in Scotland would be automatically transferred to the Scottish armed forces in an independent Scotland and, if so, whether there would be a mechanism to allow them to opt out.

Question reference: S4W-08274

Asked by: John Lamont, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 June 2012
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 31 August 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive whether British citizens living in an independent Scotland would have access to all the same benefits and public services as Scottish citizens.

Question reference: S4W-08280

Asked by: John Lamont, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 June 2012
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 31 August 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive whether financial institutions in an independent Scotland would participate in the Financial Services Compensation Scheme.