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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-03043

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 March 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 March 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Co-operative Group regarding the potential sale of agricultural assets.

Question reference: S4O-03000

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 March 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 March 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how it supports community-led healthy behaviour change projects.

Question reference: S4W-19754

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 17 February 2014
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 27 February 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to involve non-motorised users of the A9 corridor in the design of its upgrade work.

The Scottish Government is actively engaged in establishing a Non-Motorised User Forum in order to provide an opportunity for representatives of this group to highlight issues they consider relevant to the A9 dualling programme and the design of the route as it develops.

Many of the representatives of this forum also form part of Active Travel Stakeholder Group, which I created in September 2013, to promote a long-term vision for cycling and walking.

Additionally, the first meeting of the Accessibility Forum took place in November 2013. Membership of this separate forum includes representatives of disability and mobility groups and it is intended that membership will be extended as interest from further such groups becomes apparent.

Question reference: S4O-02974

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 February 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 March 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the implications for the justice system of the introduction of a requirement for local authorities to investigate allegations of harassment or unlawful eviction.

Question reference: S4W-19382

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 January 2014
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 20 February 2014

To ask the Scottish Government in which Forestry Commission Scotland districts it is compulsory to use only non-lead ammunition for (a) deer stalking and (b) other wildlife management activities; whether this will be rolled out to the rest of the estate, and, if so, when.

Forestry Commission Scotland in its work in deer management areas on the national forest estate has used a mix of lead and non-lead ammunition for a number of years, although usage varies between districts. It is not compulsory to use only non-lead ammunition in any of the ten Forestry Commission Scotland Forest Districts for deer stalking or for other wildlife management activities. Forestry Commission Scotland does not have any plans to change that position but will keep the matter under review through monitoring the work of the ‘Lead Ammunition Group’, formed in April 2010 by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Food Standards Agency to advise on the impacts of lead ammunition on wildlife and human health.

Question reference: S4W-19355

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 January 2014
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 5 February 2014

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-19116 by John Swinney on 22 January 2014, whether local authorities can use income obtained from reductions in council tax discount for second homes and certain long-term unoccupied buildings on energy efficiency and fuel poverty initiatives to improve the affordability of housing stock.

Statutory responsibility for the administration of council tax, including eligibility for discounts or exemptions, lies with the relevant local authority. It is for each local authority to determine the allocation of resources based on local priorities. Guidance issued to local authorities states that income received from reducing second and long-term empty home discount between 50% and 10% should be spent on a range of affordable housing activity which could include energy efficiency. Any additional income generated from the discretionary levy on long-term unoccupied homes which was introduced by the Council Tax (Variation for Unoccupied Dwellings) (Scotland) Regulations 2013 can be used entirely at local authorities discretion.

Question reference: S4W-19357

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 January 2014
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 5 February 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how local food producers can benefit from increased provision of school meals in primary schools.

The extension of free school meals to all children in primary school years 1 to 3 will increase the amount of food purchased through existing contracts, including local produce. Scottish Government guidance such as Catering for Change – Buying food sustainably in the public sector explains how local authorities can increase participation of small and local producers in future tenders for school food produce while acknowledging that EU procurement legislation prevents preference being given to local suppliers. The National Food and Drink Policy, promotes the use of fresh and in season food and there is a wide range of government funded supplier development activity to support this.

Question reference: S4W-19359

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 January 2014
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 5 February 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what requirements schools have regarding the collection of food waste.

Question reference: S4W-19358

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 January 2014
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 5 February 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what health benefits it expects to see as a result of increased provision of school meals in primary schools.

School meals in Scotland must meet strict nutritional standards as set out in the Nutritional Requirements for Food and Drink in Schools (Scotland) Regulations 2008. Children who take a school meal receive the benefit of a nutritious meal and learn, through the experience, what constitutes a healthy, balanced diet.

This experience complements learning about food and health which forms a key part of health and wellbeing within Curriculum for Excellence. In addition to ensuring more children get a nutritiously balanced meal, increasing school meal provision can help more children to acquire the knowledge and skills they need to make healthy food choices, positively influencing their current and future health.

Question reference: S4W-19360

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 January 2014
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 5 February 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what support is available to schools to improve kitchen facilities and expand dining facilities.

The Scottish Government are in early discussions with CoSLA around the implementation of free school meals for all children in primary 1 to primary 3 from January 2015 and will work with local authorities around the practicalities, drawing on the experience of the free school meal trial which ran over 2007-08. Evaluation of the trial showed that implementation went more smoothly than anticipated and that local authorities and schools generated a number of successful strategies to address the challenges faced.