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: S5W-03201

Asked by: Richard Lyle, MSP for Uddingston and Bellshill, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 26 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 12 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what recent assessment it has carried out of (a) gas safety, (b) domestic electrical installation, (c) fire safety and (d) carbon monoxide safety in homes in the social-rented sector.

Social Landlords must ensure that their tenants’ homes meet the Scottish Housing Quality Standard (SHQS) which includes under the section ‘must be healthy, safe and secure’ criteria on safe gas/oil system and appliances (element 46), safe electrical systems (element 45) and safe smoke alarms/detectors (element 44). The independent Scottish Housing Regulator (SHR) which is responsible for monitoring the performance of landlords against the SHQS on an annual basis, advises that at August 2016, only 0.78% of social housing was non-compliant with the SHQS and only 0.20% was non-compliant with the ‘must be healthy, safe and secure’ criteria.

Carbon monoxide safety is not included in SHQS but engagement with social landlords suggests that, in the main, they incorporate the installation of carbon monoxide detectors in their housing stock as part of their routine safety activities. Private landlords are required to install carbon monoxide alarms in any property they let to tenants. It is recognised that different standards currently apply in different housing tenures. A working forum set up to consider a single condition standard for all housing tenures in Scotland, will make recommendations to Ministers with a view to conducting a formal public consultation next year.

Question reference: S5W-03209

Asked by: Richard Lyle, MSP for Uddingston and Bellshill, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 26 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 10 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how many children have been admitted to hospital as a result of being burned by an electrical product in each of the last five years, broken down by type of product.

For annual totals of children admitted to hospital as a result of being burned by an electrical product over the last five years, the combined contact with hot household appliances (not necessarily electrical) and contact with hot heating appliances, radiators and pipes (not necessarily electrical) also included supressed values due to the potential risk of disclosure and to maintain patient confidentiality.

The annual totals for children admitted to hospital as a result of being burned by an electrical product in the categories above were:

2011: 85

2012: 58

2013: 54

2014: 66

2015: 72

The definition of patients relates to an individual patient. However the same patient can be counted more than once.

Question reference: S5O-00221

Asked by: Richard Lyle, MSP for Uddingston and Bellshill, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 September 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it is having with universities to encourage the study of medicine and general practice.

Question reference: S5W-02470

Asked by: Richard Lyle, MSP for Uddingston and Bellshill, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 09 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 20 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how many applications it has received in response to its invitation to prospective providers to submit proposals for expanded mid-market rented housing.

Question reference: S5O-00105

Asked by: Richard Lyle, MSP for Uddingston and Bellshill, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 August 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what action it and its agencies are taking to promote Eurocentral at Newhouse as a place for business and innovation.

Question reference: S5W-01565

Asked by: Richard Lyle, MSP for Uddingston and Bellshill, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 July 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 16 August 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what contingency plans there are to deal with incidents that lead to traffic being brought to a standstill on stretches of the (a) A8 and (b) M8 that are being upgraded.

Scottish Roads Partnership (SRP), the contractor for the M8 M73 M74 Motorway Improvements Project, has an emergency response plan in place that has been agreed with Transport Scotland. The plan details SRP’s response for various incidents that can occur on the trunk road network, including the closure of a carriageway.

This emergency response plan includes the agreed standard incident diversion routes. These contingency routes are part of a clear strategy for all trunk roads and motorways, devised in conjunction with Police Scotland and adjacent local authorities, as safe and suitable for all traffic that would normally use the trunk road.

Question reference: S5W-01566

Asked by: Richard Lyle, MSP for Uddingston and Bellshill, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 July 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 15 August 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how Transport Scotland redirects traffic on the (a) A8 and (b) M8 following incidents that lead to lanes being blocked.

When a situation arises that requires closure of part of the trunk road and motorway network, the relevant operating company implements the agreed standard incident diversion routes. These contingency routes are part of a clear strategy for all trunk roads and motorways, devised in conjunction with Police Scotland and adjacent local authorities, as safe and suitable for all traffic that would normally use the trunk road.

Our diversion routes and responses to incidents are subject to regular review by our Operating Companies and while road closures are in place, Traffic Scotland use variable message signs to process and distribute real time information, helping road users to plan their journeys.

Police Scotland may occasionally have to react to particular circumstances and use a non-standard diversion route.

Question reference: S5W-01563

Asked by: Richard Lyle, MSP for Uddingston and Bellshill, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 July 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 15 August 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how the accident involving a lorry and the central reservation of the M8 on 19 July 2016 was handled; how many lanes were closed and for how long, and what action was taken by (a) Transport Scotland and (b) other departments to inform the public about the incident.

Question reference: S5O-00069

Asked by: Richard Lyle, MSP for Uddingston and Bellshill, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 June 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 June 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what issues were discussed at the first meeting of the Joint Ministerial Working Group on Welfare.

Question reference: S5O-00003

Asked by: Richard Lyle, MSP for Uddingston and Bellshill, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 June 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 June 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support the PAMIS campaign, Changing Places Toilets.