Parliamentary questions
Jackie Baillie
9,397 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
19 Dec 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what volume of freight has been transported from Prestwick Airport in 2016.
Answer · Keith Brown: Between January 2016 and November 2016 a total of 10,313 tonnes of freight was transported through Glasgow Prestwick Airport. These are the latest figures available at this time.
19 Dec 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-04621 by Keith Brown on 29 November 2016, how many inbound militiary flights arrived at Prestwick Airport in 2016.
Answer · Keith Brown: There have been 1,659 inbound military flights to Glasgow Prestwick Airport between January 2016 and November 2016. These are the latest figures available at this time.
19 Dec 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-04621 by Keith Brown on 29 November 2016, which countries sent military flights to Glasgow Prestwick Airport in (a) November – December 2013, (b) 2014, (c) 2015 and (d) 2016.
Answer · Keith Brown: Glasgow Prestwick Airport operates on a wholly commercial basis and at arm’s length from the Scottish Government. The airport offers aviation services to a wide variety of customers through its in-house Fixed Base Operation (FBO), including military customers…
19 Dec 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much income has been achieved by Glasgow Prestwick Airport in each year since November 2013, and what profit or loss was made.
Answer · Keith Brown: The Scottish Government does not hold this information by calendar year. However, since the Scottish Government took ownership, the income achieved, along with the operating loss, as reported in the Statement of Profit and Loss in the TS Prestwick Holdco Limi…
19 Dec 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many passengers have flown from Glasgow Prestwick Airport in 2016.
Answer · Keith Brown: The airport have recorded a total of 647,813 passengers using the airport between January 2016 and November 2016. These are the latest figures available at this time.
19 Dec 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much (a) capital borrowing it used in 2015-16 and (b) is using in 2016-17 to guarantee non-profit distributing (NPD) projects.
Answer · Derek Mackay: £283 million was set against the Scottish Government’s borrowing cap in 2015-16. This meant that the budget cover available from the borrowing facility was utilised to cover non-cash costs without having to draw down funds and incur the interest costs normall…
19 Dec 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much it (a) borrowed in 2015-16, (b) is borrowing in 2016-17 and (c) plans to borrow in 2017-18 and for what purpose.
Answer · Derek Mackay: £283 million was set against the Scottish Government’s borrowing cap in 2015-16. We would expect to take decisions about borrowing in 2016-17 and 2017-18 respectively late in each financial year, on the basis that it is prudent to only draw down borrowing lat…
19 Dec 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much it has been able to borrow in each year since 2015-16 and will be able to borrow until 2019-20, and from what source.
Answer · Derek Mackay: In 2015-16 and 2016-17 capital borrowing was limited by the Scotland Act 2012 to up to 10% of the Scottish Government's Capital DEL budget and a total of £2.2 billion over ten years. This provided borrowing limits of £312 million in 2015-16 and will equate to…
19 Dec 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the capital borrowing repayment of £30 million at table 5.06 of the draft budget is for; whether this recurs every year and, if so, (a) for how long it has been paid and (b) when the payments will be completed.
Answer · Derek Mackay: The £30 million represents estimated repayments from 2017-18 for planned borrowing in 2016-17. To date, no borrowing has been undertaken in 2016-17, but the Scottish Government has indicated that it plans to borrow up to the full amount available this year an…
19 Dec 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) revenue cost was in 2015-16 and (b) is in 2016-17 of repaying its borrowing.
Answer · Derek Mackay: There was no revenue cost for borrowing in 2015-16 as the Scottish Government had no powers to borrow in 2014-15. In 2016-17 there is no revenue cost as although notional expenditure was set against the Scottish Government’s borrowing cap in 2015-16, no borr…
19 Dec 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to the sixth supplementary to question S5F-00643 by the First Minister on 15 December 2016 (Official Report, c. 16), how many neonatal cots have been available in each of the last five years, broken down by (a) hospital and (b) NHS board.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: Information to answer the question can be found in the following table. 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 University Hospital Crosshouse 20 20 20 20 20 NHS Ayrshire & Arran 20 20 20 20 20 Borders General Hospital 7 8 8 8 8 NH…
19 Dec 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to the sixth supplementary to question S5F-00643 by the First Minister on 15 December 2016 (Official Report, c. 16), how many women have been transferred for treatment outwith (a) their NHS board area and (b) Scotland due to a lack of neonatal facilities in each of…
Answer · Aileen Campbell: Although data on pregnant women treated outwith their NHS board area are collected locally the specific reason for this are not held centrally.
19 Dec 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it first consulted Scottish Development International on the First Minister's announcement in the Programme for Government on increasing its presence in Berlin.
Answer · Keith Brown: The September 2016 Programme for Government indicated that we would take further action to boost exports, maintain and attract investment and actively demonstrate that Scotland is open for business. This was reflected in the four point plan to boost Scotland’…
16 Dec 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the Minor Injuries Unit and Medical Assessment Centre at the Vale of Leven Hospital will continue to function as normal over the winter months.
Answer · Shona Robison: While management of Minor injuries Units and Medical Assessment Centres are operational matters for NHS Health Boards, the Scottish Government has received reassurance from NHS GG&C that the Minor Injuries Unit and Medical Assessment Centre at the Vale of Lev…
15 Dec 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how arrangements for teacher salaries are determined for grant-aided special schools and whether they are covered by the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers.
Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT) sets out the pay and conditions of service for teachers and associated professionals employed by Scottish Councils. As grant-aided special schools are independent of Scottish Councils and the Scottish Gov…
15 Dec 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether its funding arrangements for grant-aided special schools make provision for teaching staff, including speech and language therapists, occupational therapists and physiotherapists.
Answer · John Swinney: Grant-aided special schools receive funding from the Scottish Government. This funding is provided to enable delivery of specialist provision for children and young people with complex additional support needs to overcome barriers to learning and realise thei…
15 Dec 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether one of its ministers will chair the statutory board arising from its enterprise and skills review and, if so, who.
Answer · Keith Brown: In our report on phase one of the Enterprise and Skills Review we have committed to work with agencies and other partners to strengthen our enterprise and skills system by consulting on the strategic board, including the best distribution of functions between…
15 Dec 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the proposed new Scotland-wide board arising from its enterprise and skills review will have (a) a chief executive and (b) other support staff and, if so, what the estimated cost is.
Answer · Keith Brown: In our report on phase one of the Enterprise and Skills Review we have committed to work with agencies and other partners to strengthen our enterprise and skills system by consulting on the strategic board, including the best distribution of functions between…
15 Dec 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that (a) Scottish Enterprise, (b) Highlands and Islands Enterprise, (c) the Scottish Funding Council and (d) Skills Development Scotland has a legal personality distinct from ministers and from any new statutory board.
Answer · Keith Brown: In our report on phase one of the Enterprise and Skills Review we have committed to work with agencies and other partners to strengthen our enterprise and skills system by consulting on the strategic board, including the best distribution of functions between…
15 Dec 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the outcome of its enterprise and skills review, what it considers the advantages to be of a statutory board compared with a non-statutory Strategic Forum.
Answer · Keith Brown: Our agencies and their staff already carry out excellent work and as Audit Scotland have noted, they have been successful in their respective roles, with clear strategies and good governance. However, we need to step up our performance to achieve our ambition…
15 Dec 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what strategy and monitoring framework was in place for the Strategic Forum, previously chaired by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The Strategic Forum discussed a range of strategic economic issues and encouraged and promoted collaborative actions by our agencies. Scotland's Economic Strategy sets out the overall economic aims of the Scottish Government. Individual agency activities alig…
15 Dec 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government (a) what the remit was and (b) who the members were of its Strategic Forum, previously chaired by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-03752 on 10 November 2016. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusines…
15 Dec 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Office for National Statistics about the classification of universities as a result of its enterprise and skills review.
Answer · Keith Brown: There has been no discussions with the Office of National Statistics regarding the classification of universities as a result of the enterprise and skills review.
15 Dec 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether there has been a real terms reduction in the pay of its civil servants from 2011 to date.
Answer · Derek Mackay: The answer to this question varies depending on the grade of staff. For Scottish Government staff in lower paid grades, there have been real term increases in average salary between 2011 and 2016. This reflects specific measures put in place by Scottish Minis…
15 Dec 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what increase in pay for its civil servants has been set out in its pay policy for 2017.
Answer · Derek Mackay: The 2017-18 pay policy allows for the following increases in pay: an overall 1 per cent cap on the cost of the increase in the baseline paybill for those earning more than the low pay threshold of £22,000 an increase of £400 for all staff with a full-time e…
15 Dec 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it will report on its review of the Mental Health (Scotland) Act 2003 in relation to people with learning disabilities and autism.
Answer · Maureen Watt: This Government is committed to undertake a review which will focus on whether the provisions in the 2003 Act fulfil the needs of people with learning disability and autism. The work to identify a Chairperson is underway. An initial scoping exercise has now …
15 Dec 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much it spends on encouraging exports through its network of hubs in (a) the UK, (b) Europe and (c) the rest of the world.
Answer · Keith Brown: Through its existing global network, Scottish Development International (SDI) provides a range of products and services to attract inward investment to Scotland and to support companies in Scotland seeking access international markets. As set out in answer S5…
15 Dec 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when there will be an expansion of hubs to encourage exporting beyond Europe.
Answer · Keith Brown: Scottish Development International already provides a range of products and services to Scottish companies seeking to export through its existing global network of 29 field offices and over 200 exporting professionals. In response to global trade and investme…
15 Dec 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-05180 by Keith Brown on 13 December 2016, when Scottish Development International will be in a position to advise what additional costs are required.
Answer · Keith Brown: SDI are currently working on delivery of the proposals to expand its presence in Europe and will provide details, including costs, as early as possible in 2017.
14 Dec 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-05398 by Keith Brown on 14 December 2016, when the vacancy will be advertised for the position of chief executive of (a) Highlands and Islands Enterprise and (b) the Scottish Funding Council.
Answer · Keith Brown: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-05397 on 19 December 2016. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusines…