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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-39845

Asked by: Jamie Hepburn, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 February 2011
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 9 March 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what appeal process there is for people convicted of a driving offence who have had their driving licence revoked.

The Scottish Government has no functions in relation to the appeal process for people convicted of a driving offence who have had their driving licence revoked.

Transport is a reserved function of the UK Government and as such the Secretary of State for Transport has the responsibility for the appeals process for people convicted of a driving offence who have had their driving licence revoked.

Question reference: S3W-39788

Asked by: Jamie Hepburn, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 February 2011
Current Status: Answered by Frank Mulholland on 4 March 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of proposed changes to autopsy services for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service in any NHS board area.

Question reference: S3W-39778

Asked by: Jamie Hepburn, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 February 2011
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 28 February 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether proposed housing developments by a registered social landlord must receive planning permission before grant support to assist with construction costs can be awarded.

It is possible for an award of grant to be made to a Registered Social Landlord to assist with construction costs prior to planning permission for the approved project having been granted. In all such cases the formal offer of grant would contain an essential condition requiring full planning consent for the development to have been obtained by the Registered Social Landlord prior to any grant monies being released.

Question reference: S3O-13046

Asked by: Jamie Hepburn, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 February 2011
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 24 February 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in its reviews of the future of policing and the fire and rescue service.

Two weeks ago we launched consultations on the future of our police and fire and rescue services. We want to build a consensus on how we can protect the frontline and improve services for the people of Scotland in the face of unprecedented cuts from Westminster. The Minister for Community Safety and I are currently touring the country listening to the views of the public and police and fire professionals about the issues that matter to them.

Question reference: S3W-38976

Asked by: Jamie Hepburn, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 January 2011
Current Status: Answered by Jim Mather on 9 February 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what average petrol prices (a) have been in each of the last five years and (b) are forecast to be in each of the next five years and what comparable information it has for (i) each of the other component parts of the United Kingdom, (ii) each EU member state and (iii) each OECD country that is not an EU member state.

The matter is reserved and therefore the information requested is not held centrally by Scottish Government.

However, some figures for the UK are produced by the UK Department for Energy and Climate Change, and can be found at:

http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/statistics/prices/prices.aspx.

Some external organisations also produce information on fuel prices, but these are not official statistics and are not verified by Scottish Government. The AA, for example, publishes a monthly Fuel Price Report, which contains figures for countries and regions of the UK as well as for a range of European and non-European countries. The latest report (January 2011) can be found at:

http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/fuel/index.html.

Question reference: S3W-39021

Asked by: Jamie Hepburn, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 January 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 3 February 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how much investment is forecast for improving the Edinburgh-Glasgow via Falkirk High main line as part of the Edinburgh-Glasgow Improvements Programme.

Question reference: S3W-39023

Asked by: Jamie Hepburn, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 January 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 3 February 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are plans to create an additional platform at Croy railway station for new services to Glasgow Queen Street and, if so, what projected investment is needed to complete the work; when it is likely to be completed, and what additional capacity will be created for new services at Croy station.

The Edinburgh Glasgow Improvements Programme (EGIP) will require an investment of around £1 billion. This programme of rail projects is currently in the design development stages and is planned for completion in 2016.

The provision of a possible turn-back platform at Croy Station is one of the infrastructure enhancements currently being considered by the EGIP project team. In addition to Edinburgh to Glasgow journey time improvements, the new facility if required would enable new additional Glasgow to Croy local services with no diminution in the number of services currently stopping at Croy.

Question reference: S3W-39022

Asked by: Jamie Hepburn, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 January 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 3 February 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how much investment is forecast for improving the Cumbernauld line as part of the Edinburgh-Glasgow Improvements Programme.

Question reference: S3W-38905

Asked by: Jamie Hepburn, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 January 2011
Current Status: Answered by Jim Mather on 1 February 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what the peak demand for electricity consumption (a) has been in each of the last 10 years and (b) is forecast to be in each of the next 10 years

Regular monitoring and forecasting of peak electricity demand is the responsibility of the National Grid and annual (historical) figures for the UK are published by the Department for Energy and Climate Change. But forecast information is not held centrally.

From 2005, following the introduction of the British Electricity Trading and Transmission Arrangements, official figures for Scotland are not available separately. Information before then is listed in the following table:

Year	Simultaneous Maximum Load Met (MW)		Date
Year	UK	Scotland	Date
2009	60,231	-	7 January 2010
2008	60,289	-	January 2009 (no specific date)
2007	61,527	-	17 December 2007
2006	59,071	-	23 January 2007
2005	61,697	-	29 November 2005
2004	61,013	5,579	13 December 2004
2003	60,501	5,909	8 December 2003
2002	61,717	5,688	10 December 2002
2001	58,589	5,504	January 2001 (no specific date)
2000	58,452	5,861	December 1999 (no specific date)
1999	57,849	5,847	-

Source: Digest of United Kingdom Energy Statistics (Department for Energy and Climate Change).

Data covers the period ending March of the following year, for example, data for 2009 are for the year ending March 2010.

Question reference: S3W-38975

Asked by: Jamie Hepburn, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 January 2011
Current Status: Answered by Jim Mather on 1 February 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what average domestic fuel prices (a) have been in each of the last five years and (b) are forecast to be in each of the next five years and what comparable information it has for (i) each of the other component parts of the United Kingdom, (ii) each EU member state and (iii) each OECD country that is not an EU member state.

Information specifically on fuel prices and comparisons with other countries is not held centrally. However, some of the information requested is available from the following sources:

Chapter 6 of the Scottish Government Energy in Scotland Report provides an overview of domestic energy price statistics, including average annual domestic electricity and gas bills for Scotland and England and Wales. The report is available at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Business/Energy.

The underlying energy price statistics within the Energy in Scotland Report are sourced from the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), and are available on their website at:

http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/statistics/prices/prices.aspx.

The DECC website also publishes forecast fuel prices but acknowledges that they are not intended to be detailed forecasts or predictions and should not be released as forecast retail prices since government does not take a view of what prices will be set in competitive global markets. The report is available at:

http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/statistics/projections/projections.aspx.

Comparisons of fuel prices in EU countries are also published by DECC and are available on their website at:

http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/statistics/publications/prices/prices.aspx.

OECD estimates of Energy End Use Prices in OECD countries'' are available at:

http://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/energy/energy-prices-and-taxes_16096835.