Parliamentary questions
Linda Fabiani
2,507 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
18 Aug 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its position on developing an environmental deposit return scheme; what discussions it has had with (a) local authorities, (b) manufacturing companies and (c) other relevant stakeholders regarding such a scheme, and what assessment it has made of the …
Answer · Richard Lochhead: I commissioned a study from Zero Waste Scotland (which can be found here: http://www.zerowastescotland.org.uk/content/deposit-return-system-feasibility-study) to explore the feasibility of a national deposit return system in Scotland. Following publication of…
27 Jun 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with (a) Smart Energy GB and (b) other relevant stakeholders regarding the use of smart meters in tackling fuel poverty.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-26367 on 4 August 2015. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybu…
27 Jun 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on Smart Energy GB’s emphasis on raising awareness of smart meters with households vulnerable to fuel poverty.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-26367 on 4 August 2015. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybu…
27 Jun 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with (a) Smart Energy GB and (b) consumer organisations regarding the forthcoming advertising campaign to raise awareness of smart meters.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government has met officials from Smart Energy GB, Ofgem, the energy companies, energy savings trust and Citizens’ Advice Scotland on several occasions to discuss the impact of the smart meter roll out on consumers, and in particular low-income a…
27 Jun 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the cost would be of the roll-out of smart meters to every household.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: According to the Department for Energy and Climate Change’s latest impact assessment of the smart meter roll out from 2014, the roll-out is expected to result in a small bill increase in the short term, peaking at an average increase of around £6 per househol…
27 Jun 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential for smart meters to help reduce energy overgeneration.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government has not made an assessment of the potential for smart meters to help reduce energy generation. However we recognise that the introduction of smart meters could mean energy networks will have better information upon which to manage and …
27 Jun 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to encourage innovation in the design of smart meters.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government does not have a direct role to play in the design of smart meters. We are committed to supporting innovation in Scotland however. We do this through the Scottish Funding Council, the network of Innovation Centres, through our enterpris…
27 Jun 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to the potential for increasing the number of modern apprenticeships in the energy sector through training people to install smart meters.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: A properly conceived scheme, that enables the most up to date technology to be used and takes steps to address the considerable criticisms that have been made, could provide a significant number of employment and training opportunities in Scotland. The relev…
27 Jun 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government on the potential for new smart meter technology to reduce consumer costs associated with pre-payment energy meters.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-26359 on 4 August 2015. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybu…
27 Jun 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government on its decision to create a single data collection company for smart meter data.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-26359 on 4 August 2015. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybu…
27 Jun 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government on its decision to mandate the roll-out of smart meters.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-26359 on 4 August 2015. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybu…
27 Jun 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the roll-out of smart meters to households.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: This inconsistency in meter installation may well mean that customers with older meters find it more difficult to switch supplier in future. There is also a real possibility that those who do not have smart meters installed, whether for technical reasons or b…
8 Jun 2015 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government what initiatives it has introduced to increase the supply of social housing.
1 Jun 2015 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it last met South Lanarkshire Council.
Answer · Marco Biagi: Ministers and officials regularly meet representatives of all Scottish local authorities, including South Lanarkshire Council, to discuss a wide range of issues as part of our commitment to working in partnership with local government to improve outcomes for …
18 May 2015 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Communities and Pensioners' Rights last met the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.
27 Apr 2015 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government when its review of out-of-hours primary care services will be published.
13 Apr 2015 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it last met South Lanarkshire Council.
26 Mar 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what involvement it has had in formulating the UK Government's Consultation on Reforming the Electronic Communications Code.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: In 2011, the UK Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) arranged for the Electronic Communications Code to be reviewed by the Law Commission for England and Wales. The report by the commission (http://lawcommission.justice.gov.uk/publications/2172.ht…
17 Mar 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-10975 by Aileen Campbell on 25 January 2013, whether it has established whether personnel from social work or education departments of any local authority have been involved in work with families with children who have been held at the Dungavel Immi…
Answer · Marco Biagi: This is a reserved matter by the UK Government and the Scottish Government does not hold this information. However, officials of both the Scottish Government and Lanarkshire Council have established that since children and families are no longer detained at D…
17 Mar 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-10977 by Aileen Campbell on 25 January 2013, whether it has established whether local authority personnel have been involved in the transfer of asylum-seeking families with children to or from the Dungavel Immigration Removal Centre since 1 May 2010…
Answer · Marco Biagi: This is a reserved matter by the UK Government and the Scottish Government does not hold this information. However, officials of both the Scottish Government and Lanarkshire Council have established that since children and families are no longer detained at D…
17 Mar 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether Police Scotland personnel have been involved in the transfer of asylum-seeking families with children to or from the Dungavel Immigration Removal Centre since 1 April 2013 and, if so, on how many occasions and on what dates.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: Police Scotland have advised that there are no Police Scotland personnel involved at Dungavel, they were able to advise that the Home Office have brought in private contractors to carry out this work. I would like to reiterate that the Scottish Government re…
17 Mar 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-10978 by Aileen Campbell on 25 January 2013, whether it has established the position regarding the involvement of NHS personnel in work with families and children who have been held at the Dungavel Immigration Removal Centre since 1 May 2010, and, i…
Answer · Shona Robison: This is a reserved matter by the UK Government and therefore the Scottish Government does not hold this information. Officials have been in contact with NHS Lanarkshire who have been unable to provide any advice on their involvement. The Scottish Government …
2 Mar 2015 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it will next meet the Scottish Police Federation. .
23 Feb 2015 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it last met NHS Lanarkshire.
26 Jan 2015 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it encourages engineering apprenticeships.
19 Jan 2015 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it will next meet NHS Lanarkshire.
Answer · Shona Robison: Ministers and government officials regularly meet with representatives of all health boards, including NHS Lanarkshire.
15 Dec 2014 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made in integrating health and social care in South Lanarkshire.
1 Dec 2014 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it is giving to Unison’s campaign to bring ancillary services in-house at Hairmyres Hospital in East Kilbride.
22 Sep 2014 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made toward providing additional powers to the Parliament to enhance Scotland's role internationally.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: As the First Minister set out in his statement on 23 September 2014, any enhanced devolution settlement should enable Scotland to have a stronger and more clearly articulated voice on the international stage. The Scottish Government will be pursuing that obje…
10 Jun 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to review the legislation relating to the operation of puppy farms.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government has begun an initial review of existing companion animal welfare legislation, including legislation on the breeding and sale of dogs, and intends to develop long-term options for further work in this area.