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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: S4O-02644

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 November 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 November 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to boost vocational education and training in North Ayrshire.

Question reference: S4F-01711

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 18 November 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 November 2013

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to the report by the Institute for Fiscal Studies on the fiscal sustainability of an independent Scotland.

Question reference: S4O-02576

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 November 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 13 November 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how the Scottish Ten is using the latest laser technology to examine data from the Eastern Qing Tombs in China.

Question reference: S4W-17474

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 8 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what average number of weeks was taken to determine major planning applications in each local authority in the last year for which information is available.

For those cases submitted post August 2009 the average time taken to determine a major application in Scotland was 36.3 weeks (1 April 2012 to 31 March 2013). The overall decision time for all major applications including legacy cases was 61.1 weeks. Information on the average timescales taken to determine major planning applications by local authority are available at the following link:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Planning/Publications/planapps2013annual.

The 2012-13 annual figures were published on 18 July 2013.

The 2013-14 Quarter 1 figures were published on 2 October 2013 and are available at the following link: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Planning/Publications.

Question reference: S4W-17493

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 27 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 7 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it is having with the UK Government regarding Barnett consequentials arising from the HS2 project and when it expects such discussions to be concluded.

We believe that decisions about Scotland should be taken by the people who care most about Scotland: those who live and work here. It is only with full decision-making powers that the Scottish Parliament will be able to access all of Scotland’s resources to deliver a more prosperous and fairer Scotland.

In the meantime, the Scottish Government will continue to work with HM Treasury to ensure that Scotland continues to receive the full Barnett Consequentials from decisions taken in Westminster.

In the case of HS2, the Scottish Government has had no discussions with the UK Government regarding Barnett.

It is our view that the proposed high speed network should be extended ‘further and faster’ than the current plans. This will capture the benefits of a wider network returning greater economic benefits for all. As you identified in S4W-16767 on 13 September 2013, all UK taxpayers will contribute to this scheme. That is why we are concentrating current efforts on working with the UK Government to establish a joint study on options for high speed rail northwards to Scotland.

All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

Question reference: S4W-17359

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 20 September 2013
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 23 September 2013

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-16620 by John Swinney on 2 September 2013, when it will publish a paper outlining proposals for pensions policy in an independent Scotland.

Question reference: S4O-02414

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 September 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 September 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to boost production of both domestic and foreign films in Scotland.

Question reference: S4W-16767

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 August 2013
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 13 September 2013

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the publication of a recent report by the Institute of Economic Affairs suggesting that the High Speed Rail 2 network from London to Birmingham and Manchester could cost £80 billion, what benefits it expects that this investment will bring to Scotland's (a) people and (b) economy and what estimate it has made of what share of the cost will be met by Scotland's taxpayers.

We are aware of the claims of the Institute of Economic Affairs, although the UK Government’s position remains that the budget for High Speed 2 is still at £42.6 billion, including a contingency fund of some £14 billion.

By any measure, High Speed 2 will require significant expenditure. However, it remains unclear how the project as currently reported will deliver benefit to Scotland, either in terms of rail capacity and journey time improvements, or in terms of economic benefit.

High Speed 2 will extend from London to Birmingham and then to Manchester and Leeds. However, like London Crossrail, the scheme is to be funded from taxpayers from across all areas of the UK.

For all to benefit, it is our view that the line must extend further. That is why the Scottish Government is working with the UK Government to establish a joint study on options for high speed rail northwards to Scotland.

The Scottish Government is also investigating options for the development of high speed lines in Scotland, as an early contribution to a UK network.

Question reference: S4O-02386

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 September 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 September 2013

To ask the Scottish Government to what extent personal circumstances are taken into account when considering middle-aged men for a free health check.

Question reference: S4F-01535

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 September 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 September 2013

To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to encourage fostering.