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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-00163

Asked by: Humza Yousaf, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 September 2011
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 15 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning has made to exempt students on 2 plus 2 degrees and those moving from undergraduate to postgraduate degrees from paying council tax.

Question reference: S4W-02214

Asked by: Humza Yousaf, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 15 August 2011
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 5 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to make public services more accessible for people who are deaf or hard of hearing.

In the first place the public sector equality duty in the Equality Act 2010, which came into force on 5 April, requires public authorities to have “due regard” to the need to eliminate discrimination, victimisation and harassment which are unlawful under the act; to advance equality of opportunity, and to foster good relations. The Equality and Human Rights Commission has produced guidance to help public authorities respond to the duty.

The Scottish Government works with a number of organisations to raise awareness of issues that affect the deaf community, to ensure the views of deaf people are heard, and to reduce barriers to inclusion for deaf people to bring about an improvement in service planning and delivery.

Question reference: S4W-02216

Asked by: Humza Yousaf, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 15 August 2011
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 5 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to protect and promote British Sign Language.

The Scottish Government understands the importance of British Sign Language (BSL) to the deaf community in Scotland, and formally recognised BSL as a language on 5 March 2011.

The Scottish Government is represented on the British Sign Language and Linguistic Access Working Group and works in partnership with a number of organisations in the deaf sector.

The Scottish Government previously provided significant funding to the Building Bridges Project, a programme to deliver a long-term strategy to improve linguistic access for Deaf people and increase access to services through registered interpreters, and has provided funding for three BSL projects in 2010-11.

The Scottish Government also funded the piloting of seven sensory impairment "one-stop shop" services. These shops offer early diagnosis, support and advice, which include support and advice on British Sign Language. Given the success of these shops, the Government is committed to a programme of roll out of this model in 2011.

The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) currently has a suite of standalone National Qualifications Units in learning British Sign Language at Scottish Credit Qualifications Framework level 3 (Access 3), 4 (Intermediate 4), 5 (Intermediate 2) and 6 (Higher). These will continue to be available under Curriculum for Excellence.

The SQA is also developing a Professional Development Award BSL Studies as part of the initiative to improve linguistic access through support from the Scottish Government’s Equality Unit. This work is being undertaken to address the shortage of BSL/English interpreters, and will result in a qualification that will develop high level BSL skills and provide a professional pathway for BSL tutors to deliver training at levels 3 and 4.

Question reference: S4W-02042

Asked by: Humza Yousaf, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 August 2011
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 26 August 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will bring forward regulations to introduce specific equality duties under the Equality Act 2010.

Question reference: S4W-02043

Asked by: Humza Yousaf, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 August 2011
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 26 August 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what the timetable is for the implementation of specific equality duties under the Equality Act 2010.

Question reference: S4W-02039

Asked by: Humza Yousaf, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 August 2011
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 26 August 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to ensure that air quality in Glasgow is compliant with the EU ambient air quality directive on nitrogen dioxide (2008/50/EC) levels and whether this will be achievable in time for the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Glasgow City Council has produced an air quality action plan which contains a comprehensive list of measures for improving air quality in the city.

The council is working closely with the Scottish Government to implement the plan.

The council is also taking a range of actions to ensure that poor air quality will not impact on the 2014 Commonwealth Games, including the introduction of Low Emission Zones that will protect all games venues and athletes.

Full implementation of directive 2008/50EC for the whole of Glasgow will follow at a later date.

Question reference: S4W-02038

Asked by: Humza Yousaf, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 August 2011
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 18 August 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what areas of Scotland met the 2010 targets for nitrogen dioxide limits set out in the EU ambient air quality directive (2008/50/EC); when it expects the whole of Scotland to be compliant with the directive, and what action is being taken to achieve this.

The Highland and Scottish Borders zones met these limit values by the end of 2010. Some areas of exceedence remain in the Central Scotland and North East Scotland zones and in the Glasgow and Edinburgh urban areas. Based on currently available information, full compliance, with the exception of one short section of road in the Glasgow urban area, is expected by 2015. The Glasgow urban area is expected to comply by 2018 upon completion of the upgrading of that section of road.

The Scottish Government, in partnership with Transport Scotland, SEPA, local authorities, the UK Government and others, is working on a range of measures to ensure full compliance as soon as possible.

Question reference: S4W-02041

Asked by: Humza Yousaf, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 August 2011
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 18 August 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what responsibilities and powers (a) local authorities, (b) the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and (c) other statutory agencies have to ensure that air quality in Scotland meets the standards required by the EU ambient air quality directive (2008/50/EC) and what enforcement measures are available to those authorities.

Question reference: S4W-01390

Asked by: Humza Yousaf, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 June 2011
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 15 July 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how many young offenders are detained at HMYOI Polmont; how many are ordinarily resident in Glasgow, and whether it will provide a breakdown by (a) age and (b) ethnic identity.

I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:

The total population of HMYOI Polmont is 720. 208 young offenders have provided an address that indicates they ordinarily reside in Glasgow.

The following table shows HMYOI Polmont population broken down by age.”

Age	No of Prisoners
16	32
17	83
18	151
19	204
20	236
21	14

The following table shows HMYOI Polmont population broken down by Ethnic Origin.

Ethnic Origin	No of Prisoners
Asian Other	3
Black-African	1
Black-Other	1
Chinese	1
Middle Eastern-Other	1
Mixed White and Asian	1
Mixed White and Black Caribbean	2
Pakistani	4
White English	5
White Irish	1
White Other	6
White Scottish	692
White Southern Irish	2

Question reference: S4O-00105

Asked by: Humza Yousaf, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 June 2011
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made on the actions set out in the Diabetes Action Plan 2010.