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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-04064

Asked by: Annabelle Ewing, MSP for Cowdenbeath, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 January 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 January 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on an amendment to the UK Government’s Withdrawal Agreement that would allow unaccompanied child refugees to be reunited with their families in the UK.

Question reference: S5W-26682

Asked by: Annabelle Ewing, MSP for Cowdenbeath, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 December 2019
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 10 December 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will report on the outcome of the recent summit meeting of the British-Irish Council.

On 15 November 2019, the Irish Government hosted a summit meeting of the British-Irish Council (BIC). The meeting was attended by Ministers from seven of the Member Administrations and was chaired by the Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar. The First Minister, the Cabinet Secretary for Government Business and Constitutional Relations, Minister for Public Health, Sport and Wellbeing and myself, represented the Scottish Government.

Although ministers from the Northern Ireland Executive were not in attendance, officials from the Northern Ireland administration were present.

The meeting focused on the Misuse of Substances and the steps that are being taken to tackle the related issues facing each of the administrations. Following a discussion by Health Ministers where the Minister for Public Health, Sport and Wellbeing represented the Scottish Government, the First Minister reminded the Council that Misuse of Substances is one of the most important work sectors within BIC and that Scotland was keen to share expertise whilst willing to learn from best practice. The First Minister stated that governments have an obligation to stop young people choosing that path and recognised the need for health led strategies, presenting the strong view that a justice led approach has prevented people from receiving services they need.

The Government of Guernsey expressed a wish to see the introduction of Green Finance as a future work sector of BIC, with the aim of decarbonising the economy. Whilst I welcomed this in principle, I asked that we are given more detail of the nature of economic issues in order to consider properly. It was agreed that officials would meet to consider further work in relation to this.

The latest political developments were also discussed, including the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union. The First Minister reiterated that Scotland’s preference is to remain in Europe and voiced her continuing concern that we may be placed at a competitive disadvantage to Northern Ireland however, she stressed that this should not be read as opposition to Northern Ireland’s access to the single market and customs union.

The Communiqué that was issued by the British-Irish Council after the meeting can be found on its website at:

https://www.britishirishcouncil.org/sites/default/files/communiqués/33rd%20Summit%20Held%20in%20Dublin%20Communique.pdf

Question reference: S5O-03777

Asked by: Annabelle Ewing, MSP for Cowdenbeath, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 November 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how it promotes tourism in the Cowdenbeath constituency.

Question reference: S5O-03693

Asked by: Annabelle Ewing, MSP for Cowdenbeath, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 October 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 31 October 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its view regarding the impact of the UK’s departure from the EU.

Question reference: S5O-03635

Asked by: Annabelle Ewing, MSP for Cowdenbeath, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 October 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 October 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what communication it has received from the UK Government regarding proposals for a new Brexit agreement.

Question reference: S5O-03461

Asked by: Annabelle Ewing, MSP for Cowdenbeath, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 June 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 June 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to tackle animal cruelty.

Question reference: S5O-03334

Asked by: Annabelle Ewing, MSP for Cowdenbeath, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 May 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 June 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to Fife Council’s call for an independent inquiry into the Mossmorran petrochemical plant.

Question reference: S5O-03296

Asked by: Annabelle Ewing, MSP for Cowdenbeath, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 May 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on out-of-hours urgent care in Fife.

Question reference: S5W-22713

Asked by: Annabelle Ewing, MSP for Cowdenbeath, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 April 2019
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 1 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a table showing the latest (a) available General Fund Reserve Funds held by each local authority and the equivalent in real terms at the end of the financial year 2006-07 and (b) General Fund Reserve Funds as a percentage of its grant to each local authority and the equivalent figure at the end of the financial year 2006-07.

Please find the information requested in the following table.

Local Authority	General Fund Reserve as at 31 March 2007 (Real terms)	General Fund Reserve as at 31 March 2018	General Fund Reserve as a % of Total Funding by SG in 2006-07	General Fund Reserve as a % of Total Funding by SG in 2017-18
	(£ millions)	(£ millions)
Aberdeen City	18	41	5%	11%
Aberdeenshire	21	33	5%	7%
Angus	20	27	9%	13%
Argyll & Bute	31	50	13%	24%
Clackmannanshire	4	10	4%	10%
Dumfries & Galloway	36	50	11%	16%
Dundee City	10	14	3%	4%
East Ayrshire	25	40	10%	16%
East Dunbartonshire	8	17	4%	9%
East Lothian	7	17	4%	9%
East Renfrewshire	9	26	5%	14%
Edinburgh, City of	23	151	3%	19%
Eilean Siar	13	22	9%	21%
Falkirk	22	22	8%	8%
Fife	12	51	2%	8%
Glasgow City	14	49	1%	4%
Highland	37	25	7%	5%
Inverclyde	21	41	11%	24%
Midlothian	12	11	7%	7%
Moray	15	19	8%	11%
North Ayrshire	13	33	5%	11%
North Lanarkshire	20	45	3%	7%
Orkney Islands	20	15	26%	20%
Perth & Kinross	35	51	13%	19%
Renfrewshire	25	45	7%	14%
Scottish Borders	18	20	8%	9%
Shetland Islands	0	48	0%	55%
South Ayrshire	-1	28	0%	13%
South Lanarkshire	5	71	1%	12%
Stirling	8	27	5%	15%
West Dunbartonshire	4	11	2%	6%
West Lothian	5	24	2%	7%
All Local Authorities	511	1,135	5%	11%
Sources: General Fund Reserve figures taken from LFR A0; Total Funding by SG calculated as the sum of funding specified in the RSG Order, NDRI Order, Specific Grants Order and the Capital Circular for the relevant years.

Question reference: S5O-03155

Asked by: Annabelle Ewing, MSP for Cowdenbeath, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 April 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress with the operation of the Developing the Young Workforce programme in Fife.