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-05705

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 February 2012
Current Status: Answered by Liam McArthur on 5 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it plans to review the audit processes of the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman.

Under the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman Act 2002, the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman is required to keep and prepare accounts in respect of each financial year in accordance with an Accounts Direction from Scottish Ministers. The Ombudsman must send a copy of the annual accounts to the Auditor General for Scotland for auditing.

The audit of accounts is undertaken by Audit Scotland, on behalf of the Auditor General, and the auditors’ responsibility is to audit and express an opinion on the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and international standards on auditing. The SPCB has no plans to review this statutory financial audit process.

Question reference: S4O-00768

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 February 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in securing a Tax Increment Funding pilot for Aberdeen.

Question reference: S4O-00735

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 February 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Aberdeen City Council regarding the business rates incentivisation scheme.

Question reference: S4F-00477

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 February 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 February 2012

To ask the First Minister, given the economic impact, what action the Scottish Government is taking to ensure that competition remains on routes from Scotland to Heathrow airport.

Question reference: S4O-00628

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 January 2012
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 26 January 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what initiatives are in place to encourage children to read more.

The launch of the Literacy Action Plan on 27 October 2010 heralded our commitment to raising standards of literacy for all, from the early years to adulthood.

We continue to work with our partners to support measures to develop our nation’s literacy and to encourage more reading, with a particular focus on the early and school years. This includes working with the Scottish Book Trust to deliver our Play Talk Read and Book Bug campaigns and we also provide funding to the Scottish Library and Information Council to increase the number of children and young people reading and using public libraries.

Question reference: S4W-04696

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 December 2011
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 12 January 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the UK Government about maritime reconnaissance aircraft provision in Scotland.

In September 2010, the Scottish Government made representations regarding the replacement of the Nimrod MRA4 reconnaissance capability through its response to the UK Government’s Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) in a cross party submission with the main Scottish party leaders. The First Minister also wrote to the Secretary of State for Defence, Liam Fox, to express his concern following the announcement to cancel the Nimrod contract in October 2010.

Question reference: S4W-04695

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 December 2011
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 12 January 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the UK Government about search and rescue helicopter provision in Scotland.

On 28 October 2011, the Minister for Community Safety and Legal Affairs, Ms Cunningham, wrote to the Secretary of State for Transport to outline the current position of the Scottish Government in relation to Search and Rescue Helicopters, to seek reassurance regarding current and future provision in Scotland and to highlight the importance of Scottish Government representation at future discussions. In response, the Scottish Government has been invited to take part in the UK Strategic Committee for Search and Rescue and will attend future meetings to ensure Scotland’s interests are taken into account.

Question reference: S4O-00581

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 January 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 January 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans are in place to allow artworks of national importance to be displayed throughout the country.

Question reference: S4W-04694

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 December 2011
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 4 January 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the UK Government about the venues for military inquests of Scottish soldiers killed in action overseas.

Sections 12 and 50 of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 make provision for a fatal accident inquiry to be held in Scotland into the death abroad of any service personnel domiciled in Scotland. These provisions have not yet been commenced by the Ministry of Justice. Scottish Government officials are in regular contact with the Ministry of Justice regarding the commencement of those provisions.

A protocol is being drawn up between the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Justice for how transfers of responsibility for investigations into deaths of Scottish service personnel will be carried out.

When it becomes possible for such inquiries to be held in Scotland, the court venue will be identified as part of the investigation process by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and in discussion with court authorities. It is expected that the inquiry will be held at a court near to the home of the nearest relatives.

Question reference: S4O-00490

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 December 2011
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 15 December 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive when the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth last met the leader of Aberdeen City Council.