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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: S5W-27489

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 February 2020
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 2 March 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what actions it is taking to support Scottish Canals to ensure that all canal bridges are operable and safe.

The Scottish Government announced in its draft budget that it will be providing £20.7m in grant-in-aid funding to Scottish Canals in 2020-21. The equivalent 2019-20 figure was £15m. This funding is provided to enable Scottish Canals to undertake all of their responsibilities including their statutory duties which are set out in the Transport Act 1968. The Scottish Government has regular discussions with Scottish Canals about the opportunities and challenges involved in maintaining the canal network. The Scottish Government provided additional funding of £1.625m in 2018-19 to enable repairs to the bridges at Twechar and Bonnybridge on the Lowland Canals.

Question reference: S5W-27490

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 February 2020
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 2 March 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether dredging operations on canals are adequate to ensure that the whole canal network is navigable.

Question reference: S5O-04211

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 February 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 March 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in response to reports of an increase in the number of people who are entitled to carer's allowance not claiming it.

Question reference: S5F-03998

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 24 February 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 February 2020

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s response is to COSLA's statement that the draft Budget proposals put the 2030 child poverty target at risk.

Question reference: S5O-04143

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 February 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 February 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that EU powers that related to devolved matters are devolved to the Scottish Parliament.

Question reference: S5W-26959

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 January 2020
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 27 January 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to ensure local authority services are funded from 1 April 2020 in the event that the Budget (Scotland) (No.4) Bill [Session 5] has not completed the legislative process by the end of the current financial year.

The issues that arise in the event that a Budget Act does not come into force by the start of the financial year to which it applies are the same for 2020-21 as for previous years.

The statutory emergency arrangements which exist for such a scenario would ensure funding for local authority services from 1 April 2020, with provisions in the Public Finance and Accountability (Scotland) Act 2000 and the Budget (Scotland) Act 2019 referring back to corresponding amounts for the prior year on a monthly basis.

However, we are acting in consultation with the Parliament and the Finance and Constitution Committee to ensure a new Budget Act is in force for the start of the year.

Question reference: S5W-26960

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 January 2020
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 27 January 2020

To ask the Scottish Government when it expects to send the first Local Government Finance Circular for 2020, and what information it will contain.

Question reference: S5W-26963

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 January 2020
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 27 January 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to local authorities considering council tax rises for 2020-21.

Question reference: S5W-26961

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 January 2020
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 27 January 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to place conditions on the 2020-21 local government finance settlement and, if so, what these will be, and how it will communicate them to local authorities.

The 2020-21 Local Government Finance settlement is subject to on-going negotiations with COSLA and the results will be confirmed as part of the Scottish Budget on 6 February. The Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Economy and Fair Work, Derek Mackay will write to COSLA President Alison Evison, copied to all council leaders on the same day setting out the package of measures that make up the 2020-21 local government finance settlement and a Local Government Finance Circular will be published setting out the provisional individual allocations to local authorities.

Question reference: S5O-04018

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 January 2020
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 16 January 2020

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it has overturned the City of Edinburgh Council's rejection of planning permission for a series of boat hotels on the Union Canal.