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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-07024

Asked by: Patricia Ferguson, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 May 2012
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 14 May 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will respond to the UK Government’s consultation on the proposal to remove the zero rate of VAT for approved work to listed buildings.

Unfortunately, the consultation document published by HM Revenue and Customs does not offer the opportunity to comment on the substance of the proposals, only on the draft legislation that has been prepared to implement the proposed changes. Further, despite the consultation document pronouncing that the proposed changes represent “the best option”, the UK Government officials have not, at the time of writing, approached Scottish officials to discuss the impact of this measure on the historic environment, an area of policy which is devolved.

I have therefore written to the Chancellor of the Exchequer expressing my concern about the proposal to remove VAT relief on approved alterations to listed buildings and urging him to reconsider introducing this deeply regrettable policy change.

Question reference: S4O-00993

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S4W-06281

Asked by: Patricia Ferguson, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 19 March 2012
Current Status: Answered by Bruce Crawford on 30 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will take an impartial approach when working with the media regarding coverage of the independence referendum campaign and, if so, how it will ensure this.

Question reference: S4W-06280

Asked by: Patricia Ferguson, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 19 March 2012
Current Status: Answered by Bruce Crawford on 29 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the proposed (a) ballot paper and (b) question for the referendum on independence complies with the Electoral Commission’s guidelines that they should be set out "clearly, simply and neutrally" and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

Yes.

Paragraph 1.8 of Your Scotland, Your Referendum explains that the Scottish Government's preference is for a short, direct question about independence as set out in paragraph 1.10 (i.e. Do you agree that Scotland should be an independent country?). Paragraph 1.10 of the consultation document says that the proposed ballot paper has been designed to comply with the Electoral Commission's guidelines. The design of the ballot paper to be included in the Referendum Bill which will be put to Parliament in early 2013 will be subject to robust, independent testing using a sample of voters.

Question reference: S4W-06279

Asked by: Patricia Ferguson, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 19 March 2012
Current Status: Answered by Bruce Crawford on 29 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that a white paper on its proposals for an independent Scotland cannot be published before a referendum bill receives Royal Assent and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

The Scottish Government's proposals for independence will be published in a white paper once the Parliament has agreed the arrangements for the referendum to be held in autumn 2014 and these have passed into statute. We expect this to be in November 2013. This is a reasonable and proper timetable which will ensure that the debate following the publication of the white paper focuses on the substance of the government's positive, detailed and comprehensive proposals for independence.

Question reference: S4W-06277

Asked by: Patricia Ferguson, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 19 March 2012
Current Status: Answered by Bruce Crawford on 29 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what concerns, views, comments and responses to the Scotland’s Future consultation were taken into account when it developed the proposals in Your Scotland, Your Referendum.

Question reference: S4W-06278

Asked by: Patricia Ferguson, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 19 March 2012
Current Status: Answered by Bruce Crawford on 29 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive on what date it will publish the responses to Your Scotland, Your Referendum.

Question reference: S4W-06276

Asked by: Patricia Ferguson, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 19 March 2012
Current Status: Answered by Bruce Crawford on 29 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will break down the responses to the Your Scotland, Your Referendum consultation by group and, if so, whether it will apply differential weighting to each group's response when it considers them.

Question reference: S4W-06282

Asked by: Patricia Ferguson, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 19 March 2012
Current Status: Answered by Bruce Crawford on 29 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4W-05407 by Bruce Crawford on 29 February 2012, which organisation will carry out the independent testing of the question.

Question reference: S4W-05516

Asked by: Patricia Ferguson, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 February 2012
Current Status: Answered by Bruce Crawford on 2 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what a strong social union between the rest of the UK and an independent Scotland, as referred to on page 3 of Your Scotland, Your Referendum, would look like.

The features and benefits of a strong social union between an independent Scotland and the rest of the UK are set out in paragraphs 8.2 and 8.18 to 8.22 of Your Scotland Your Voice, published by the Scottish Government in 2009. The First Minister has also detailed how a strong social union could benefit both Scotland and the rest of the UK, in his statement to parliament on 25 January 2012, and in his Hugo Young lecture on 24 January 2012. The text of the Hugo Young lecture is available on the Scottish Government website:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Speeches/fmhugoyoung24012012.