Parliamentary questions
Rhoda Grant
2,396 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
15 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it plans to establish, and what funding it will provide for, its proposed Scotland Exchange.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Scotland Exchange has been in beta testing mode since 2010. On 24 March 2011 members of the Global Friends of Scotland were invited to join the new Scotland Exchange network. The network is still being developed and new members are welcome. Scotland Exch…
15 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding it will give from its overseas aid budget to supporting the Maldives in this parliamentary session.
Answer · John Swinney: There are currently no plans to provide funding to the Maldives from the Scottish Government’s International Development Fund.
15 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will extend the provision of free school meals in this parliamentary session.
Answer · Angela Constance: Scottish ministers are proud of the actions we have already taken to provide free school meals in Scotland, which last year extended eligibility to an additional 17,000 children and young people. In time we will look at ways of expanding current provision.
15 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it plans to roll out its Life Begins at 40 scheme and how much this will cost.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The national roll out of Life Begins at 40 commenced in February 2011. The service will cost approximately £285,000 in the 2011-12 financial year.
15 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive in which year it plans to set a minimum student income guarantee of around £7,000.
Answer · Michael Russell: As outlined in my statement to the Parliament on 29 June 2011, I will set out a wider package of reforms on post-16 education later in 2011. Any legislation on higher education would be brought forward next year as a result of this wider package of reform.
15 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what new funding it will provide to increase the number of pupils who receive two hours of physical education per week in each of the next five years.
Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government has clearly stated its commitment to the implementation of Curriculum for Excellence, which includes working towards two hours per week of physical education (PE) in primary schools and at least two periods of PE in secondary schools f…
15 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to allocate new funding to (a) social and charity banking and (b) micro-finance schemes.
Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government is currently considering how best to support and encourage an expansion of social banking in Scotland and decisions on future funding will be made later in the year. Meanwhile, a review of the microcredit market in Scotland is underwa…
15 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it plans to introduce a one-stop finance information service.
Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government is currently considering how best to take this commitment forward with the aim of ensuring that Scottish businesses have straightforward online access to the financial information and support they need to grow and create jobs.
15 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it plans to establish a future generations fund.
Answer · Alex Neil: Plans for the Scottish Futures Fund are a matter for the Spending Review, which will report in autumn 2011.
15 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much additional money it (a) is providing to the Export Support Package in 2011 and (b) plans to provide in 2012.
Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government has provided an additional £2.5 million for a new Export Support Package for 2011-12. The new Export Support Package funding is complementary to the support already provided through Scottish Development International. Funding to the E…
15 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what support it will provide to low-income families to help meet the costs associated with school in this parliamentary session.
Answer · Michael Russell: This is a matter for education authorities. However, we will look to work with local authorities to identify steps we can take in the future to improve support for low income families to help meet the costs associated with school, for example, school uniforms…
8 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will spend the Barnett consequentials received as a consequence of the UK Government’s planned enterprise zones on creating enterprise zones in Scotland.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government is still in the early stages of considering how to introduce new enterprise zones in Scotland so as to maximise their economic impact. These considerations include the likely consequences for the Scottish budget.
8 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will spend the money that it has received in Barnett consequentials arising from the UK Government’s planned enterprise zones.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government is still in the early stages of considering how to introduce new enterprise zones in Scotland so as to maximise their economic impact. These considerations include the likely consequences for the Scottish budget.
8 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will create enterprise zones in Scotland and, if so, what process it will undertake in deciding which areas to designate enterprise zones; which areas it will designate; what the timetable is, and what outcomes it hopes to achieve in the (a) short and (b) long term.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government is committed to the establishment of enterprise zones in Scotland and to maximising their economic impact. However, we are still in the early stages of determining the appropriate assessment criteria on which to base our detailed decis…
8 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much it has received in Barnett consequentials as a consequence of the UK Government’s planned enterprise zones.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The 2011 UK Budget announcement on enterprise zones results in Barnett consequentials in Scotland of £0 million in 2011-12, £1.3 million in 2012-13, £3.4 million in 2013-14, £5.6 million in 2014-15 and £6.6 million in 2015-16. They arise as a result of expect…
8 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth and the Minister for Housing and Transport first became aware that the security staff at Highlands and Islands Airport employed by Airport Management Services were being paid less than the living wage.
Answer · Keith Brown: This issue came to light during discussions on the 2010-11 pay remit. Our commitment to a Scottish living wage was introduced in our public sector pay policy for 2011-12. The policy covers the Scottish Government, its agencies and the non-departmental public …
8 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which public sector employees are covered by its living wage policy.
Answer · John Swinney: Addressing low pay is one of our key objectives, because we believe in a strong Scottish economy and in promoting fairness and equity for all. We support the objectives and the recommendations of the Scottish living wage campaign to ensure that workers receiv…
8 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason Dundee Airport Ltd is listed in Annex A of the Public Sector Pay Policy for Staff Pay Remits 2011-12 but the other wholly owned subsidiaries of Highlands and Islands Airport Ltd are not.
Answer · Keith Brown: At the time of producing the Public Sector Pay Policy for Staff Pay Remits 2011-12 it was envisaged that Airport Management Services Limited (AMSL) would be included as part of Highlands and Islands Airport Ltd (HIAL), but delays with the AMSL remit meant thi…
8 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether its living wage policy applies to wholly owned subsidiaries of public sector bodies.
Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-584 on 16 June 2011. 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/Apps2/Business/PQA/…
8 Mar 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the announcement by Scottish and Southern Energy that it is to halt work on the development of its proposed offshore wind farm at Kintyre, whether it will confirm that no future developer will be able to progress this site.
Answer · Jim Mather: The Kintyre site was one of the short term options which was included within the Draft Plan for Offshore Wind Energy in Scottish Territorial Waters. The Scottish Government has just published the plan which includes its view on the proposed offshore wind farm…
8 Mar 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-39738 by Alex Neil on 1 March 2011, what the budget for rural home ownership grants will be for (a) 2011 and (b) 2012.
Answer · Alex Neil: Due to the cuts in the Scottish Government budget imposed by the UK Government, there is no budget identified for Rural Home Ownership Grants (RHOGs) for 2011-12. Details of the housing budget for 2012-13 have yet to be determined. However, the Scottish Gover…
8 Mar 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many acute occupied bed days in NHS (a) Highland, (b) Western Isles, (c) Orkney and (d) Shetland were taken up by patients with an alcohol-related diagnosis in (i) 2009 and (ii) 2010
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The following table shows the total number of bed days of patients treated in acute hospitals in Highland, Western Isles, Orkney and Shetland for alcohol related conditions for the calendar year 2009. NHS Boards data returns for 2010 are currently incomplete.…
24 Feb 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made by NHS boards in the delivery of the 18-week referral-to-treatment target for audiology services.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: All NHS boards are actively working to deliver the 18 weeks referral to treatment time target by the end of this year. Some boards have made better progress than others. That is why the Health Delivery Directorate are providing additional support to boards to…
24 Feb 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many agency staff were used by NHS Shetland in (a) 2007, (b) 2008, (c) 2009, (d) 2010 and how many have been used in 2011 to date.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-39919 on 10 March 2011. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at: <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2…
24 Feb 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many agency staff were used by NHS Western Isles in (a) 2007, (b) 2008, (c) 2009, (d) 2010 and how many have been used in 2011 to date.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-39919 on 10 March 2011. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at: <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2…
24 Feb 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many agency staff were used by NHS Orkney in (a) 2007, (b) 2008, (c) 2009, (d) 2010 and how many have been used in 2011 to date.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-39919 on 10 March 2011. All the answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at: <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/A…
24 Feb 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many agency staff were used by NHS Grampian in (a) 2007, (b) 2008, (c) 2009, (d) 2010 and how many have been used in 2011 to date.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-39919 on 10 March 2011. All the answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at: <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/A…
24 Feb 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many agency staff were used by NHS Highland in (a) 2007, (b) 2008, (c) 2009, (d) 2010 and how many have been used in 2011 to date.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The information requested is not centrally held for 2007.</p> <p >Information for 2008-09 and 2009-10 is as follows: </p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <thead> <tr > <td valign=top > <p align=center >Year</p> </td> <td vali…
24 Feb 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many newly qualified doctors were recruited by NHS Shetland in (a) 2007, (b) 2008, (c) 2009, (d) 2010 and how many have been recruited in 2011 to date.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-39914 on 10 March 2011. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/…
24 Feb 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many newly qualified doctors were recruited in NHS Western Isles in (a) 2007, (b) 2008, (c) 2009, (d) 2010 and how many have been recruited in 2011 to date.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-39914 on 10 March 2011. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/…