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-12786

Asked by: David Torrance, MSP for Kirkcaldy, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 31 January 2013
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 25 February 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what assistance it can provide to protect the Wemyss caves from erosion.

Six of the Wemyss Caves are collectively designated as a single scheduled monument and are therefore of national importance. They are an important part of the historic environment for the local community, drawing in visitors and those in the academic community interested in early medieval Scotland. Nevertheless, protection of the caves against coastal erosion is a difficult and complex issue, with no practical and cost effective solution found to date. Although the protection and management of coastal areas rests with Fife Council, Historic Scotland is willing to provide technical advice and consider grant support to seek a long term viable solution for this monument.

Question reference: S4W-12785

Asked by: David Torrance, MSP for Kirkcaldy, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 31 January 2013
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 20 February 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of all road users is cyclists and how often they have been (a) involved or (b) injured in accidents over the last five years.

The Scottish Household Survey Travel Diary shows that one per cent of journeys are made by bicycle. The Scottish Household Survey and the traffic estimates published in Scottish Transport Statistics also show small increases in cycling in recent years. Information on cyclists involved and injured in accidents is available in tables 12 (page 128) and A (page 11) of Reported Road Casualties Scotland 2011 which can be found in the Scottish Parliament’s Reference Centre (SPICe) (Bib number 54702).

Question reference: S4O-01736

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S4O-01639

Asked by: David Torrance, MSP for Kirkcaldy, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 December 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 December 2012

To ask the Scottish Government how it guarantees fair access to the grid and the right to choose independent connection providers for built and planned renewable installations.

Question reference: S4O-01537

Asked by: David Torrance, MSP for Kirkcaldy, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 November 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 November 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to increase the uptake of foreign language qualifications among university students to increase their employability.

Question reference: S4O-01447

Asked by: David Torrance, MSP for Kirkcaldy, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 October 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 November 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what actions it will take to raise energy productivity in Scotland in order to ease the energy-cost burdens on individual households as well as to create a more competitive marketplace for small businesses.

Question reference: S4O-01415

Asked by: David Torrance, MSP for Kirkcaldy, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 October 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 31 October 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to raise energy productivity in order to ease the energy cost burdens on individual households and create a more competitive marketplace for small businesses.

Question reference: S4O-01316

Asked by: David Torrance, MSP for Kirkcaldy, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 September 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 September 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what recent progress has been made on achieving the HEAT target for accident and emergency treatment times.

Question reference: S4W-08483

Asked by: David Torrance, MSP for Kirkcaldy, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 29 June 2012
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 18 July 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of S4 school leavers in 2011 entered (a) further education, (b) higher education and (c) apprenticeship schemes.

In September 2011, 42.1 per cent of S4 school leavers from the 2010-11 academic year were in further education, 0.5 per cent in higher education, 16 per cent in training and 19.1 per cent in employment.

We do not collect information on school leavers who enter apprenticeship schemes separately as part of the school leaver destination surveys. Leavers who enter apprenticeship schemes will be included within the ‘employment’ category.

Question reference: S4W-08497

Asked by: David Torrance, MSP for Kirkcaldy, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 29 June 2012
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 18 July 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of the S4 school leavers in 2011 who did not enter apprenticeship schemes or further or higher education found employment within six months.

The initial and follow-up school leaver destination surveys do not separately identify school leavers who enter apprenticeship schemes. However, leavers on apprenticeship schemes will be included within the employment category.

Of the 8,164 S4 school leavers from the 2010-11 academic year included in the follow-up survey, 24.7 per cent were in employment and 11.1 per cent were in training in March 2012.