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-12602

Asked by: Drew Smith, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 28 January 2013
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 19 February 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how often (a) the Minister for External Affairs and International Development and (b) its officials liaises with UK Government (i) ministers and (ii) officials to discuss international development.

Scottish Government officials regularly liaise with their UK counterparts to discuss a range of issues including International Development. Both the Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs and the Minister for External Affairs and International Development have written to Justine Greening, the UK Secretary of State for International Development to request a meeting following her appointment in September. A mutually convenient date for this meeting is still to be arranged.

Question reference: S4F-01196

Asked by: Drew Smith, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 18 February 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 February 2013

To ask the First Minister whether the Scottish Government plans to implement new measures to tackle child poverty.

Question reference: S4O-01806

Asked by: Drew Smith, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 February 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 February 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how the international development priorities of an independent Scotland would differ from current UK aid policy.

Question reference: S4W-11900

Asked by: Drew Smith, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 17 December 2012
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 28 January 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what correspondence or discussions it has had with the (a) Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and (b) Scotland Office about the budget for training as part of the DWP Work Programme.

The Scottish Government (SG) employability funding is focussed on the period of unemployment prior to eligibility for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Work Programme. This approach ensures that there is no duplication of funding between SG and DWP for support for unemployed people in Scotland. This policy has been made clear to DWP officials.

The policies relating to employability training programmes and associated budgets will be jointly monitored over time through ministerial dialogue at the Scottish Employability Forum.

Question reference: S4F-01148

Asked by: Drew Smith, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 21 January 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 January 2013

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation's report suggesting that a boy born in one of the most deprived 10% of areas in Scotland has a life expectancy 14 years below one born in the least deprived areas.

Question reference: S4W-12145

Asked by: Drew Smith, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 January 2013
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 18 January 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether the remit of the Expert Working Group on Welfare will consider establishing a minimum income level for (a) unemployed, (b) disabled and (c) low-paid people.

Question reference: S4W-12140

Asked by: Drew Smith, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 January 2013
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 18 January 2013

To ask the Scottish Government which members of the Expert Working Group on Welfare have experience of designing or administering a welfare system.

Question reference: S4W-12138

Asked by: Drew Smith, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 January 2013
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 18 January 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how much has been budgeted for the work of the Expert Working Group on Welfare.

Question reference: S4W-12139

Asked by: Drew Smith, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 January 2013
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 18 January 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how many people were on the shortlist for the Expert Working Group on Welfare and how many were (a) women, (b) registered disabled and (c) benefit claimants.

Question reference: S4W-12134

Asked by: Drew Smith, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 January 2013
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 18 January 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to tell recipients of UK welfare benefits whether criteria and payments will be maintained at the same levels in an independent Scotland.