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

Testing questions body text for accordion

Question reference: S4W-01595

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 July 2011
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 4 August 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how many reported incidents there have been since 2007 of police officers receiving payments from media organisations, broken down by police board area.

Question reference: S4W-00548

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 June 2011
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 14 July 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken to reduce unemployment in North Ayrshire.

Scottish Government is continuing to support North Ayrshire Council to identify opportunities to boost employment and solutions to counter adult unemployment.

Starting in 2010-11, Skills Development Scotland has aligned its pre-employment programmes (Get Ready for Work and Training for Work) with local labour markets, including those in North Ayrshire, through contract co-decision making with Community Planning Partnerships. This will help to drive up job related outcomes from our employability programmes.

North Ayrshire has also been a recipient of £1.38m European funds to support employability activity locally via the Community Planning Partnership (CPP) Priority 5 and a European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) grant of £517,561 towards their Business Growth Programme.

Scottish Government recently announced that Irvine Bay Urban Regeneration Company (URC) will receive £4m of grant funding in 2011-12 from Scottish Government/Scottish Enterprise.

Scottish Government is currently working with North Ayrshire Community Planning Partners, led by North Ayrshire Council, to consider options to address unemployment in the area. Possible options include the creation of a Jobs Task Force.

Question reference: S4W-00549

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 June 2011
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 22 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken to reduce youth unemployment in North Ayrshire.

The Scottish Government is continuing to support North Ayrshire Council to identify opportunities to boost employment and solutions to counter youth unemployment. For young people at the beginning of the employability pipeline, the delivery of 16+ Learning Choices has enabled North Ayrshire and its key partners to strengthen school to post-school transition planning, with more young people progressing into a positive and sustained destination, including employment.

Starting in 2010-11, Skills Development Scotland has aligned its pre-employment programmes, Get Ready for Work and Training for Work, with local labour markets, including those in North Ayrshire, through a co-commissioning process with community planning partnerships. This approach is designed to ensure our employability programmes respond effectively to local labour market needs.

Councillor David O’Neill, Leader of North Ayrshire Council, has recently written to the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth and I have responded as I have portfolio responsibility for learning and skills. In that reply, I have asked that colleagues in North Ayrshire continue to liaise with senior government officials to work proactively on this issue. I will maintain a close interest in this work as it develops.

Question reference: S4W-00550

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 June 2011
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 16 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is regarding the arming of transport police officers in Scotland in light of the Secretary of State for Transport confirming that British Transport Police in London are to be issued with firearms.

Question reference: S4O-00074

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 June 2011
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken to prevent the abandonment of animals in Scotland.

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