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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-16930

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 02 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 12 September 2013

Scottish Ministers take full account of cycling needs during investment in the trunk road network. For example, £2.7 million was invested on cycling facilities on the A828 between Oban and Fort William over four financial years, 2008-2012.

Whilst precise figures for cycling provision within major projects cannot be provided, as the costs are included in the overall scheme costs, the major trunk road projects together with an estimate of the value of any associated cycle infrastructure, are as follows:

(a) 2010-11:

A9 Moy 2+1 Scheme; £0.03 million

A75 Cairntop to Barlae; £0.12 million

(b) 2011-12:

M80 Stepps to Haggs: £0.03 million;

A9 Crubenmore Extension; £0.19 million

A96 Fochabers to Mosstodloch; £1.25 million

SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT

Question reference: S4W-16929

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 02 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 12 September 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) total investment was and (b) funding sources were for trunk road cycling facilities in (i) 2010-11, (ii) 2011-12 and (iii) 2012-13.

Scottish Ministers take full account of cycling needs during investment in major trunk road projects. Although precise figures cannot be provided, the major trunk road projects together with an estimate of the value of any associated cycle infrastructure, are as follows:

(a) 2010-11:

A9 Moy 2+1 Scheme; £0.03 million

A75 Cairntop to Barlae; £0.12 million

(b) 2011-12:

M80 Stepps to Haggs: £0.03 million;

A9 Crubenmore Extension; £0.19 million

A96 Fochabers to Mosstodloch; £1.25 million

Question reference: S4W-16708

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 August 2013
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 12 September 2013

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-11225 by Richard Lochhead on 28 November 2012, whether it will provide an update on what (a) discussions it has had and (b) further action it plans.

The Scottish Government has had recent discussions on the issue of internet pet sales with a variety of our stakeholders, including the Scottish SPCA, OneKind, Dog's Trust, the Kennel Club, Cats Protection and other members of the Pet Advertising Advisory Group.

It is clear from those discussions that there is a need for a better public understanding of the risks involved in purchasing pets online.

We strongly support the work of the Pet Advertising Advisory Group, in particular their minimum standards for online advertising of animals for sale that have recently been launched, and will continue to explore ways to help promote these standards to the public and to advertising websites.

Question reference: S4W-16827

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 22 August 2013
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 10 September 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what provision is made in slaughterhouses to mitigate the welfare impacts experienced by a calf in utero when its mother is slaughtered.

Question reference: S4W-16822

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 22 August 2013
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 10 September 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether any person other than a qualified veterinary surgeon is legally permitted to kill a dog using a captive bolt gun and, if so, for what purpose and under what circumstances.

Question reference: S4W-16823

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 22 August 2013
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 10 September 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is a legal requirement for an operator to hold a slaughter licence or certificate of competence in order to kill a dog using a captive bolt gun.

Question reference: S4W-16825

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 22 August 2013
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 10 September 2013

To ask the Scottish Government when and for what purpose it is permissible to slaughter pregnant (a) cattle and (b) sheep in a slaughterhouse.

Question reference: S4W-16824

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 22 August 2013
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 10 September 2013

To ask the Scottish Government under what circumstances a veterinary surgeon or other person may legally kill a dog using a captive bolt gun, and whether such killing must also involve bleeding or pithing of the animal.

There is no legal restriction on the circumstances under which a dog can be killed using a captive bolt gun or any legal requirement for bleeding or pithing, although this would be recommended.

If used correctly, a captive bolt gun should result in immediate loss of

consciousness. However if a captive bolt gun is used in a way that causes suffering, this would be an offence under the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006.

Question reference: S4W-16742

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 August 2013
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 10 September 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how it will implement the two-year moratorium on the use of neonicotinoids that will begin on 1 December 2013, and what advice is it giving to farmers regarding the use of pesticides for the protection of crops from that date.

We have made sure that stakeholders have been made aware of the forthcoming changes through two articles in Scotland Rural University College (SRUC) Crop Protection reports (supported under the Scottish Government SRUC advisory activity), and through discussion in our Common Agricultural Policy stakeholder group and with the industry.

In Scotland the main implications of these restrictions will be for oilseed rape growers. Any crops sown before 1 December 2013 can be grown and harvested as normal. It will not be possible to sow any more seed treated with the three neonicotinoids named by the European Commission (imidacloprid, clothiandrin and thiametoxam) after 1 December 2013. We understand that the seed industry is already adapting to these new requirements.

Question reference: S4W-16734

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 August 2013
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 9 September 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what recent meetings it has had with NATO regarding an independent Scotland and what was discussed.