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: S5W-13422

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 December 2017
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 22 December 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce obesity levels among children.

The Scottish Government wants all children and their families to eat healthily, have a healthy weight and enjoy the same healthy life expectancy no matter where they live. We recognise there is no simple solution and are presently consulting on a bold new diet and obesity strategy. This proposes a package of measures to improve the food environment and improve children’s diet including limiting the promotion of products high in fat, sugar and salt and tackling advertising. The consultation on ' runs until 31 January 2018.

Through the Curriculum for Excellence, every school pupil is entitled to learn about food and health, not just practical cooking skills but also nutrition, hygiene and making choices alongside the influence of advertising. We are also supporting children to eat a healthy balanced diet throughout their school day including free school meals for Primary 1-3. Between 2015-19 we are investing £50 million in Active Schools.

Question reference: S5W-13423

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 December 2017
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 21 December 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the article in The Scotsman on 8 December 2017, which suggests that the number of crimes involving hunting dogs has more than doubled in the last year.

The source of the statistic provided by The Scotsman article in question is the Scottish Government's 2016 Annual Report on Wildlife Crime in Scotland which is available via the following web link: .

Hare coursing, an offence covered by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and the Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Act 2002, accounted for 38 of the 44 offences involving hunting with dogs in 2015/16. A significant element of the increase in this crime is attributable to greater awareness of the offence and improved reporting of suspicious activity.

Police Scotland recognises hare coursing as a Wildlife Crime Priority (noting that it is often linked with other types of rural crime) and is considering ways to further address it in 2018. Anyone witnessing suspicious activity should report it to Police Scotland by dialling 101 or 999 if a crime is in progress.

Question reference: S5W-13420

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 December 2017
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 21 December 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in response to reports that there is an infestation of bed bugs in the Govanhill area of Glasgow.

Question reference: S5W-13431

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 December 2017
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 21 December 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what main environmental impacts of the A9 dualling project between Killiecrankie and Glen Garry were recorded in the recent assessment by Jacobs.

Question reference: S5W-13579

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S5W-13577

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S5W-13424

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 December 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 20 December 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what the total annual salary of nurses has been in each year since 2006-07.

Nurses are on the Agenda for Change pay system which matches staff to a series of pay bands according to their job description. There are nursing staff from Band 2 to Band 9, depending on their level of responsibility, with qualified nurses starting at Band 5. Pay scales for NHS Scotland staff are published each year and become Annex 3(S) of the Scottish Agenda for Change Terms and Conditions Handbook. An archive of historic pay rates going back to 2004 is set out in Annex 2(S). The Handbook can be found on-line at - .

Question reference: S5W-13418

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 December 2017
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 20 December 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the compulsory teaching of LGBT issues in schools to help tackle bullying.

We published guidance on relationships, sexual health and parenthood (RSHP) education in 2014 and the LGBTI Inclusive Education Working Group are currently looking at what else can be done to improve the delivery of LGBTI inclusive RSHP education. Scotland does not have a statutory curriculum, learning is tailored to meet the needs of individual children and young people.

The Scottish Government published Respect for All: The National Approach to Anti-bullying for Scotland's Children and Young People on 15 November 2017 which provides guidance to schools on tackling prejudice-based bullying.

Question reference: S5W-13416

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 December 2017
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 19 December 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported concerns among people in Culter in Aberdeenshire regarding the disruption that has been caused by installation of temporary traffic lights in place of the roundabout at Milltimber Brae.

Transport Scotland attended a community meeting in Culter on
5 December 2017 to explain the junction changes. Although permanent traffic signals have been operational since 5 December, they are still on a temporary phasing until the traffic is introduced from the AWPR itself. I am advised that this has improved the situation for road users. Temporary signals are also still in place outside peak times to complete associated barrier and verge works.

When complete, the AWPR will deliver over a £6 billion economic benefit for the North East, reducing costs to business and providing opportunities for increased sales and over 14,000 jobs created in the first 30 years after the scheme opens. Around 1,500 people are currently working on the project, including on-the-job training for apprentices and local employment opportunities for long-term unemployed people. I would like to thank road users in the area for their patience whilst these essential works are being undertaken.

Question reference: S5W-12906

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 November 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 7 December 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has invested in the (a) rail and (b) bus network in each year since 2007, also broken down by the amount invested in (i) Aberdeen, (ii) Edinburgh and (iii) Glasgow.

Investing in rail is a key priority of the Scottish Government, with over £7 billion committed since 2007 to support Network Rail’s operation, maintenance, renewal and enhancement of the rail infrastructure, and to deliver the economic and social benefits of the ScotRail franchise contract across the full network. This core investment is not disaggregated to individual route levels.

In respect of investment in the bus network we are unable to provide a geographical analysis. The national figures for Support for Bus Services in respect of Concessionary Fares and the Bus Service Operators Grant are published on the Transport Scotland website to 2015-16 - . The investment in respect of 2016-17 is £53m for the Bus Service Operators Grant and £194m for Concessionary Travel.

The details of support for the Green Bus Fund are also published on the Transport Scotland website -

The Scottish Government also provided support for the Bus Investment Fund in financial years 2013-14 (£1m), 2014-15 (£2m) and 2015-16 (£4m).