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-24567

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Cowdenbeath, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 23 February 2015
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 5 March 2015

To ask the Scottish Government how many new jobs will be needed by (a) 2020 and (b) 2025 to meet the changing demographics of the labour force.

The Scottish Government does not produce forecasts of jobs or the changing demographics of the labour market. The Office for National Statistics principal population projections (2012) are for the Scottish working age population to increase by 162,000 in the eight year period from 2012 to 2020 and an increase by 150,000 in the thirteen year period from 2012 to 2025. To put these projections into context, the number of people in employment in Scotland has increased by 114,000 in the four year period from October to December 2010 to October to December 2014. The impact of a rising working age population on the labour market will depend on a number of factors including the proportion of people of working age in work or seeking work and the labour market participation rates of those above state pension age.

Question reference: S4O-04116

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Cowdenbeath, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 March 2015
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 March 2015

To ask the Scottish Government how many young people who left school in 2014 are not in education, employment or training.

Question reference: S4W-24566

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Cowdenbeath, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 23 February 2015
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 4 March 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has made of employment trends up to (a) 2020 and (b) 2025, and what information it has regarding how this compares with the projections made by the UK Commissioner for Employment and Skills.

The Scottish Government does not produce forecasts of employment trends comparable to the projections made by the UK Commissioner for Employment and Skills. The UK Commission for Employment and Skills produces labour market projections for the UK including Scotland in its Working Futures reports. The latest report was published in March 2014 and covers the period 2012-22. It should be noted that the projections do not take account of the economic policies and priorities of the Scottish Government, and instead assume that current UK Government policies are adopted across the whole of the UK.

Question reference: S4O-04041

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S4O-03951

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Cowdenbeath, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 January 2015
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 January 2015

To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting colleges and other adult learning providers to improve adult literacy and numeracy and what progress has been made in tackling poor basic skills levels in adults.

Question reference: S4O-03886

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Cowdenbeath, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 January 2015
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 14 January 2015

To ask the Scottish Government how many times NHS Fife failed to meet its four, eight and 12 hour accident and emergency waiting time targets between 24 December 2014 and 4 January 2015.

Question reference: S4O-03776

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S4O-03738

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Cowdenbeath, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 November 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 November 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of goods sold in Scotland can be considered fair trade and what it is doing to increase the sale of fair trade goods.

Question reference: S4O-03685

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Cowdenbeath, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 November 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 13 November 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that anyone who may need help with a mental health problem can access appropriate help easily and receive treatment quickly.

Question reference: S4W-22855

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Cowdenbeath, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 October 2014
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 5 November 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of the Forth Crossing Act 2011 on riders of motorcycles of between 50cc and 125cc displaying learner plates and how many motorists it estimates will be affected by the legislation.