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-20122

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 March 2014
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 24 March 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how a digital bill of rights would impact on devolved areas of responsibility and what its position is on this matter.

A digital bill of rights is not being considered actively at the present time. Under the Scotland Act 1998, however, there is a specific duty on Scottish Ministers and the Scottish Parliament to act in accordance with the rights set out in the European Convention of Human Rights, including the right under article 8 to respect for private and family life, which applies to the internet as elsewhere.

A world class digital Scotland requires people to be confident and comfortable in the use of the internet. In this regard, the Scottish Government notes the recent call by Sir Tim Berners-Lee for a digital bill of rights and will continue to monitor the development of thinking about such a bill.

Question reference: S4W-20121

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 March 2014
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 24 March 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how many changes have been made to policy or legislation as a result of carrying out a privacy impact assessment.

Question reference: S4W-20120

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 March 2014
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 24 March 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how many privacy impact assessments it has published since it adopted the identity management and privacy principles, and what the titles, subjects and publication dates were.

Five privacy impact assessments have been published on the Scottish Government website since the identity management and privacy principles were published in December 2010. Details are:

Children and Young People (Scotland) Bill

Subject: Rights and provision of services and support for children and families

Published: 19 November 2013

Aquaculture and Fisheries (Scotland) Bill

Subject: Fish farming and shellfish farming

Published: November 13 2012

Scottish Care Homes Census

Subject: Proposed inclusion of resident identifiable data to the Scottish Care Home Census

Published: 31 August 2012

Social Care, Housing Support & Health Data Bill

Subject: Linking social care, housing support & health data for statistics

Published: 05 April 2012

Maternity Care Experience Survey data

Subject: Sharing of maternity care experience survey data with the Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professionals Research Unit

Published: 14 February 2014

Question reference: S4O-03083

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 March 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 March 2014

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what consideration it has given to the future capacity needs of the Parliament in the event that it exercises significant additional powers.

Question reference: S4W-20065

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 March 2014
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 19 March 2014

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has achieved the 2012 greenhouse gas emissions target.

Question reference: S4W-19212

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 January 2014
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Burgess on 24 January 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how it is reviewing the (a) suitability and (b) effectiveness of short assured tenancies in the private rented housing sector.

Question reference: S4O-02862

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 January 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 January 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to increase the quality and affordability of private rented housing.

Question reference: S4W-19100

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 January 2014
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Burgess on 17 January 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of private tenancy deposits has been paid into a protected deposit scheme.

Question reference: S4W-19165

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 10 January 2014
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 16 January 2014

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S4W-18881 and S4W-18886 by Michael Matheson on 8 January 2014, whether it supports the prohibition of so-called "gay to straight conversion therapy".

Question reference: S4W-18865

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 December 2013
Current Status: Answered by David Stewart on 9 January 2014

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what arrangements are in place for its staff who are not members of trades unions to raise concerns or negotiate on issues such as terms and conditions.

We recognise three unions PCS, Prospect and FDA, and actively encourage membership as part of our employment processes. We consult and negotiate with them jointly as the TUS (Trade Union Side) on concerns or issues such as staff terms and conditions.

In addition we have a Parliamentary Staff Forum where staff members can raise issues on any general aspect of working in the Scottish Parliament; this is open to all staff. The Staff Forum is also used as a consultative forum by management on emerging policies and initiatives but does not have any negotiating role in relation to terms and conditions. All staff can also raise concerns about any issues, including terms and conditions, with the HR Office or their line manager