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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-09641

Asked by: Patricia Ferguson, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 14 September 2012
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 25 September 2012

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has (a) spent and (b) budgeted to spend on legal fees relating to the freedom of information request from Catherine Stihler MEP regarding the advice that it received on European Union membership.

Question reference: S4W-09439

Asked by: Patricia Ferguson, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 September 2012
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 20 September 2012

To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that Scotland benefits from the legacy of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games provide an ideal learning opportunity both for the delivery of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games and for the legacy we aim to secure from the huge opportunity which both Games present. To this end, the Scottish Government has fully engaged the London Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games and has been working closely with the UK Government, to ensure we maximise all opportunities available to Scotland from the 2012 games and learn any lessons for our delivery of the 2014 games. These opportunities span sporting, social and economic strands and we have worked closely with our wide range of partners to deliver them across Scotland.

Question reference: S4O-01326

Asked by: Patricia Ferguson, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 September 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 September 2012

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the meeting of the Remploy stakeholder group of 19 September 2012.

Question reference: S4W-09437

Asked by: Patricia Ferguson, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 September 2012
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 19 September 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the issues highlighted by Audit Scotland in its report, Learning the lessons of public body mergers.

We welcome the publication of the Audit Scotland report. In particular, the good practice guidance captures very useful lessons to be learnt. We have widely disseminated the guidance within the Scottish Government already and we are discussing the key messages with public bodies as part of our ongoing dialogue with them. This will help to inform the work of both Scottish Government project teams and public bodies themselves as the government pursues its continuing commitment to simplifying and streamlining the public bodies and public services delivery landscape. The Public Audit Committee will be taking evidence from the Scottish Government at its meeting on 26 September 2012. We will reflect on the way forward in light of the committee’s inquiry.

Question reference: S4W-09477

Asked by: Patricia Ferguson, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 10 September 2012
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 13 September 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the law relating to codicils to a will.

Question reference: S4W-09438

Asked by: Patricia Ferguson, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 September 2012
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 13 September 2012

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will require primary legislation to facilitate the merger of Historic Scotland and the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland.

As I alluded to in my response to Ms Ferguson’s earlier parliamentary question (S4O-01218 on 6 June 2012), our intention is to secure RCAHMS functions through primary legislation. This will allow for formal consultation and full parliamentary scrutiny of the proposals.

The answer to the oral question is available on the Parliaments website, the official report can be viewed at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28862.aspx?r=7338&i=66912&c=1358263&s=monuments.

Question reference: S4W-09478

Asked by: Patricia Ferguson, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 10 September 2012
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 13 September 2012

To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers that codicils to a will should be subject to scrutiny (a) in general, (b) where the witness is the main benefactor and (c) when not witnessed by a solicitor.

The Scottish Government is clear that all codicils to a will can be scrutinised and the subject of challenge if there are concerns that the requirements for formal validity are not met or about the intention or capacity of the person making the codicil, for instance, where there are concerns that the person making the codicil was not capable of understanding the effects of making it or was improperly influenced by another.

Question reference: S4W-09440

Asked by: Patricia Ferguson, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 September 2012
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 11 September 2012

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will ensure that those communities most blighted by crime benefit most from the CashBack for Communities scheme.

Since the inception of the highly successful CashBack for Communities programme in 2007, over £46 million recovered from the proceeds of crime has been invested throughout Scotland, directly benefitting over 600,000 young people and generating over 11,000 young person volunteers who are now putting something back into their communities.

Crime and antisocial behaviour afflict every community, but some are affected more than others which is why CashBack focuses on the areas that need it most. Of course, it is not just hard-hit communities that lack facilities and opportunities for our young people. The Scottish Government believes that all young people are entitled to have the opportunity to be all they can be and to have access to the benefits CashBack projects offer which is why we rightly ensure that money recovered from proceeds of crime is used to benefit children and young people, regardless of where they happen to live in Scotland.

Question reference: S4O-01218

Asked by: Patricia Ferguson, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 August 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 September 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made with the merger of the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland with Historic Scotland.

Question reference: S4W-08901

Asked by: Patricia Ferguson, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 27 July 2012
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 24 August 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on establishing an endowment fund to support young people involved in sport, education and humanitarian work.

In 2012-13 we are providing over £3.3 million funding for national youth work and youth citizenship organisations, including YouthLink, Young Scot and the Scottish Youth Parliament. The youth work sector receives an additional valuable boost through the CashBack for Communities Programme. Since the inception of CashBack for Communities in 2007, over £46 million recovered from proceeds of crime has been invested or fully committed to a wide range of community projects and facilities throughout Scotland, directly benefitting over 600,000 young people. Over £9 million of this has been allocated directly to YouthLink and Youth Scotland for disbursement to youth work organisations across Scotland. Scottish Government has no plans to establish a separate endowment fund.