Parliamentary questions
Jackie Baillie
9,397 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
28 Aug 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when SEPA’s policy on lochs impacted by high levels of phosphorous will be reinstated or changed.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: SEPA’s policies relevant to phosphorus discharges to freshwater lochs are set out in following documents issued in July 2014, May 2016 and August 2017 respectively: WAT-RM-37: Regulation of phosphorus discharges to freshwater lochs WAT-RM-21: Allocation of …
28 Aug 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason SEPA has suspended its policy on lochs that are impacted by high levels of phosphorous.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: SEPA has not suspended or withdrawn its policy on lochs that are impacted by high levels of phosphorus. SEPA has changed its approach to planning guidance and, where a loch is a priority for action under the Water Framework Directive, will now work with auth…
24 Aug 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service received reports from (a) Police Scotland and (b) the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service regarding the fire at Cameron House, Loch Lomond.
Answer · James Wolffe QC: The Lord Advocate is responsible for the investigation of all sudden, suspicious and unexplained deaths which occur in Scotland. Where a death requires investigation Police Scotland will submit a death report to COPFS containing the background information of …
24 Aug 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service has taken to keep families informed about the process in relation to fire at Cameron House, Loch Lomond.
Answer · James Wolffe QC: Police Scotland appointed Family Liaison Officers (FLO) to keep the families informed about the progress of the investigation. A FLO is an experienced police officer who has been specially trained to provide information to bereaved family members. At an appro…
24 Aug 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service will determine whether there is to be any prosecution in relation to the fire at Cameron House, Loch Lomond.
Answer · James Wolffe QC: The Lord Advocate is responsible for the investigation of all sudden, suspicious and unexplained deaths which occur in Scotland. Where a death requires investigation, this is undertaken by COPFS on behalf of the Lord Advocate. The Crown provides advice, supp…
20 Aug 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it will make the annual maintenance payment to participatants in the Forestry Grant Scheme, and what the reason is for the reported delay.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government commenced the annual maintenance payments for the Forestry Grant Scheme in June, three months earlier than when payments started last year. We continue to make payments on a weekly basis and anticipate that the majority of claimants wi…
20 Aug 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether phase 2 funding from the European Social Fund will be provided to West Dunbartonshire Council to support the continuation of its Working 4U programme.
Answer · Ivan McKee: The Scottish Government invited applications for both new operations or for phase 2 extensions to existing activity in February 2018. Officials met with West Dunbartonshire on 22 August 2018 on their proposals for phase 2 funding of the Working 4U programme. …
20 Aug 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to supplement the loss of funding for local authorities from the European Social Fund following Brexit.
Answer · Ivan McKee: Leaving the EU was not Scotland’s choice; the Scottish Government continues to try and engage meaningfully with the UK Government to avoid and mitigate the worst effects of exit on Scotland. This includes ensuring that powers repatriated from the EU on devolv…
7 Aug 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many stakeholders engaged in race equality submitted an application to the Workplace Equality Fund, and how it encouraged such applications, in line with the commitments of the Race Equality Action Plan 2017-2021.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: In Round 1 of the Workplace Equality Fund there were 7 applications from organisations who are primarily focussed on race equality. The Voluntary Action Fund (VAF) who manage the Workplace Equality Fund on behalf of the Scottish Government, and Scottish Gover…
7 Aug 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recommendation in the report from its Independent Adviser on Race Equality in Scotland, Addressing Race Equality: The Way Forward, what consideration it has given to designating the Fair Work Directorate as the overarching body to develop strategic thinking and a coordin…
Answer · Christina McKelvie: The Race Equality Action Plan, published in December 2017, includes over 120 actions the Scottish Government will take over the course of this parliament to secure better outcomes for ethnic minorities in Scotland. The Action Plan is informed by the 72 recomm…
7 Aug 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government which employability services and projects that it funds monitor users by ethnicity, and whether such information is collated and published.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: The following employability services and projects monitor users by ethnicity: Fair Start Scotland Work First Work Able Health and Work Support Pilot Employability Fund Community Jobs Scotland PACE (Partnership Action for Continuing Employment) The following …
7 Aug 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many applications to the Workplace Equality Fund had a focus on race and ethnicity, and how many of these applications were successful.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: In Round 1 of the Workplace Equality Fund there were 19 applications that had a focus on race and ethnicity. One of these applications was successful in securing funding. Voluntary Action Fund (VAF), who manage the Workplace Equality Fund on behalf of the Sco…
1 Aug 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-17698 by John Swinney on 31 July 2018, what the budget is for the (a) High Growth Spin Out Programme and (b) Enterprise Fellowships for 2018-19.
Answer · John Swinney: I have asked Steve Dunlop, Chief Executive of Scottish Enterprise to respond. His response is as follows: 1. High Growth Spin Out Programme Budget 2018-19 - £2,000,000 2. Enterprise Fellowships Budget 2018-19 - £705,000
1 Aug 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-17698 by John Swinney on 31 July 2018, how many individuals received Enterprise Fellowships in each year from 2011-12 to 2017-18.
Answer · John Swinney: I have asked Steve Dunlop, Chief Executive of Scottish Enterprise to respond. His response is as follows: Financial Year No. of Enterprise Fellowships 2011-12 8 2012-13 5 2013-14 4 2014-15 12 2015-16 6 2016-17 13 2017-18 9
1 Aug 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-17698 by John Swinney on 31 July 2018, how much was spent on the High Growth Spin Out programme in each year from 2011-12 to 2017-18.
Answer · John Swinney: I have asked Steve Dunlop, Chief Executive of Scottish Enterprise to respond. His response is as follows: Financial Year Spend on HGSP (£) 2011-12 858,142 2012-13 2,067,307 2013-14 1,296,703 2014-15 2,061,310 2015-16 2,358,098 2016-17 2,317,209 …
1 Aug 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-17698 by John Swinney on 31 July 2018, how many applications in relation to the High Growth Spin Out Programme from 2011-12 to 2017-18 were (a) approved and (b) rejected, and whether the applications came from universities, research institutes or NH…
Answer · John Swinney: I have asked Steve Dunlop, Chief Executive of Scottish Enterprise to respond. His response is as follows: Financial Year Approved Rejected HGSP Applicant 2011-12 3 2 All from universities (approved and rejected) 2012-13 4 4 All from universities (…
1 Aug 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-17698 by John Swinney on 31 July 2018, whether it will provide a list of the projects that received support from the High Growth Spin Out Programme since 2011.
Answer · John Swinney: I have asked Steve Dunlop, Chief Executive of Scottish Enterprise to respond. His response is as follows: Financial Year Project University 2011-12 RATTRAP Edinburgh Napier READ Strathclyde Sa-Fire Edinburgh Napier 2012-13 Pharma X Strathclyde …
23 Jul 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the limited supply and increasing demand for wood, what action it is taking to support the wood panel industry.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government is working with Forest Research and all parts of the forestry sector to provide accurate forecasts of timber availability at the Great Britain level and for different regions of Scotland which allows the wood panel industry to plan inv…
23 Jul 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many people are employed (a) directly and (b) indirectly by the wood panel industry.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: No official statistics are available for the number of people employed either directly or indirectly by the wood panel industry. The Wood Panel Industries Federation estimates a UK wide direct employment of just over 2,300 people and indirect employment of a…
23 Jul 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how much recycled wood has been used for burning for energy in each of the last 10 years.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Forestry Commission publish an annual estimate of the total woodfuel usage by fuel category in the report ‘Woodfuel demand and usage in Scotland’: https://scotland.forestry.gov.uk/images/corporate/pdf/Woodfuel-Demand-and-Usage-in-Scotland-2016.pdf The …
23 Jul 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the gross value added (GVA) is of the wood panel industry.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: No official statistics are available for the GVA of the wood panel industry. The Wood Panel Industries Federation estimate a UK wide GVA of approximately £850 million per annum. In 2015 Forestry Commission Scotland published a report on the Economic Contribu…
23 Jul 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what new tree planting and afforestation it has planned for the next 10 years.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Climate change plan is available online here: https://beta.gov.scot/publications/scottish-governments-climate-change-plan-third-report-proposals-policies-2018/pages/15/ The current area of woodland in Scotland is 1,440,000 hectares and this represents …
23 Jul 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to concerns that biomass is driving up the cost of virgin wood sources and moving recovery of waste wood to energy instead of recycling.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Energy Strategy has a commitment to develop a Bioenergy Action Plan that will provide clearer scope for the development of bioenergy in the Scottish energy system. A guiding principle is that biomass is produced and managed in a sustainable way, and shoul…
23 Jul 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the level of tree planting has been in each of the last 10 years.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The area of new tree planting in Scotland (including known natural colonisation) is published annually as an official statistic by the Forestry Commission: https://www.forestresearch.gov.uk/documents/5144/WAPR2018.xls . Data for each of the last ten years h…
23 Jul 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recommendation in the 2013 report, Review of Scottish Public Sector Procurement in Construction, whether it plans to appoint a Chief Construction Adviser.
Answer · Derek Mackay: In their response to the 2013 Review of Scottish Public Sector Procurement in Construction, the Scottish Ministers decided, at that time, not to accept the recommendation that the Government should appoint a Chief Construction Adviser, though it was also made…
23 Jul 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that fair work objectives are realised in public sector construction contracts.
Answer · Derek Mackay: Individual public bodies are responsible for their own procurement activity and effective contract management and monitoring should be undertaken to ensure that relevant Fair Work practices, including the Living Wage, continue to be applied throughout the dur…
23 Jul 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that contractors on public projects adhere to regulations and guidance.
Answer · Derek Mackay: Individual public bodies are responsible for their own procurement decisions and contract management and monitoring activity. Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015 require public bodies to include contract conditions, relating to the performance of th…
20 Jul 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce waiting times for imaging test results in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government is very much committed to ensuring all patients have swift and safe access to all parts of the patient pathway. Some aspects of performance within NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde are below the level required. That is why on 28 May the Sc…
20 Jul 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many NHS boards are outsourcing to external reporting agencies for imaging test results, and who it is outsourcing to, broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: The outsourcing of some diagnostic imaging reporting allows NHS Boards to maintain service capacity and meet rising demand. The following table details external agency usage in 2017-18 for radiology reporting services. NHS Borders, Lothian, Western Isles and…
17 Jul 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether NHS Education for Scotland has withdrawn training accreditation for junior doctors at (a) Vale of Leven, b) Inverclyde Royal and (c) the Royal Alexandria Hospital and, if so, whether prior warning was given to the NHS board and, if improvements were recommended, for what reason t…
Answer · Jeane Freeman: No; all three hospitals continue to hold training accreditation and NHS Education for Scotland (NES) continues to place trainee doctors in these hospitals. NES officials continue to work collaboratively with Greater Glasgow & Clyde Health Board to improve the…