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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: S5W-11878

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 06 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 24 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what role the chair of the Strategic Board for Enterprise and Skills will have in education policy and governance.

On 31 August the First Minister announced that Nora Senior has been appointed Chair of the new Enterprise and Skills Strategic Board. Ms Senior is Chair, UK Regions & Ireland, of global PR firm Weber Shandwick.

The Board will align and co-ordinate the activities of Scotland’s enterprise and skills agencies – Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Skills Development Scotland and the Scottish Funding Council. The new enterprise agency being established for the South of Scotland will also fall within the scope of the Board.

Through development of a strategic plan and a common performance framework which will stem from this plan, the Strategic Board will drive a coherent strategic direction for each of these agencies.

The Board will also engage more widely with organisations that contribute towards the aims of raising productivity and inclusive growth, including local authorities, where appropriate.

Question reference: S5W-11877

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 06 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 24 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what the terms of reference are for the role of the chair of the Strategic Board for Enterprise and Skills.

The Strategic Board is expected to meet for the first time in November, after which an agreed terms of reference for the Board, including the Chair, will be published.

The Board will align the activities of Scotland’s enterprise and skills agencies – Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Skills Development Scotland and the Scottish Funding Council – behind a Strategic Plan. The new enterprise agency being established for the South of Scotland will also fall within the scope of the Board.

The Board will also develop an agreed common performance framework stemming from the strategic plan, and will aim to maximise the effect of Scotland’s investment in enterprise and skills, ensuring a simpler and more coherent system of support that will contribute towards Scotland’s economic ambitions.

Question reference: S5W-11492

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 22 September 2017
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 4 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government when the Consultation on Primary Authority Partnerships relating to Devolved Regulatory Responsibilities of Local Authorities ended, and what steps it has taken to introduce the scheme.

The Consultation on Primary Authority Partnerships relating to Devolved Regulatory Responsibilities of Local Authorities ended on 25 June 2015.

We continue to work with stakeholders, including regulatory and licensing authorities on key elements that will form the foundation for the roll out of a Primary Authority type scheme in Scotland. We have already introduced the first set of National Standards for Mobile Traders relating to Food Hygiene where businesses receive one certificate (recognised across Scotland) from one local authority.

Question reference: S5W-11487

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 22 September 2017
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 4 October 2017

Question reference: S5W-11483

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 22 September 2017
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 3 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government when it expects VAT revenues to be assigned to it, and what its strategy will be for maximising these.

The Fiscal Framework agreed that VAT assignment will be implemented in the financial year 2019-20. VAT policy will remain reserved so the Scottish Government will not have any formal policy levers available to maximise revenues. However, the Scottish Government remains committed to doing all it can to generate sustainable economic growth, which will be important for protecting and growing VAT receipts.

Question reference: S5W-11486

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 22 September 2017
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 3 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what the economic impact will be of the increase in statutory minimum pension contributions in 2018, and what information it has regarding how many people in Scotland will be affected by the changes.

Question reference: S5W-11488

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 22 September 2017
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 3 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government which local authorities have implemented the local discretionary rates relief available each year under the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015, and what plans it has to encourage more local authorities to do so.

Question reference: S5T-00707

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 02 October 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that there are almost twice as many under-10s being prescribed stimulants than there were in 2010.

Question reference: S5W-11484

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 22 September 2017
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 28 September 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of what the financial impact could be on consumers of the proposed deposit return scheme for drinks bottles and containers.

Question reference: S5W-11057

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 04 September 2017
Current Status: Answered by Mark McDonald on 13 September 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made regarding the introduction of a pilot for a deposit guarantee scheme for nurseries.