Questions and answers

Chamber and committees

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 ��˿�� 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: S4W-26410

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 June 2015
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 28 July 2015

To ask the Scottish Government how much each of its directorates has spent on consultancy fees in each of the last three years.

The total expenditure incurred by core Scottish Government on external consultancy for each of the last three financial years is as follows:

1 April 2012 to 31 March 2013 £4,392,297.59

1 April 2013 to 31 March 2014 £5,754,700.26

1 April 2014 to 31 March 2015 £4,650,293.41

The financial audit of the Scottish Government for 2014-15 is not yet complete, and the total for 1 April 2014 to 31 March 2015 may be subject to adjustment before being finalised.

Total expenditure incurred by core Scottish Government on external consultancy is among information published under the terms of the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010.

Expenditure for 2012-13:

The Scottish Government's finance system allows expenditure to be analysed by directorate, but only on the basis of the current directorate structure. Analysis of expenditure over this three year period by the current directorate structure would not accurately reflect actual expenditure incurred by directorates that have changed structure during this period, and would therefore not be comparable.

Question reference: S4W-26272

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 June 2015
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 27 July 2015

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-26063 by Fergus Ewing on 22 June 2015, what representatives from what community, environmental and industry groups ministers have been meeting.

Ministers have held the following meetings with representatives from community, environmental and industry groups to discuss the consultation and pre-consultation preparations:

24 March 2015 - Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Communities and Pensioners’ Rights and Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform met with Broad Alliance.

25 March 2015 - Minister for Business, Energy and Tourism and Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform met with the UK Onshore Operators Group.

25 March 2015 - Minister for Business, Energy and Tourism and Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform met with Friends of the Earth Scotland.

10 June 2015 - Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Communities and Pensioners’ Rights met with COSLA.

24 June 2015 – Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform met with The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.

Question reference: S4W-26411

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 June 2015
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 27 July 2015

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to update its international development plan and, if so, when, and whether it will consult on the update.

November 2015 sees the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the Scottish Government's international development plan. This provides an optimum opportunity to update it in order to ensure that it continues to provide funding to address some of the most pressing needs in developing countries. We are currently considering the best way to consult on this in order to capture as broad a range of views as possible.

Question reference: S4W-26156

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 June 2015
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 15 July 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the (a) First Minister, (b) Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Europe and External Affairs and (c) Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure, Investment and Cities had regarding the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership during her/his recent trip to the United States.

Question reference: S4W-26412

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 June 2015
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 9 July 2015

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to update its international strategy and, if so, when, and whether it will consult on the update.

Following the launch of Scotland’s Economic Strategy, which included internationalisation as one of its key priorities, Scotland’s International Framework was published on 25 March 2015.

The framework is accompanied, for the first time, by a ministerial International Policy Statement and supported by a digital platform of related material. The policy statement will be updated as our priorities and the environment in which we operate evolve, whilst the framework is intended to provide a longer term direction for our internationalisation activity.

The framework and policy statement were developed in close collaboration across the Scottish Government, its agencies, the wider public sector as well as stakeholders in Scottish society and adopt a partnership approach to delivery.

Scotland’s International Framework and the International Policy Statement are available online at:

Question reference: S4W-26063

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 June 2015
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 22 June 2015

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its plans for a consultation on unconventional gas and fracking.

Question reference: S4O-04511

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 June 2015
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 June 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to address food poverty in Mid Scotland and Fife.

Question reference: S4T-01054

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 08 June 2015
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 June 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the range of powers of the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner.

Question reference: S4O-04441

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 June 2015
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 June 2015

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met NHS Fife and what issues were discussed.

Question reference: S4O-04379

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 May 2015
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 May 2015

To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting the economy of Levenmouth in Fife.