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-25664

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 11 October 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 8 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5F-03625 by Nicola Sturgeon on 10 October 2019 (Official Report, c.12), what its response is to reports that the US mesh surgeon, Dr Veronikis, is no longer planning to come to Scotland.

The First Minister and Chief Medical Officer have spoken to Dr Veronikis and the Chief Medical Officer, accompanied by Scottish clinicians, is visiting him in the US this week. The visit gives clinicians the opportunity to directly observe Dr Veronikis and members of his multidisciplinary team in his practice in a different healthcare environment and to explore how his skills could best be used in any return visit to Scotland.

Question reference: S5W-26044

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 October 2019
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 7 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-25662 by Graeme Dey on 29 October 2019, in light of the webpage publishing only limited details of ministerial meetings, whether it will confirm how many times each (a) cabinet secretary and (b) minister has met a representative of Charlotte Street Partners in each year since 2016, broken down by for what reason each meeting took place, and whether it will publish (i) the agenda of each meeting and (ii) details of any formal or informal minute that was taken.

The answer for S5W-25662 provides a link to all Ministerial engagements broken down by month/year with the subject of each engagement included.

As per section 4.22 of the Scottish Ministerial code, “Private Offices should arrange for the basic facts of formal meetings between Ministers and outside interest groups to be recorded, setting out the reasons for the meeting, the name of those attending and the interests represented.”

Formal minutes are taken where there are discussions on substantive government business, where policy decisions arise or where there are significant action points.

Question reference: S5W-25990

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 28 October 2019
Current Status: Answered by Andy Wightman on 6 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what its position is on whether the rules regarding MSPs having more than one job are fit for purpose.

Question reference: S5W-25862

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 18 October 2019
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 5 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether a Minister using a (a) private and (b) political party email account for Scottish Government business (i) is a breach of (A) GDPR legislation and (B) the Ministerial code and (ii) increases the risk of a security breach, and what the reasons are for its position on this.

Question reference: S5W-25562

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 30 September 2019
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 1 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether drugs testing is carried out at music festivals, and what information it has regarding how many times in each of the last 10 years illegal drugs have been found.

Drugs testing is not currently carried out at Music Festivals in Scotland for the purposes of law enforcement or harm prevention. The Drug Deaths Taskforce will consider a range of options for reducing the harms from substance use, including the introduction of drug testing facilities.

There is no information held centrally on how many times illegal drugs have been found at music festivals. It is possible that Police Scotland may be able to provide further data.

Question reference: S5W-25859

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 October 2019
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 30 October 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what action, other than legal action, can be taken by a complainant against a private factor company, following the rejection of a complaint by the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland (Housing and Property Chamber).

A homeowner can appeal to the Upper Tribunal for Scotland on a point of law only if they are aggrieved by the decision of the First-tier Tribunal. Before an appeal can be made to the Upper Tribunal, the party must first seek permission to appeal from the First-tier Tribunal within 30 days of the date the decision was sent to them.

A homeowner may consider dismissing their property factor and appointing a new one. The Title Conditions (Scotland) Act 2003 and the Tenements (Scotland) Act 2004 have given house owners with communal responsibilities important rights with regard to property managers, including a the dismissal and appointment of a factor.

A homeowner can also contact their local citizens advice bureau or a solicitor for advice.

Question reference: S5W-25857

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 October 2019
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 30 October 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what assistance and support is available to individuals who are in dispute with their private factor company, and what advice is provided to those who cannot afford to take legal action in this regard.

A homeowner who is unhappy about the service provided by their property factor should, in the first instance, raise the matter with the factor directly and follow the factor’s own internal complaints procedure.

If the property factor refuses to resolve or unreasonably delays in attempting to resolve the homeowner's concerns, then the homeowner can apply to have their case considered by the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland Housing and Property Chamber (First-tier Tribunal) who have the power to issue a legally binding property factor enforcement order if it finds in the homeowner’s favour.

No fees are charged for anyone taking a case to the First-tier Tribunal and legal representation is not required.

Question reference: S5W-25662

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 07 October 2019
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 29 October 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how many times each (a) cabinet secretary and (b) minister has met a representative of Charlotte Street Partners in each year since 2016, and for what reason.

Question reference: S5W-25978

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 October 2019
Current Status: Answer expected on 21 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it considers that being employed as a corporate lobbyist is compatible with being a member of the SPCB.

Question reference: S5W-25561

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 30 September 2019
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 24 October 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has regarding how many music festivals take place across the country each year.

The Scottish Government does not hold or compile information regarding the total number of music festivals taking place in Scotland each year.

VisitScotland’s Events Directorate, EventScotland support a very small number of the music festivals each year through their National and Beacon event funding programmes. In 2018-19 nine festivals were supported through this route and eight festivals will receive Event Scotland support in 2019-20. Creative Scotland also supported around 30 music festival events in 2019-20.