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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.

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Question reference: S4W-11012

Asked by: Patricia Ferguson, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 November 2012
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 12 December 2012

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the Lord Advocate’s statement “As a general principle, paragraph 2.31 of the ministerial code provides that law officers should be “consulted in good time before the Government is committed to significant decisions involving legal considerations.”” (Official Report, c. 13131), whether the Lord Advocate considers that the Law Officers were consulted in good time on 23 October 2012 when the Deputy First Minister asked for permission to reveal the non-existence of legal advice relating to an independent Scotland's membership of the EU.

Question reference: S4W-11009

Asked by: Patricia Ferguson, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 November 2012
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 12 December 2012

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Lord Advocate considers that the comments in his letter to Ruth Davidson dated 30 October 2012 that the three government documents that state that an independent Scotland would continue to be a member of the EU were "underpinned by legal advice" are compatible with the Deputy First Minister's comments on 23 October 2012 that the Scottish Government had "not sought specific legal advice" on the same issue and, if so, for what reason.

Question reference: S4W-11013

Asked by: Patricia Ferguson, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 November 2012
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 12 December 2012

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Lord Advocate considers that the section 30 order being considered by the Parliament details an "agreed route to independence" (Official Report, c.13131).

Question reference: S4W-11011

Asked by: Patricia Ferguson, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 November 2012
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 12 December 2012

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Lord Advocate considers that he gave advice to ministers on whether to appeal Catherine Stihler MEP’s recent freedom of information request and, if so, what that advice was; when, and to whom he gave it.

Question reference: S4W-11006

Asked by: Patricia Ferguson, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 November 2012
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 12 December 2012

To ask the Scottish Government at what time on 23 October 2012 the Deputy First Minister (a) requested and (b) received permission to state the non-existence of legal advice relating to whether an independent Scotland would be a member of the EU.

Question reference: S4W-11008

Asked by: Patricia Ferguson, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 November 2012
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 12 December 2012

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Lord Advocate considers that the exceptional circumstances outlined in his letter to Ruth Davidson of 30 October 2012 existed on 4 March 2012.

Question reference: S4W-11010

Asked by: Patricia Ferguson, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 November 2012
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 12 December 2012

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the report in the Sunday Herald on 4 November 2012, whether the Lord Advocate or the Solicitor General were consulted on the reported changes made to the Scottish Ministerial Code in December 2011 and, if so, when; by whom, and what advice they gave.

Question reference: S4W-11007

Asked by: Patricia Ferguson, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 November 2012
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 12 December 2012

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish all correspondence relating to the Deputy First Minister's request for permission to state the non-existence of legal advice on whether an independent Scotland would be a member of the EU.

Question reference: S4W-11005

Asked by: Patricia Ferguson, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 November 2012
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 12 December 2012

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Law Officers consider that they were consulted on whether an independence referendum without a section 30 order would be legal and, if so, when; by whom, and what advice they provided.

Question reference: S4W-10588

Asked by: Patricia Ferguson, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 29 October 2012
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 12 December 2012

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Solicitor General considers that she read (a) the whole of or (b) any part of (i) Choosing Scotland’s Future, (ii) Your Scotland, Your Voice and (iii) Your Scotland, Your Referendum before publication and, if so, on what date and what was asked of her.