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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: S4W-25962

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 June 2015
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 16 June 2015

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-25728 by John Swinney on 3 June 2015 and given that transactions may be seasonal, what the monthly breakdown is for the forecast revenue for the Land and Buildings Transaction Tax.

Question reference: S4W-25949

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 June 2015
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 16 June 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what evaluation it has made of borrowing through (a) the National Loans Fund, (b) financial institutions and (c) issuing bonds.

The Scottish Government announced in the Draft Budget 2015-16 that it would be seeking to borrow up to £304 million in 2015-16 in some combination of a) the National Loans Fund b) from banks on commercial terms and c) through issuing bonds. We will continue to evaluate these borrowing options and will in due course take a decision on which method or methods to use based on the prevailing economic conditions and once the fiscal framework and changes to the Scottish Government’s borrowing powers arising from the Smith Commission recommendations are agreed with HM Treasury.

Question reference: S4W-25915

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 June 2015
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 16 June 2015

To ask the Scottish Government how many jobs in Scotland it considers depend on the EU single market.

Analysis published by the Centre for Economics and Business Research in March 2014 estimated that in 2011 around 336,000 jobs in Scotland were associated with exports to the EU.

Foreign direct investment (FDI) to Scotland from other European Union member states is also an important way in which jobs in Scotland are linked to the EU single market. Scotland has been ranked in the top two UK regions outside of London for FDI in each year since 2006 (Source – Ernst and Young Scotland Attractiveness Surveys).

Question reference: S4W-25916

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 June 2015
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 16 June 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what impact it considers leaving the EU would have on Scotland's economic performance, and what analysis it plans to publish.

The Scottish Government firmly believes that exiting the EU would have a deeply damaging impact on Scotland’s economy.

Membership provides a range of economic benefits including: access to the world’s largest single market, with over 500 million potential customers; the range of trade deals secured by the EU, and a major source of international investment in Scottish jobs and companies. Europe is a vital market for Scottish businesses, accounting for 46% of Scotland’s international exports, worth £12.9 billion to our economy.

Analysis published by the Centre for Economics and Business Research in March 2014 estimated that in 2011 around 336,000 jobs in Scotland were associated with exports to the EU.

Such jobs and economic activity in Scotland would be at risk if the UK left the EU.

The Scottish Government has published analysis on the economic, social and cultural benefits of EU membership for Scotland (March 2015). The publication can be found via the following link: http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0047/00473833.pdf

Question reference: S4W-25917

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 June 2015
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 16 June 2015

To ask the Scottish Government how many jobs in Scotland it considers depend on (a) exports and (b) exports to EU member states.

Question reference: S4W-25950

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 June 2015
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 16 June 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to use new borrowing powers in 2015-16.

Question reference: S4W-25960

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 June 2015
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 16 June 2015

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-25734 by John Swinney on 3 June 2015, whether the "near future" means before the summer recess.

Question reference: S4W-25948

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 June 2015
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 16 June 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to issue bonds under new borrowing powers devolved on 1 April 2015.

The Scottish Government will continue to evaluate each of the options for capital borrowing and will in due course take a decision on which method or methods to use based on the prevailing economic conditions. A revised fiscal framework and enhanced capital borrowing powers are currently subject to negotiation with the UK Government. Once the detail of the revised fiscal framework is known, and changes to Scottish Government borrowing powers are made clearer, a decision on the timing of any potential bond issue will follow.

Question reference: S4F-02888

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S4W-25888

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 June 2015
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Burgess on 15 June 2015

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will make up the shortfall in discretionary housing payments caused by the Department for Work and Pensions' announced 25% reduction in funding for 2015-16.

<>There has been a 12% reduction (£1.9 million) in the overall funding from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) for discretionary housing payments (DHPs) in Scotland in 2015-16. The element of funding for the bedroom tax has not been reduced and the Scottish Government has added a further £35 million in DHP funding to cover all bedroom tax losses in 2015-16. There is no commitment to cover the DWP’s reductions in the other elements of DHP funds i.e. core, local housing allowance and benefit cap.