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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-14143

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 April 2013
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 13 May 2013

To ask the Scottish Government (a) how many meetings it has had in the last year with and (b) what support it offers to the Royal Scottish Agricultural Benevolent Institution.

Question reference: S4O-02132

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 May 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 May 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with NHS Scotland regarding the decision to cancel the Dunfermline-based Sheds Hairdressing’s contract to provide hairpieces.

Question reference: S4W-14140

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 April 2013
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 7 May 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what emotional support it is providing to farmers who have been adversely affected by the recent bad weather conditions.

<>I have spoken to many farmers and know the problems this has caused in terms of devastating livestock losses, crops not harvested or not planted and increased feed requirements at a time of rising prices. The Scottish Government has already acted swiftly to provide assistance and we have given £50,000 in support to the Royal Scottish Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RSABI: http://www.rsabi.org.uk/) which provides financial assistance, support and advice in confidence to those people who have worked in Scotland in land-based occupations and who are suffering hardship.

I continue to listen carefully to the industry as the scale of the problem is being assessed and I consider what further help can be given to those worst affected. My officials are working on ways to provide more help to farmers.

Question reference: S4W-14142

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 April 2013
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 7 May 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what assistance it will offer to farmers facing financial difficulties as a result of the recent bad weather conditions.

Question reference: S4W-14141

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 April 2013
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 7 May 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what assistance it will provide to farmers for the removal of animals that died as a result of the recent bad weather conditions.

Question reference: S4W-14121

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 April 2013
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 7 May 2013

To ask the Scottish Government when it became aware of reports regarding the mislabelling of fish in the retail sector and what action it took.

On 28February 2013 I asked Seafish to write to retailers and processors reminding them of the need to maintain the highest level of labelling standards, and Seafish did so on 12March 2013. Seafood substitution was discussed with the major supermarkets at the Scottish Groceries Retail Forum on 27 February 2013, where industry was reminded of their responsibilities to ensure that food and food products are correctly labelled, and do not mislead consumers.

The Scottish Government was informed by the Food Standards Agency on 5 March 2013 about specific reports regarding the mislabelling of fish in the retail sector. The report presented in the press was referencing results from a local survey undertaken by local authorities in the west of Scotland during 2008.

Question reference: S4T-00329

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 29 April 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 April 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Supreme Court ruling on the Salvesen v Riddell case.

Question reference: S4W-14271

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 15 April 2013
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 29 April 2013

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S4W-13253 and S4W-13767 by Paul Wheelhouse on 11 March 2013 and 15 April 2013 respectively, when it issued the notice to quit to the Raasay Crofters Association.

Question reference: S4O-02049

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 April 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 May 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on ash dieback in Scotland.

Question reference: S4W-14068

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 April 2013
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 23 April 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how it will respond to reports that the recent bad weather is having a negative impact on seabird populations ahead of the breeding season.

I recognise that the recent spell of unusually bad weather has had a negative impact on Scotland’s wildlife including seabirds and also on livestock. There have been reports of groups of seabirds, such as puffins, being washed ashore on the East Coast of Scotland. This puffin “wreck” is indicative of difficulties faced by seabirds in sourcing food in periods of severe weather.

Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) have advised that the impact of recent bad weather on seabird populations will not be known until after the forthcoming breeding season. SNH, in conjunction with the Joint Nature Conservation Committee and other organisations, participate in the Seabird Monitoring Programme which collects sample data on breeding numbers and breeding success of 26 species of seabird that regularly breed in Britain and Ireland to enable their conservation status to be assessed.

Results of the Seabird Monitoring Programme can be found on the JNCC web site;

http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/page-3201.