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-02963

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 September 2011
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 7 October 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding has been allocated through the new entrants to farming scheme in each year since its introduction.

The following table shows the current funding allocation per year under the “Setting Up Young Farmers – Interest Rate Relief” Option in Rural Priorities, part of the Scotland Rural Development Programme.

Year	Value
2009	£305,933
2010	£301,094
2011	£307,424
2012	£172,788
2013	£4,843
2014	£3,965
2015	£1,506
2016	£587
2017	£13
Total	£1,098,153

Note: These figures are based on approved rural priorities cases with finalised contracts.

Question reference: S4W-02964

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 September 2011
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 7 October 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how many claims have been submitted for funding from the new entrants to farming scheme and how many were successful in each year since its introduction.

There have been 79 applications to date under the Rural Priorities Option ‘Setting Up Young Farmers – Interest Rate Relief’. 63 of these have been successful, as detailed in the following table:

Year	Number of approved applications
2008	0
2009	17
2010	19
2011	27
Total	63

Note: These figures are based on approved Rural Priorities cases with finalised contracts.

Question reference: S4W-02466

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 August 2011
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 28 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what funding it has provided since 2007 for lipreading classes designed for those who require rehabilitation support.

Question reference: S4W-02387

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 August 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 27 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how Transport Scotland ensures timeous replies to freedom of information requests.

The Scottish Government aims to respond to 100% of FOI requests within the statutory target of 20 working days.

The majority of requests received are registered on the Scottish Government’s Information Request Tracker which automatically calculates the 20 working day due date and in turn alerts the request owner and line management via email. A further email alert is issued two days before the due date. Local area arrangements are also implemented to ensure replies are issued timeously.

Question reference: S4W-02386

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 August 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 27 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of Transport Scotland taking at least 19 days from the date of receipt to respond to freedom of information enquiries regarding the Forth Replacement Crossing and, if so, what its position is on this.

Transport Scotland aims to respond to 100% of freedom of information requests within the statutory target of 20 working days as set out in the Freedom of Information Scotland Act 2002.

The majority of requests received are registered on the Transport Scotland Request Tracker which automatically calculates the 20 working day due date and in turn alerts the request owner and line management via email. A further alert is issued two days before the due date. Local area arrangements are also implemented to ensure replies are issued timeously.

Question reference: S4W-02388

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 August 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 27 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of freedom of information enquiries relating to the Forth Replacement Crossing have been answered by Transport Scotland within (a) 10, (b) 15 and (c) 20 days of receipt.

Question reference: S4W-02467

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 August 2011
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 26 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what support it provides toward the maintenance and expansion of lipreading classes in 2011-12.

Question reference: S4W-02469

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 August 2011
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 26 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will establish and fund a training course for lipreading tutors in order to secure a sustainable workforce for lipreading classes.

Question reference: S4W-02470

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 August 2011
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 22 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what (a) action it has taken since 2007 and (b) future plans it has to promote awareness of the benefits of lipreading classes for those with hearing loss.

Question reference: S4W-02468

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 August 2011
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 22 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance is used by NHS staff in audiology clinics when deciding upon whether it is appropriate to refer patients to lipreading services.

Lip reading services can be part of the wider rehabilitation support for patients with hearing loss visiting NHS audiology departments. At the present time no formal referral pathway exists between the NHS and support services such as lipreading. Patients are supplied with information packs containing details of all local activities and groups which they may find beneficial and where the local audiology service is aware of lip reading classes details of these will be included in the pack. An up to date list of Scottish lip reading classes provided by Action on Hearing Loss has recently been circulated to audiology departments to assist this.