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-08528

Asked by: Graeme Pearson, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 July 2012
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 19 July 2012

To ask the Scottish Government how often salmon farms are inspected to monitor levels of sea lice.

Sea lice inspections are completed as part of a broader risk-based surveillance inspection programme. Those farms assessed as being of highest risk of contracting or spreading the listed diseases are visited annually, those of medium risk once every second year and those at lowest risk, once every third year. Sites which are experiencing significant lice problems, or are not signed up to the Scottish Code of Good Practice for Finfish Aquaculture are subject to an enhanced inspection regime and, in 2012, 21 of these enhanced inspections have been completed to date.

Question reference: S4W-08525

Asked by: Graeme Pearson, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 July 2012
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 19 July 2012

To ask the Scottish Government how it records the levels of sea lice in Scottish waters.

Question reference: S4W-08526

Asked by: Graeme Pearson, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 July 2012
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 19 July 2012

To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers that it has an accurate picture regarding the level of sea lice in Scottish waters and the impact on fish stocks.

Question reference: S4W-07941

Asked by: Graeme Pearson, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 15 June 2012
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 9 July 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to improve economic activity in (a) Girvan, (b) Stranraer, (c) Sanquhar, (d) Cumnock, (e) Ayr, (f) Maybole, (g) Dumfries, (h) Eyemouth, (i) Hawick, (j) Kilmarnock, and surrounding areas.

The Scottish Government is committed to supporting sustainable growth across Scotland. We recognise the particular challenges faced in the South of Scotland and work closely with a wide range of delivery partners including: Scottish Enterprise; Scottish Development International; Skills Development Scotland; VisitScotland; local authorities; the third sector; financial institutions and other specialist sectoral advisory bodies to promote economic activity in the area.

We are firmly committed to maintaining a supportive business environment, ensuring that appropriate measures are in place to stimulate and grow businesses, thereby improving economic activity.

These measures include: investing in broadband; reducing unnecessary burdens on business through better planning; and making it easier to access public sector contracts. By way of specific example, in 2011-12 the small business bonus scheme reduced business rates for almost 10,900 businesses across East and South Ayrshire, the Borders and Dumfries and Galloway.

Question reference: S4W-07951

Asked by: Graeme Pearson, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 15 June 2012
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 28 June 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of prisoners in each year since 2005 was on remand.

Question reference: S4O-01210

Asked by: Graeme Pearson, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 June 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 June 2012

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what advice it sought regarding the proposed external screening facility.

Question reference: S4W-07260

Asked by: Graeme Pearson, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 May 2012
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 28 May 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (ACPOS) has arrangements in place for penalties in the event of a failure to deliver the new IT performance platform for police forces.

Question reference: S4W-07252

Asked by: Graeme Pearson, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 May 2012
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 28 May 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what support the Scottish Police Services Authority is providing to ensure that the new IT performance platform for police forces is in place as soon as possible.

Question reference: S4W-07254

Asked by: Graeme Pearson, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 May 2012
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 28 May 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what elements of the new IT performance platform for police forces are in place.

Question reference: S4W-07255

Asked by: Graeme Pearson, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 May 2012
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 28 May 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive which police forces are involved in the testing of the new IT performance platform.