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-09260

Asked by: Angus MacDonald, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 May 2017
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 23 May 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the whisky and agricultural sectors regarding the reported shortage of the by-product, draff, as a livestock feed.

The Scottish Government has been in regular discussions and are continuing to work closely with the whisky (Scotch Whisky Association (SWA)) and agricultural (represented by the Scottish Tenant Farmer's Association (SFTA)) sectors regarding this issue.

These discussions have resulted in a research project being commissioned which will look into the issues around the use of distillery by-products in renewable energy generation compared to livestock feed. The final report examining the climate change aspects of these uses is expected to be presented to the Scottish Government in the summer with the SWA and STFA being given the opportunity to discuss the findings, offer feedback and raise any additional questions.

Question reference: S5W-09101

Asked by: Angus MacDonald, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 May 2017
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 12 May 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of dairy farmers had applied for EU Exceptional Adjustment Aid by the 1 May 2017 deadline.

Question reference: S5W-08754

Asked by: Angus MacDonald, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 10 April 2017
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 10 May 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with (a) Ineos and (b) Unite the Union following the reported breakdown of talks at the Ineos petrochemical plant in Grangemouth.

Question reference: S5O-00907

Asked by: Angus MacDonald, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 April 2017
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 26 April 2017

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met Falkirk Council to discuss tourism opportunities in Falkirk district.

Question reference: S5W-08009

Asked by: Angus MacDonald, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 15 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made in the pay settlement negotiations between Marine Scotland and the crew of marine protection vessels.

Question reference: S5W-07238

Asked by: Angus MacDonald, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 9 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government when it will receive the findings of NHS Forth Valley’s internal inquiry into the increase in the number of stillborn babies in the area in 2016.

NHS Forth Valley has taken action locally to internally review all of their cases of stillbirth. The Board has also commissioned an independent external review to look into their 2016 stillbirths.

The Scottish Government supports the action that NHS Forth Valley is taking to understand and learn from this unexpected rise in the number of stillbirths locally, and expects them to act on the findings of the reviews. The Board has agreed to share the outcomes of both internal and external reviews, when complete, with the expert Scottish Government Stillbirth Group, to ensure that learning is shared across Scotland to improve outcomes and help drive down stillbirth rates.

Question reference: S5W-07078

Asked by: Angus MacDonald, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 2 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to the agricultural sector.

Between 2014 – 2019, the Scottish Government will allocate in the region of 4.6bn in Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) payments to support Scottish Agriculture, in practical terms taking account of yearly currency fluctuations, this means around £500m per annum to Scotland's farmers and crofters. The total includes around 3.7billion in Pillar one Direct payments (Basic Payment, Greening, Voluntary Coupled Support and Young Farmer payments).

In addition a significant element of the £1.3billion Scottish Rural Development Programme, (which includes in the region of 0.85billion of EU Pillar 2 CAP funding co-financed with domestic SG funds), provides support to the agricultural sector, including the Less Favoured Area Support Scheme, the Beef Efficiency Scheme, the Advisory Service and business development support for crofters, small farms and new entrants.

In light of the delays to the pillar one payments, we have provided loans to help farmers and to stimulate the rural economy. Over £274million has been paid out in these loans for 2016.

Question reference: S5O-00705

Asked by: Angus MacDonald, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 February 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making in securing additional funding for BBC Alba.

Question reference: S5W-06691

Asked by: Angus MacDonald, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Annabelle Ewing on 21 February 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-03435 by Annabelle Ewing on 27 October 2016, on what date it will publish its response to the consultation paper, Developments in environmental justice in Scotland.

Question reference: S5O-00690

Asked by: Angus MacDonald, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 February 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 February 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to tackle Islamophobia.