Parliamentary questions
Jean Urquhart
147 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
15 Jan 2014 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the timescale will be for the introduction of areas of natural constraint to replace less favoured areas.
7 Jan 2014 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to enhance the role of community councils.
6 Jan 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what planning protections there are for ports and maritime infrastructure.
Answer · Keith Brown: While there are no specific protections within the marine or terrestrial planning systems, local planning authorities set out policies in their development plans that guide development to appropriate places. The Draft National Marine Plan for Scotland contai…
6 Jan 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with the Scottish Futures Trust regarding the funding of maritime infrastructure projects and how many such projects have received funding from the trust since its inception.
Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government meets regularly with the Scottish Futures Trust to discuss areas of mutual interest. The aim of the Scottish Futures Trust is to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of infrastructure investment in Scotland by working collaborativ…
6 Jan 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many Scottish Futures Trust staff have been seconded from the private sector in each year since its inception and from which companies.
Answer · John Swinney: The number of secondments to the Scottish Futures Trust since its inception, broken down by private sector company, is provided in the following table: Company 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Brodies LLP 1 Burness LLP 1 1 Caledonian Economi…
6 Jan 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many funding applications for transport infrastructure projects have been (a) received and (b) granted by the Scottish Futures Trust in each year since its inception and what the value was of each.
Answer · Keith Brown: The Scottish Futures Trust (SFT) work to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of infrastructure investment in Scotland by working collaboratively with public bodies and industry, leading to better value for money and ultimately improved public services. …
26 Nov 2013 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government what support it can offer to universal credit claimants who do not have access to the internet at home.
Answer · Margaret Burgess: Universal credit is part of the UK Government’s package of welfare reforms and it is therefore the responsibility of the UK Government to ensure the right support is in place for people claiming the new benefit. However, the Scottish Government is committed …
15 Nov 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what Caledonian MacBrayne's expenditure on training has been in each year since 2000-01.
Answer · Keith Brown: Expenditure on seagoing staff training since 2007-08 is as follows: Year Expenditure on Training 2007-08 £1,175,796 2008-09 £1,371,256 2009-10 £1,165,407 2010-11 £1,146,779 2011-12 £771,969 2012-13 £1,378,505 Additional costs have been incurred…
15 Nov 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many of the (a) deck and (b) engine ratings trained by Caledonian MacBrayne since 2000-01 were (i) new entrants to the industry and (ii) from other ratings grades.
Answer · Keith Brown: Please see the following information. Deck Rating Trainee Engine Rating Trainee 2006-07 4 0 2007-08 0 0 2008-09 0 0 2009-10 3 0 2010-11 0 0 2011-12 0 0 2012-13 0 0 2013-14 6 4 TOTAL 13 4 Of the ten trainees in the current year,…
15 Nov 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government which sector skills councils (a) are responsible for or (b) have worked on the modern apprenticeship frameworks for the maritime industry.
Answer · Angela Constance: The Maritime Skills Alliance (MSA) developed and has responsibility for the Maritime Occupations framework. The MSA is however not a licensed Sector Skills Council, but it is the standard setting body for the UK’s maritime sector. The MSA works through Skills…
15 Nov 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to promote Skills Development Scotland's maritime ratings apprenticeship framework among (a) employers and (b) colleges.
Answer · Angela Constance: Skills Development Scotland administers the public funding contribution for all MA frameworks; it does not however own the framework. It is the responsibility of the Sector Skills Council or equivalent, in this case, the Maritime Skills Alliance, to consult w…
15 Nov 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many maritime (a) ratings and (b) officer apprenticeships Caledonian MacBrayne will offer in each of the next three years.
Answer · Keith Brown: CalMac Ferries Ltd have the following plans for 2013-14: Officer cadets: 15 will complete their training and 16 new cadets to be recruited. rating to officer cadets: three will be continuing from the previous year. Any new applications for rating to officer…
15 Nov 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many further education colleges offer maritime (a) ratings and (b) officer apprenticeship courses.
Answer · Angela Constance: Once approved by SQA Accreditation to deliver the core qualification, Orkney and Shetland Colleges will be the only colleges to deliver the approved Scottish Modern Apprenticeship pathway for Seafarer/Tug Rating (Deck) within the Maritime Occupations Framewor…
30 Oct 2013 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its review of the regulatory framework that supports the community pharmacy applications process and the power that NHS boards are given in relation to dispensing GP practices.
23 Oct 2013 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to review the document retention policies of all public bodies in the criminal justice system.
24 Sep 2013 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning last met the board of the University of the Highlands and Islands and what issues were discussed.
24 Sep 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what work it has carried out in the last three years to establish and consolidate links with groups, charities and other non-governmental bodies that have specialist knowledge and skills in kinship care arrangements.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: Since April 2011, the Scottish Government has funded Children 1st, Citizens Advice Scotland and Mentor UK to provide support to kinship carers. Funding these organisations has led to us regularly engaging with individual kinship carers and kinship care groups…
24 Sep 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it takes account of the views and experiences of (a) kinship carers and (b) children with (i) formal, (ii) informal and (iii) other kinship care arrangements or who are subject to (A) residence and (B) supervision orders and, if so, how it does this and since when.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: The Scottish Government has regularly sought the views and experiences of all kinship carers and children living in kinship care arrangements whether formally through a supervision order or informally , including through a residence order. In seeking the v…
24 Sep 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the Minister for Children and Young People (a) has met and (b) plans to meet the Scottish Kinship Care Alliance on the issue of kinship care and what the reasons are for its position on the matter.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: The Minister for Children and Young People met with representatives of the Scottish Kinship Care Alliance on 25 September 2013 to discuss, part 9 - Counselling Services and part 10 – Support for Kinship Care Order, of the Children and Young People (Scotland) …
24 Sep 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many meetings it has had with organisations regarding kinship care since April 2011, broken down by group.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: Since April 2011 the Scottish Government has met with Children 1st, Citizens Advice Scotland, Mentor UK, the Child Poverty Action Group, Children in Scotland and kinship care groups such as the South West Kinship Care Group, Grandparents Parenting Again, Kins…
24 Sep 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what meetings it has had with (a) Children 1st and (b) kinship care support groups since April 2011.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: Since April 2011, the Scottish Government has met with Children 1st and kinship care support groups on many occasions to discuss a variety of kinship care issues. These meetings are in addition to our extensive consultation on the proposals set out in the Chi…
24 Sep 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on the support of kinship carers for the Children 1st Kinship Care project.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: The Scottish Government funded Kinship Care National Training and Outreach Service delivered by Children 1st is the first service of its kind in Scotland which builds the capacity of carers and their communities to help each other. Providing regular support…
24 Sep 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it has not published the response by the New Fossils, East Glasgow Kinship Care support group to the Children and Young People (Scotland) Bill.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: The New Fossils, East Glasgow Kinship Care support group did not formally submit a response to the Children and Young People (Scotland) Bill Consultation which closed on 25 September 2012. They did however, send an email on 15 October 2012 outlining their vi…
24 Sep 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason kinship carers were not invited to join the Carers Parliament in 2012.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: The invitations to attend the Carers Parliament in 2012 were widely circulated throughout Scotland. Carers were invited to self-nominate from each geographical area. Thereafter the selection process to attend the Carers Parliament involved two delegates being…
24 Sep 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason kinship care was not included in its 2010-2015 carers strategy.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: The Carers Strategy published in 2010 acknowledges kinship in the following ways: “support for people who are kinship carers through the carers’ route should always be considered if appropriate.” that kinship carers are different from carers in that they ar…
24 Sep 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the responses of (a) support groups for kinship carers and (b) the Scottish Kinship Care Alliance to the kinship care orders proposed by the Children and Young People (Scotland) Bill.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: The Scottish Government has outlined its position on all the responses to the Children and Young People Bill proposals, including those on kinship care orders, in the Scottish Government Response To “A Scotland for Children: A Consultation on a Children and Y…
17 Sep 2013 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what support it gives to Scotland's film industry and individual film-makers.
11 Sep 2013 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what support it gives to NHS Highland to assist the delivery of services in island communities.
Answer · Alex Neil: NHS boards, including NHS Highland, receive annual allocations based on the National Resource Allocation Committee or NRAC formula, which takes account of remoteness and rurality. Within this funding allocation, it is for NHS Highland to plan and provide serv…
12 Jun 2013 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether its commemoration of the First World War will include conscientious objectors and the role of peace groups.
4 Jun 2013 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what support it makes available to multiple sclerosis national therapy centres.