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-22195

Asked by: Marco Biagi, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 July 2014
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Burgess on 15 August 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what research it has carried out into the operation of the Short Assured Tenancy.

The Scottish Government has carried out the following research into the operation of the Short Assured Tenancy:

Qualitative research to explore the implications for private rented sector tenants and landlords of longer term and more secure tenancy

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2014/03/7326/0 (2014)

Evidence review of the private rented sector in Scotland

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Built-Environment/Housing/privaterent/government/Tenancy-Review/findings/evidence-review (2014)

Review of the Private Rented Sector: Volume 1: Key Findings and Policy Implications http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2009/03/23153136/0 (2009)

Review of the Private Rented Sector: Volume 2: Views and Experiences of Tenants in the Private Rented Sector in Scotland

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2009/03/23153402/0 (2009)

Review of the Private Rented Sector: Volume 3: Views and experiences of landlords in the Private Rented Sector

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2009/03/23140128/0 (2009)

Question reference: S4O-03457

Asked by: Marco Biagi, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 August 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 14 August 2014

To ask the Scottish Government when it will announce plans for reform of the private rented sector.

Question reference: S4W-21920

Asked by: Marco Biagi, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 June 2014
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Burgess on 21 July 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what the average length of a short assured tenancy contract has been in each of the last 10 years.

Question reference: S4O-03337

Asked by: Marco Biagi, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 June 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 June 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the health impact of overprovision of licensed premises in urban areas.

Question reference: S4F-02142

Asked by: Marco Biagi, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 02 June 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 June 2014

To ask the First Minister whether the Scottish Government plans to order a public inquiry into the handling of the Edinburgh Trams project.

Question reference: S4O-03268

Asked by: Marco Biagi, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 May 2014
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 28 May 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what recent progress it has made on planning reform.

I am driving forward a comprehensive package of measures to improve the planning service. This includes our work on National Planning Framework 3 and the revised Scottish Planning Policy, to be published in June 2014, and supporting authorities embed continual improvement activities.

A greater number of development plans are up to date and decision-making timescales for major applications are reducing. Through our consideration of the annual performance framework reports, it is clear that there is a wide range of on-going improvement activity being carried out.

Question reference: S4O-03242

Asked by: Marco Biagi, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 May 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 May 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what impact the opening of Pride House in Glasgow will have on LGBT people.

Question reference: S4O-03204

Asked by: Marco Biagi, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 April 2014
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 8 May 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what legacy it expects the Commonwealth Games to have in Edinburgh.

In Edinburgh:

Local businesses are benefitting: 19 have won Games-related contracts and there have been 52 modern apprentice starts through the Legacy 2014 Employer Recruitment Incentive scheme

12 projects have been awarded funding totalling over £632,000 through the Legacy 2014 Active Places Fund: complementing the six Community Sports Hubs operating across the city

BIG 2014 Communities programme has awarded over £250,000 to 160 local community projects

The Sports Relief Home & Away Programme has supported four local projects covering issues from mental health to support for the elderly.

This is a small selection of legacy activity taking place in the capital. I would encourage Mr Biagi, and other members, to visit the Legacy 2014 website where there is an interactive map detailing legacy activity across the country.

Question reference: S4O-03086

Asked by: Marco Biagi, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 March 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 April 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how the proposed Community Empowerment (Scotland) Bill will provide opportunities for community ownership.

Question reference: S4W-19747

Asked by: Marco Biagi, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 17 February 2014
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 6 March 2014

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has a purchasing policy that refers to fairly traded products and, if so, what it requires.

The Scottish Government issued guidance of fair and ethical trading through a Scottish Procurement Policy Note in 2005, which outlines how public bodies can procure fair and ethically traded goods and services in a manner consistent with EU procurement law. This guidance formed part of the Scottish Sustainable Procurement Action Plan, published in 2009.

The Scottish Fair Trade Forum has agreed to work with the Scottish Government to progress the uptake of fair and ethically traded goods and services through public procurement.