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-00503

Asked by: John Lamont, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 June 2011
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 15 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how many apprenticeships in the textile industry it has funded in the Scottish Borders in each of the last four years.

The Scottish Government does not hold apprentice information centrally. I will ask the Chief Executive of Skills Development Scotland to write to the member with any information he can provide. However, please note that as in the answer to question S4W-502 on 15 June 2011 there is currently no modern apprenticeship framework in place specifically for the textile industry.

All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

Question reference: S4W-00306

Asked by: John Lamont, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 May 2011
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 10 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will bring forward legislation in relation to high hedges.

Question reference: S4W-00238

Asked by: John Lamont, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 May 2011
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 9 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how it is supporting Berwickshire fishermen with the transition to electronic logbooks.

As set out in council regulation 1224/2009 all vessels over 12 metres across the EU are legally required to report using an electronic logbooks on a phased implementation basis:

As from 1 January 2010 vessels of 24 metres overall;

As from 1 January 2011 vessels over 15 metres overall to 24 metres overall operating in third country waters;

As from 1 July 2011 vessels of 15 metres overall to 24 metres overall, and

As from 1 January 2012 vessels of 12 metres to 15 metres

Scotland has implemented electronic logbooks as set out in EU legislation as have the rest of the UK and other member states. Marine Scotland offered grant in aid toward the cost of purchasing the software. The scheme closed on 31 March 2011. Further information on electronic logbooks can be found on the Marine Scotland website at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/marine/Sea-Fisheries/Regulation/ERS.

To facilitate its implementation, Marine Scotland has held several meetings with industry and these meetings have been a useful means of gathering feedback and developing processes to deal with technical problems. Marine Scotland has produced a guidance document for industry and has sought comments back from industry on its effectiveness.

Initially there were difficulties with the logbook reports and Marine Scotland Compliance has worked directly with skippers to resolve these issues. Marine Scotland will continue to work with and assist industry as we continue to roll out the electronic logbook systems.

Question reference: S4W-00234

Asked by: John Lamont, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 May 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 7 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to upgrade the A1 in Berwickshire.

Question reference: S4W-00237

Asked by: John Lamont, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 May 2011
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 6 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what constitutes a common good asset and how such assets differ from property or land owned by a local authority.

Common good originated as revenues from properties belonging to the early burghs of Scotland. Essentially, the common good denoted all property of a Burgh not acquired under statutory powers or held under special trusts. Historically, the common good became an addition to the main revenues and the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1947 empowered counties and burghs without a common good fund to set up a reserve to promote the general good of the inhabitants or dignity of the burgh.

Common good assets belonging to the burghs of Scotland were incorporated into the new local government bodies set up under local government reform in 1975 and 1994 when the burghs became part of district and regional councils and then councils.

Due to the historical, non-statutory, nature of the common good, a judgement on what may constitute a common good asset as opposed to property or land owned by a local authority may have to be made by the courts.

All local authorities are required, by the Local Government in Scotland Act 2003, to adhere to proper accounting practice and the Code of Practice on Local Authority Accounting in the United Kingdom – Statement of Recommended Practice requires that common good accounts should be shown separately.

Question reference: S4W-00015

Asked by: John Lamont, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 May 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 25 May 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to make improvements to the A7 at Selkirk

Question reference: S4W-00014

Asked by: John Lamont, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 May 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 25 May 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will make a further announcement regarding the reopening of the Reston railway station.

Question reference: S4W-00023

Asked by: John Lamont, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 May 2011
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 20 May 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how much it spent on advertising in each of the last 12 months of the last parliamentary session.

Question reference: S3W-40373

Asked by: John Lamont, MSP for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 March 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 17 March 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are plans to improve the junctions on the A1 in Berwickshire

The A1 is one of the routes identified within Intervention 5 of the STPR (Strategic Transport Projects Review) where our aim will be to optimise the operation of the route through active route management and targeted individual investments.

This includes plans to ensure the road is safe and suitably maintained for the expected levels of traffic and may, for instance, include realigning sections of road, individual junction improvements and creating additional overtaking opportunities where appropriate.

Question reference: S3W-40372

Asked by: John Lamont, MSP for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 March 2011
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 17 March 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what the running costs were for each (a) police authority and (b) joint police board in each of the last two years