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-00478

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 November 2011
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 December 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive when the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning last met NUS Scotland and what was discussed.

Question reference: S4W-03977

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 November 2011
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 22 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has had discussions with training providers on the implications of any changes to the national joint negotiating scheme for the electrical contracting industry since 26 September 2011 or plans to do so in the near future.

Question reference: S4W-03976

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 November 2011
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 22 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has had discussions with the Scottish Joint Industry Board for the electrical contracting industry regarding the continuation of the national joint negotiating scheme since 26 September 2011 or plans to do so in the near future.

Question reference: S4W-03978

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 November 2011
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 22 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has had discussions with the UK Government regarding the continuation of the national collective agreement for the electrical contracting industry since 29 September 2011 or plans to do so in the near future.

Question reference: S4W-03368

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 October 2011
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 17 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) independent residential schools and (b) other organisations are involved in caring for looked-after children.

Question reference: S4W-03757

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 November 2011
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 10 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria private schools have to meet in order to qualify for charitable status.

All bodies wishing to qualify for charitable status must pass the "charity test" as set out in the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005:

The body must have only charitable purposes. The 2005 Act recognises 15 purposes as charitable, and

The body must, or in the case of an applicant intend to, provide public benefit. When considering the public benefit aspect of the charity test, the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) must consider whether any condition on accessing the benefit – including any fee is charged – is unduly restrictive.

In addition, the constitution of the body must not allow it to distribute, at any time, its assets for a purpose which is not charitable.

Question reference: S4W-03755

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 November 2011
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 10 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what state assistance private schools receive.

Question reference: S4W-03758

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 November 2011
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 10 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on the financial benefit that private schools accrue from their charitable status.

This information is not held centrally. All charities may qualify for UK charitable tax relief under section 505 of the Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988. Taxation is a matter reserved to the UK Government and the decision for charitable tax relief rests with the Commissioners of HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).

Charities registered with OSCR, occupying property used “wholly or mainly for charitable purposes”, may be entitled to 80% mandatory rates relief from their local authority. It is up to each local authority to determine whether a property is being used for such purposes.

Question reference: S4W-03754

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 November 2011
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 10 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how many private schools there are.

Question reference: S4W-03756

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 November 2011
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 10 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how many private schools have charitable status.