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: S5O-02369

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 September 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to recent figures from the Scottish Prison Service showing record levels of disorder, drug-taking and fire-raising in prisons.

Question reference: S5W-17886

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 July 2018
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 10 August 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) headline business rate poundage and (b) large business supplement has been in each of the last 10 years, including the current financial year.

The following table shows the poundage rate, large business supplement, and large business supplement threshold (rateable value) for each year from 2008-09 to 2018-19:

Year	Poundage rate (pence)	Large Business Supplement (pence)	Large Business Supplement Threshold (rateable value)
2008-09	45.8	0.4	> £29,000
2009-10	48.1	0.4	> £29,000
2010-11	40.7	0.7	> £35,000
2011-12	42.6	0.7	> £35,000
2012-13	45.0	0.8	> £35,000
2013-14	46.2	0.9	> £35,000
2014-15	47.1	1.1	> £35,000
2015-16	48.0	1.3	> £35,000
2016-17	48.4	2.6	> £35,000
2017-18	46.6	2.6	> £51,000
2018-19	48.0	2.6	> £51,000

Question reference: S5W-17889

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 July 2018
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 10 August 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the proposal in its Barclay Implementation consultation paper of 25 June 2018, which business and industrial sectors will be liable for the new business rates levy on out-of-town and online businesses.

The Barclay Review recommended that a new discretionary power be created to allow Local Authorities to apply a rates supplement in certain circumstances, for out-of-town retailers or predominantly online retailers. It was also recommended that this be tested in a possible pilot scheme which would run in up to three council areas in which businesses based out-of-town might be charged a modest supplement on their rates to support town centres.

As highlighted in the current consultation, no final policy design decisions have been taken on the Barclay Review on business rates and the Scottish Government is seeking views on the possible pilot scheme and the potential safeguards which would form the basis of an assessment for the application of the scheme.

As part of this consultation we welcome all views and will consider all submissions very carefully before reaching any decisions.

Question reference: S5W-17887

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 July 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 9 August 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recent Scottish Stroke Care Audit report, which highlights that there are no hospitals in Scotland that offer thrombectomy procedures, whether any provision been made towards transferring eligible stroke patients to hospitals that can perform the procedure in the north of England or Northern Ireland.

Mechanisms already exist for cross border arrangements for treatments to be provided outside Scotland and home Board areas.

A Directors of Planning Thrombectomy Advisory Group (TAG) is developing a national planning framework for the provision of thrombectomy for Scotland.

The development of the framework will consider all the elements required to deliver the service, taking account of evidence, and will include for example: referral criteria, pathways for patients, workforce, facilities, training and education and possible cross border arrangements. The framework is expected to be produced by spring 2019.

Question reference: S5W-17581

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 July 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 26 July 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what assurances it can give that blue badge holders will be exempt from emission criteria across all low emission zones in a consistent manner, once a lead-in or sunset period has passed.

Question reference: S5W-17281

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 15 June 2018
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 3 July 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with NHS England relating to the development of a mechanical thrombectomy service in Scotland.

Question reference: S5W-17075

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 June 2018
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 19 June 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that, under the minimum pricing rules for alcohol, wholesalers that also sell to trade could use the minimum pricing mechanism to sell below the ceiling unit price.

I refer the member to the Scottish Government’s statement of 31 May 2018:

“We are aware of a technical issue related to the interpretation of how Minimum Unit Pricing operates in respect of trade sales by wholesalers which have opted, for whatever reason, to hold a premises licence.

There are differing views held by licensing lawyers and the licensing community on the application of the new mandatory condition of Minimum Unit Pricing to premises licences as regards wholesalers and trade sales.

We consider that a legislative change is required in order to clarify the situation. This would be achieved by SSI following consultation which will satisfy the terms of regulation 9 of EU Regulation No. 178/2002.

A consultation will be issued shortly.

Wholesalers selling to trade only are not required to hold a premises licence and so Minimum Unit Pricing does not apply.

Wholesalers also selling to the public require a premises licence, and all sales (other than to a person for the purposes of their trade) must comply with Minimum Unit Pricing.”

The statement can be found at:

http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Health/Services/Alcohol/minimum-pricing .

Question reference: S5W-17166

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 11 June 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jackson Carlaw on 15 June 2018

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body for what reason it has removed the computer at the Queensberry House exit; what impact this could have on the ability to check visitor passes, and how it will ensure that this does not have security implications.

Question reference: S5F-02460

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 11 June 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 14 June 2018

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s response is to reports that Yammer, which is a social network available in every school, is being used to target vulnerable children.

Question reference: S5O-02194

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 May 2018
Current Status: Answered by Annabelle Ewing on 6 June 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take in light of recent Police Scotland figures, which highlight that missing person investigations have increased by almost 1,000 in the last year.

In May 2017, the Scottish Government launched Scotland’s first ever National Framework for Missing Persons, and we are now delivering the actions in the Framework to improve multi-agency working and standardise approaches to risk assessment and return discussions to prevent and limit the harm for those who go missing. Our investment of over £200,000 is supporting the development and delivery of return discussion training to frontline staff across local authorities, and supporting the Missing People charity to extend their helpline service in Scotland.