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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-13079

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 February 2013
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 8 March 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how many staff have been employed in local authority food safety services in each of the last five years.

Question reference: S4W-13078

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 February 2013
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 8 March 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to ensure that the (a) staffing levels and (b) skills required to sustain an effective food safety service are in place.

Last week saw the launch of the Scottish Government’s public consultation on its proposals for a single independent public body with responsibility for food safety and standards in Scotland. The important principles in delivering better standards are that advice on food safety, as well as nutrition and labelling, should be independent, evidence based and transparent, and should be provided by an organisation which should remain at arm’s length from central Government.

This consultation on the scope and responsibilities of the new food body is an opportunity for consumers as well as industry to tell us what they think about what the new food body should do, and how food safety and standards should be addressed in Scotland in the future.

Furthermore, the Audit Scotland report “Protecting Consumers” published 31 January 2013, recommends that Councils work with the FSA in Scotland to develop a workforce strategy, which identifies the staffing levels and skills required to sustain an effective food safety service over the next 5 to 10 years, and take action to address any shortfalls identified.

The FSA will engage with local authorities to address this recommendation either individually or collectively through COSLA as local authorities deem appropriate.

Question reference: S4W-13077

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 February 2013
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 8 March 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on concerns noted in the Audit Scotland report, Protecting consumers, regarding a loss of experience and expertise from food safety services due to staff reductions.

The report recommends that Councils work with the FSA in Scotland to develop a workforce strategy, which identifies the staffing levels and skills required to sustain an effective food safety service over the next 5 to 10 years, and take action to address any shortfalls identified.

The FSA will engage with local authorities to address this recommendation either individually or collectively through COSLA as local authorities deem appropriate.

Question reference: S4F-01226

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 04 March 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 March 2013

To ask the First Minister what issues will be discussed at the next meeting of the Cabinet.

Question reference: S4W-12656

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 January 2013
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 20 February 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish the responses to the Deputy First Minister’s letter on EU membership on her blog unedited as soon as they are received.

Question reference: S4W-12657

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 January 2013
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 19 February 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish the addressees to which the Deputy First Minister sent her letter on EU membership.

Question reference: S4F-01187

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 18 February 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 February 2013

To ask the First Minister what issues will be discussed at the next meeting of the Cabinet.

Question reference: S4O-01823

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 February 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 February 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact that college mergers will have on access to courses in Fife.

Question reference: S4W-12253

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 January 2013
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 7 February 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will make a statement on the role of Professor Stephen Tierney as an independent expert adviser as announced in the news release of 5 July 2012, Scottish Government appoint referendum expert.

Copies of correspondence between ministers, officials and Professor Stephen Tierney, regarding Professor Tierney’s appointment as an independent expert adviser on the Scottish independence referendum, have been lodged in SPICe, along with a copy of his paper, entitled “The Multi-option Referendum: international guidelines, international practice and practical issues”. (Bib numbers. 54712 and 54713).

Professor Tierney was appointed as the Government’s adviser in May 2012 to advise on issues arising from the consultation responses. He had a number of discussions with Scottish Government officials, and also met with the First Minister during the 2012 summer recess. The First Minister subsequently wrote to Professor Tierney to ask for his advice (based on international experience) on the practicalities of holding a two question referendum. However, following the signing of the Edinburgh Agreement on 15 October 2012, the issue of a two question referendum did not require further consideration.

Scottish Government officials met again with Professor Tierney in Autumn 2012, when he noted that the Government’s main proposals for running the referendum had received strong support from respondents (including key electoral stakeholders) and that there was, therefore, little on which he could offer additional advice.

Professor Tierney wrote to the First Minister on 21 January 2013 to tender his resignation as an independent expert adviser, as he was also being considered for an advisory role for the Referendum (Scotland) Bill Committee.

Question reference: S4W-12255

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 January 2013
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 7 February 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish all correspondence between ministers, officials and Professor Stephen Tierney since his appointment as an independent expert adviser on the referendum.

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2010-11	304
2011-12	259
2012-13	236