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-05735

Asked by: Drew Smith, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 17 February 2012
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 5 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive whether all of its special advisers have signed a code of conduct and declaration of interests and, if so, whether these are publicly available.

The Code of Conduct for Special Advisers is currently under review as part of the new Model Contract for Special Advisers. The opportunity has been taken to incorporate amendments made necessary as a result of the Constitutional Renewal and Governance (CRAG) Act 2010. It is expected that the final version will be laid in both the UK and Scottish Parliaments in the next few months. In the meantime special advisers have been asked to work within the spirit of the new code.

As temporary civil servants, special advisers are required to abide by the conduct provisions of the Civil Service Code as they relate to the declaration of interests. All staff are expected to record interests on the electronic HR self declaration system. The information held is not publicly available as it is considered personal information, release of which would be a breach of the data protection principles.

Question reference: S4W-05866

Asked by: Drew Smith, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 February 2012
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 5 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive how many community police officers there have been in each police force in each year since 2007.

Question reference: S4W-05742

Asked by: Drew Smith, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 17 February 2012
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 5 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish the pay multiples for all staff that it employs, as proposed in the Hutton Review of Fair Pay in the public sector.

Question reference: S4W-05741

Asked by: Drew Smith, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 17 February 2012
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 5 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive whether all staff in its directorates and agencies are paid at least the living wage level.

<>The Scottish Government’s Public Sector Pay Policy includes a specific requirement for employers covered by the policy to apply the Scottish Living Wage. Public Sector Pay Policy is available on the Scottish Government Internet (http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2011/09/21105455/0). All staff within the Scottish Government and its agencies are paid in excess of the Scottish Living Wage.

A small number of staff transferred into the Scottish Government with effect from 1 January 2012 with salaries below the Scottish Living Wage. These salaries will be increased in March to reflect the Scottish Living Wage, backdated to the date of transfer.

Question reference: S4W-05831

Asked by: Drew Smith, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 February 2012
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 2 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what projects have been supported by the Cities Investment Fund.

Question reference: S4W-05829

Asked by: Drew Smith, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 February 2012
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 2 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive who is assessing bids for the Cities Investment Fund.

The Cities Investment Fund exists to help deliver the aims of the Scottish Cities Alliance as set out in Scotland’s Cities: Delivering for Scotland. It will be used to support collaborative programmes between cities that promote growth, lever investment and protect and create jobs.

A set of operating principles for the fund, designed to maximise its leverage and impact, will discussed at the leadership group meeting in March. I will be happy to share these with you once they are agreed.

Question reference: S4W-05830

Asked by: Drew Smith, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 February 2012
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 2 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive how many bids have been received for the Cities Investment Fund.

Question reference: S4W-05859

Asked by: Drew Smith, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 February 2012
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 2 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers narrowing the income gap between the most and least well off to be part of its overarching purpose and, if so, how it measures this and what progress it is making.

As set out in the Government Economic Strategy – to which an update was published in September 2011 – reducing levels of inequality in Scotland, as expressed in the Solidarity target, remains one of the Scottish Government’s desired characteristics of sustainable economic growth.

Information on how this is measured and an overview of recent performance is provided on the “Scotland Performs” website, and more information can be found at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/About/scotPerforms/purpose/solidarity.

Question reference: S4W-05791

Asked by: Drew Smith, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 February 2012
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 2 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the public sector equality duty revised draft regulations will include proposals to publish data on (a) recruitment, (b) training and (c) grievance and disciplinary procedures for each protected characteristic, with the exceptions of gender reassignment and sexual orientation, as has been done in England and Wales and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

We consulted on draft regulations which would require listed authorities to take reasonable steps to gather information on the protected characteristics of employees, including information on the recruitment, development and retention of employees, and to publish information gathered. There was support for these proposals and it is our intention to include requirements in the revised draft Regulations. We believe that this duty will assist authorities to understand and address discrimination and inequality in their workforce. Our proposals include the characteristics of sexual orientation and gender reassignment.

Question reference: S4W-05790

Asked by: Drew Smith, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 February 2012
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 2 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will include a duty to publish equality impact assessments in the public sector equality duty revised draft regulations and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.