Parliamentary questions
Willie Rennie
1,353 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
29 Jan 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish the responses to the Deputy First Minister’s letter on EU membership on her blog unedited as soon as they are received.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The decision to make any response publicly available would be for the member state who provided it. The Scottish Government will respect the wishes of fellow Member States in deciding whether or not to publish a response.
21 Jan 2013 · First Minister's Question
To ask the First Minister what issues will be discussed at the next meeting of the Cabinet.
15 Jan 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many meetings there have been between ministers or officials and members of the Independent Budget Review since the publication of Independent Budget Review: The Report of Scotland's Independent Budget Review Panel.
Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-12256 on 28 January 2013, the Independent Budget Review (IBR) report sets out a menu of options for delivering public services within a significantly constrained public expenditure environment and the Governmen…
15 Jan 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government which of the recommendations from chapter (a) 2, (b) 3, (c) 4 and (d) 5 of Independent Budget Review: The Report of Scotland's Independent Budget Review Panel have been implemented.
Answer · John Swinney: The Independent Budget Review (IBR) report sets out a menu of options for delivering public services within a significantly constrained public expenditure environment. Following the publication of the report, the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and …
15 Jan 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish all correspondence between ministers, officials and Professor Stephen Tierney since his appointment as an independent expert adviser on the referendum.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-12253 on 7 February 2013. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentar…
15 Jan 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish the advice of Professor Stephen Tierney in his role as independent expert adviser on the referendum.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-12253 on 7 February 2013. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found: at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamenta…
15 Jan 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will make a statement on the role of Professor Stephen Tierney as an independent expert adviser as announced in the news release of 5 July 2012, Scottish Government appoint referendum expert.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Copies of correspondence between ministers, officials and Professor Stephen Tierney, regarding Professor Tierney’s appointment as an independent expert adviser on the Scottish independence referendum, have been lodged in SPICe, along with a copy of his paper,…
14 Jan 2013 · First Minister's Question
To ask the First Minister what issues will be discussed at the next meeting of the Cabinet.
7 Jan 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the Expert Working Group on Welfare will consider the tax credits system.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-12103 on 17 January 2013. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentar…
7 Jan 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the Expert Working Group on Welfare has been asked to recommend which elements of the £2.5 billion in reductions referred to in its news release of 6 January 2012, A welfare system for Scotland, should be reversed.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-12103 on 17 January 2013. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentar…
7 Jan 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the Expert Working Group on Welfare has been asked to consider which elements of the Welfare Reform Act 2012 should be reversed.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-12103 on 17 January 2013. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentar…
7 Jan 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the Expert Working Group on Welfare has been asked to use the welfare system in place prior to May 2010 as a baseline.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-12103 on 17 January 2013. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentar…
7 Jan 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish the letters of appointment issued to the members of the Expert Working Group on Welfare.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-12103 on 17 January 2013. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentar…
7 Jan 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish the terms of reference of the Expert Working Group on Welfare.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-12103 on 17 January 2013. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentar…
7 Jan 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in considering the definition of Scottish values to be used by the Expert Working Group on Welfare, what values held by people in other countries it (a) assessed and (b) considered inferior to those proposed.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-12103 on 17 January 2013. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentar…
7 Jan 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what statistical evidence it used to construct the definition of Scottish values to be used by the Expert Working Group on Welfare.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-12103 on 17 January 2013. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentary…
7 Jan 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it arrived at the definition of Scottish values to be used by the Expert Working Group on Welfare.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-12103 on 17 January 2013. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentar…
7 Jan 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the Expert Working Group on Welfare will define Scottish values in its final report.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-12103 on 17 January 2013. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentar…
7 Jan 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has provided a definition of Scottish values to the Expert Working Group on Welfare.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Scottish Ministers have set out their vision on welfare in an independent Scotland in Your Scotland, Your Voice and in Working for Scotland: The Government’s Programme for Scotland 2012-13. Opportunities for debate on the principles and values that should und…
7 Jan 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it gave to appointing (a) women and (b) people with incomes in the lower five deciles of Scottish incomes to the Expert Working Group on Welfare.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-12101 on 17 January 2013 All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentary…
7 Jan 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many people it has invited to join the Expert Working Group on Welfare and what proportion (a) was women and (b) has an income in the lower five deciles of Scottish incomes.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Five people with expertise in public sector delivery, social policy, accountancy and economics have been appointed to the Expert Working Group on Welfare. One woman has been appointed to the Group. Information on income was not sought.
17 Dec 2012 · First Minister's Question
To ask the First Minister what issues will be discussed at the next meeting of the Cabinet.
10 Dec 2012 · First Minister's Question
To ask the First Minister what issues will be discussed at the next meeting of the Cabinet.
5 Dec 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-11504 by Nicola Sturgeon on 3 December 2012, to what organisations that provide advice services on welfare and benefits it provides funding; how much funding it is providing in 2012-13, and from which budget line.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government is doing what it can within our current powers to tackle poverty and inequality and have sought to maximise household incomes and put plans in place to mitigate the impact of welfare reform. Within my portfolio there are a range of int…
5 Dec 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to provide additional guidance to community planning partnerships on the process required to reach single outcome agreements.
Answer · John Swinney: Guidance to community planning partnerships on the scope and content of their new Single Outcome Agreements (SOAs), including the timetable for their submission and agreement with the Scottish Government, was published on 4 December 2012 and is available on t…
5 Dec 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its definition is of the phrase "the post-Christie agenda", used in its document, Single Outcome Agreements, Guide to Community Planning Partnerships.
Answer · John Swinney: The “post-Christie agenda” means planning and delivering public services in line with the approach set out in the Scottish Government’s response to the Report of the Commission on the Future Delivery of Public Services that was led by the late Dr Campbell Chr…
5 Dec 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of the increase in business rates income outlined in the 2013-14 draft budget will come from local authorities that exceed their business rates incentivisation scheme targets and whether the retention by local authorities of their share is reflected in table 12.01 of the …
Answer · John Swinney: The non domestic rates income (NDRI) shown in the 2013-14 draft budget is our best estimate of what will be collected in 2013-14 taking into account the normal inflationary increase associated with matching the English poundage, business growth, the differing…
5 Dec 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by John Swinney on 8 December 2011 (Official Report, c. 4537), what progress has been made on implementing the business rates incentivisation scheme; what the latest estimate is of the impact of the scheme, and which local authorities it expects will exceed thei…
Answer · John Swinney: The business rates incentivisation scheme was introduced on 1 April 2012. The impact of the scheme and the local authorities that exceed their targets will not be known until the final 2012-13 non domestic rate income returns are received.
5 Dec 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by John Swinney on 27 November 2012 (Official Report, c. 13912), whether it will publish a table of the average per capita provisional funding allocations for each local authority and what percentage this represents of the average per capita for Scotland (a) usi…
Answer · John Swinney: Additional funding of £25 million to deliver on the Scottish Government’s commitment to introduce a 85% per capita funding floor was included in the local authority allocations in each year covering the 2012-15 settlement period following Spending Review 2011…
5 Dec 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by John Swinney on 27 November 2012 (Official Report, c. 13912), when it will inform (a) local authorities and (b) the Parliament of how much additional revenue support each council will receive in 2013-14 from the (i) £70 million available to freeze the council…
Answer · John Swinney: The distributions of the £70 million for the council tax freeze and the £25 million to deliver the Scottish Government’s commitment for the 85% per capita floor, which was implemented as part of the 2012-15 settlement following Spending Review 2011, are both …