Parliamentary questions
Tim Eagle
1,493 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
11 Jul 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government by what date the MV (a) Isle of Islay and (b) Loch Indaal will be fully operational.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The planned in-service dates provided by CMAL in the June 2024 update to the NZET Committee were end November 2024 for MV Isle of Islay and end March 2025 for MV Loch Indaal. Transport Scotland, CMAL and CalMac will keep these dates under review as the vesse…
19 Jun 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how many (a) public and (b) private electric vehicle charging points there currently are in each local authority area.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Scottish Government does not hold information relating to the total number of public or private electric vehicle (EV) charge points in each local authority area. Information about public EV charge points in each of Scotland’s local authority areas can be …
18 Jun 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much has been distributed to projects from the Scottish Landfill Communities Fund in each local authority area in each of the last five years.
Answer · Ivan McKee: The Scottish Landfill Communities Fund is a tax credit scheme, linked to Scottish Landfill Tax. Contributions are provided directly by landfill operators to Approved Bodies, which are then responsible for awarding funding to projects throughout Scotland. The …
18 Jun 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported concerns from projects in Scotland regarding an anticipated future decrease in the Scottish Landfill Communities Fund, and what action it plans to take to mitigate any loss of funding.
Answer · Ivan McKee: The Scottish Landfill Communities Fund has played an important role in funding community and environmental projects across Scotland. The Scottish Government recognises that the forecast decline in landfill tax revenues, which reflect the policy intent to red…
13 Jun 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27321 by Jenny Gilruth on 17 May 2024, what steps Education Scotland will take to encourage more schools to participate in Computing Science Scotland Week, should it proceed again in 2024.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: Education Scotland will continue to work with local authorities and external partners to promote themed weeks. Dates will be promoted from August 2024, through our networks (Computing Science and Primary Computing Science networks on Glow, Local Authority Nat…
13 Jun 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish its next Carbon Neutral Islands Project Progress Report.
Answer · Jim Fairlie: The six islands making up the Carbon Neutral Islands Project have seen significant successes since the last progress report was published on 19 January 2023. An annual report is currently being drafted in collaboration with key stakeholders which we plan to p…
13 Jun 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it considered establishing a ferry compensation scheme for island businesses in advance of its announcement on 24 May 2024 of new funding schemes for island communities.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Scottish Ministers are focused on ensuring a reliable and resilient ferry service, including six new vessels in service by 2026. We fully recognise the need to support our island businesses and that is why we are offering 100% relief in 2024-25 for hospitalit…
13 Jun 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27321 by Jenny Gilruth on 17 May 2024, whether Education Scotland will hold Computing Science Scotland Week in 2024.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: Education Scotland will hold another Computing Science Event in November 2024. This year there will be 2 weeks – week 1 (4 to 8) will be targeted at computational thinking / no code/low code creative computing activities focusing on ELC and Primary and week 2…
13 Jun 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27321 by Jenny Gilruth on 17 May 2024, whether it will provide details of the schools that participated in Education Scotland’s Computing Science Scotland Week in 2023, broken down by local authority.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: Based on registrations for November 2023 Computing Science week, the numbers provided in S6W-27321 are the accurate number of schools registered for each event during this week. It is difficult to be definitive on how many schools engaged as schools may also …
13 Jun 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27323 by Neil Gray on 17 May 2024, how it plans to evaluate the role that the Golden Hello payment scheme plays in supporting GP retention.
Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish School of Primary Care will be evaluating the role the Golden Hello scheme plays in supporting GP retention.
13 Jun 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish the Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment for the draft Housing (Scotland) Bill.
Answer · Paul McLennan: The impact assessments for the Housing (Scotland) Bill will be published in tranches. The first of these to be published was the Equality Impact Assessment, published on 21 June 2024 on the Scottish Government website, and the remaining impact assessments inc…
13 Jun 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it still plans to undertake a review of the short-term let licensing scheme by late spring 2024 to assess how the scheme is working in practice, as it has previously committed to.
Answer · Paul McLennan: The implementation update will be published later in July instead of June. I also refer the member to the answer to question S6W-27717 on 4 June 2024 in relation to the monitoring work. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parli…
6 Jun 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported data published by the British Medical Association Scotland showing that the top five NHS boards with the highest number of GP vacancies per 100,000 population are within the Highlands and Islands region.
Answer · Neil Gray: The British Medical Association has used data from the latest General Practice Workforce Survey , published by NHS Education Scotland in December 2023, which collects data on vacancies throughout the year. This report notes data quality concerns over vacanc…
4 Jun 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to the question S6W-25696 by Jenny Gilruth on 5 March 2024, whether it is still the case that its report following the consultation on draft guidance on the Delivery of relationships, sexual health and parenthood (RSHP) education in Scottish schools will be publish…
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: Due to the large number of consultation responses received, we now expect this report to be published in Autumn 2024.
28 May 2024 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has held any discussions with stakeholders regarding the future of hyperbaric treatment services on the west coast.
22 May 2024 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has held any recent discussions with SSEN Transmission, in light of reported concerns by communities in the Highlands and Islands region regarding electricity transmission proposals.
Answer · Gillian Martin: Policy and regulation of energy networks in the UK, including their operation, maintenance and resilience, are reserved to the UK Government. Scottish Government Ministers and officials regularly meet with stakeholders, including network companies, across t…
14 May 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many complaints have been reported to it in relation to potential breaches of section 7.3 of the Scottish Ministerial Code by (a) ministers and (b) special advisers in each year since 2016.
Answer · Kate Forbes: Given the Scottish Ministerial Code is not a formal complaints procedure, the Scottish Government does not maintain a central list of 'complaints' made under it. The Scottish Government is therefore unable to provide a breakdown of 'complaints' by year and ca…
14 May 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many complaints of breaches of section 7.3 of the Scottish Ministerial Code by (a) ministers and (b) special advisers have been upheld in each year since 2016.
Answer · Kate Forbes: No complaints of breaches of the Scottish Ministerial Code have been upheld against Ministers. The Scottish Ministerial Code does not apply to special advisers, only to Ministers.
14 May 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to re-examine the installation of a fixed link between the Isle of Mull and the mainland, as originally proposed in the option appraisal for the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2).
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Investigation of potential fixed link connections (bridges, causeways and/or tunnels) between Mull and the Scottish mainland forms part of STPR2 recommendation 41. Details on why a fixed link to Mull is part of this recommendation can be accessed at: https:/…
14 May 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to re-examine the installation of a fixed link between the Cowal and Inverclyde, as originally proposed in the option appraisal for the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2).
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-27548 on 29 May 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/…
14 May 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how the Scottish Funding Council monitors the efficacy of funding awarded to universities from the University Innovation Fund.
Answer · Graeme Dey: The efficacy of the University Innovation Fund (UIF) has been monitored by the Scottish Funding Council through the submission of annual progress reports, managed through the SFC Outcome Agreement process. The SFC Knowledge Exchange metric return and HESA Hig…
14 May 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to re-examine the installation of a fixed link between the Isle of Jura and the mainland, as originally proposed in the option appraisal for the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2).
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-27548 on 29 May 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/…
14 May 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much funding has been allocated to the University Innovation Fund in each year since 2016-17.
Answer · Graeme Dey: The Scottish Government, through the Scottish Funding Council, has invested over £120mil in the University Innovation Fund since 2016 to support universities to work collaboratively to exploit their research to improve Scotland’s economy. Funding allocations …
14 May 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the universities that received funding from the University Innovation Fund in each year since 2016-17.
Answer · Graeme Dey: Funding allocations for individual universities for each academic year are managed through the SFC. Allocations are made publicly available on the SFC’s website, accessible here: University Indicative Funding Allocations 2024-25 - Scottish Funding Council (s…
14 May 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to re-examine the installation of a fixed link between the Isle of Jura and Isle of Islay, as originally proposed in the option appraisal for the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2).
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-27548 on 29 May 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/…
14 May 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many applications to the University Innovation Fund were (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful in each year since 2016-17.
Answer · Graeme Dey: The University Innovation Fund is one of the Scottish Funding Council’s core grants designed to support research and knowledge exchange activity across all institutions and is allocated according to a formula developed in consultation with the sector. Therefo…
14 May 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to re-examine the installation of a fixed link between Cowal and the Isle of Bute, as originally proposed in the option appraisal for the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2).
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-27548 on 29 May 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/…
14 May 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to re-examine the installation of a fixed link between the Cowal and Kintyre, as originally proposed in the option appraisal for the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2).
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: STPR2 (Recommendation 41) recommends that further study work to better understand the benefits, costs and challenges associated with a Sound of Harris fixed link, a Sound of Barra fixed link and a fixed link between Mull and the Scottish mainland is undertake…
14 May 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action has been taken by the Rural Delivery Plan Ministerial Working Group since it was established.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The Rural Delivery Plan Ministerial Working Group was established to drive forward activity and ensure that Government delivers in a cohesive way, making best use of our collective resources to deliver sustainable outcomes for rural, islands and rural coastal…
14 May 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its progress towards developing a Rural Delivery Plan.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: Preparatory work and engagement is underway to develop the Rural Delivery Plan. A data dashboard was published in December 2023, measurable objectives are being considered and investment mapped. The Rural Scotland Data Dashboard can be found at https://infog…