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 MSPs 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: S3W-34307

Asked by: John Farquhar Munro, MSP for Ross, Skye and Inverness West, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 June 2010
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 18 June 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to support children attending Junior Academy at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, who recently had local authority funding withdrawn.

Some local authorities have made a decision to withdraw support for pupils who attend the RSAMD Junior Academy. Any decision to withdraw such funding is for them to consider. Scottish ministers have no locus to intervene in that decision.

The Scottish Government continues to support excellence in music for pupils of school age by providing funding, as part of the local government settlement, to four Centres of Excellence across Scotland; Broughton High School in Edinburgh, Dyce Academy in Aberdeen, Douglas Academy in Milngavie and Plockton High School, which specialises in traditional music. The Scottish Government also provides grant to St Mary''s Music School, an independent school in Edinburgh for assistance with fees.

Question reference: S3W-32318

Asked by: John Farquhar Munro, MSP for Ross, Skye and Inverness West, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 March 2010
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 18 March 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive how much (a) capital and (b) revenue funding was spent on the Scottish Environment Protection Agency’s building and facilities at Strathpeffer Road in Dingwall in each of the last 10 years.

Question reference: S3W-32319

Asked by: John Farquhar Munro, MSP for Ross, Skye and Inverness West, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 March 2010
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 18 March 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a breakdown of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency’s workforce by (a) local authority area and (b) function.

Question reference: S3W-32320

Asked by: John Farquhar Munro, MSP for Ross, Skye and Inverness West, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 March 2010
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 18 March 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a breakdown of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency’s workforce by (a) local authority area and (b) full-time equivalents at each pay grade.

Question reference: S3W-32142

Asked by: John Farquhar Munro, MSP for Ross, Skye and Inverness West, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 March 2010
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 12 March 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive whether research has been carried out into a connection between glucose-fructose syrup in food and drink and the rise in obesity.

Glucose-fructose syrup, also known as High-fructose Corn Syrup is used as an alternative to sugar (sucrose) by the food industry for certain products.

In 2009, the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) commenced a review of carbohydrate and health, this will include evaluating the evidence on sugar intake and cardio metabolic health outcomes including cardiovascular disease, type two diabetes and obesity. SACN are due to report in early 2012.

Question reference: S3W-32052

Asked by: John Farquhar Munro, MSP for Ross, Skye and Inverness West, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 01 March 2010
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 10 March 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive when the Skye and Kyle Rail Development Company will receive a response to its development grant application, reference number TSEF 259.

Question reference: S3W-30469

Asked by: John Farquhar Munro, MSP for Ross, Skye and Inverness West, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 January 2010
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 15 January 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive what the total cost has been of developing the Crofting Reform (Scotland) Bill to date, also showing the cost of (a) the Committee of Inquiry on Crofting, (b) analysing the results of the Draft Crofting Reform (Scotland) Bill consultation, (c) staff time in drawing up proposals and drafting the Bill, (d) the public launch, (e) travel and subsistence costs and (f) any other costs.

The total cost of developing the Crofting Reform (Scotland) Bill to date is approximately £1,023,658. A breakdown is provided in the following table. The Committee of Inquiry on Crofting was established by the previous administration during the 2006 Crofting Reform (etc) Bill. The committee of inquiry was established from December 2006 and ran till May 2008. Subsequent government costs have been incurred in taking forward the Committee of Inquiry on Crofting recommendations.

	Cost (£)
Committee of Inquiry on Crofting	654,647
Staff time in drawing up proposals and draft Bill	174,099
Publication and distribution of documents	34,364
Holding consultation meetings	21,755
Advertising and publicity	6,836
Analysing the results of the draft Crofting Reform (Scotland) Bill consultation	14,232
Staff time in drawing up proposals and Bill	106,042
Public launch of Bill	3,032
Travel and Subsistence	8,651
Total	1,023,658

Question reference: S3W-30470

Asked by: John Farquhar Munro, MSP for Ross, Skye and Inverness West, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 January 2010
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 15 January 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive what the total cost was of the Draft Crofting Reform (Scotland) Bill, also showing the cost of (a) staff time in drawing up proposals and drafting the draft Bill, (b) publication and distribution of documents, (c) advertising and publicity, (d) holding consultation meetings, (e) travel and subsistence costs and (f) any other costs.

Question reference: S3W-29423

Asked by: John Farquhar Munro, MSP for Ross, Skye and Inverness West, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 30 November 2009
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 8 December 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive how much farmland is tenanted compared with 1999.

Question reference: S3W-29422

Asked by: John Farquhar Munro, MSP for Ross, Skye and Inverness West, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 30 November 2009
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 8 December 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider revising the Agricultural Holdings (Scotland) Act 2003 to take into account the changing circumstances in the tenanted sector.