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-13673

Asked by: Margaret McCulloch, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 March 2013
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 27 March 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether incidents of contamination of hospital food have been reported since 2011.

Question reference: S4W-13672

Asked by: Margaret McCulloch, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 March 2013
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 27 March 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what tests have been conducted on hospital food following the identification of horse DNA in other meat products.

Question reference: S4W-13669

Asked by: Margaret McCulloch, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 March 2013
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 22 March 2013

To ask the Scottish Government for what reasons it postponed the 2015 revaluation of properties for non-domestic rates until 2017.

The UK Government announced in October 2012 that it would postpone the 2015 business rates revaluation for commercial properties in England until 2017.

If the Scottish Government did proceed with the 2015 revaluation it is likely that our ability to maintain business rate parity with the rate of the UK would be jeopardised.

The time between now and 2017 will be used to have a thorough and comprehensive review of the business system. Any changes to the rating system resulting from the recent consultation “Supporting Business - Promoting growth” will be put in place in time for the next revaluation, but where early actions are identified and affordable these can be implemented much sooner.

Question reference: S4W-13670

Asked by: Margaret McCulloch, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 March 2013
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 21 March 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how many businesses have received support from the business rates deferral scheme.

A rates deferral scheme was introduced in 2012-13 to allow businesses the flexibility to defer the annual inflationary rise in bills over a three year period should they choose to do so.

Data on the number of businesses that have deferred rates under the 2012-13 business rates deferral scheme is not held centrally. However, an estimated £10.9 million was deferred from 2012-13 bills, which will be paid back over the next two financial years.

Question reference: S4W-13666

Asked by: Margaret McCulloch, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 March 2013
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 21 March 2013

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish its analysis of responses to the consultation, Supporting Business – Promoting Growth.

Question reference: S4W-13667

Asked by: Margaret McCulloch, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 March 2013
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 21 March 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how much is raised annually by the (a) large business supplement and (b) public health levy.

Question reference: S4O-01942

Asked by: Margaret McCulloch, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 March 2013
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 20 March 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what support it gives to NHS Lanarkshire to help reduce waiting times at accident and emergency departments.

The Government Performance Support Team currently provides the Health board with detailed weekly analytical reports to:

Help the board understand, forecast and manage the increases in demand; to identify specific points of pressure across the whole service, not just A&E; and to support decision-making and prioritise actions for improvement.

We are also supporting NHS Lanarkshire in undertaking day of care audits and the findings have identified areas where the board will focus on improving flow and active management of length of stay.

NHS Lanarkshire received £225,780 from the £3 million winter surge capacity fund. These funds were used across whole system pressures and included additional A&E staff and additional surgical beds.

Transformational change is required, and the Government is investing £50 million to achieve that over the next three years, including doubling our winter planning fund to £6 million this year.

Question reference: S4O-01909

Asked by: Margaret McCulloch, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 March 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 13 March 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Second Report on Proposals and Policies will contain marine issues that were not previously included.

Question reference: S4O-01884

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S4W-11346

Asked by: Margaret McCulloch, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 19 November 2012
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Burgess on 29 November 2012

To ask the Scottish Government how many one bedroom (a) affordable homes and (b) affordable homes for social rent have been (i) started, (ii) approved and (iii) completed in each year since the start of the Affordable Housing Supply Programme and how many are planned.

Information on approvals, site starts and completions for the affordable housing supply programme is not held centrally by number of bedrooms.

Future planning is a strategic decision for local authorities, meeting needs identified through housing need and demand assessments, local housing strategies and strategic housing investment plans. Discussions are currently underway with local authorities to finalise three year strategic local programmes.