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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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

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Question reference: S5O-00748

Asked by: Gordon MacDonald, MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 8 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on protecting additional places for widening access and articulation schemes to ensure that targets set by the Commission on Widening Access are not missed.

Question reference: S5W-07706

Asked by: Gordon MacDonald, MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 March 2017
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Keith Brown on 6 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government when it will respond to the Scottish Veterans Commissioner’s report, The Veterans Community - Employability, Skills and Learning, which was published on 3 November 2016.

Question reference: S5W-06310

Asked by: Gordon MacDonald, MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 9 February 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has made of the impact of Brexit on Scotland’s economy, in light of the value of the pound falling to its lowest level in three months.

The vote to leave the European Union has, in the short run, resulted a weakening in the value of Sterling, which is now starting to feed through to both consumer and producer price inflation.

The lower value of Sterling is providing a boost for export orders whilst raising input cost pressures. For example, according to the Bank of Scotland PMI for December, input prices were reported by firms to have grown at their highest monthly rate in over five years, which are starting to feed through to output prices. This will ultimately contribute to the uptick in inflation impacting consumer purchasing power.

Question reference: S5O-00578

Asked by: Gordon MacDonald, MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 19 January 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on RBS branch closures scheduled to take place by summer 2017 and the impact that these may have on vulnerable members of affected communities.

The Royal Bank of Scotland’s' decision to close further branches, including the Juniper Green branch in Mr MacDonald's constituency, will have an undoubted impact on the local community.

The Scottish Government is of the firm view that it is essential that banking services are available and accessible to all members of our communities and that, in light of such closures, appropriate alternative access arrangements are put in place.

Question reference: S5O-00360

Asked by: Gordon MacDonald, MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 November 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to tackle traffic congestion in the west of Edinburgh.

Question reference: S5O-00307

Asked by: Gordon MacDonald, MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 November 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how many homes have exchange-only lines and no access to superfast broadband.

Question reference: S5O-00266

Asked by: Gordon MacDonald, MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 October 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what the annual value is of EU research programmes undertaken at universities in the Edinburgh area.

Question reference: S5O-00184

Asked by: Gordon MacDonald, MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 September 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to help and support students from Scotland who want to study elsewhere in the EU.

Question reference: S5O-00125

Asked by: Gordon MacDonald, MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 September 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 14 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making toward compiling an open, transparent and comprehensive land register.

Question reference: S5O-00025

Asked by: Gordon MacDonald, MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 June 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 June 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what noise level monitoring it carries out on the trunk road network.