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-00400

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 June 2016
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 15 June 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what impact the increase in the personal allowance in 2017-18 will have on its income tax receipts, and whether a payment will be made under the no detriment rule of the fiscal framework to compensate for this.

An increase in the tax free personal allowance for income tax as announced by the UK Government in respect of 2017-18 will result in reduced income tax receipts for the Scottish Government. There will be a corresponding reduction in income tax receipts for the rest of the UK. This will result in a reduction in the block grant adjustment applied to the Scottish budget. The net effect of the change in tax receipts and in the block grant adjustment is expected to be zero or close to zero.

Any consideration of policy spill over effects as set out in paragraphs 44 to 53 of the fiscal framework agreement will be undertaken on a case by case basis. Paragraph 52 requires that any decision or transfer relating to a spill over effect must be jointly agreed by the Scottish and UK Governments.

Question reference: S5W-00506

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 06 June 2016
Current Status: Answered by Maureen Watt on 15 June 2016

To ask the Scottish Government (a) how many and (b) what percentage of children in each NHS board have been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, broken down by gender.

Question reference: S5W-00505

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 06 June 2016
Current Status: Answered by Maureen Watt on 15 June 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how many children have been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in each year since 2011-12, broken down by NHS board.

Question reference: S5F-00072

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 13 June 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 June 2016

To ask the First Minister what issues will be discussed at the next meeting of the Cabinet.

Question reference: S5F-00004

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 May 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 June 2016

To ask the First Minister what issues will be discussed at the next meeting of the Cabinet.

Question reference: S5W-00015

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 May 2016
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 31 May 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has had discussions with (a) Edinburgh City Council, (b) Falkirk Council and (c) East Ayrshire Council regarding the possibility of China Railway No.3 Engineering Group and SinoFortone investing in 5,000 affordable homes across these areas.

The memorandum of understanding between the Scottish Government, China Railway No.3 Engineering Group and SinoFortone is focused on developing a working relationship to explore possible investment in Scotland. The Scottish Government has not had any discussions with Edinburgh City Council or East Ayrshire regarding Sinofortone.

The Scottish Government has made no representations to Falkirk Council regarding investment by China Railway No. 3 in affordable housing in Falkirk. Discussions took place involving the Scottish Government, Sinofortone and Falkirk Council where investment in affordable housing was discussed.

Question reference: S5W-00008

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 May 2016
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 31 May 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will place in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe) a copy of all documentation relating to the agreement of a joint press release between the Scottish Government and China Railway No.3 Engineering Group and SinoFortone regarding the memorandum of understanding signed on 21 March 2016, which was published on the companies’ English language website.

Question reference: S5W-00023

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 May 2016
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 31 May 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will suspend the memorandum of understanding with China Railway No.3 Engineering Group and SinoFortone that was signed on 21 March 2016 until it has investigated allegations of human rights abuses and the risk of gross corruption.

Question reference: S5W-00010

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 May 2016
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 31 May 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the £10 billion investment associated with the memorandum of understanding with China Railway No.3 Engineering Group and SinoFortone that was signed on 21 March 2016, and how this figure was arrived at.

Question reference: S5W-00004

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 May 2016
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 31 May 2016

To ask the Scottish Government on what dates (a) officials, (b) the First Minister and (c) other ministers have held discussions with China Railway No. 3 Engineering Group and SinoFortone.

Officials became aware of SinoFortone’s possible interest in investing in Scotland in June 2015 via the Chair of the Asia Scotland Institute.

The First Minister’s office was contacted in July 2015 and in October 2015 regarding Sinofortone’s interest in investing in Scotland.

Officials held discussions with Sir Richard Heygate and Dr Peter Zhang representing SinoFortone on 16 December 2015, 3 February 2016, 9 March 2016 and 10 March 2016.

The First Minister met with Sir Richard Heygate and Dr Peter Zhang representing SinoFortone on 3 February 2016.

I was introduced to Sir Richard Heygate and Dr Peter Zhang on 9 March 2016 at an event on ‘Chinese Invests West Infrastructure Investment’ hosted by the legal firm Pinsent Masons.

Officials and the First Minister held discussions with Sir Richard Heygate and Dr Peter Zhang representing SinoFortone and China Railway No 3 Engineering Group on 21 March 2016.

There have been no meetings with representatives of China Railway No. 3 Engineering Group and SinoFortone since the memorandum of understanding was signed on 21 March 2016. Officials spoke with Sir Richard Heygate by phone on 8 and 9 April 2016 to clarify issues raised in the media.