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-01859

Asked by: Graeme Pearson, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 February 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 March 2013

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what developments there have been since November 2012 regarding the external screening facility.

Question reference: S4O-01834

Asked by: Graeme Pearson, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 February 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 February 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that college regionalisation does not result in students being unable to attend courses close to home.

Question reference: S4O-01770

Asked by: Graeme Pearson, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 January 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 February 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the fairness and transparency of the individual patient treatment request system.

Question reference: S4W-12293

Asked by: Graeme Pearson, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 January 2013
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 28 January 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on non-resident parents being able to avoid financial family obligations when they are subject to sequestration.

Sequestration is available as a last resort for people who cannot pay their debts as they become due. This includes child maintenance arrears. It is important that sequestration should encourage financial rehabilitation, and this should include closure on outstanding debts. When assessing a contribution to be paid by an individual to their sequestrated estate, a trustee allows the individual to retain sufficient income to pay their ongoing liabilities which includes current child maintenance payments.

Question reference: S4W-12294

Asked by: Graeme Pearson, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 January 2013
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 28 January 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to ensure that non-resident parents are unable to avoid financial family obligations when they are subject to sequestration.

Currently in Scotland, arrears of child maintenance are included in a sequestration and any unpaid balance will be discharged at conclusion of sequestration.

The Scottish Government recently undertook a consultation on Bankruptcy Law Reform which outlined a number of proposals to modernise bankruptcy legislation in Scotland. The consultation asked for views on whether child maintenance arrears should continue to be claimable and to be discharged in bankruptcies and Protected Trust Deeds when the individual is discharged. The majority of respondents to the consultation responded that child maintenance arrears should continue to be discharged in both sequestration and Protected Trust Deeds. Given the view of the majority of stakeholders who responded to this consultation, the Scottish Government has no plans to change this at this time.

Question reference: S4O-01728

Asked by: Graeme Pearson, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 January 2013
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 23 January 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what the impact will be on the Scottish budget from 2012 to 2015 of any changes to the terms and conditions of police officers.

Question reference: S4W-12173

Asked by: Graeme Pearson, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 January 2013
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 23 January 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how it will meet each of its obligations under the EU Drugs Strategy (2013-20).

In December 2012, the European Union (EU) Drugs Strategy for 2013-20 was endorsed by the Council of the European Union. The Strategy aims to contribute to a reduction in the demand for, and supply of drugs within the EU, as well as a reduction in the health and social risks and harms caused by drugs.

The EU Drugs Strategy describes the overarching political framework and priorities for EU drugs policies that have been identified by Member States and EU Institutions for 2013-20 and provides a framework for co-ordinated and joint action between Member States. The Strategy is based on “a strategic approach that supports and complements national policies” (Official Journal of the European Union, 29.12.2012).

The framework, aims and objectives of the EU Drugs Strategy will serve as the basis of two consecutive four-year EU Drug Action Plans, which are currently being drafted. The Scottish Government continues to liaise with the UK Government, as the Member State, to ensure that Scottish interests are fully represented in the action plans.

Question reference: S4W-11902

Asked by: Graeme Pearson, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 17 December 2012
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 21 January 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide the (a) times, (b) dates and (c) details of meetings that have taken place between the chair of the Scottish Police Authority and representatives of unions.

Question reference: S4W-11563

Asked by: Graeme Pearson, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 November 2012
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 12 December 2012

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Scottish Funding Council has applied for European Structural Funds Priority 5 Employability Pipeline funding for 2013-14 and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

The Scottish Funding Council (SFC) has not applied for European Structural Funds Priority 5 Employability Funding for 2013-14. The European Social Programme is recycling limited underspends within sectors. The resources available could not fully fund an extension to the current SFC project. As no underspends had been identified from the college sector, SFC concluded it was not in a position to make effective use of the very limited funds that would have been available.

Question reference: S4O-01614

Asked by: Graeme Pearson, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 December 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 13 December 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what action is being taken to replace substandard road markings on the A75 and A76 trunk roads.