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: S3W-09042

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 28 January 2008
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 25 February 2008

To ask the Scottish Executivewhether, during any discussions the First Minister has had with Mr Donald Macdonald, Mr Macdonald raised any concerns about the Scottish Environment Protection Agency with regard to the planning application in Aviemore in which he had an interest.

Question reference: S3W-09037

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 28 January 2008
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 25 February 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive which (a) MSPs and (b) MPs made representations on the planning application in Aviemore in which Mr Donald Macdonald had an interest; in what form such representations were made; on what dates each written representation was made; on what dates and at what times they arrived in the First Minister’s Office, and when the contents of the representations were notified or given to ministers.

Representations concerning the Aviemore planning applications were received in the First Minister''s Office from:

- Mary Scanlon MSP in a letter dated 6 December 2007, delivered by hand and received electronically on 6 December, and notified to the First Minister immediately, and

- Rhoda Grant MSP in a letter dated 6 December 2007, received electronically on 6 December, and notified to the First Minister immediately.

The First Minister discussed these letters on 6 December with the constituency member, Fergus Ewing MSP, who also made representations.

In addition Danny Alexander MP wrote to the First Minister in a letter dated 11 December, received by fax on 12 December, and notified to the First Minister on the same day.

Each of the above also made representations direct to other ministers and to others.

On 6 December 2007 Mary Scanlon MSP made written and verbal representations to the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment and to the Minister for Environment, as did Rhoda Grant MSP. On 6 December John Farquhar Munro MSP made verbal representations to these ministers.

Mary Scanlon, Rhoda Grant and Danny Alexander wrote to other individuals and agencies including SEPA whose then chairman, Sir Ken Collins, was contacted by mail in letters dated 6 December 2007. Rhoda Grant drew attention in her letter to Sir Ken Collins to the fact that she had also written to the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment, and to the Chief Executive of SEPA, Campbell Gemmell.

Mary Scanlon MSP and Danny Alexander MP were also in direct contact with Tom Inglis, SEPA''s Head of Environmental Protection and Improvement (North) concerning the Aviemore development and SEPA''s processing of the flood risk assessments.

As the constituency MSP Fergus Ewing MSP wrote to Richard Lochhead, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment on 29 November and 6 December and was in touch with the various agencies involved.

Question reference: S3W-09047

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 28 January 2008
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 25 February 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the First Minister has had any discussions with special advisers following and concerning any issues raised by Mr Donald Macdonald or his representatives or others on his behalf; with which special advisers such discussions took place, and on what dates.

Question reference: S3W-09041

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 28 January 2008
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 25 February 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive whether, during any discussions the First Minister has had with Mr Donald Macdonald, the issue of the planning application in Aviemore in which Mr Macdonald had an interest was ever raised and formed any part of such discussions.

Question reference: S3W-09058

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 28 January 2008
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 25 February 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive what the accountability mechanisms are from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) to ministers and what documents set out the relationship between ministers and SEPA.

Question reference: S3W-09065

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 28 January 2008
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 25 February 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the conversation between the Minister for Environment and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency in relation to the planning application in Aviemore in which Mr Donald Macdonald had an interest was a formal conversation by the minister in the conduct of his duties and who was present at or listening to that conversation.

Question reference: S3W-20543

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 February 2009
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 19 February 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will develop a national mental health service for deaf people and, if so, what the timescale will be for achieving a service agreement to that effect.

Mental health services for those with sensory loss continue to develop and improve. For example, a new dedicated community service and a deaf counselling service are now operational and have been well received by service users in Lothian. National access to specialist in-patient services when needed is long established through referrals to the John Denmark Unit in Manchester with attention to transitions a feature of the care pathway.

We are examining with partners the merits of a Scotland-based in-patient facility and how to further improve regional specialist community services.

Question reference: S3W-09006

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 28 January 2008
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 1 February 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive what the reasons are for the delay in answering the freedom of information requests submitted by me on (a) 9, (b) 11, (c) 19 and (d) 20 December 2007.

Question reference: S3W-09005

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 28 January 2008
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 1 February 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will answer the freedom of information requests submitted by me on 20 December 2007.

Question reference: S3W-09002

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 28 January 2008
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 1 February 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will answer the freedom of information requests submitted by me on 9 December 2007.