Parliamentary questions
Sarah Boyack
2,373 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
23 Apr 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how hospitals monitor the number of patient falls and what best practice they are expected to follow to minimise the number of incidents.
Answer · Shona Robison: NHS boards use incident management systems to record the details of any fall occurring within their estate and these details include the time, location and the extent of any harm suffered. Each board will have a different way of then collating and managing th…
20 Apr 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much it cost to develop its Rural Payments and Services website and how this was monitored.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: Development of the Rural Payments and Services website is part of a wider programme of work to deliver improvements to the way in which rural payments and inspection services are provided, and also to implement reform of the Common Agricultural Policy. The to…
20 Apr 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many complaints it has received regarding (a) its Rural Payments and Services website and (b) the single application form process.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: We recognise that the new Rural Payments and Services (RPS) system has not been operating at the performance level we desire and have been working hard to resolve the issues raised by our customers, including making a number of changes to fix known defects. C…
20 Apr 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many paper single application forms have been received by its Rural Payments and Inspection Division in the current year.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: As of 13 May 2015, 2,545 paper single application forms have been received.
20 Apr 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many single application forms have been (a) started and (b) completed using its Rural Payments and Services website.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: As of 13 May 2015, 6,103 single application forms have been started and 3,516 have been completed using the Rural Payments and Services website.
20 Apr 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the report in The Press and Journal on 18 April 2015 that contractors working on the development of its Rural Payments and Services website were threatened with being dismissed if they reported defects.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: We take all allegations and claims of this nature very seriously. We have conducted an investigation and found no evidence to substantiate this claim.
20 Apr 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many businesses have used its Rural Payments and Services website to register for support.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: As of 13 May 2015, 19,619 businesses have used the Rural Payments and Services website to register for support.
23 Mar 2015 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Committee on Climate Change's expert statement that further actions are required if the 2020 renewable heat target is to be met.
23 Mar 2015 · Topical Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting the farming sector to transition to the new Rural Payments and Services system.
19 Mar 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-23847 by Fergus Ewing on 20 January 2015, what discussions it has had with (a) Scottish Power Energy Networks and (b) Scottish Hydro Electric Transmission regarding seeking Ofgem funding to help reduce the visual impact of existing transmission line…
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government met with Scottish Power Energy Networks (SPEN) and Scottish Hydro Electric Transmission (SHE Transmission) on 23 March 2015 to discuss progress on plans regarding seeking Ofgem funding to reduce the visual impact of existing transmissi…
19 Mar 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what actions it is taking to reduce the number of dog thefts across the country.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: Action to tackle crime is the responsibility of Police Scotland; however, the Scottish Government can and will help to ensure that stolen dogs can be more easily returned to their rightful owners. We have long recommended in our Code of Practice for the Welf…
19 Mar 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many dog thefts have been reported in each year since 2011, broken down by region, and how many resulted in the dog being returned to its owner.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The data held centrally on recorded crime is based on an aggregate count of crimes and offences recorded and cleared up by the police. Dog thefts would be recorded in the statistics as a crime of theft, however it is not possible to separately identify the nu…
18 Mar 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much it plans to invest in broadband each year in Lothian, broken down by local authority.
Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government and its public and private sector partners are investing over £410 million in our Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband programme (DSSB) which, alongside commercial deployment by BT and other operators, will deliver fibre broadband acce…
12 Mar 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4O-04120 by Maureen Watt on 12 March 2015 (Official Report, c. 5), what the target is for patients to receive access to an insulin pump when it is deemed to be medically appropriate.
Answer · Maureen Watt: The Scottish Government has not set a specific target in relation to initiation on to insulin pump therapy. However, we expect insulin pumps to be made available as soon as possible after a clinical decision is made to provide one, taking account of individua…
6 Mar 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what support it has made available to assist outside organisations in conducting research on access to allotments for people living in areas of multiple deprivation.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) has provided support funding to Greenspace Scotland for Our Growing Communities publication (2013). This was a pack that looked at a wide range of community initiatives and locations. One of which was allotments. The 2011 Gree…
6 Mar 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when research was last conducted by (a) it, (b) Scottish Natural Heritage and (c) other public bodies on access to allotments for people living in areas of multiple deprivation; what plans it has to update this, and through what method.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: In 2008, Scottish Natural Heritage undertook research on access to greenspace, which included an analysis of the population within each decile of the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation that has access to an allotment site within a 600 meters (10 minute w…
6 Mar 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action is taken by (a) it, (b) Scottish Natural Heritage and (c) other public bodies to support access to allotments for people living in areas of multiple deprivation.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: Part 7 of the Community Empowerment Bill will place new duties on local authorities which will significantly increase access to allotments for people throughout Scotland, including those living in areas of multiple deprivation. The Scottish Government and Sc…
2 Mar 2015 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on how long patients with type 1 diabetes should have to wait for access to an insulin pump.
24 Feb 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-24398 by Aileen McLeod on 19 February 2015, whether it will outline the policy options identified in each of the topic areas.
Answer · Aileen McLeod: The policy options discussed at the Cabinet Sub Committee on Climate Change meeting in January 2015 are in development and decisions are still to be taken. I will publish proposals in due course.
24 Feb 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what work Forestry Commission Scotland is undertaking to restore land that has priority open ground habitats and was afforested in the past, and where such investment is underway.
Answer · Aileen McLeod: Forestry Commission Scotland (FCS) provides grant support through the Scottish Rural Development Programme to fund the restoration of priority open ground habitats. FCS administers a habitat and species grant which funds, for example, works to remove woodland…
24 Feb 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what advice Forestry Commission Scotland seeks from Scottish Natural Heritage, National Parks, conservation NGOs and other expert bodies before land is identified for disposal to ensure that its ability to be restored for priority species and or habitats is not overlooked.
Answer · Aileen McLeod: Forestry Commission Scotland’s (FCS) repositioning programme started in 2007. The programme involves selling areas with low potential to deliver public benefits to invest in land for delivery of greater public benefits, such as the creation of urban woodland.…
24 Feb 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will list all of the land disposed of by Forestry Commission Scotland since 1 June 2010, broken down by size, and whether this was (a) native woodland, (b) open ground or (c) commercial timber.
Answer · Aileen McLeod: Since 2005 details of all land bought and sold by Forestry Commission Scotland has been made available via their website and the link to this information is as follows: http://scotland.forestry.gov.uk/managing/work-on-scotlands-national-forest-estate/land-a…
24 Feb 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-24433 by Aileen McLeod on 24 February 2015, what monitoring it has put in place to assess progress in meeting its target of 100,000 hectares of new woodland by 2022.
Answer · Aileen McLeod: The Scottish Government monitors the progress of the 100,000 hectares target of new woodland during the course of each year. Monitoring is undertaken at two stages: at the ‘woodland creation approval’ stage which is when woodland creation applications become…
24 Feb 2015 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to promote healthy personal relationships and sexual wellbeing for young people.
Answer · Maureen Watt: The sexual wellbeing of young people, and the importance of healthy personal relationships, is an issue which cuts across a number of Scottish Government policies. Our Sexual Health and Blood Borne Virus Framework acknowledges the importance of healthy and r…
24 Feb 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it holds data on beef imports to Scotland from Canada.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government does not hold specific data on beef imports from Canada. Beef imports from Canada would have to enter the EU through a Border Inspection Post (BIP) and Scotland does not have any BIPs for beef. Any beef imports from Canada would need …
24 Feb 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what impact it expects confirmed cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in Canada to have on Scotland.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: We do not expect the confirmed case of BSE in Canada to have any impact on Scotland. Prior to the recent confirmed BSE case, Canada was listed as a controlled BSE risk country. The export health certificates for bovine, ovine and caprine meat already incorpo…
24 Feb 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what (a) action it is taking to monitor and (b) discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding confirmed cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in Canada.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: Scottish Government officials continue to work with officials from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on transmissible spongiform encephalopathy controls that impact the UK. There have been no specific discussions on the recent confirmed …
23 Feb 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many successful applications for air source heat pump installations there have been since 2007, broken down by local authority.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government does not hold this information. However, you may find the statistics at the attached link useful information. These relate to the UK Government’s Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI): https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/renewable-hea…
18 Feb 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how the cost benefit analysis of flood risk management plans will support local authorities in reducing spending on flood alleviation projects that are shown to be of low benefit.
Answer · Aileen McLeod: Cost benefit analysis is a decision support tool that will help to identify projects which maximise value for money in the reduction of flood risk. Within each flood risk management plan, actions to reduce flood risk will be given a priority based on ranking …
18 Feb 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that natural flood management options and their long-term benefits are prioritised in the shortlist of potential actions identified for each potentially vulnerable area.
Answer · Aileen McLeod: As part of the flood risk management planning process, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), working in partnership with local authorities and Scottish Water, will select the most sustainable actions to meet the agreed objectives for managing sig…