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-11561

Asked by: Marco Biagi, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 November 2012
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 12 December 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what impact the proposals in the Draft Communications Data Bill, which is currently being considered by the UK Parliament, would have on (a) the police service, (b) the judiciary, (c) public record-keeping and (d) other (i) devolved public bodies and (ii) areas of devolved competence in Scotland.

The purpose of the proposed legislation is to ensure that law enforcement and other agencies across the UK can continue to obtain the information they require in order to investigate crime and planned acts of terrorism. As is currently the case, all public authority requests for communications data can be subject to inspection by the Interception of Communications Commissioner’s Office. The Scottish Government has made clear to the UK Government that there should be strict conditions in place to safeguard the right to privacy under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Question reference: S4W-11458

Asked by: Marco Biagi, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 22 November 2012
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 6 December 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what advice the Scottish Medicines Consortium has provided on the effectiveness of homeopathy.

Question reference: S4W-11456

Asked by: Marco Biagi, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 22 November 2012
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 5 December 2012

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) prosecutions and (b) convictions there have been under section (i) 19, (ii) 24 and (iii) 29 of the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006.

The available information is given in the following tables:

People proceeded against for offences¹ under Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006, Sections 19,24,29

Section of Act:	2006-07	2007-08	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11	2011-12
SECTION 19(1)	0	6	19	20	17	13
SECTION 19(2)	2	45	65	110	76	98
SECTION 19(3)	0	1	0	0	1	0
SECTION 24	0	6	7	10	5	10
SECTION 29(1)(A)(B)	0	0	0	2	1	2
SECTION 29(2)(A) & (B)	1	8	3	5	2	10
Total	3	66	94	147	102	133

1. Where main charge.

People convicted of offences¹ under Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006, Sections 19,24,29

Section of Act:	2006-07	2007-08	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11	2011-12
SECTION 19(1)	0	5	14	17	13	9
SECTION 19(2)	2	38	51	87	59	79
SECTION 19(3)	0	1	0	0	1	0
SECTION 24	0	6	6	8	5	8
SECTION 29(1)(A)(B)	0	0	0	1	0	2
SECTION 29(2)(A) & (B)	1	7	2	4	1	8
Total	3	57	73	117	79	106

1. Where main charge.

Question reference: S4W-11501

Asked by: Marco Biagi, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 23 November 2012
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 29 November 2012

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S3W-37964 by John Swinney on 15 December 2010, whether the reciprocal rights set out apply to public grant support in addition to public contract opportunities.

Question reference: S4O-01582

Asked by: Marco Biagi, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 November 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 December 2012

To ask the Scottish Government how the number of Lothian and Borders Police officers compares with the number in quarter one of 2007.

Question reference: S4O-01538

Asked by: Marco Biagi, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 November 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 November 2012

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider the fees charged to non-EU students in the context of the forthcoming Post-16 Education Reform Bill.

Question reference: S4W-10807

Asked by: Marco Biagi, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 November 2012
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 20 November 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it will take to meet the recommendation of the Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change Committee in its 9th Report, 2010 (Session 3), Report on Low Carbon Scotland: The Draft Report on Proposals and Policies, that "the Scottish Government policy direction should match the transport objectives set out in the Report on Proposals and Policies [RPP] if emissions targets are to be met" and what steps it is taking to ensure that transport policy is in line with the objectives set out in the RPP.

The National Transport Strategy (2006) includes reducing emissions as one of its three key objectives. A wide range of Scottish Government transport policy initiatives are currently underway in line with the objectives set out in the RPP. The sought-after transformation to a low carbon transport system is being encouraged through investment both in existing networks and transport modes and in developing new and alternative transport options. The Draft Budget includes spend of £134.2 million over two years to reduce the impact of transport on our carbon emissions. This includes a range of things, such as active travel, promotion of low-carbon vehicles, car clubs, hybrid buses, new rail investment, congestion management, hybrid ferries and freight support. Policy development and delivery work covers decarbonising vehicles, promoting sustainable communities, engaging with businesses and organisations, and improving road network efficiencies. We are providing leadership in a number of areas to help deliver the behaviour change that is necessary to move Scotland towards more sustainable forms of transport. Further detail will be set out in the second report on proposals and policies due to be published in draft soon.

Question reference: S4W-10808

Asked by: Marco Biagi, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 November 2012
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 20 November 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what emphasis it places on the recommendation by the Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change Committee in its 9th Report, 2010 (Session 3), Report on Low Carbon Scotland: The Draft Report on Proposals and Policies, that "the final version of the Report on Proposals and Policies should include reference to a need to reduce the need to travel" and what measures it will introduce to achieve an overall reduction in journeys made.

Reducing the need to travel is one of the three themes of the transport chapter of the final report on Proposals & Policies (RPP) published in March 2011. Work is underway to develop the evidence base on interventions that might encourage alternatives to travel, such as the worksmart initiative underway in several local authorities in Scotland. Transport Scotland is also working with members of the 2020 Climate Group's transport sub-group on the scope to reduce business travel through Information Communications Technology (ICT) developments such as virtual meetings and the role of such developments in workplace travel-planning. This builds on the role that access to broadband can play linking clearly to the SG's Digital Strategy set out in Scotland's Digital Future: A Strategy for Scotland.

Community-based travel-planning can also promote alternatives to travel. The SG's flagship demonstration project in relation to this, Smarter Places Smarter Choices, is currently under-going a full evaluation, and future initiatives will be developed in the wake of the results of this.

Question reference: S4O-01456

Asked by: Marco Biagi, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 November 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 15 November 2012

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body how the Parliament’s facilities and services meet the needs of members and staff with special dietary requirements.

Question reference: S4O-01467

Asked by: Marco Biagi, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 November 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 14 November 2012

To ask the Scottish Government how many people with long-term health conditions who formerly did not receive free prescriptions now do so.