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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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

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Question reference: S4W-09681

Asked by: Annabelle Ewing, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 17 September 2012
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 27 September 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what action (a) businesses and (b) the Scottish Environment Protection Agency takes to ensure compliance with environmental regulations.

It is the responsibility of businesses themselves to ensure that they comply with applicable environmental regulations, and the vast majority of businesses in Scotland do so. Wherever possible, SEPA seeks to work with regulated businesses to help them comply with regulations. When businesses wilfully or negligently harm the environment, however, SEPA has a range of enforcement powers which it uses to ensure that the environment is protected, with an increased emphasis on focussing inspections on higher risk permits and poor performances.

SEPA needs, however, to have appropriate powers to do its job properly. Through our Better Environmental Regulation Programme and the Better Regulation Bill, SEPA will be given a range of more direct and proportionate enforcement measures to ensure it has the right range of interventions to tackle poor performance and better protect the environment.

Question reference: S4O-01357

Asked by: Annabelle Ewing, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 September 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 October 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the discharge by local authorities of their obligations under the Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009.

Question reference: S4O-01325

Asked by: Annabelle Ewing, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 September 2012
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 26 September 2012

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met representatives of the Royal College of Nursing.

My predecessor, the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Cities Strategy, met RCN representatives on 3 November 2011.

Since then, Scottish Government officials have met regularly with RCN representatives to discuss a range of topical issues, most recently on 13 September 2012 when the Chief Nursing Officer met with the Director of RCN Scotland.

I have recently accepted an invitation to the RCN conference on 21 November and look forward to meeting with RCN colleagues and members then.

Question reference: S4W-09630

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S4O-01293

Asked by: Annabelle Ewing, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 September 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 September 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what undertakings it has received from the UK Government to meet any increased demand on the Scottish civil legal aid budget as a result of UK welfare reform.

Question reference: S4W-09027

Asked by: Annabelle Ewing, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 August 2012
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 4 September 2012

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to make representations to the UK Government regarding updating British Standards BS 8300 on wheelchair size.

Question reference: S4W-09024

Asked by: Annabelle Ewing, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 August 2012
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 3 September 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what recent action it has taken to promote disability awareness and equality training in the NHS.

The promotion of disability awareness and equality training is the responsibility of individual NHS boards. Scottish Government is committed to promoting equality of opportunity and the Equal Opportunity Partnership Information Network (PIN) policy is currently under review to reflect recent changes in legislation. Scottish Government also sponsors NHS boards’ gold membership of the Employers Forum on Disability that provides advice and guidance on disability issues.

Question reference: S4W-09025

Asked by: Annabelle Ewing, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 August 2012
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 30 August 2012

To ask the Scottish Government whether electronic note-takers are available at public conferences that it organises.

The Scottish Government actively promotes and encourages inclusive communication, including communication support at public conferences and events, to ensure that disabled people have the same freedom, choice, dignity and control as other citizens.

The Scottish Government endeavours to ensure that appropriate means of communication support including electronic notetakers, if appropriate, are made available at public conferences that it organises, if requested and if identified as a requirement in advance.

Question reference: S4W-09026

Asked by: Annabelle Ewing, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 August 2012
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 28 August 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what recent reviews it has carried out of the accessibility of NHS premises for wheelchair users.

Question reference: S4O-01209

Asked by: Annabelle Ewing, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 June 2012
Current Status: Answered by Linda Fabiani on 27 June 2012

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will provide benches in the garden area.