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-03293

Asked by: Drew Smith, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 October 2011
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 7 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive which aspects of the Welfare Reform Bill it considers will require legislative consent in respect of devolved competencies.

Question reference: S4W-03291

Asked by: Drew Smith, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 October 2011
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 7 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will confirm a date on which it will publish its cities strategy.

Question reference: S4W-03301

Asked by: Drew Smith, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 October 2011
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 4 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how candidates will be ranked on ballot papers for the 2012 local government elections and what party descriptions will be used.

Question reference: S4W-03289

Asked by: Drew Smith, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 October 2011
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 3 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to commemorate the anniversary of the Battle of Bannockburn in 2014.

Question reference: S4W-03249

Asked by: Drew Smith, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 07 October 2011
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 2 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what it is doing to promote better and more links with Cuba in light of the signing of the bilateral agreement on cooperation between the UK and Cuba in August 2011.

As I said in response to question S4O-00280 on 27 October 2011, we do not have any plans at present to develop links with Cuba in light of the signing of the bilateral agreement on cooperation between the UK and Cuba in July 2011. However, we are always willing to consider opportunities as they arise, prioritised to meet the need of our purpose of increasing sustainable economic growth.

The answer to the oral parliamentary question is available on the parliaments website, the official report can be viewed at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28862.aspx?r=6482&mode=html#iob_59001.

Question reference: S4W-03292

Asked by: Drew Smith, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 October 2011
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 2 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what recent discussions it has had about the future of the Waverley paddle steamer.

Question reference: S4W-03297

Asked by: Drew Smith, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 October 2011
Current Status: Answered by Lesley Thomson on 2 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how many successful convictions for human trafficking have been obtained in each year since 2007.

There have only been two prosecutions in Scotland, under the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2003, in relation to human trafficking. Of the cases prosecuted one trial was discontinued following a review of the available evidence in 2006. The other case concluded on, 9 September 2011, with guilty pleas being tendered at Glasgow Sheriff Court. This is the first conviction for the statutory offence of human trafficking in Scotland. The accused were sentenced, on 3 October 2011, to periods of imprisonment of 44 months and 18 months.

While these are the first convictions for human trafficking in Scotland, there have been a number of successful prosecutions for criminal offences against a background of people trafficking, such as identity offences, trading in prostitution, managing an immoral house, knowingly permitting premises to be used as brothel and knowingly living on the earnings of prostitution.

Question reference: S4W-03248

Asked by: Drew Smith, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 07 October 2011
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 2 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of a Scotland Week or similar event being held in Cuba and, if so, what involvement it has had with any such initiative.

Question reference: S4W-03259

Asked by: Drew Smith, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 October 2011
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 2 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the value of trade union representation in its workforce to good employee relations and management and whether it plans to review access to facility time for its staff representatives.

The Scottish Government recognises the value of maintaining good employee relations with the Council of Scottish Government Unions. A Partnership agreement operates that helps to promote a positive and effective working relationship between management and the unions.

The policy of facility time operating in the Civil Service rests with the Minister of the Cabinet Office. The UK Government are currently reviewing Trade Union facility time across the Civil Service and will publish its results in due course. Once the review is complete, Cabinet Office will consult with Trade Unions at a national level about how future facility time arrangements will operate within the Civil Service. When the UK Government publishes its results, these will be considered by the Scottish Government.

Question reference: S4W-03287

Asked by: Drew Smith, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 October 2011
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 31 October 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how many, and which, external contractors and other interested parties have been involved in the development of its online schools network, Glow, and what payments have been made to them, since 2007.

The Scottish Government’s contract for Glow is with RM Education PLC. Since 2007 the value of payments to RM has been £23.9 million excluding VAT. In addition £9.8 million excluding VAT has been paid to JANET(UK) for the provision of the Interconnect – the high speed education broadband network connecting all Scottish local authorities and key education sites. Over the same period Education Scotland, Glow’s managing agent, has received £18 million for the management and development of Glow and Interconnect, provision of user support and online content.