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-15445

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 03 June 2013
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 17 June 2013

To ask the Scottish Government��when it will publish its response to its consultation on a plastic bag tax.

The Scottish Government has not consulted on a plastic bag tax. Our safeguarding Scotland’s resources consultation on efficient use of materials included a proposal for regulations requiring retailers to charge at least 5p for all single use carrier bags, regardless of material, and donate the net proceeds to good causes. We intend to publish our proposals soon, together with consultation responses and analysis.

Question reference: S4T-00390

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 10 June 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 June 2013

To ask the Scottish Government��whether it will provide an update on its 2011 climate change target.

Question reference: S4W-14968

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 May 2013
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 30 May 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how many ministerial journeys of (a) one to two miles and (b) one mile and under have been completed (i) by car, (ii) on foot, (iii) on bicycle and (iv) using public transport since 2007 and what impact it expects its recently launched campaign, Not Far? Leave the Car, to have on such journeys.

The information requested at point (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv) could only be obtained at disproportionate costs.

The recently launched Active Travel campaign aims to encourage the Scottish public to reduce the number of short journeys made by car. The campaign raises awareness of the benefits of walking and cycling in terms of wellbeing, environment and financial cost.

The Scottish Government continually looks for ways to minimise the use of cars for official journeys and Ministers take their responsibility to travel sustainably very seriously and aim to use more sustainable forms of transport whenever possible.

Where practicable, Ministers are encouraged to use public transport or walk to their engagements.

You may be interested to know that all Ministerial journeys by Car and public transport are published on the .

Question reference: S4W-15094

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 May 2013
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Burgess on 29 May 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of landlords had lodged all eligible deposits with tenant deposits schemes by 15 May 2013.

Not all landlords take deposits from tenants. In addition, letting agents acting on behalf of landlords will have lodged a proportion of the deposits now with one of the three approved tenancy deposit schemes. As such, we cannot confirm what percentage of all landlords have lodged eligible deposits.

Up to the end of April 2013, over 140,000 deposits with a total value of £89 million had been lodged with one of the three approved tenancy deposit schemes. These are the most up to date figures available.

Comparison with the number of properties private landlords have registered with local authorities suggests that some landlords still need to lodge deposits.

The Scottish Government will continue to work with the scheme providers and other stakeholders to encourage compliance with the law in this area.

Question reference: S4W-15046

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 May 2013
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Burgess on 29 May 2013

To ask the Scottish Government��what action it will take with regard to landlords that did not register their tenants’ deposits with the tenancy deposit protection scheme by the deadline of 15 May 2013.

The Scottish Government continues to work with the scheme providers and other stakeholders such as Citizens Advice Scotland and Shelter Scotland to encourage compliance with the law.

The Scottish Government recently introduced the Tenant Information Pack which provides key information for tenants and landlords in an easy to read format. From May 1st, landlords have a legal duty to provide the Tenant Information Pack to new tenants. The pack includes information on tenants’ rights with regards to their deposit being protected in a Tenancy Deposit Scheme.

The launch of the pack is supported by a new website: , which offers practical renting guides for tenants and landlords in Scotland’s private rented sector. Renting Scotland is jointly funded by the Scottish Government and Shelter Scotland. The website is an industry-wide information hub for both tenants and landlords in the private rented sector in Scotland.

Private landlords have a duty to protect tenants’ deposits with one of the three approved tenancy deposit schemes. If they fail to do so the tenant may apply to a sheriff to enforce the law. The court may order the imposition of a financial penalty of up to three times the deposit on a landlord. In addition, local authorities may take such a breach of housing law into account when considering the fit and proper test for landlord registration and licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation.

Question reference: S4W-15045

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 May 2013
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Burgess on 29 May 2013

To ask the Scottish Government��how many landlords registered their tenants’ deposits with the tenancy deposit protection scheme by the deadline of 15 May 2013.��

Up to the end of April this year, over 140,000 deposits with a total value of £89 million had been lodged with one of the three approved tenancy deposit schemes. Of these, more than 25,000 deposits had been submitted directly by landlords. Information on the number of landlords registered and deposits lodged with the schemes, as at the deadline of 15 May is not yet available.

Comparison with the number of properties private landlords have registered with local authorities suggests that some landlords still need to lodge deposits.

The Scottish Government will continue to work with the scheme providers and other stakeholders to encourage compliance with the law in this area.

Question reference: S4W-14967

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 May 2013
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 28 May 2013

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by Richard Lochhead on 12 March 2013 (Official Report, c. 17558), how many meetings of the Still Hungry for Success working group have been held; who attended; what issues were discussed, and what future meetings are planned.

The Still Hungry for Success working group met for the first time on 14 March 2013 and again on 8 May 2013

The following table shows working group membership and attendance

Name	Organisation	14 March 2013	8 May 2013
Hugh Fraser (chair)	Association of Directors of Education Scotland (ADES)	attended	attended
Bill Kennedy	Association of Service Solutions in Scotland (ASSIST)	attended	attended
Jackie Brock	Children in Scotland	attended	apologies
Heather Peace	Food Standards Agency	attended	attended
Andrew Kennedy	Association of Public Service Excellence	attended	attended
Julia McCreadie	Cordia	attended	attended
Lisa Pierotti	Glasgow CC (Secondary HT)	attended	apologies
Tania Mackie	Highland Council (Primary HT)	attended	attended
Shirley Beattie	Education Scotland	attended	apologies
Lesley Kirkwood	Education Scotland	apologies	attended
Kathy Cameron	Convention of Scottish Local Authorities	attended	attended
James Withers	Scotland Food and Drink	apologies	apologies
Claire Hislop	NHS Health Scotland	attended	attended
Veronica McAleaney	Scottish Govt Procurement Policy	attended	attended
Hugh Carr	Scotland Excel	not yet a member	attended
Iain Ellis	National Parents Forum	not yet a member	attended
Bill Scott-Watson	Scottish Govt Learning	attended	attended
Lyndsey Fogg	Scottish Govt Learning	attended	attended
Robin Gourlay	Scottish Govt Food and Drink	attended	attended

��

At the first meeting the group discussed progress since Hungry for Success launched in 2003, existing successes, challenges and barriers in relation to school food provision and education.

At the second meeting, following informal consultation by group members with their stakeholder groups, discussion centred on the potential structure and scope of the guidance document.

The working group plan to meet again on 5 June, 14 August and 5 September.

Question reference: S4W-14657

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 03 May 2013
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 22 May 2013

To ask the Scottish Government��how many mountain hares are killed annually and what proportion of the national population this represents.

A report commissioned by Scottish Natural Heritage in 2006 indicated that a minimum of 24,529 mountain hares are controlled annually (mainly by shooting) on Scottish estates. This represents 7% of the 1995 published Scottish population estimate of 350,000. However, the population estimate is subject to error, and so accounting for this uncertainty, the reported level of cull would lie in the range of 3.5 to 14% of the total population. Scottish Natural Heritage are planning to undertake further studies to determine the population level either later in the current year or in the next financial year.

Question reference: S4W-14662

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 03 May 2013
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 20 May 2013

To ask the Scottish Government��what guidance it produces on the sustainable culling of mountain hares.

The Scottish government has not issued guidance on the sustainable culling of the mountain hare as the only published information on the population level of the species is an estimate of 350,000 which dates from 1995 and is subject to a 50% margin of error. Further studies are therefore required to determine the population level and to provide a more accurate assessment of the number of mountain hares in Scotland; and Scottish Natural Heritage are planning to carry these out either later in the current or in the next financial year.

Question reference: S4W-14659

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 03 May 2013
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 20 May 2013

To ask the Scottish Government��what scientific evidence it has linking disease impacts on game birds to numbers or densities of mountain hares.