Elaine Murray

24 May 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it provides to licensing authorities regarding the testing of vehicles used as (a) taxis and (b) private hire cars.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The Scottish Government publishes “Taxi and Private Hire Car Licensing: Best Practice for Licensing Authorities”. This was updated last year (published April 2012). There is a section on vehicle testing covering both taxis and private hire cars.

23 May 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether Network Rail can submit bids to Transport Scotland to operate rail passenger services and, if so, what assessment it has made of Network Rail’s capacity to operate such services.

Answer · Keith Brown: Network Rail would require to be licensed to provide rail passenger services by the Office of Rail Regulation to enable it to bid to operate a rail franchise. The Scottish Government has no reason to expect that Network Rail will wish to bid for rail franchis…

23 May 2013 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the chief constable regarding the number and location of control rooms required by Police Scotland.

20 May 2013 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth had with his ministerial colleagues prior to allocating the most recent round of Barnet consequentials.

16 May 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many legal challenges have been (a) lodged and (b) upheld against (i) its and (ii) public sector tender processes and the awarding of contracts in each year since 2007.

Answer · John Swinney: The numbers of legal challenges lodged against the Scottish Government’s tender processes and the awarding of contracts for the years from 2007 to date are as follows: 2007 – 0 lodged; 0 upheld 2008 – 0 lodged; 0 upheld 2009 – 0 lodged; 0 upheld 2010 – 1 …

16 May 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government which public sector bodies have had to buy in marketing services due to the delay in the new framework and what extra expenditure has been incurred.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The current Marketing Services Framework has been extended until 31 May 2013 to allow Scottish Central Government bodies to continue to call off their requirements in order to ensure that their objectives are met. We are not aware of any requirement to buy in…

16 May 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when the new marketing services framework will be published.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The fully managed services framework for marketing services was awarded on 25 April 2013. The multi-lot marketing services framework was awarded on 24 May 2013.

15 May 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what progress Strathclyde Partnership for Transport is making on introducing an integrated ticket product across subway, bus and train services.

Answer · Keith Brown: At present Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) is developing a Smart product for use on the Glasgow Subway. This project is at an advanced stage with the system expected to go live later this year. No further details of SPT plans for bus or rail are p…

15 May 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the pilot smart ticket in North Lanarkshire, Glasgow city and Renfrewshire has been introduced through Action for Jobs - Supporting Young Scots into Work.

Answer · Keith Brown: A pilot Smart ticket has not yet been introduced, Transport Scotland is currently working with a system supplier to develop the technology needed for Local Authorities to update National Entitlement Cards with appropriate ticket products, with a view to parti…

15 May 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether there is an agreed timescale for moving the young persons' bus concession scheme to a smart platform.

Answer · Keith Brown: A Smart ticket product has been created and a small pilot group is being developed. Transport Scotland is engaging with vendors and operators to update operator’s ticketing infrastructure in order to facilitate operation of the product, with a view to start d…

15 May 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the pilot smart ticket for school transport in West and East Lothian has been introduced.

Answer · Keith Brown: Transport Scotland is currently working with both local authorities and First Group to develop the system. It is anticipated that this project will be completed in the first half of 2014.

15 May 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether a timescale has been agreed to migrate the Orkney smart ticket to ITSO and, if so, what progress has been made toward an integrated product for bus and ferry services.

Answer · Keith Brown: No timescale has been agreed at present. Transport Scotland continue to seek a suitable opportunity to instigate a project.

15 May 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether National Express Dundee has introduced a commercial smart ticket and, if so, what the uptake is.

Answer · Keith Brown: National Express Dundee, in partnership with Transport Scotland, Dundee City Council and Dundee College has introduced a Smart ticketing product which allows students to use part of their bursary to pay for city-wide bus travel. The product is currently in us…

13 May 2013 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether private landlords had lodged all eligible deposits with tenant deposit schemes by the deadline of 15 May 2013.

9 May 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the report, Impact of the Removal of RET from Commercial Vehicles on the Western Isles, Coll and Tiree.

Answer · Keith Brown: The findings of the report are currently being considered. The report will inform the terms of reference for a comprehensive review of commercial vehicle fares across the ferry network subsidised by the Scottish Government.

9 May 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how people can appeal a judgement of the Scottish Housing Regulator in relation to a complaint against a registered social landlord.

Answer · Margaret Burgess: This question relates to operational matters that are the responsibility of the Scottish Housing Regulator (SHR). The question has been passed to the SHR who will reply in writing to you directly.

9 May 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what responsibilities local authorities have to rehouse people leaving prison after serving a sentence for antisocial or threatening behaviour.

Answer · Margaret Burgess: If someone considers that they are homeless when released from prison after serving a sentence for antisocial behaviour, they can apply to a local authority for assistance. The local authority will then determine whether or not the applicant is homeless and …

9 May 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether registered social landlords are able to evict tenants who have been imprisoned as a result of antisocial or threatening behaviour and, if so, what steps they are required to take to do so.

Answer · Margaret Burgess: Social landlords must obtain a court order before evicting a tenant. They can obtain an order on various grounds, which include (amongst others) that the tenant has behaved antisocially towards neighbours or been imprisoned for an offence committed in the loc…

9 May 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what courses of action are available to registered social landlords when tenants exhibit persistent antisocial or threatening behaviour toward neighbours.

Answer · Margaret Burgess: Registered Social Landlords, working with their partners, such as local authorities and the police, can use a range of powers to tackle persistent antisocial behaviour. These powers can be targeted at the person exhibiting the behaviour, their premises, or ot…

9 May 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to make funding available to help private landlords to improve their properties.

Answer · Margaret Burgess: Owners of private property, including private landlords, are primarily responsible under the terms of their title deeds for meeting the cost of any work needed to improve their property. Local authorities have broad discretionary powers to assist owners who n…

9 May 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much (a) specialist housing for older people or (b) housing built to wheelchair standard will be provided as part of the 2012-13 to 2014-15 Affordable Housing Supply Programme.

Answer · Margaret Burgess: In May 2012, we introduced a new three year resource planning system to enable councils to plan the delivery of affordable housing more efficiently and effectively. This new approach has enabled each council to bring forward strategic local programmes of soci…

9 May 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4O-1817 by Margaret Burgess on 20 February 2013, whether it is now in a position to provide a timescale for its response to its consultation on the right to buy.

Answer · Margaret Burgess: While timescales can be subject to change, a policy announcement on right to buy is expected before the end of June 2013.

9 May 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made on developing new private finance options for the next three years to complement grant funding and facilitate the building of social rented housing.

Answer · Margaret Burgess: Current rounds of the Scottish Government’s award-winning National Housing Trust (NHT) initiative for local authorities and developers are supporting delivery of over 1,000 new affordable homes with 13 developers across 10 local authorities, as set out in the…

9 May 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will put in place a transparent framework for monitoring the volume and structure of new supply output of affordable housing, as suggested in A Housing Report for Scotland.

Answer · Margaret Burgess: We publish the approvals, starts and completions for the Affordable Housing Supply Programme as part of the quarterly housing statistics and we will continue to do this. We are also happy to meet with stakeholders to reassure them that our programme to delive…

25 Apr 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the potential impact on employment in the companies based in Scotland supplying the offshore oil and gas industry, what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the publication of a draft EU directive on safety in the offshore oil and gas sector.

Answer · Fergus Ewing : Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government believes that the UK already has a robust, proven national regime already in place and does not believe that there would be added value from another layer of regulation. We shared the UK Government’s concern that a propos…

25 Apr 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the potential impact on employment in the companies based in Scotland supplying the offshore oil and gas industry, whether it can take steps to ensure that the offshore safety regime takes account of the recommendations in Lord Cullen's report, The Public Inquiry into the Pi…

Answer · Fergus Ewing: Health and safety legislation is reserved to the UK Parliament. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is a non-departmental public body sponsored by the UK Department for Work and Pensions. Lord Cullen’s Inquiry into the Piper Alpha disaster led to the estab…

25 Apr 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the potential impact on employment in the companies based in Scotland supplying the offshore oil and gas industry, when it was first informed by the UK Government of the intention to restructure the Health and Safety Executive and what its assessment is of the impact on the …

Answer · Alex Neil: The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) created a new Energy Division on 1 April 2013. This is an internal reorganisation and the Scottish Government was not notified in advance. HSE has stated that it is its intention to increase its offshore inspectorate and …

25 Apr 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the potential impact on employment in the companies based in Scotland supplying the offshore oil and gas industry, what discussions it has had with UK Government ministers and officials regarding the implications for the safety inspection regime of the Health and Safety Exec…

Answer · Fergus Ewing: Health and safety legislation is reserved to the UK Parliament. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is a non-departmental public body sponsored by the UK Department for Work and Pensions. The recent reorganisation of the Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE)…

25 Apr 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the potential impact on employment in the companies based in Scotland supplying the offshore oil and gas industry, what discussions it has had with UK Government ministers and officials regarding the implications for the safety inspection regime of the Health and Safety Exec…

Answer · Fergus Ewing: Health and safety legislation is reserved to the UK Parliament. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is a non-departmental public body sponsored by the UK Department for Work and Pensions. The recent reorganisation of the HSE’s Energy Division is an interna…

25 Apr 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the potential impact on employment in the companies based in Scotland supplying the offshore oil and gas industry, what discussions it has had with UK Government ministers and officials regarding the implications for the safety inspection regime of the planned restructuring …

Answer · Alex Neil: The recent reorganisation of the Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) Energy Division is an internal issue for the HSE. The Scottish Government has not had discussions with UK Ministers and officials in respect of this. The Scottish Government is assured that …