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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: S4F-01870

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 03 February 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 February 2014

To ask the First Minister what issues will be discussed at the next meeting of the Cabinet.

Question reference: S4F-01831

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 20 January 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 January 2014

To ask the First Minister what issues will be discussed at the next meeting of the Cabinet.

Question reference: S4W-19027

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 20 December 2013
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 17 January 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the financial security of companies involved in the opencast mining sector.

Under the existing legal framework the Scottish Government does not have any role or duty to make assessment of the financial security of companies involved in the open cast mining sector.

Financial clearance and financial appraisal is one of the aspects taken into account by the UK Coal Authority in the awarding of coaling leases and licences to coal operators. The issuing of coaling licences is a reserved matter.

Question reference: S4W-19029

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 20 December 2013
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 17 January 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it had with Scottish Coal in the year before it went into liquidation.

Scottish Coal (also known as Scottish Resources Group SRG) went into liquidation in April 2013. In the year prior to that Scottish Government officials met with SRG and other coal operators on a regular basis to discuss general issues relevant to the coal industry such as the carbon reduction commitment policy and the increases to rail freight charges proposed by the Office of Rail Regulation which were the most pressing issues of concern for the sector at that time.

The Scottish Government also held a coal summit in September 2012 which was chaired by myself and the Environment Minister Mr Wheelhouse. The summit was attended by SRG along with other coal operators, land owners, local authorities, Scottish Environmental Protection Agency and Scottish Government officials and discussions centred on the issues affecting the sector.

Question reference: S4W-19028

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 20 December 2013
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 17 January 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with companies involved in opencast mining about their financial status.

The Scottish Government does not, under the existing legal framework, applicable to open cast mining, have any legal duty to carry out any analysis of the financial status of companies.

Financial clearance and financial appraisal is, however, one of the aspects taken into account by the UK Coal Authority in the awarding of coaling leases and licences to coal operators. The issuing of coaling licences is a reserved matter.

Question reference: S4W-19057

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 10 January 2014
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 16 January 2014

To ask the Scottish Government when it will implement all of the recommendations in the report, Future arrangements to secure food standards and safety in Scotland.

Question reference: S4F-01813

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 13 January 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 January 2014

To ask the First Minister what issues will be discussed at the next meeting of the Cabinet.

Question reference: S4W-18216

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 11 November 2013
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 10 January 2014

To ask the Scottish Government which (a) newspapers and periodicals, (b) television stations and (c) journalists the First Minister gave personal interviews to during his recent visit to China; which are owned by or work for the Chinese state, and whether it will place (i) copies of the published interviews and (ii) digital copies and transcripts of the broadcasts in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe).

The First Minister's trip to China and Hong Kong was a huge success, with the announcement of seven Sino-Scots partnerships worth £40 million, senior level meetings with major Chinese companies such as CNOOC and Sinopec and the delivery of two keynote speeches, one of which highlighted the forthcoming launch of the first Action Plan for Human Rights in Scotland and the responsibility of the international community to build a community in which all can flourish. His speech received praise from the Scottish Human Rights Commission.

During the visit, as well as taking part in an innovation showcase and press conference for Beijing media, the First Minister undertook a series of one-to-one interviews to further promote Scotland as a key destination for investment, trade, education and tourism. Details of these interviews are as follows.

Beijing:

China Central Television, journalist Martina Fuchs:

http://english.cntv.cn/program/bizasia/20131105/104049.shtml

Phoenix TV, journalist unknown: http://v.ifeng.com/news/finance/201311/0191ae04-febd-4618-88c3-25b37c294a17.shtml

The First Minister also spoke to a documentary crew from China Central Television for a film to be broadcast next year about the work of the China Friendship Association. A transcript of this interview has been placed in Spice with Bib number 55591.

China Central Television is the predominant broadcaster in mainland China and falls under the auspices of the Chinese State Administration of Radio, Film and Television.

Hong Kong:

Financial Times, journalist Demetri Sevastopulo:

http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/f886f646-46c7-11e3-9c1b-00144feabdc0.html

CNBC Squawk Box, journalist Lisa Oake: http://www.cnbc.com/id/101177655

South China Morning Post, journalist Kristine Kwok:

http://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1350312/scotlands-leader-alex-salmond-seeks-better-ties-after-independence-vote

Question reference: S4F-01778

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 16 December 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 December 2013

To ask the First Minister what issues will be discussed at the next meeting of the Cabinet.

Question reference: S4W-18380

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 15 November 2013
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 11 December 2013

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to the second supplementary to question S4F-01683 by the First Minister on 14 November 2013 in relation to the provision of his speeches (Official Report, c. 24472), whether it will reconsider its decision not to publish the First Minister's speech to EU ambassadors on 12 February 2013.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-17875 on 18 November 2013. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

The answer given by the First Minister in response to the second supplementary question to S4F-01683 on 14 November 2013 refers to a speech made by the First Minister at a public event in Hong Kong:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28862.aspx?r=8626