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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: S4O-00642

Asked by: Christina McKelvie, MSP for Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 January 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 February 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what recent discussions it has had with the Scottish Retail Consortium.

Question reference: S4W-04970

Asked by: Christina McKelvie, MSP for Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 13 January 2012
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 23 January 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what support it gives to kinship carers and what progress there has been since 2007.

We have done more than any previous administration to support kinship carers, including legislating to recognise kinship care for the first time. We supported this with comprehensive guidance and delivered training with our partners. We also backed this with significant funding for local authorities who are responsible for supporting carers. However, many carers have their benefits reduced as a result of receiving these payments. Therefore, the UK Government needs to play its part to ensure carers receive their allowances in full.

A nationally available service was launched in March 2011 with Children 1st to provide support on non-financial issues and this service can be contacted through Parentline on 0800 028 2233. We also fund Citizens Advice Scotland to provide advice to kinship carers on financial and legal issues and this service can be contacted through local Citizens Advice Bureaux or a free, confidential helpline service on 0808 800 0006.

Question reference: S4W-04969

Asked by: Christina McKelvie, MSP for Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 13 January 2012
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 20 January 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it takes to support victims of crime, other than providing direct funding to Victim Support Scotland.

In addition to funding for Victim Support Scotland, the Scottish Government supports victims of crime in a range of ways including: funding for other support organisations dealing with murder, suicide and human trafficking (over £900, 000 per annum). In addition, around £25 million has been made available to fund Scottish cases within the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme.

During the period 2008-12, the Scottish Government committed £55 million to tackle violence against women, including funding for Scottish Women’s Aid, Rape Crisis Scotland and the rape crisis and domestic abuse helplines. Around £780,000 per annum has been provided for support services at specialist domestic abuse courts plus £2 million for the Caledonian Programme to ensure there is an integrated approach to addressing men’s domestic abuse and improve the lives of those affected.

Police, Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and other criminal justice organisations spend a significant amount of their operational time on victim issues, including providing the Victim Information and Advice service. The Scottish Government also provides a variety of information to victims. This includes a website, information cards and packs which are aimed at victims of serious crime such as rape and sexual assault and for bereaved families following murder, culpable homicide or a road death.

The Scottish Government is committed to introducing a victims and witnesses bill in this parliamentary session and has been in dialogue with stakeholders to identify areas that need either legislation or other measures.

Question reference: S4W-04971

Asked by: Christina McKelvie, MSP for Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 13 January 2012
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 20 January 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what review has been carried out of the impact of the Family Law (Scotland Act) 2006.

The Family Law (Scotland) Act 2006 is very wide-ranging and we would not plan to review it as a whole. We are aware of a study of legal practitioners' perspective of the cohabitation provisions in the 2006 Act:

http://www.crfr.ac.uk/researchprojects/rp_cohabitation.html.

The Scottish Law Commission has recommended, in part 4 of its report on succession, changes to section 29 of the 2006 Act, on financial provision where a cohabitant dies intestate:

http://www.scotlawcom.gov.uk/download_file/view/390/http://www.crfr.ac.uk/researchprojects/rp_cohabitation.html.

The Scottish Government also published in 2010 a study on contact cases http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2010/12/08145916/0 and in 2011 a study on reports in child welfare hearings:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2011/01/07142042/0.

Question reference: S4O-00571

Asked by: Christina McKelvie, MSP for Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 January 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 January 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made regarding the devolution of reserved tribunals to Scotland.

Question reference: S4W-04588

Asked by: Christina McKelvie, MSP for Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 December 2011
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 11 January 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what the latest estimated population of the Scottish diaspora is and what the Scottish Government is doing to engage with members of the diaspora and encourage them to visit Scotland in the run up to the second Homecoming in 2014.

The last estimate of the size of the Scottish diaspora, conducted in 2003, was that there were 50 million people claiming Scottish descent, worldwide.

The Scottish Government engages with the Scottish diaspora through a range of activities which includes Scotland Week activities, St Andrews Day celebrations, and events involving members of the GlobalScots network.

Members of the diaspora will be encouraged to visit Scotland as part of Homecoming 2014 through a variety of tourism promotional offerings including via online channels such as www.scotland.org and www.ancestralscotland.com.

Question reference: S4W-03609

Asked by: Christina McKelvie, MSP for Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 October 2011
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 8 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider amending the Fireworks (Scotland) Regulations 2004 to place tighter restrictions on the (a) number and (b) type of retail outlet able to qualify for a licence to sell fireworks outside the regulated periods.

Question reference: S4W-03610

Asked by: Christina McKelvie, MSP for Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 October 2011
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 8 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider amending the Fireworks (Scotland) Regulations 2004 to limit the periods during which fireworks can be sold, purchased and discharged.

The Scottish Government has no functions in relation to the sale of fireworks.

The Fireworks (Scotland) Regulations 2004 restrict when fireworks can be set off and have had a significant impact, demonstrated by a marked reduction in incidents reported to the police.

The Scottish Government has no plans at present to review existing regulations but we will continue to monitor complaints received by ministers and MSPs. Regulations cannot eradicate all fireworks related incidents but they have reduced them significantly.

Question reference: S4O-00334

Asked by: Christina McKelvie, MSP for Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 November 2011
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it will take to promote environmental sustainability in the construction of new social rented housing.

Question reference: S4W-03213

Asked by: Christina McKelvie, MSP for Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 October 2011
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 27 October 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what the savings would be to the NHS of a 25% reduction in senior management posts, broken down by NHS board.

The savings from the national target will contribute to more than £100 million a year in non-clinical efficiency savings across NHSScotland, which will be spent on frontline services. In the last year alone, NHSScotland reduced the number of senior managers by eight per cent and the report on the first year of the target can be found on the Scottish Government website at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/356840/0120585.pdf.