Seòmar agus comataidhean

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

Criathragan Hide all filters

Displaying 1303 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S5W-20247

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 November 2018
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 14 December 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will place in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe) a copy of its record of checks that have been carried out by (a) it, (b) its agencies and (c) non-departmental public bodies since the publication of the document, Guidance on due diligence: human rights.

The aim of producing Guidance on due diligence: human rights for investments was to ensure that decision makers have taken appropriate account of human rights issues before reaching a decision on whether to support an investment. The guidance does not specify how the Scottish Government agencies and non-departmental public bodies carry out due diligence checks as that is an operational matter for each organisation.

It is for the accountable officer of each agency and non-departmental public body to ensure that their organisation complies with guidance issued by Scottish Ministers. Checking compliance is a function of each organisation’s audit committee, with incidents of non-compliance highlighted during the annual audit of accounts. There is therefore no separate requirement for agencies and non-departmental public bodies to report to the Scottish Government on human rights due diligence checks that they carry out. The information requested in S5W-20248 through to S5W–20251 is therefore not held by the Scottish Government.

There is no plan for the Scottish Government to maintain a record of checks carried out by the agencies and non-departmental public bodies and so no plan to place that information in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Question reference: S5W-20252

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 November 2018
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 14 December 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what action has been taken by (a), it (b) its agencies and (c) non-departmental public bodies to ensure that all checks carried out since the publication of the document, Guidance on due diligence: human rights, (i) fully comply with the guidance and (ii) take account the nature and sensitivity of the relationship with the person or organisation being checked, and what the (A) minimum and (B) maximum scope and depth of these checks has been.

Question reference: S5W-20249

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 November 2018
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 14 December 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) initial and (b) full checks have been conducted by (i) it, (ii) its agencies and (iii) non-departmental public bodies since the publication of its document, Guidance on due diligence: human rights.

Question reference: S5W-20248

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 November 2018
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 14 December 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many companies have been the subject of checks by (a) it, (b) its agencies and (c) non-departmental public bodies since the publication of its document, Guidance on due diligence: human rights, broken down by sector, and how many checks have led to a decision to not enter into an investment relationship or agreement, broken down by reason.

Question reference: S5W-20251

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 November 2018
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 14 December 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many companies entered into an investment relationship or agreement with (a) it, (b) its agencies and (c) non-departmental public bodies (i) between 29 March 2017 and 13 June 2018 and (ii) since 14 June 2018, broken down by sector, and how many were subject to a human rights due diligence check, broken down by outcome.

Question reference: S5O-02712

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 December 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 December 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to change the system for cold weather payments.

Question reference: S5F-02850

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 03 December 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 December 2018

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S5W-20067

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 November 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 29 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the possible impact on Scotland of the proposal to make HMRC a secondary preferential creditor in insolvency.

Question reference: S5W-20069

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 November 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 29 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact on lending to Scotland-based businesses of the UK Government’s proposal to make HMRC a secondary preferential creditor in insolvency.

Question reference: S5W-20068

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 November 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 29 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the possible impact on (a) floating charge holders and (b) unsecured creditors, including pension funds and small businesses, in Scotland of the UK Government's proposal to make HMRC a secondary preferential creditor in insolvency.