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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: S3W-39025

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 January 2011
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 17 February 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider introducing a national planning advice note on the development of large out-of-town retail stores so that local planning officers have access to national benchmarks.

Retail Impact and Capacity Assessment is one of the courses offered under the Scottish Government funded training programme for local authority planning officers delivered by the Improvement Service. The course covers the requirement for and purpose of such assessments in determining planning applications for retail developments. We will seek the views of planning authorities, retailers and other stakeholders on what additional advice on large out-of-town retail stores may be appropriate.

Question reference: S3W-39026

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 January 2011
Current Status: Answered by Jim Mather on 7 February 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider introducing a national policy to set out criteria for granting supermarkets a non-food retail space as a proportion of total sales area.

Question reference: S3W-38965

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 21 January 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 4 February 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive, if the reported statement by a spokeswoman from Transport Scotland on 20 January 2011 that “if Parliament had thrown out the trams project, ministers would have brought forward alternative budget proposals to target early dualling of the A9” accurately reflects the Scottish Executive position on the matter, when this position was first announced to the Parliament.

In his statement to the Parliament in June 2007, Stewart Stevenson MSP, the then Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change, made it clear that the Scottish Government opposed the Edinburgh Tram project which represented a significant risk to Scottish taxpayers money, and that there were other more important priorities for the use of funds on that scale. The full parliamentary statement can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/ORSearch/ReportView.aspx?r=4735&mode=html.

Question reference: S3W-38964

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 21 January 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 4 February 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the reported statement by a spokeswoman from Transport Scotland on 20 January 2011 that “if Parliament had thrown out the trams project, ministers would have brought forward alternative budget proposals to target early dualling of the A9” accurately reflects the Scottish Executive position on the matter.

Question reference: S3W-38962

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 21 January 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 4 February 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the statement by the First Minister’s official spokesman reported on the BBC News website on 30 May 2007 in reference to the Edinburgh trams project that “The government intends all expenditure planned for these projects or any alterations will continue to be used for public transport projects that tackle congestion, connectivity and journey times in Edinburgh and across Scotland” accurately reflected the Scottish Executive position on the matter.

In May 2007 we were faced with the budgets set by the outgoing administration. Had the Parliament supported our plans to stop the tram project and use the funds for more pressing transport priorities then we could have easily reallocated budgets and brought forward alternative possibilities such as targeting early dualling opportunities for the A9.

It is clear that if the Parliament had not decided in June 2007 that the Scottish Government should fund the Edinburgh Tram project up to £500 million then that would have freed up funding for other transport options, such as significant investment in much needed transport infrastructure improvements on the A9.

Question reference: S3W-38963

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 21 January 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 4 February 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the reported statement of a spokeswoman from Transport Scotland on 20 January 2011 that “if Parliament had thrown out the trams project, ministers would have brought forward alternative budget proposals to target early dualling of the A9” contradicts the reported statement by an official spokesman for the First Minister on 30 May 2007 that “The government intends all expenditure planned for these projects or any alterations will continue to be used for public transport projects that tackle congestion, connectivity and journey times in Edinburgh and across Scotland” and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

Question reference: S3W-38996

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 January 2011
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 4 February 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how many prescriptions for Ritalin have been issued in each year since 2007.

Ritalinis one of a number of products containing methylphenidate hydrochloride used in the treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

Comprehensive information including the official statistics on the number of items for methylphenidate hydrochloride (including Ritalin), dispensed by community pharmacists and dispensing doctors, can be found on the ISD Scotland website at:

www.isdscotland.org/isd/3588.html.

Question reference: S3W-38967

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 21 January 2011
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 3 February 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been spent on (a) image management, (b) advertising and (c) marketing for (i) it, (ii) its agencies and (iii) other public bodies in each of the last five years.

Question reference: S3W-38966

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 21 January 2011
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 3 February 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been budgeted for (a) image management, (b) advertising and (c) marketing for (i) it, (ii) its agencies and (iii) other public bodies in each of the last five years.

(a) None. (b) and (c) (i) are as follows:

In 2009-10 the Scottish Government''s marketing unit allocation was £10,800,000.00 of which £8,300,000 was spent on a range of advertising activity to support key policy objectives and to help deliver the government''s National Performance Framework outcomes. A further £5,100,000 was spent on related advertising activity by individual directorates. In September 2009, at the time of the 2010-11 draft Budget, I announced that the Scottish Government''s advertising expenditure would be reduced by 50 per cent from 2010-11. My letter to Mr Welsh, Convenor of the Finance Committee, dated 5 August 2010, provided full details of these matters at the time, a copy of which was placed in Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 51458).

The Scottish Government advertising and marketing budget is allocated exclusive of VAT. For the period 2005-06 to 2009-10 the budget was capped at £10,800,000. The 2010-11 budget is £6,694,453.

The welfare of the Scottish population is a primary responsibility of the Scottish Government. Ensuring people are aware of the services available to them and any legislative changes is vital. This public information is best communicated using the marketing tools available, such as advertising. The recent risk to health from seasonal flu is an example of how marketing is used to communicate and deliver tangible results, 53.8 per cent of people under the age of 65 with a health condition have been vaccinated “ more than ever before in a flu season. The recent extreme winter weather also required the communication of safety messages to Scots across all communities and adverts on local and community radio stations were integral to this.

The Scottish Government advertising and marketing spend for 2010-11 will be reconciled and published following the end of the financial year.

The Scottish Government''s advertising gross expenditure for the period 2005-06 to 2009-10 is published on the government website, http://www.scotland.gov.uk/About/Directorates/Services-Groups/17963/advertising-marketing/spend.

During the period in question there have been three VAT changes (1 December 2008 VAT decreased from 17.5% to 15%, 1 January 2010 VAT increased from 15% to 17.5% and on 4 January 2011 VAT increased from 17.5% to 20%).

Question reference: S3W-38969

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 21 January 2011
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 3 February 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been spent on (a) image management, (b) advertising and (c) marketing for (i) it, (ii) its agencies and (iii) other public bodies in 2010-11.