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: S4F-01504

Asked by: John Mason, MSP for Glasgow Shettleston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 June 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 June 2013

To ask the First Minister what effect the 2015-16 Spending Review will have on the Scottish Government's budget.

Question reference: S4W-15125

Asked by: John Mason, MSP for Glasgow Shettleston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 17 May 2013
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 30 May 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how it encourages local authorities to promote greater recycling.

The case for improving recycling rates is simple: it is good for our environment and it is good for our economy. We estimate that councils will be able to save in the region of £180 million in the cost of their waste services by 2025 if they meet the 70% target set out in the Zero Waste Plan. That is money that can be reinvested in other vital services. At the same time, the materials collected for recycling have a monetary value that can support the growth of our recycling and reprocessing sectors, ultimately helping create economic and employment opportunities across Scotland. This alone should be encouragement enough.

Through the Zero Waste Scotland programme, I have put in place additional targeted support to help councils realise these opportunities including £5 million this year to support the roll-out of food waste collections and £350,000 to improve the quality of bring sites and support glass collections. This targeted support is, of course, only part of a much broader package of support being provided to businesses and councils across Scotland.

The local government concordat gives councils the flexibility and freedom to make decisions on how best to deliver waste services in order to meet zero waste targets and wider objectives. A number of councils in Scotland are leading the way with recycling rates that are already approaching 60%. Other councils, however, are not performing so well and they need to look to those that are and follow their example.

Question reference: S4W-15123

Asked by: John Mason, MSP for Glasgow Shettleston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 17 May 2013
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 30 May 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what action is being taken to encourage GPs to open surgeries for longer hours.

The Scottish Government is investing approximately £12 million annually in an enhanced service arrangement to extend GP surgery opening hours beyond core hours. Participation in enhanced services are optional for GP practices and in 2012 we introduced more flexible scheme arrangements to encourage even more GP practices to offer extended hours.

Practice participation in the revised scheme averaged 80.5% across the country in 2012 increasing from 73.5% in 2011. The 2012 participation figure for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde's GP practices was 83.5% compared to 76.3% in the previous year.

As part of the successfully negotiated General Medical Services contract settlement for 2013-14 we have an agreed commitment from the Scottish General Practitioners’ Committee to review GP access and we will be exploring ways to improve these arrangements in the year ahead.

Question reference: S4W-15124

Asked by: John Mason, MSP for Glasgow Shettleston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 17 May 2013
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 29 May 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to tackle diesel spillages as a result of brimming.

Question reference: S4W-15127

Asked by: John Mason, MSP for Glasgow Shettleston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 17 May 2013
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 28 May 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what costs were associated with the PFI project for the refurbishment of Bannerman High School in 2002.

Question reference: S4W-15122

Asked by: John Mason, MSP for Glasgow Shettleston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 17 May 2013
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 28 May 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how the curriculum for excellence promotes financial education.

Curriculum for Excellence supports Financial Education as part of a wider focus on the development of numeracy. The expectation is that all teachers should seek to develop young people’s numeracy skills in all areas and at all levels.

In addition, support for Financial Education is provided by Education Scotland through a range of on-line teaching resources, professional development opportunities for teachers and the Scottish Financial Education Forum.

Question reference: S4W-15126

Asked by: John Mason, MSP for Glasgow Shettleston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 17 May 2013
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 28 May 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what each local authority’s financial commitment to PFI/PPP will be for each of the next three years.

Question reference: S4W-15121

Asked by: John Mason, MSP for Glasgow Shettleston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 17 May 2013
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 22 May 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with Strathclyde Partnership for Transport regarding the potential for a new railway station in Parkhead.

Question reference: S4W-14726

Asked by: John Mason, MSP for Glasgow Shettleston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 May 2013
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 15 May 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with Glasgow City Council regarding the council's commitment to roll out free public wi-fi.

The Scottish Government has regular discussions on digital infrastructure issues with Glasgow City Council, along with the other Scottish cities, through the Scottish Cities Alliance. Delivering world-class digital connectivity in Scotland’s cities is a shared objective and collaboration is underway on a number of projects in Glasgow.

The commitment to roll out free public wi-fi is a key component of the Council’s Digital Glasgow Strategy and Scottish Government officials have provided advice and participated in initial market testing sessions on proposed solutions. Glasgow City Council is now preparing to launch a procurement process.

Question reference: S4F-01311

Asked by: John Mason, MSP for Glasgow Shettleston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 15 April 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 April 2013

To ask the First Minister what assessment the Scottish Government has made of Scotland’s public finances.