Seòmar agus comataidhean

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

Criathragan Hide all filters

Displaying 875 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S5W-04669

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 11 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 29 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) trades union and (b) business representatives will sit on the statutory board that has been proposed in its enterprise and skills review.

Question reference: S5W-04671

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 11 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 29 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, with reference to its enterprise and skills review, what the position will be of the chief executives of Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Skills Development Scotland and the Scottish Funding Council by the end of the current parliamentary session.

Question reference: S5W-04673

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 11 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 29 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Skills Development Scotland and the Scottish Funding Council will remain as non-departmental public bodies following its enterprise and skills review.

Question reference: S5W-04676

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 11 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 25 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how many full-time equivalent police civilian staff jobs there have been in each year since 2007-08.

Data on the number of Full Time Equivalent civilian staff in the Scottish Police Authority and Police Scotland is published by the SPA on a quarterly basis.

For ease, the information you have requested is provided in the table below.

Police Staff Quarterly Strength Statistics (Full-Time Equivalent), Scotland¹, from 31 March 2007 to 31 March 2016

Date	Scotland
Q1 2007	7,350
Q1 2008	7,528
Q1 2009	7,713
Q1 2010	7,891
Q1 2011	7,447
Q1 2012	6,947
Q1 2013	6,790
Q1 2014	5,987
Q1 2015	5,542
Q1 2016	5,505

1. Q1 represents the 31 March

The data provides a snapshot of police staff at the end of the quarter.

Question reference: S5W-04678

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 11 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 24 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5T-00181 by Michael Matheson on 8 November 2016 (Official Report, c. 3), what powers it will have to reject any of the findings of the Police Scotland review of its estate.

Question reference: S5W-04677

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 11 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 24 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5T-00181 by Michael Matheson on 8 November 2016 (Official Report, c. 3), what powers it has to ask Police Scotland to suspend or cancel the review of its estate.

Governance of the Police Service of Scotland is a matter for the Scottish Police Authority, as established in the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012 with cross-party support.

The Scottish Government has no current plans to use its powers to direct the Scottish Police Authority under Section 5 of the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act in relation to this matter. The Scottish Government would encourage all members to participate in local engagement activity being led by Divisional Commanders in relevant areas.

Question reference: S5W-04679

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 11 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 23 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5T-00181 by Michael Matheson on 8 November 2016 (Official Report, c. 3), on what date ministers were advised by Police Scotland that it was seeking approval from the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) to review its estate, and when the SPA advised ministers that this had been approved.

Question reference: S5W-04516

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 04 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 22 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what (a) financial and (b) other support (i) it, (ii) Scottish Enterprise, (iii) Highland and Islands Enterprise and (iv) the other public bodies that it has responsibility for has provided to Diageo plc in each of the last five years, and for what purposes.

The Scottish Government continually engages with Diageo as an important Scottish employer. We have provided the following support to Diageo Scotland Plc over the past five years, through our enterprise and skills bodies.

Over the past five years, Scottish Enterprise (SE) has provided £157,318 in financial support to Diageo Scotland Plc. Of this funding, £47,952 supported Manufacturing Excellence projects across Diageo’s Scottish operations. £6,900 of the funding provided support towards an HR development project. The remaining £102,466 of the funding was provided towards 13 Graduate projects across Edinburgh Park, Menstrie and Shieldhall. SE’s Scottish Manufacturing Advisory Service has also undertaken eight process reviews and delivered eight project days at the company’s sites in Shieldhall, Renfrew and Leven to deliver efficiency savings on site. Diageo has paid the full rate for the SMAS services provided.

Over the past five years, Highlands and Islands Enterprise have not provided any financial support to Diageo Scotland Plc. However, Highlands and Islands Enterprise are actively engaged with the company on improving broadband connectivity in remote areas, and rural where Diageo’s distilleries are based, as part of its broader support for investment in digital connectivity in those areas.

Skills Development Scotland have not provided any financial support to Diageo in the last five years. They have however worked closely with the Diageo team in driving forward their Youth Strategy through improving their ability to recruit more Modern Apprentices, streamlining their training provider relationships; advising them on how to get maximum value out of their provider contracts and supporting them in potentially becoming a provider themselves.

Question reference: S5O-00386

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 November 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its review of the Police Scotland estate, what impact the potential closure of stations will have on public confidence in the police.

Question reference: S5W-03933

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 21 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 10 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how many of the vacancies that have been filled each year through Community Jobs Scotland have attracted additional funding because they paid at least the living wage.