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: S4O-02387

Asked by: Richard Lyle, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 September 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 September 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how much the NHS pays each year in PFI service charges.

Question reference: S4O-02321

Asked by: Richard Lyle, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 June 2013
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 27 June 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made with the UK Government regarding the repatriation of income from the red meat levy.

We have continued to press the UK Government on this issue. It’s clearly not right that this year alone approx. £1.4 million of levy income paid by Scottish farmers is not available to promote our fabulous red meat brands. The UK Government had the prefect platform to announce its intention to repatriate levy income to Scotland when the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary of State attended the Royal Highland Show last Friday.

Sadly Owen Paterson chose not to do so.

Question reference: S4O-02286

Asked by: Richard Lyle, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 June 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 June 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what action it can take regarding restrictions imposed on funfair licences by local authorities.

Question reference: S4O-02225

Asked by: Richard Lyle, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National 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 work is being carried out on the wooden spars on the Parliament building, at what cost and in what timescale.

Question reference: S4O-02170

Asked by: Richard Lyle, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 May 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 May 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to strengthen single outcome agreements as part of its response to the Commission on the Future Delivery of Public Services.

Question reference: S4O-02092

Asked by: Richard Lyle, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 May 2013
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 8 May 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the recent MS Society report, A lottery of treatment and care – MS services across Scotland and the UK.

We welcome the MS Society’s latest report. We want to work collaboratively with the third sector to ensure that everyone with MS in Scotland is able to access the care and support that they need.

The report identifies the improvements that have been made in recent years such as the implementation of the neurological standards. It also highlights areas in need of further attention, an example being access to medicines. This is why I have asked officials to explore how we can identify any barriers to medicines and what action can be taken to remove them.

Question reference: S4W-14302

Asked by: Richard Lyle, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 April 2013
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 29 April 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether there is a legal impediment to North Lanarkshire Council re-establishing a direct labour organisation and, if so, whether the Scottish Government can remove it and would do so if requested.

In 1998 the then Secretary of State for Scotland made a Direction under Section 19B of the Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980 after a £4.5 million trading deficit was uncovered in North Lanarkshire Council’s Building and Roads Services Direct Labour Organisations (DLOs). The Direction was varied in 1999 and lifted by the then Scottish Executive on 24 August 2001.

All DLOs are subject to legal controls. For instance, section 10 of the Local Government in Scotland Act 2003 places requirements on local authorities about the revenues of their trading operations.

If North Lanarkshire Council considers that it faces particular legal impediments which prevent it re-establishing a DLO, ministers would consider the case on its merits, once we have seen the details, including the Council’s understanding of those impediments.

Question reference: S4O-02048

Asked by: Richard Lyle, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 April 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 May 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to safeguard the health of the bee population.

Question reference: S4O-01986

Asked by: Richard Lyle, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 April 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 April 2013

To ask the Scottish Government when it last held a joint meeting with the principals of Motherwell, Coatbridge and Cumbernauld colleges and what was discussed.

Question reference: S4O-01983

Asked by: Richard Lyle, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 March 2013
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 28 March 2013

To ask the Scottish Government under what circumstances a local authority with a part share in a PPP/PFI project can purchase the shares of the other partners.

Local authorities may invest money with the consent of Scottish Ministers, but do not generally hold shares in PPP/PFI projects. Under the Scottish Hub initiative a local authority, with other public sector partners and a developer, will collectively own a HubCo, which is a body set up to deliver new community infrastructure using the Design, Build, Finance and Maintain model. Participants may acquire or dispose of shareholdings in accordance with the specific rules governing HubCo arrangements.