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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.

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Question reference: S3W-32754

Asked by: Dr Alasdair Allan, MSP for Western Isles, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 March 2010
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 26 March 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will report on the outcome of the Joint Ministerial Committee (Domestic) meeting on 10 March 2010.

On 10 March 2010, the First Minister and I attended the third meeting of the Joint Ministerial Committee (Domestic), which included representatives from the UK Government, the Welsh Assembly Government and the Northern Ireland Executive.

I am delighted to report that we agreed a revised and updated Memorandum of Understanding, the first since 2001, which includes a new protocol on dispute avoidance and resolution. These new agreements give Scotland a strong platform from which to advance its interests.

The meeting also held a useful discussion about meeting the challenges of the downturn through integrating employment and skills support and agreed that in recognition of the particular relevance and timeliness of this issue a follow-up discussion between the relevant Ministers of the four administrations should take place shortly.

I am placing a copy of the revised Memorandum of Understanding in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 50576).

Question reference: S3W-32039

Asked by: Dr Alasdair Allan, MSP for Western Isles, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 01 March 2010
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 5 March 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the need for a croft tenant to purchase and decroft their croft in order to meet costs related to residential care or to a marital division of assets when such costs are calculated by means of market influence valuations by the district or other valuer.

The asset of a croft tenancy may be realised without the need first to purchase and subsequently to decroft. Croft tenancies are routinely advertised for sale in outlets throughout the crofting counties.

In relation to charging for residential care and assessing ability to pay, it is the responsibility of local authorities to interpret and apply the National Assistance (Assessment of Resources) Regulations 1992. If a local authority is of the view that a croft tenancy constitutes capital for the purposes of those Regulations it will also need to consider whether the circumstances require or permit the application of a capital disregard. The resolution of a dispute over the interpretation of the Regulations is a matter for the courts.

In the case of a marital dispute the division of assets is a matter for those involved, and may require to be determined by the courts if an amicable or mediated solution can not be agreed.

Question reference: S3W-32185

Asked by: Dr Alasdair Allan, MSP for Western Isles, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 March 2010
Current Status: Awaiting answer

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it will be making to the relevent agencies, including Scottish and Southern Energy, regarding repeated power failures at the Western Isles Hospital.

Question reference: S3O-09637

Asked by: Dr Alasdair Allan, MSP for Western Isles, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 February 2010
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 25 February 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider expanding programmes to control numbers of greylag geese to cover small islands off Uist where they nest extensively.

Question reference: S3W-31155

Asked by: Dr Alasdair Allan, MSP for Western Isles, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 January 2010
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 3 February 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it will make to the UK Government to ensure that UK legislation does not have the effect of running counter to the aims of the Scottish Government in relation to the issue of croft and croft house tenancy valuation.

Question reference: S3W-30131

Asked by: Dr Alasdair Allan, MSP for Western Isles, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 December 2009
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 16 December 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what the outcome was of the December EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council meeting.

An EU Fisheries Council ended late on 15 December in Brussels and agreed the TAC and Quota Regulation for 2010.

Against a background of a particularly challenging economic climate and the tough effort restrictions affecting a proportion of Scotland''s industry, the deal includes effective rollovers and quota increases for some of Scotland''s most valuable stocks while also ensuring that the sustainability of our stocks remains our primary concern. The £6.9 million North Sea and west of Scotland megrim fisheries will see a 10% quota increase in 2010. There will be a quota rollover for the monkfish fishery, worth over £28 million in 2008, with a flexibility provision which will allow up to 5% of the North Sea quota (460 tonnes) to be taken in the west of Scotland. This provision has been a long-standing request from the Scottish industry.

The cuts in nephrops and west of Scotland haddock quotas originally proposed have been mitigated. There is an effective rollover in the north Sea nephrops quota (a cut of 0.6%) and a 15% cut in the west of Scotland nephrops quota which is broadly in line with industry expectations at a time when Scotland only catches around two-thirds of its west coast nephrops quota. While the west of Scotland haddock quota will be reduced by 25% in 2010 rather than the proposed 54% cut, the European Commission has agreed to look again in early 2010 at the emergency technical measures re-imposed on the west coast at the November Council.

Council also confirmed the Commission''s decision to exempt from further cuts in days at sea 67 west coast vessels that catch a very low percentage of cod.

The Fisheries Council took place against the backdrop of the recent postponement of the EU-Norway negotiations. However, Council agreed to set interim quotas for stocks such as North Sea cod, North Sea haddock and mackerel to ensure fishermen can continue to go to sea while these talks are concluded.

The Council also approved a catch less, land more trial, which Scotland, in partnership with Denmark, Germany and the UK, has been promoting as another innovative way of rewarding fishermen for their conservation efforts. In return for catching and discarding less, fishermen will be allowed to land and earn more. This initiative will build on the success of Scotland''s Conservation Credits Scheme which rewards fishermen for pro-conservation activities with additional days at sea.

I will be writing to the Convener of the Rural Affairs and Environment Committee in the coming days to set out the full details of the quota changes and other measures agreed at this week''s Council.

Question reference: S3O-07978

Asked by: Dr Alasdair Allan, MSP for Western Isles, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 September 2009
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 1 October 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it can provide an update on the state of negotiations with regard to the forthcoming round of EU fisheries talks.

Question reference: S3W-27234

Asked by: Dr Alasdair Allan, MSP for Western Isles, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 14 September 2009
Current Status: Answered by Jim Mather on 24 September 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it will make to the UK Government following the publication of an advert by defence contractor QinetiQ for a post to “undertake Range modernisation, integration of Command and Control functions for the Aberporth and Hebrides Ranges, and implement remote control and monitoring of much of the Hebrides Range T&E equipment” given that it has not yet announced the outcome of the consultation into the downgrading of the Hebrides Range.

Question reference: S3W-27235

Asked by: Dr Alasdair Allan, MSP for Western Isles, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 14 September 2009
Current Status: Answered by Jim Mather on 24 September 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of an advert by defence contractor QinetiQ for a post to “undertake Range modernisation, integration of Command and Control functions for the Aberporth and Hebrides Ranges, and implement remote control and monitoring of much of the Hebrides Range T&E equipment”, whether it considers such a job advertisement to be consistent with the UK Government’s stated position that no decision has been taken on whether to accept QuinetiQ’s proposals for 125 job losses in Uist.

Question reference: S3O-07619

Asked by: Dr Alasdair Allan, MSP for Western Isles, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 September 2009
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 3 September 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what importance it places on the provision of adequate tied police houses in rural areas as a means of ensuring that police cover is maintained in these areas.

The Scottish Government places great importance in ensuring all of Scotland''s communities receive effective policing. The government recognises that many police forces in Scotland therefore retain tied housing stock to help support operational policing in areas where housing would otherwise be difficult to obtain. The on-going management of police housing stock is a matter currently being discussed with police authorities.