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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: S4W-19209

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 January 2014
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 22 January 2014

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the potential impact on Scotland's economy, what discussions it had with the UK Government in 2013 regarding the banking operations of RBS in Scotland.

The Scottish Government recognises the significant contribution that financial services companies make to the Scottish economy and is fully committed to maximising headquarter functions and employment in Scotland.

There have been no specific discussions between the Scottish Government and the UK Government regarding the banking operations of RBS in Scotland in 2013. However, Scottish ministers regularly meet with senior representatives of RBS to discuss matters of mutual concern. Scottish Government officials also closely monitor issues relevant to the banking sector in Scotland with a view to making representations to the UK Government as appropriate.

Question reference: S4W-18766

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 December 2013
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 13 December 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it provides to farmers to minimise the risk to insect pollinators from the use of (a) thiacloprid and (b) acetamiprid foliar sprays.

Under a crop health activity, which monitors Scottish crops for the presence of pests, weeds and diseases, funded by the Scottish Government, staff at Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) have provided advice to farmers on the safe use of pesticide products containing thiacloprid and acetamiprid, in line with label instructions.

SRUC’s advice also included information on alternatives to neonicotinoids and on integrated pest management options which should help to reduce reliance on pesticides.

Question reference: S4O-02727

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 December 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 December 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the Living Streets campaign, Give us Time to Cross.

Question reference: S4W-18605

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 November 2013
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 10 December 2013

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-18051 by Keith Brown on 6 November 2013, where Babcock’s figures are published.

Question reference: S4W-18590

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 November 2013
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 6 December 2013

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-16742 by Richard Lochhead on 10 September 2013, how it will (a) monitor and (b) ensure compliance with the moratorium and what advice it is providing regarding the safe disposal of seeds treated with neonicotinoids.

In Scotland the main implications of the restrictions will be for oilseed rape growers. Scottish Government staff have made sure that stakeholders were aware of the changes from 1 December 2013. This was done through different channels, including placing articles in relevant publications, information placed on websites and through direct discussion with stakeholders and the trade body, the Agricultural Industries Confederation.

Additionally, Scottish Government Seed Enforcement Officers (SEOs) carry out routine inspections on farm and in warehouses to ensure seed marketed in Scotland meets EU standards. Any non-compliance of the restrictions found by the SEOs will be reported to the appropriate enforcement body.

On disposal, farmers have been advised to return any surplus supply of treated seeds to their supplier.

Question reference: S4W-18517

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 November 2013
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 6 December 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how many road traffic offences have been recorded in 2013 (a) in built-up areas, (b) in 20mph zones and (c) during the evening in built-up areas.

The police recorded crime statistics collected centrally are based on an aggregate return at local authority level, and do not distinguish the circumstances of the crime. As a result, it is not possible to provide a breakdown of the type of area or the speed limit of the area in which road traffic offences were recorded or the time at which an offence was committed.

The statistical bulletin Recorded Crime in Scotland, 2012-13 was published by the Scottish Government on 18 June 2013 and is available via the following web link:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2013/06/9697.

Table 2 of the bulletin provides details of the total number of motor vehicle offences recorded by the police in the last ten years. 2012-13 is the latest year for which data is available. These offences exclude the most serious driving related crimes such as causing death by dangerous driving, causing death by careless driving while under the influence of drink or drugs, causing death by careless driving and illegal driver involved in fatal accident.

Question reference: S4W-18516

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 November 2013
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 6 December 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how many speeding offences have been recorded in 2013 where the speed limit is (a) 20mph, (b) 30mph, (c) 60mph and (d) 70mph.

The police recorded crime statistics collected centrally are based on an aggregate return at local authority level, and do not distinguish the circumstances of the crime. As a result, it is not possible to provide a breakdown of the speed limit of the area in which the speeding offences were recorded.

The statistical bulletin Recorded Crime in Scotland, 2012-13 was published by the Scottish Government on 18 June 2013 and is available via the following web link:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2013/06/9697.

Table 2 of the bulletin provides details of the total number of speeding offences recorded in the last ten years. 2012-13 is the latest year for which data is available.

The following table provides a breakdown of the number of recorded speeding offences by (i) speeding in restricted areas and (ii) other speeding offences, in Scotland in 2012-13.

	2012-13
Speeding in Restricted Areas	62,188
Other Speeding Offences	66,748
Total Speeding offences	128,936

Source: Justice Analytical Services, Scottish Government.

Section 82(1)(b) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 defines a restricted road in Scotland as a road which is provided with “a system of carriageway lighting furnished by means of lamps placed not more than 185 metres apart and the road is of a classification or type specified” in regulations. The Restricted Roads (Classification or Type) (Scotland) Regulations 1985 specify that Class C or unclassified roads are restricted roads.

Other speeding offences include speeding on motorways, trunk roads, in areas with temporary speed limits, racing on public roads etc.

Question reference: S4O-02712

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 December 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 December 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what role local authorities have in determining appropriate housing land supply.

Question reference: S4W-18471

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 November 2013
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 4 December 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what conservation action is planned to protect mountain hare populations.

In order to properly inform licence applications and to have a better understanding of the effects of culling on hare populations, a cost-effective and easily-applied method of reliably estimating hare numbers is required. This is the immediate priority and, once developed, will enable better monitoring schemes to be developed, and provision of information on population status will be improved also. Such data would then be used to inform future management decisions concerning the species, as necessary.

Question reference: S4W-18470

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 November 2013
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 4 December 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds (a) on the health of mountain hare populations and (b) that is relevant to assessing whether mountain hare are in a favourable conservation status.

The National Gamebag Census data for mountain hare compiled by the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust shows no significant trend in the data between 1961 and 2009, despite marked cyclical fluctuations which are known to exist in around half of mountain hare populations.

A questionnaire survey commissioned by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) in 2006-07 (SNH Commissioned Report 278) concluded that there was no evidence of an overall change in the distribution of mountain hares when compared to a similar study in mid 1990s. However, there may have been localised declines and possibly extinctions, undetectable at the 10km scale at which the data were collected and analysed.

The findings of this report provide SNH with an impression of the overall range of the species and some information on the numbers controlled, but SNH need more detailed information on hare abundance before it can be in a position to make a reliable assessment of the impact that culling is having on the population as a whole. To this end, SNH commissioned a study in 2008 into developing improved monitoring methods (Commissioned Report 444), but unfortunately, due to two severe winters hampering the fieldwork, the results did not provide SNH with the statistical relationship needed to progress this work. SNH therefore propose to develop a further programme of research, with the intention to commencing further fieldwork later in 2014. The exact detail of this work programme is still to be agreed.