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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-00088

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 May 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 1 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received regarding the impact on (a) voluntary organisations and (b) businesses of the exclusion of business travel from the Air Discount Scheme.

Question reference: S4W-00092

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 May 2011
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 1 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive to what parts of (a) Orkney, (b) Shetland and (c) the Western Isles next generation broadband will be rolled out by 2015.

Question reference: S4W-00087

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 May 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 1 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to help island-based voluntary organisations to participate in national events on the Scottish mainland following the exclusion of business travel from the Air Discount Scheme.

Question reference: S4W-00086

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 May 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 1 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has carried out or plans to carry out an investigation of the impact on island-based businesses of the exclusion of business travel from the Air Discount Scheme.

Question reference: S4W-00090

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 May 2011
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 1 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what its target dates are for the development of a local broadband plan for each region.

Highlands and Islands Enterprise is currently finalising its local broadband plan for the Highlands and Islands region.

Additionally, the South of Scotland Alliance, whose area covers the geographic boundaries of Scottish Borders Council and Dumfries and Galloway Council, expects to have a comprehensive plan completed by September 2011.

The Scottish Government is currently working with local authorities, Scottish Enterprise and other stakeholders to help them develop local broadband plans for the remaining regions of Scotland this year.

Question reference: S4W-00091

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 May 2011
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 1 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what stakeholders will be involved in the development of a local broadband plan for Orkney.

Highlands and Islands Enterprise is leading on the development of a local broadband plan for the Highlands and Islands region, which will include Orkney. Highlands and Islands Enterprise plans to engage with a range of stakeholders in the development of its local broadband plan, including local authorities, the Scottish Government, the wider public sector, industry, local businesses, communities and individuals, MSPs and the UK Government.

As this project is being led by Highlands and Islands Enterprise, and is an operational matter for them, I suggest you write to its chief executive if you require additional information.

Question reference: S4W-00093

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 May 2011
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 1 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria will be used to prioritise the roll-out of superfast broadband to each (a) region and (b) local area in each region.

The Scottish Government’s overarching ambition, as outlined in our Digital Strategy of 3 March 2011, is that next generation broadband will be available to all by 2020, with significant progress by 2015. We are developing a strategic infrastructure plan for Scotland, which will comprise local broadband plans and will be developed throughout 2011 collectively with local authorities, our Enterprise Agencies and other stakeholders. It is the responsibility of these bodies to set the criteria for the prioritisation of the rollout of next generation broadband in each region and local area within each region.

Question reference: S4W-00042

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 16 May 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 31 May 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to review the Housing Association Grant benchmark of £40,000 per house for new properties.

The £50 million Innovation and Investment Fund is a one year programme planned for 2011-12. Funds will be allocated in due course on the basis of bids from potential housing providers which are due to be submitted by 31 May 2011. Once all bids have been assessed and funds allocated, we will review the way in which the fund has helped the Scottish Government support new developments and lever in the maximum possible investment from other sources.

Question reference: S4W-00085

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 May 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 31 May 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has carried out or plans to carry out an investigation of the impact on island-based voluntary organisations of the exclusion of business travel from the Air Discount Scheme.

The Scottish Government has not conducted, and has no plans to conduct, an investigation of the impact on voluntary organisations and businesses of the exclusion of business-related claims from the Air Discount Scheme (ADS).

We have not received representations from any voluntary organisations on the impact of the exclusion of business-related claims, although we have received a very small number of direct representations from businesses.

The ADS is designed to facilitate social support for individual scheme members. Although the scheme does not extend to providing voluntary organisations with help in participating in national events on the Scottish mainland, it is available to support individual members attending social type events on the mainland.

Question reference: S4W-00044

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 16 May 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 31 May 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the Housing Association Grant benchmark of £40,000 for new properties will allow housing associations in all regions to build new houses.

We said in our Strategy and Action Plan Homes Fit for the 21st Century that we would make a decisive change in the way we support new developments, using Government funding to lever in the maximum investment from other sources. Developments will also need to tie in with local authority local housing strategies. While all projects will be assessed against this benchmark (and we will encourage proposals requiring less grant), we will retain flexibility to consider higher subsidy, e.g. in remote rural areas or where projects require additional features to meet particular needs.