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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-17635

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 October 2013
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 28 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what routes are (a) eligible for and (b) exempt from inclusion in the national concessionary travel scheme.

Question reference: S4W-17631

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 October 2013
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 28 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what the eligibility criteria are for travellers to use the national concessionary travel scheme.

The Scotland-Wide Free Bus Travel for Older and Disabled People scheme is available to anyone who is a resident of Scotland and is aged 60 or over and/or meets the eligibility criteria as follows:

They receive Disability Living Allowance under the higher rate of mobility or higher/middle rate of care.

They receive a Personal Independence Payment.

They receive Attendance Allowance.

They live in a care/residential home or hospital and are eligible for the higher or middle rate of the care component of Disability Living Allowance, or a Personal Independence Payment or Attendance Allowance.

They are a Blue Badge holder.

They are profoundly or severely deaf (bilateral hearing loss greater than or equal to 70dBHLs averaged over 1, 2 and 4KHz).

They are registered blind or partially sighted.

They are not able to drive because they have been refused a driving licence on medical grounds or have surrendered their licence or had it cancelled due to medical grounds.

They have a mental illness, learning difficulty or personality disorder that is recognised under the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 and need to travel to keep appointments which are part of their treatment, care or rehabilitation.

They have a terminal illness.

They have a progressive degenerative condition that severely impedes their mobility and effects their day to day activities

They have lost one or both legs, both arms or an arm and a leg.

They are an injured HM Forces veteran with mobility problems. They will qualify if they have received a lump sum benefit under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) within tariff levels 1 - 8 (inclusive) and the Secretary of State certifies that they have a permanent and substantial disability which causes inability to walk or very considerable difficulty in walking. Or, if their injuries do not hinder their mobility but the injury can be cross referenced to the descriptors within the AFCS Injuries Table as supplied by the AFCS. If they receive a War Pensioner Mobility Supplement they are also eligible.

Question reference: S4W-17632

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 October 2013
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 28 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government on what grounds travellers can be excluded from using the national concessionary travel scheme.

Question reference: S4W-17483

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 27 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 10 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what account the Scottish Ministers must take of the public interest when considering the approval of compulsory purchase orders and what other criteria they must meet.

In deciding whether or not to confirm a compulsory purchase order, the Scottish Ministers will consider each case on its merits considering whether the acquisition of the property by compulsory means is proportionate and in the public interest weighing the balance of the public interest against the private rights of the owner and those affected.

In doing so the Scottish Ministers take into account all relevant factors, including the purposes for which the land is being acquired, the criteria in the legislation enabling the compulsory acquisition and any objections to the order.

Question reference: S4W-17481

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 27 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 10 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how many compulsory purchase orders for land were requested by each (a) local authority and (b) Scottish Government agency in (i) 2009, (ii) 2010, (iii) 2011 and (iv) 2012 and how many were approved by the Scottish Ministers.

The following table shows all compulsory purchase orders received and which have been confirmed, or are in the process of being confirmed, by the Scottish Ministers from 2009 to 2012 where the local authority was the acquiring authority.

The Scottish Government holds information on those compulsory purchase orders submitted to Scottish Ministers as the confirming authority. We do not hold information on those orders instigated by a local authority but not submitted for confirmation or on the outcome of the order following confirmation by ministers.

Local authority

2009

2010

2011

2012

	Requested	Confirmed	Requested	Confirmed	Requested	Confirmed	Requested	Confirmed
Aberdeen					1
Aberdeenshire
Angus
Argyll and Bute				1
Clackmannanshire
Dumfries and Galloway
Dundee	1					1
East Ayrshire
East Dunbartonshire
East Lothian	1	1
East Renfrewshire
Edinburgh			2	2			1	1
Eilean Siar
Falkirk	2	1		1	1			1
Fife					1			1
Glasgow	2	1		2		1
Highland	1							1
Inverclyde
Midlothian
Moray							1
North Ayrshire	1			1
North Lanarkshire		1
Orkney
Perth and Kinross							1
Renfrewshire
Scottish Borders		1		1	4	1		2
Shetland	1		1	1				1
South Ayrshire
South Lanarkshire		1
Stirling	1					1
West Dunbartonshire
West Lothian			1			1

The Scottish Ministers have the power to promote compulsory purchase orders (CPO) using the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984. The CPO process is set out in legislation and requires them to publish the CPO in draft, consider any objections (and if appropriate hold a public local inquiry) and decide whether to proceed. If they decide to proceed, they will publish the made CPO.

Question reference: S4W-17485

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 27 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 10 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Scottish Ministers can delegate final decisions on approving compulsory purchase orders and, if so, to whom.

Question reference: S4W-17482

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 27 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 8 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether a site can be designated as a (a) site of special scientific interest and (b) special protection area without the approval of the Scottish Ministers.

A Site of Special Scientific Interest can be notified without the approval of the Scottish Ministers. The power to notify such sites is conferred on Scottish Natural Heritage by the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004.

A Special Protection Area under Directive 2009/147/EC (the Wild Birds Directive) must be approved by the Scottish Ministers in exercise of the duty to classify such sites as placed on them by Regulations 9A to 9C of the Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c.) Regulations 1994.

Question reference: S4F-01622

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 07 October 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 October 2013

To ask the First Minister whether the Scottish Government plans to implement a wage rise for NHS workers in Scotland.

Question reference: S4W-17455

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 7 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-16862 by Alex Neil on 18 September 2013, how many new programmes have been funded since 1 January 2010.

Question reference: S4W-17461

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 3 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how much it would cost to introduce the road equivalent tariff scheme for all vehicles using (a) south west and (b) Clyde services.

The cost to introduce a Road Equivalent Tariff (RTE) scheme for all vehicles (cars and commercial vehicles) on South West Services is estimated to be £4.4 million.

The cost to introduce RET scheme for all vehicles (cars and commercial vehicles) on Clyde Services is estimated to be £3.8 million.

These estimates exclude all passengers and are based on an analysis of the following routes:

South West:

Ardrossan - Brodick

Claonaig - Lochranza

Largs - Cumbrae Slip

Wemyss Bay - Rothesay

Colintraive - Rhubodach

Tarbert LF – Portavadie

Clyde:

Ardrossan - Brodick

Claonaig - Lochranza

Wemyss Bay - Rothesay

Colintraive - Rhubodach

Gourock – Dunoon