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-09237

Asked by: Angus MacDonald, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 August 2012
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 20 September 2012

To ask the Scottish Government how successful VisitScotland’s sustainable tourism certificate scheme, Green Tourism Business Scheme, has been.

The Green Tourism Business Scheme (GTBS), which has been in operation since 1997, is the largest and most established scheme of its type in the world. Originally developed in partnership with VisitScotland, the GTBS is now operated by Green Business UK Ltd, a not-for-profit organisation established in 2001 to deliver the GTBS and provide auditing, advisory and membership services.

The GTBS is now the only national scheme to be independently validated by the International Centre for Responsible Tourism (ICRT) on behalf of VisitEngland, VisitWales, and the Northern Ireland Tourist board and endorsed by VisitScotland and Failte Ireland.

It has 819 members in Scotland, including VisitScotland Information Centres and offices, and over 2,300 members through the UK and Ireland. The current network of members is comprised of a wide range of business types, including accommodation providers, visitor attractions, conference and event venues, activity providers, tour operators and others.

Question reference: S4O-01304

Asked by: Angus MacDonald, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 September 2012
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 19 September 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what enforcement action is available to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency when waste transfer stations fail to meet licence conditions.

SEPA’s published Enforcement Policy sets out the range of enforcement tools which are available in pursuing compliance with environmental legislation.

If a waste operator fails to meet the conditions of his licence, SEPA can exercise enforcement powers in a variety of ways, both formal and informal, including discussion, the use of advisory and/or warning letters and the serving of formal notices requiring compliance with licence conditions.

Failure to comply with a formal notice within the set timescale may constitute an offence and may result in a report being sent to the Procurators Fiscal recommending prosecution.

Question reference: S4W-09430

Asked by: Angus MacDonald, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 September 2012
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 14 September 2012

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has made arrangements to implement an early warning system to detect Schmallenberg virus on farms.

Question reference: S4W-09433

Asked by: Angus MacDonald, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 September 2012
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 14 September 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made in discussions with EU officials on levels of tolerance in sheep electronic identification rules.

The Scottish Government has obtained flexibilities on sheep electronic identification following discussions with the European Commission. Information on this, along with further guidance on tagging, was sent to all sheep keepers on 30 September 2011. This information is available on the Scottish Government website at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/farmingrural/Agriculture/animal-welfare/IDtraceability/SheepandGoats/sheepandgoatskeeperguide.

It is also available on the ScotEID.com website.

This flexibility has resulted in no Scottish sheep farmer or crofter being penalised at inspection in 2011 for achieving less than a 100% sheep EID read rate at a critical control point.

Question reference: S4W-09432

Asked by: Angus MacDonald, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 September 2012
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 14 September 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what the percentage increase in uptake of the education maintenance allowance has been in the Falkirk Council area since it was revised in 2009-10.

The number of people in receipt of EMA in Falkirk decreased by 13.7% (a decrease of 125) from 910 in 2009-10 to 785 in 2010-11.

Table 1: Young People in Receipt of EMA in Falkirk: 2009-10 to 2010-11

Falkirk

	Total	Schools	Colleges
2009-10	910	620	290
2010-11	785	575	205
Annual % change	-13.7%	-7.3%	-29.3%

Source: Scottish Government.

Note: Figures in this table have been rounded to the nearest 5. 0, 1, 2 have been rounded to 0.

Question reference: S4W-09431

Asked by: Angus MacDonald, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 September 2012
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 12 September 2012

To ask the Scottish Government how many Blue Badge holders in the Falkirk Council area have (a) been referred to an independent mobility assessor following their renewal application and (b) withdrawn from the scheme and how many renewal applications have been refused since the coming into force of the Disabled Persons (Badges for Motor Vehicles) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2011 and the Disabled Persons (Badges for Motor Vehicles) (Scotland) Amendment (No 2) Regulations 2011.

Scottish local authorities are responsible for collating an annual statistical return in relation to Blue Badges in circulation in their area as at 31 March of the reporting period (financial year). Transport Scotland publishes the data in the Scottish Transport Statistics annual publication.

The latest information, for 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2011, is available at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2010/12/17120002/37.

Statistics for the year 1 April 2011 to 31 March 2012, which might reflect changes in consequence of the 2011 Amendment Regulations being implemented, are not yet available centrally.

Mandatory independent mobility assessments to determine eligibility for a Blue Badge came into force on 1 September 2012.

Question reference: S4W-09238

Asked by: Angus MacDonald, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 August 2012
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 12 September 2012

To ask the Scottish Government how successful Business Club Scotland has been at helping small and medium-sized enterprises gain contracts.

Since being established in 2009, BusinessClub Scotland (BCS) has attracted 3,300 members and hosted over 50 successful business events around the country. These meetings facilitate business-to-business networking and increased awareness of the range and scale of procurement opportunities associated with major events in Scotland including the 2014 Commonwealth Games. In partnership with Scottish Enterprise the club is currently undertaking formal research to identify the barriers to SMEs supplying goods and services to major events. Likely to be published early in 2013, the analysis will influence BCS activities going forward.

BusinessClub Scotland has not yet published an annual report but is currently collating evidence of the impact of BCS programmes, as part of a formal evaluation required by Scottish Enterprise as a condition of funding. Interim information provided by BusinessClub Scotland includes the following statistics: 37 member companies have already secured contracts for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games; member companies have achieved £200,000 worth of business through Scotland's wider events programme.

Question reference: S4W-09240

Asked by: Angus MacDonald, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 August 2012
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 7 September 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to harmonising school holidays across the country.

The statutory responsibility for the provision of education rests with local authorities including the requirement that local authority schools must be open for 190 days in each school year. Within that framework, the law does not define the length and structure of the individual school day, week, year or the distribution of school holidays which are entirely for education authorities to consider.

We believe that local authorities are best placed to determine the structure of the school year taking into consideration local circumstances which best meet the needs of their residents. The Scottish Government has no plans to introduce national term dates.

Question reference: S4W-09239

Asked by: Angus MacDonald, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 August 2012
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 4 September 2012

To ask the Scottish Government how many post-surgery radiotherapy treatments are conducted by NHS Forth Valley and how many are outsourced elsewhere.

NHS Forth Valley does not provide radiotherapy treatment. Radiotherapy services (treatment) are provided in each of Scotland’s five cancer centres. These are located in NHS Lothian, NHS Tayside, NHS Grampian, NHS Highland and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. As a result of the stringent safety measures required to support the delivery of radiotherapy services, treatment can only be provided in specially designed and staffed facilities.

Question reference: S4O-01217

Asked by: Angus MacDonald, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 August 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 September 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what future plans Scottish Development International has to further develop trade links with Turkey.