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 249 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S2W-25615

Asked by: Maureen Macmillan, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 May 2006
Current Status: Answered by Hugh Henry on 18 May 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive what safeguards and arrangements it considers should be in place for nervous children who are called as witnesses in sheriff courts to give evidence in domestic violence cases when their parents are both the alleged victim and the accused and the accused is present in court, in light of the provisions of the Vulnerable Witnesses (Scotland) Act 2004 and guidance issued by the Crown Office on domestic violence cases.

The Vulnerable Witnesses (Scotland) Act2004 gives all child witnesses an automatic right to use standard special measuresto assist them give their best evidence and help reduce the fear and distress ofdoing so. The standard special measures are: giving evidence via a live televisionlink, giving evidence from behind a screen in court and having a supporter presentin conjunction with either of these measures. In addition, the act provides thata child witness under 12 will not normally be required to attend court to give theirevidence in certain types of cases.

These provisions are being implementedin phases. At present they are available to child witnesses in High Court andsheriff and jury trials and in children’s hearings court proceedings. They willbecome available to child witnesses in sheriff court summary cases from April 2007.Until then child witnesses can on application be allowed by the court to give theirevidence from behind screens or via a live television link under existing statutoryprovisions or under common law.

The national protocol, “In Partnership,Challenging Domestic Abuse”, agreed by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Serviceand the Association of Chief Police Officers Scotland provides that where a childwitness is to give evidence the police and the Procurator Fiscal must consider whatspecial measures are required to minimise any distress to the child. The Crown Officeand Procurator Fiscal Service offers training for its staff specifically on domesticabuse.

The Victim Information and Adviceservice (VIA), part of the Crown Office, offers a court familiarisation visit andprovides information booklets appropriate to a child’s age. VIA also keeps in touchwith child witnesses through their parent or carer and advises them of the progressof the case.

Question reference: S2W-25624

Asked by: Maureen Macmillan, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 May 2006
Current Status: Answered by Ross Finnie on 15 May 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any public meetings on the UK Marine Bill scheduled to take place in Scotland.

There are no plans to holdpublic meetings on the UK Marine Bill but the issue formed part of the ScottishCoastal Forum’s Conference, Scotland’s Coastal Future – Seizing theOpportunity?, held on 18 April 2006. The Scottish Coastal Forum plans to host a further event onthe 5 June 2006 in Perth. My Advisory Group on the Marine and CoastalStrategy is looking into the issue in some detail, in parallel with the Defraconsultation process.

Question reference: S2W-25623

Asked by: Maureen Macmillan, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 May 2006
Current Status: Answered by Ross Finnie on 10 May 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to encourage Scottish people to respond to the UK Marine Bill consultation.

On the 29 March 2006, the Executive wrote to over 300 stakeholders alerting them to the consultation onthe UK Marine Bill. The Scottish Coastal Forum are also planning to host an eventin Perth on the 5 June to bring together stakeholders in the marineenvironment, Defra and the Executive, to discuss the implications of the billand to encourage stakeholders to respond to the proposals contained within theconsultation.

My Advisory Group on theMarine and Coastal Strategy is looking into the issue, in parallel with theDefra consultation process, in some detail. We have also encouraged stakeholdersto respond to the Marine Bill consultation through presentations anddiscussions at various events in Scotland such as the Scottish Coastal Forum’s conference in April and theAquaculture working group also held in April.

Question reference: S2W-24654

Asked by: Maureen Macmillan, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 24 March 2006
Current Status: Answered by Ross Finnie on 19 April 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive what arrangements are being made to support community environment groups whose funding will be spent by the end of March but whose follow-on funding from the Strategic Waste Fund, INCREASE or similar sources will not be available for some months.

We have received a number ofbids to the Strategic Waste Fund (SWF) from local authorities which include supportfor community sector groups in their area. As with any bid to the SWF we will needto ensure that value for money criteria are met before an award is made.In the meantime groups can applyto the INCREASE Programme for support (www.increase-programme.org.uk)or approach their local authority for assistance.

Question reference: S2W-25205

Asked by: Maureen Macmillan, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 April 2006
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 18 April 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-17434 by Hugh Henry on 21 June 2005, what additional support it is making available to emergency planning strategic co-ordinating groups so that they can continue to lead improvements in civil protection capabilities.

Hugh Henry explained our intentionto make funding available for co-ordinator posts in each of the eight strategicco-ordinating groups across Scotland to support their crucial role in implementing the statutoryduties imposed by the Civil Contingencies Act 2004. At that time, two areas’ proposalsfor co-ordinator posts had been approved (Dumfries and Galloway and Central). I am pleased to announce that proposalsfrom all eight areas have now been approved and that all the posts are expectedto be filled by the end of May at a total annual cost of £430,000.

Question reference: S2W-24090

Asked by: Maureen Macmillan, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 10 March 2006
Current Status: Answered by Tavish Scott on 13 March 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will set out the steps it is taking in co-operation with the Northern Ireland administration to attract an operator to run a ferry service between Campbeltown and Ballycastle.

The Scottish Executive in co-operationwith the Northern Ireland administration initiated a tendering exercise in 2005for a subsidised public service contract to operate a passenger and vehicle ferryservice between Campbeltown in Argyll and Ballycastle in Antrim, Northern Ireland. Following a pre-qualification exercise, an Invitation to Tender was issuedto four companies on 20 September, requesting submission of tenders by 10 January2006. The Executive was disappointed that no tenders were submitted.

The Scottish Executive has reviewedthe reasons for this outcome and has also investigated whether there are any optionsavailable which would allow reinstatement of the service within the terms of the2005-06 tender. The main terms of the tender were a five year contract offeringa service for 11 months of the year with a maximum annual grant of £1 million peryear for a passenger and vehicle ferry service between the two ports.

The Executive is aware of thestrong support for the reinstatement of the service voiced in both Kintyre and Antrimand of the local disappointment at the outcome of the tendering process. The Executivehas therefore agreed with the Northern Ireland administration that a final effort should be made toidentify any potential ferry operator interested in submitting a tender to providethe service under a negotiated procedure. The procurement rules permit this providedthat the operator meets the original qualification criteria for the competitionand that the tender complies fully with the original terms of the Invitation toTender issued for this exercise.

These investigations will requiretime to pursue and it is not possible to place a precise timescale on them in advance,but every effort will be made to establish the position as soon as practicable.

Question reference: S2O-09124

Asked by: Maureen Macmillan, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 February 2006
Current Status: Answered by Tavish Scott on 2 March 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive whether residents of north-west Sutherland will be able to access discounted flights from Wick Airport.

Question reference: S2O-09074

Asked by: Maureen Macmillan, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 February 2006
Current Status: Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 23 February 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has for continuing the central heating programme for pensioners.

Question reference: S2O-08949

Asked by: Maureen Macmillan, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 February 2006
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 9 February 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of the recent figures on police assault, as reported in The Scotsman on 26 January 2006.

Question reference: S2W-21943

Asked by: Maureen Macmillan, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 December 2005
Current Status: Answered by Allan Wilson on 18 January 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will make an announcement on the proposal to increase the generating capacity of the existing wind-powered generating station at Paul’s Hill in Moray.

I can announce that the Scottish ministers have granted consent for this proposal in terms of section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989. This will increase capacity at the wind farm to 65 Megawatts.

This announcement follows a lengthy consultation process which involved environmental groups, government bodies and members of the public. Conditions were attached to this consent to safeguard local and environmental interests.