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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-07641

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 31 May 2012
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 19 June 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what the criteria are for hauliers from the islands to be eligible for discounts on ferry prices.

Question reference: S4W-07453

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 May 2012
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 12 June 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4W-05087 by Stewart Stevenson on 27 January 2012, which of the projects were on land that was (a) part- and (b) wholly- owned by the Forestry Commission when the (i) applications were made and (ii) funding was awarded.

Question reference: S4W-07452

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 May 2012
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 12 June 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4W-05087 by Stewart Stevenson on 27 January 2012, when the (a) applications were made and (b) funding was awarded.

The following table lists cases with grant and loan funding to community energy projects located on the national forest estate. These schemes are operated by Community Energy Scotland and includes funding from the Community Renewable Energy Support Programme (CRESP) which comes via Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES) funding which is direct from the Scottish Government.

Project	Amount Approved	Amount claimed to date	Loan or Grant	Date of last claim	Part or wholly on the NFE
Callander Development Trust Callander Community Hydro Ltd (Trading subsidiary)	£1,000 £2,056 £4,608 £82,000	£1,000 £2,056 £3,676 Nil	Grant Grant Grant Loan	Feb 2010 Oct 2010 Apr 2011	Wholly
Colintraive and Glendaruel Development Trust	£8,812	£8,812	Grant	July 2010	Wholly
Glenelg and Arnisdale Community Trust	£5,348	£5,297	Grant	March 2010	Part
Kilfinan Community Forest Trust	£8,340 £146,000	£8,340 £30,453	Grant Loan	April 2011	Part
Lochgoilhead	£2,143	£2,143	Grant	March 2010	Wholly
Mull and Iona Community Trust	£15,691 £29,387 £38,000	£13,536 £29,250 £10,536	Grant Grant Loan	March 2010 April 2012	Part
Rumster	£57,661 £37,083	£56,899 £33,667	Grant Grant	27-03-2009 26-10-2010	Wholly
Tarbert and Skipness	£8,452 £39,776 £31,000	£9,424 £39,776 Nil	Grant Grant Loan	Nov 2009 *	Wholly

Note: *No date of application known

There are some changes to the amounts shown in question S4W-05087. This new table includes payments made since the previous answer and corrects an error previously rendered. It also makes a clear distinction between funds approved and funds claimed or drawn down.

There were no changes to ownership of land between applications being made and funding approved.

Further checks have also indicated that two projects funded under CARES were for work not on the national forest estate at date of application or date of funding award, these projects are:

Project	Amount of funding since 2007
North West Mull Community Woodland Company	£26,089
Sunart Community	£18,000

Question reference: S4W-07360

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 May 2012
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 11 June 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive which departments of the single police force will be located outwith the force's headquarters.

Question reference: S4W-07359

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 May 2012
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 6 June 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive how the regional priorities of the single police force will be (a) determined and (b) met, and how it will measure the delivery of these.

The Scottish Police Authority and the Police Service will work with local authorities and others to set national and local priorities. Those will be delivered and measured through the strategic police plan for Scotland and the local police plans for each local authority area.

Within this framework, local authorities will be able to develop their own models of scrutiny and engagement, and the vast majority of them, including Highland Council, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, Orkney Islands Council and Shetland Islands Council, are already involved in trialling these arrangements across Scotland.

Question reference: S4W-07357

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 May 2012
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 6 June 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive who will appoint the chief constable for the single police force and when this will take place.

The Scottish Government has introduced legislation to the Parliament to establish a single Police Service of Scotland. The Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Bill provides for the appointment of the chief constable by the Scottish Police Authority. Subject to the passage of the legislation, and the completion of the public appointments process, the chief constable is expected to be appointed by the Scottish Police Authority in the autumn.

Question reference: S4W-07361

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 May 2012
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 6 June 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the single police force will have hubs in the (a) north and (b) north east.

Question reference: S4W-07354

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 May 2012
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 6 June 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive when the board for the single police force will be appointed and how it will be (a) constituted and (b) held accountable to communities.

Subject to the successful passage of the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Bill, the intention is for the Scottish Police Authority to be appointed in the autumn. The bill currently provides that the Authority will have between seven and 11 members. The appointments process will be fair and open and regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments, and members will be appointed on the basis of their skills and expertise.

The Scottish Police Authority will be accountable to Ministers, Parliament and the people of Scotland. The bill contains a number of provisions as to how this accountability will be achieved.

Question reference: S4W-07413

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 May 2012
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 6 June 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what funding it will provide for the improvement of the A9 at the Berridale Braes; what the timeframe for the improvements is, and how long the road works will last.

At this stage, the total design costs of the road realignment option at Berriedale Braes are estimated to be £250,000. Transport Scotland has confirmed a £100,000 contribution towards these costs, following confirmation from the other funding partners of the balance and this will allow the scheme to be developed to “shovel ready” status.

More information about timeframes will be available after funding has been confirmed and consulting engineers have been appointed to undertake the detailed design.

Question reference: S4W-07418

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 May 2012
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 30 May 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what the legal status is of a memorandum of understanding and what the impact is when one party withdraws from its previous expression of intent.