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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

Filter your results Hide all filters

Displaying 1077 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S5W-02448

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 09 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 20 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what investment it has made in respect of (a) Lockerbie, (b) Gretna Green, (c) Annan, (d) Sanquhar and (e) Kirkconnel railway station in each year since 2007.

Since 2007 the Scottish Government has worked with ScotRail to deliver a number of improvements at these stations. Improvements include:-

Lockerbie	Installation of CCTV, Customer Information Screens, lifts and footbridge, accessibility improvements, waiting shelter, platform validator to support smart ticketing.
Gretna Green	Installation of CCTV and platform validator to support smart ticketing.
Annan	Installation of CCTV, platform validator to support smart ticketing, handrails and upgrade to lighting and stairs.
Sanquhar	Installation of platform validator to support smart ticketing.
Kirkconnel	Upgrade to car park lighting and installation of platform validator to support smart ticketing.

Question reference: S5W-02437

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 20 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what the average cost per unit has been for (a) 1-, (b) 2- and (c) 3-bedroom social housing built by registered social landlords in each year since 2007.

The Scottish Government records units by bedspace rather than number of bedrooms.

The following table shows the average cost per unit to deliver new homes for social rent by registered social landlords since 2007-08, together with the average number of bedspaces per unit:

Financial Year	Average cost per unit	Average no. of bedspaces per unit
2007-08	£126,954	3.95
2008-09	£130,717	3.89
2009-10	£130,058	3.94
2010-11	£117,720	3.78
2011-12	£112,057	3.69
2012-13	£109,976	3.50
2013-14	£114,098	3.61
2014-15	£119,939	3.46
2015-16*	£120,585	3.39

* Programme management information only – not published as yet and as such, could be subject to change.

Question reference: S5W-02438

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 20 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what the average cost per unit was for new social housing built by local authorities for (a) one-, (b) two- and (c) three-bedroom properties in each year since 2007.

Funding for Council House Building was introduced in April 2009, the aim of which was to incentivise local authorities to build new homes. Cost information on the new homes delivered was not held on our recording system.

From 2012-13, we have recorded total project costs based on information provided by councils. The following table therefore shows the average cost to deliver a new home for social rent by councils since 2012-13, together with the average number of bedspaces per unit:

Financial Year	Average cost per unit	Average no. of bedspaces per unit
2012-13	£122,866	3.89
2013-14	£124,651	3.61
2014-15	£123,956	3.40
2015-16	£117,114	3.65

The figures within this table are from programme management information only and are not published

Question reference: S5W-02436

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 20 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the British Medical Association and Police Scotland regarding the renewal of shotgun licenses.

Scottish Government officials have met with the Scottish General Practitioners Committee of the British Medical Association (Scotland) and with Police Scotland on several occasions to discuss the sharing of information between general practitioners and the police for the purposes of firearms and shotgun licensing. Discussions are continuing in order to ensure the appropriate and timely sharing of information and the safety of individuals and the public.

Question reference: S5W-02429

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Maureen Watt on 20 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have received electroconvulsive therapy in each year since 2007.

Information on electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is available in the annual reports published by the Scottish ECT Accreditation Network (SEAN) http://www.sean.org.uk/AuditReport/Main.html.

These reports summarise data that have been collected from an electronic care pathway installed in all ECT treatment clinics in Scotland. Data are collected on every aspect of patient care, including the number of patients, episodes and treatments relating to ECT to ensure compliance with SEAN standards.

Question reference: S5W-02439

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 20 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what the average cost per unit was for (a) one-, (b) two- and (c) three-bedroom properties built under the Rural Homes for Rent pilot grant scheme in each year since 2007.

Question reference: S5W-02445

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 20 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how many hours its civil servants have spent preparing (a) analysis and briefings and (b) draft legislation in relation to land reform since 6 May 2016.

Question reference: S5W-02428

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 20 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to prevent and reduce the risk of suicide on the transport network.

Scottish Government are supportive of the excellent partnership work that British Transport Police, the Railway Industry, NHS Greater Glasgow and other external bodies are undertaking to reduce fatalities, suicidal behaviour and disruption upon the rail network. In addition we work with the trunk road Operating Companies, Police Scotland, local authorities, health boards and stakeholders to introduce a range of mitigation measures, monitor activity and help prevent self-harming across the trunk road network.

Question reference: S5W-02430

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Maureen Watt on 20 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has cost it to provide mental health treatment in each year since 2007.

Question reference: S5W-02486

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 09 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 20 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how flood risk communities are involved in the planning and delivery of flood mitigation schemes.

The Scottish Government believes that public awareness, participation and community support are essential components of sustainable flood risk management. That is why the Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009 sets out a framework for coordination and cooperation between all organisations involved in flood risk management, including a formal statutory process which leads to confirmation of a flood protection scheme. This process provides an opportunity for local people to comment on, and lodge objections to, any proposed scheme, which local authorities will then be obliged to seek to address. However, long before a planned flood protection scheme gets to the stage of formal confirmation, local authorities are encouraged to involve local residents, land managers and key community representatives in the scheme planning process. This helps to build understanding and trust locally, which means that communities understand the basis on which decisions about flood risk management actions have been made.