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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: S4O-05614

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 February 2016
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 2 March 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making with the Aberdeen women's hospital and cancer care unit projects.

NHS Grampian is continuing to plan the Baird Family Hospital and ANCHOR Centre in Aberdeen with the support of the Scottish Government and the Scottish Futures Trust. The planning process involves a wide range of clinical staff and public engagement. The clinical strategies for the new facilities are complete and work is proceeding on the detailed specifications and development of the designs. The planning applications for the new facilities have been submitted.

Question reference: S4O-05568

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 February 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 February 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making in introducing a ban on the use of wild animals in circuses.

Question reference: S4O-05475

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 January 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 January 2016

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met Aberdeen City Council to discuss education issues.

Question reference: S4W-29135

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 January 2016
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 14 January 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what services are provided by (a) local authorities, (b) NHS boards and (c) other public bodies to help treat people who have a gambling addiction, and what information it has regarding the contribution by the betting and gaming sector toward such treatment.

In common with other behaviours that cause difficulties in people’s lives and contribute to their ill health, problem gambling is addressed as part of wider health issues that a person may be experiencing including mental health problems and substance misuse problems. Where a person is referred to a service for treatment, the clinical team will work with the person to identify the issues or problems that are important to support their recovery in a holistic person-centred way. Specialist psychological skills and competencies used in the management of alcohol and drug misuse have some applicability to some problem gamblers as do problem solving counselling skills.

The Scottish Government is committed to delivering faster access to psychological therapies for people with mental illness or disorders, including those who have problems with gambling which is recognised as a type of impulse-control disorder. The delivery of psychological therapies is a core part of NHS activity. NHS boards have made good progress in recent years in improving access to many psychological therapies.

The Responsible Gambling Trust (RGT) is an independent UK wide charity committed to minimising gambling-related harm and is funded by donations (minimum of £5 million per year) from the gambling industry. RGT funds education, prevention and treatment services and commissions research to broaden public understanding of gambling-related harm. The aim is to stop people getting into problems with their gambling, and ensure that those that do develop problems receive fast and effective treatment and support. The RGT website refers to the funding of services such as GamCare and the RCA Trust which both offer counselling services and are available in Scotland.

Question reference: S4O-05268

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 January 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 January 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how work on the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route is progressing.

Question reference: S4W-29141

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 January 2016
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 13 January 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what powers it has to regulate the number of staff employed in betting shops with fixed-odds betting terminals and to ensure that the terminals are placed in sight of staff desks.

Question reference: S4W-29130

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 January 2016
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 13 January 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding devolving all aspects of (a) gaming and betting legislation or (b) the regulation of fixed-odds betting terminals, including curbing the terminals' speed of play and maximum stakes.

The Scottish Government argued in the Smith Commission that the power to regulate gambling should be devolved to Scotland. The commission recommended a more limited devolution that would allow the Scottish Parliament to control the proliferation of fixed-odds betting terminals.

The Scotland Bill does not deliver this recommendation. The provision would only give the Scottish Parliament the power to set the maximum number of fixed-odds betting terminals in new betting premises. This precludes any action in respect of existing machines, new machines in existing premises and those found in premises other than betting shops. The provisions set out in the Scotland Bill would not allow steps such as limiting stakes or prizes, or action to regulate the speed of play.

Question reference: S4W-29133

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 January 2016
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 13 January 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the impact of problem gambling on health and communities, what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding amending the Gambling Act 2005 to allow licensing boards to better regulate betting premises.

Question reference: S4W-29137

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 January 2016
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 13 January 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the impact of problem gambling on health and communities, whether it will (a) commission independent research on the impact of fixed-odds betting terminals and (b) review the planning regulations regarding the (i) provision and (ii) licensing of betting shops.

As the Scottish Parliament does not have the power to legislate to regulate gambling or fixed-odds betting terminals in Scotland, the Scottish Government has no current plans to commission specific research on the impact of fixed-odds betting terminals.

In the absence of appropriate powers to regulate gambling being devolved in the Scotland Bill, it is our intention to amend legislation to extend planning controls on changing premises into betting shops. Planning powers cannot however control betting shop activities to the extent possible under powers to regulate gambling.

Question reference: S4W-29134

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 January 2016
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 13 January 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has regarding how many gambling licences in Scotland have been reviewed each year since the Gambling Act 2005 came into force.

Annual returns from licensing authorities for 2014-15 collated by the Gambling Commission indicate there were three reviews of premises licences issued under the Gambling Act 2005 across Great Britain during this period, with one of these occurring in Scotland. The Gambling Commission works in partnership with licensing authorities to regulate gambling in Scotland, England and Wales.

A licence review is the last of a range of interventions and sanctions available to licensing authorities in addressing operational problems within a gambling premises.