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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-05329

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 January 2012
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 9 February 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what work the Care Inspectorate is doing to improve care homes and personal care and support services.

All services regulated by the Care Inspectorate are assessed against a standard rating scale which enables an assessment of how services are performing in relation to the National Care Standards. If services fall below an adequate standard of care the Care Inspectorate will issue improvement notices and may take enforcement action to ensure standards are met.

In addition, poorly performing services are inspected more frequently under the risk based scrutiny arrangements. New regulations came into force on 8 February 2012 that increase the frequency of planned unannounced inspections for a number of services including care homes and care at home. The Care Inspectorate is working to improve and promote its complaints processes and also increasing the engagement of service users and their carers in the scrutiny process.

Question reference: S4F-00450

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 January 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 February 2012

To ask the First Minister what support the Scottish Government has given to Edinburgh's bid to host the Green Investment Bank.

Question reference: S4W-04794

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 23 December 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 19 January 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what work it has done with train operating companies to roll out wi-fi services on train services in 2012.

Question reference: S4W-04799

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 23 December 2011
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 18 January 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers flooding one of the most prominent risks to communities and households in Perthshire.

Perthshire has experienced its share of flooding events in recent years with communities and businesses suffering the misery, chaos and disruption such events bring. The Scottish Government recognises that the impacts of flooding can be devastating and long lasting. That is why we are pressing on with the implementation of the Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009 which introduced a more sustainable and modern approach to flood risk management across the whole of Scotland, suited to the needs of the 21st century and to the impact of climate change.

Question reference: S4W-04801

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 23 December 2011
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 18 January 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will undertake a national review of flood prevention measures and identify priority areas for improvements.

In 2007, all the existing flood defences in Scotland were assessed as part of the establishment of the Scottish Government’s Flood Defence Asset Database. There were only a few flood defences where minor problems were identified, one of which was Bridge of Earn. Perth and Kinross Council was given the report and has taken appropriate action to resolve the maintenance issues identified.

Since then, a new National Flood Risk Assessment has been undertaken by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, the outputs from which were approved by ministers on 22 December 2011.

The assessment has identified areas where significant flood risk exists (“Potentially Vulnerable Areas”) – and for the first time we have a national picture of flood risk across Scotland. This is a key milestone towards Scotland being able to target efforts to plan and invest in reducing impacts in areas most vulnerable to flooding. This will help Scotland become more resilient to the impacts of flooding.

Question reference: S4W-04797

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 23 December 2011
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 18 January 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what support it is giving to conservation agencies to protect the Scottish wildcat.

Scottish Natural Heritage is the main funder of the Cairngorm Wildcat Project through the Species Action Framework (2007-12). Project management is delivered via the Cairngorms National Park Authority and, over the lifetime of the project, Scottish Government agencies will have contributed £172.5 thousand to the project. Following conclusion of the project, there will be an evaluation of the approaches trialled and an assessment of the costs of their application to other geographies.

Question reference: S4W-04795

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 23 December 2011
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 18 January 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to protect the Scottish wildcat from extinction.

The Scottish Government agencies Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA) and Forestry Commission Scotland (FCS) are all partners in the Cairngorms Wildcat Project, along with the Royal Zoological Society for Scotland and the Scottish Gamekeepers Association.

The project is a trial of practical conservation actions in an area considered to be a stronghold of the Scottish Wildcat. The project aims to tackle the threats facing Scottish wildcats by:

working with land managers to ensure that predator control is wildcat-friendly;

supporting the work of cat welfare organisations, which neuter feral cats around towns, villages and farms, and encouraging responsible domestic cat ownership (i.e. increased neutering and vaccination) in the Cairngorms National Park;

monitoring the wildcat population and the extent of both hybridisation and disease, with the input of land managers and the public, and

raising awareness of the plight of the Scottish wildcat.

Scottish Wildcats are European Protected Species and are fully protected under the Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c.) Regulations 1994 (as amended). Under this legislation, development, land management or forestry proposals must comply with the legislation. SNH and FCS are involved in advising on compliance, survey methods, mitigation and licensing.

http://www.snh.gov.uk/protecting-scotlands-nature/protected-species/legal-framework/habitats-directive/regulations.

Question reference: S4W-04800

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 23 December 2011
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 18 January 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what assistance it is providing Perth and Kinross Council to improve flood prevention measures.

The Scottish Government has agreed with COSLA that for the three years of the 2011 spending review period the flooding component of the General Capital Grant should be targeted towards major new flood protection projects. Local authorities have been asked to apply for funding against agreed criteria, which were circulated to all local authorities on 5 December. The initial focus will be on those schemes which have already been granted approval and necessary planning permission as part of the Flood Prevention (Scotland) Act 1961. Priority will then be given to new flooding schemes which have been granted appropriate statutory consent as outlined within the Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009. This reflects the priorities placed on projects by COSLA and the Scottish Ministers.

Question reference: S4W-04933

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 January 2012
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 18 January 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive how many schools offer Gaelic medium education, broken down by local authority.

Question reference: S4W-04934

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 January 2012
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 18 January 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what its policy is on the provision of free transport for pupils to access Gaelic medium education.