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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: S5W-22514

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 April 2019
Current Status: Answered by Liam McArthur on 30 April 2019

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it considers that a corporate exhibition held by representatives of the oil and gas industry, which promoted the industry's views on greenhouse gas emission targets and related issues, and held on the day of the stage 1 debate on the Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) Bill on 3 April 2019, breached the rule in the Events and Exhibitions Criteria, which states that events must "respect the wide range of existing channels for influencing parliamentary business, by not lobbying on parliamentary business under current consideration".

All applicants for Member-sponsored exhibitions must complete an Exhibitions Request Form that is agreed by the sponsoring Member.

Member-sponsored exhibitions are allocated by the Events and Exhibitions Team twice a year - in April (covering the September to December period and in September (covering the January to June period). As there are a limited number of exhibitions spaces available (two each sitting week) all the available slots are allocated well in advance.

The Member-sponsored exhibition by Oil & Gas UK was allocated in September 2018 and was described in the Request Form as a general awareness-raising exhibition about the oil and gas industry. If there had been any explicit reference to any parliamentary business under current consideration the exhibition would not have been permitted under the guidance.

Question reference: S5W-22513

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 April 2019
Current Status: Answered by Liam McArthur on 30 April 2019

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body how it enforces the rule in the Events and Exhibitions Criteria which states that events must "respect the wide range of existing channels for influencing parliamentary business, by not lobbying on parliamentary business under current consideration".

All Member-sponsored events are approved according to the SPCB’s criteria for Member-sponsored events by the Events and Exhibitions Team. On receipt of a completed Event Request Form, it is checked to ensure there is no explicit reference to any parliamentary business under current consideration. If there was any explicit reference, then the event would not take place at the time requested. The Events and Exhibitions Team would work with the organisers to secure another date when the event could take place.

Question reference: S5O-03177

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 April 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, further to its commitment in its response to the Equalities and Human Rights Committee report, Hidden Lives: New Beginnings, by what date it will publish its anti-destitution strategy.

Question reference: S5F-03257

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 April 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 April 2019

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S5O-03106

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 March 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 April 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what impact automatic vehicle speed limiters could have on the financial costs of speed limit enforcement.

Question reference: S5F-03174

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 18 March 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 March 2019

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S5O-03046

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 March 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, following the installation of new security devices at passholder entrances, what action it is taking to address queues forming and delays to entry.

Question reference: S5W-21379

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 01 February 2019
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 27 February 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what correspondence or discussions it has had with cheese producers regarding the document, Guidance for Local Authority Enforcement Officers on the Production of Cheese from Unpasteurised Milk; whether it is aware of any concerns regarding this guidance, and, if so, what its response is to these.

The Scottish Government has not had discussions on the guidance with cheese producers. As this is a food safety issue it would therefore rightly be for Food Standards Scotland and the Scottish Food Enforcement Liaison Committee, not Ministers, to respond to any concerns that have been raised.

I am however aware of the concerns raised with Food Standards Scotland, regarding the impact of the guidance on the raw milk cheese sector in Scotland. I have been advised by Food Standards Scotland that this is guidance for Local Authorities, and its key purpose is to provide a framework that will promote a consistent approach to enforcement and help environmental health professionals to support cheese producers in complying with legal food safety requirements.

Question reference: S5F-03087

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 25 February 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 February 2019

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S5W-21380

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 01 February 2019
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 21 February 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what consultation was undertaken by (a) the Scottish Food Enforcement Liaison Committee and (b) Food Standards Scotland prior to the development of the document, Guidance for Local Authority Enforcement Officers on the Production of Cheese from Unpasteurised Milk.

I am advised by Food Standards Scotland that the Scottish Food Enforcement Liaison Committee consulted on the guidance in April 2017 and a total of 10 responses were received, from local authorities, industry representative bodies and individual businesses. During the consultation, the cheese sector raised concerns about the costs and feasibility of testing for Shiga-toxin producing E. coli (the type of E. coli that can cause illness), and changes were made to the guidance to provide a more practical approach that still ensured food safety. It has also been made clear in the guidance document itself that the approach will be reviewed later this year following a period of application and subject to the feedback of cheese producers and enforcement officials using it.