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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-19118

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 January 2014
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 17 January 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what areas of coniferous woodland have been planted on areas of deep peat and whether such areas will be restocked or whether compensation planting will be sought elsewhere.

The Scottish Government does not have reliable figures for the overall area of coniferous woodland that has been planted on deep peat.

Forestry Commission Scotland will shortly issue guidance on the future management of forestry on peatland habitats. The guidance will provide options to forest managers so that they can assess the carbon retention implications of different land uses, including woodland creation and restocking, which can be considered alongside other priorities such as biodiversity and landscape. The Scottish Government’s Control of Woodland Removal Policy makes clear the circumstances under which compensatory planting will be required if woodland is permanently removed.

Question reference: S4W-19101

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 January 2014
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 17 January 2014

To ask the Scottish Government when it will commence Part 3, Chapter 1 of the Legal Services (Scotland) Act 2010.

Question reference: S4O-02830

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 January 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 January 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what action local authorities are taking in light of Police Scotland's decision to withdraw traffic wardens.

Question reference: S4W-18958

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 December 2013
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 9 January 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how many large energy generation and transmission applications Scottish and Southern Energy or its subsidiaries have submitted under sections 36 and 37 of the Electricity Act 1989 since 2007 and how many have been (a) approved and (b) rejected.

Since 2007 Scottish and Southern Energy or its subsidiaries have submitted a total of 41 applications for large energy generation and transmission applications under sections 36 and 37 of the Electricity Act (Scotland) 1989.

22 of these applications were for consent under section 37

13 applications have been approved

2 were withdrawn

7 still under consideration

19 of these applications were for consent under section 36

9 have been approved

1 withdrawn

1 refused

8 still under consideration

Question reference: S4O-02784

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 January 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 15 January 2014

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met representatives of CBI Scotland and what issues were discussed.

Question reference: S4W-18492

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 November 2013
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 5 December 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how many times there have been closures on the A9 because accident sites have been designated as crime scenes in each of the last three years, and what was the average closure time.

Details of road closures on the A9 in the last 3 full calendar years are contained in the following table. Our records for 2013 are not yet complete.

2010

2011

2012

Road	Number of Closures	Average time (hrs)	Number of Closures	Average time (hrs)	Number of Closures	Average time (hrs)
A9	10	06:13	28	04:12	40	03:37

The decision by Police Scotland to close a road, such as the A9, is never taken lightly and only occurs when the collision itself has blocked the road, or where there is a need to protect those who might already have been injured and the emergency service staff who are dealing with the incident.

The impact on local communities and the wider economy is always at the forefront of investigators’ minds, but there is a need to ensure that incidents are investigated thoroughly to ensure that families of those killed or seriously injured receive the support and information that they deserve and also to ensure that any safety issues are identified and addressed.

Roads are closed in such cases to gather evidence regarding an accident and the length of any closure can vary, depending on the nature and complexity of the incident.

Question reference: S4W-18334

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 November 2013
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 4 December 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what safeguards are in place to ensure that the so-called independence packs compiled by Education Scotland will not lead to the politicisation of the classroom.

Education Scotland is not producing packs on the referendum to be sent to schools. Education Scotland is producing resources to assist practitioners in the teaching of political literacy. Learning about political literacy is an entitlement for children and young people. Curriculum for Excellence briefing paper 14 explains that successful learners should be able to make reasoned evaluations. Confident individuals need to develop and communicate their own beliefs and views of the world. Responsible citizens should be able to make informed choices and decisions, whilst effective contributors will apply critical thinking in new contexts.

The briefing paper describes a number of activities which would support the teaching of political literacy, including discussions and debates. Examples of good practice in these and other areas are available on the political literacy section of the Education Scotland website to support practitioners in their delivery.

Question reference: S4W-18495

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 November 2013
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 3 December 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what factors are taken into account by the police when considering whether to reopen roads that have been closed because the sites of accidents have been designated as crime scenes.

The decision by Police Scotland to close a road is never taken lightly and only occurs when the collision itself has blocked the road, or where there is a need to protect those who might already have been injured and the emergency service staff who are dealing with the incident.

The impact on local communities and the wider economy is always at the forefront of investigators' minds, but there is a need to ensure that incidents are investigated thoroughly to ensure that families of those killed or seriously injured receive the support and information that they deserve and also to ensure that any safety issues are identified and addressed.

Roads are closed in such cases to gather evidence regarding an accident and the length of any closure can vary, depending on the nature and complexity of the incident.

A road will be re-opened once the scene examination has been completed, the vehicles and any associated debris or spillage have been cleared from the roadway and the road has been deemed safe for use by the general public.

Question reference: S4F-01749

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S4W-18366

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 November 2013
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 28 November 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it will take to help Scotland's shipbuilders diversify.

We must explore an alternative and better future for our shipyards. Naval procurement will continue to be a key part of that, but even within that we must look at what we can do to boost exports, and to use the capabilities of the Clyde workforce to seek out new opportunities: independence will bring such new opportunities.

We will seek to maximise the economic impact of Scotland’s defence requirements where possible and support our defence industry to compete successfully for contracts in both domestic and export markets. Proposals for the defence capabilities we require were set out in the White Paper on 26 November 2013, along with the procurement implications of these.