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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-04632

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 16 December 2011
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 11 January 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive how it ensures that there is sufficient consumer choice available for those who have to pay a professional fee in order to obtain a qualification as a swimming teacher.

Question reference: S4W-04633

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 16 December 2011
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 11 January 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what the qualification criteria are for applying for a swimming coaching licence and when the licensing scheme will be fully operational.

Question reference: S4W-04634

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 16 December 2011
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 11 January 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive whether UK coaching certificate qualifications will be the basis for swimming licences.

Question reference: S4W-04533

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 12 December 2011
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 10 January 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of the offshore research and development programme announced by the Minister for Energy, Enterprise and Tourism on 29 November 2011 will go toward research on the costs and risks associated with offshore renewables.

Question reference: S4W-04555

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 12 December 2011
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 9 January 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive how changes in the energy generation mix since the publication of the National Planning Framework for Scotland 2 will be considered in any public inquiry associated with the decision-making process for applications for new electricity generation stations that are also national developments.

Question reference: S4W-04532

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 12 December 2011
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 4 January 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what (a) statutory bodies, (b) non-statutory bodies, (c) community groups and (d) other marine stakeholder organisations will be consulted in identifying areas that might be suitable for offshore wind development by its scoping study for offshore wind farm development in Scottish waters.

The Scoping Report concludes a technical and scientific exercise to identify strategic search areas for offshore wind energy around Scotland. Statutory bodies, non-statutory bodies, community groups and other marine stakeholder organisations relevant to the areas identified in the Scoping Report will be consulted during the development of Regional Locational Guidance and the review of the Sectoral Plan for Offshore Wind Energy. The outcome of the Plan Review process will be an updated set of areas where offshore wind energy should develop around Scotland.

Question reference: S4W-04530

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 12 December 2011
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 4 January 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration its scoping study for offshore wind farm development in Scottish waters will give to project consenting.

The Scoping Report concludes a technical and scientific exercise to identify strategic search areas for offshore wind energy around Scotland. The report will be followed by the development of Regional Locational Guidance. Together, these documents mark the start of the review of the Sectoral Plan for Offshore Wind Energy. The outcome will be an updated set of areas where offshore wind energy should develop around Scotland. Regional Locational Guidance will be a material consideration in project consenting.

Question reference: S4W-04531

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 12 December 2011
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 4 January 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that its scoping study for offshore wind farm development in Scottish waters requires a (a) habitats regulation or (b) strategic environmental assessment and for what reason.

The publication of the Scoping Report will be followed by the development of Regional Locational Guidance. Together, these documents mark the start of the review of the Sectoral Plan for Offshore Wind Energy. This review will take place over a two year period where further strategic environmental assessment (SEA), habitats regulations appraisal (HRA), socio-economic assessment work will be undertaken as well as consultation with both statutory consultees and the public.

Question reference: S4O-00553

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 December 2011
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 January 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will next meet the chair or chief executive of NHS Orkney and what issues will be discussed.

Question reference: S4O-00524

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 December 2011
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 December 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the impact of greylag geese in Orkney and the effectiveness of the measures to limit the damage to agricultural land that the birds cause.