Parliamentary questions
Sarah Boyack
2,373 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
25 Jan 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to target the involvement of young voters in the 2012 local government elections.
Answer · Derek Mackay: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-05233 on 7 February 2012. 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/parliamentar…
25 Jan 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to comments by the Minister for Local Government and Planning on 19 January 2012 (Official Report, c. 5439) regarding the phasing of an awareness campaign for the 2012 local government elections, what plans it has for promoting voter participation and when each phase of publicity…
Answer · Derek Mackay: I met with the Electoral Commission on 30 January to discuss the ongoing preparations for the 2012 Local Government Elections. As the member will know The Local Electoral Administration (Scotland) Act 2011 extended the statutory remit of the Electoral Commis…
25 Jan 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many students it plans to support in each college in Lothian during the next spending review period.
Answer · Michael Russell: We have indicated to College Principals that funding for 2012-13 will enable colleges to maintain student numbers at this year’s baseline levels. It is the responsibility of the Scottish Funding Council to allocate funding to individual colleges. The eventua…
25 Jan 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many students in Lothian have received college bursaries in each of the last five years, broken down by college.
Answer · Michael Russell: The information requested contained in Table 1. Figures on the number of students receiving bursary funds who are in receipt of Maintenance Allowance is also given in Table 2. Table 1: Number of Students in receipt of bursaries at Colleges in Edinburgh and …
18 Jan 2012 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the disparity in rates of employment for disabled and non-disabled workers, what action it is taking in support of supported employment.
10 Jan 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether its position remains that the powers contained in the Scotland Bill represents its preferred option for establishing a future local income tax.
Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government will consult with others to produce a fairer local tax based on ability to pay later in this parliament. Those proposals will be based on the powers available to ministers and parliament at the time.
10 Jan 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether its Local Government - Council Tax Abolition unit is still in operation and, if so, how many staff are deployed there; what its annual operating costs are, and whether it will publish the unit's work programme.
Answer · John Swinney: All work on local tax policy and administration is being taken forward by a small unit of officials in Local Government Division. The government is committed to produce a fairer system of local taxation based on the ability to pay.
16 Dec 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what benefits it expects that communities will receive from the Forestry Commission Scotland renewables contracts announced by the Minister for Environment and Climate Change on 22 February 2011.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Following Forestry Commission Scotland’s (FCS) competitive negotiation processes six development partners were identified for hydro and wind developments (four for wind and two for hydro). Through that process FCS negotiated market leading rates of community …
16 Dec 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its estimate is of the renewables potential of the Forestry Commission estate.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Forestry Commission Scotland estimates that there is the potential for approximately 2,000 megawatts installed Renewable Energy capacity on the National Forest Estate, mostly in the form of wind farms.
16 Dec 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what support (a) it or (b) the Forestry Commission Scotland has offered community groups to become involved in bidding for the opportunity to develop renewables on the Forestry Commission estate.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Free support and guidance to communities interested in renewable energy is available from the Scottish Government's Communities and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES) managed by Community Energy Scotland (CES). CARES also provides loans to help communities and r…
16 Dec 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are opportunities for renewables developments on parts of the Forestry Commission estate other than the five lots announced by the Forestry Commission Scotland.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The areas of the national forest estate on which communities can potentially take forward renewable developments are being identified on maps published on Forestry Commission Scotland’s website. The map for community-led hydro generation schemes is already av…
16 Dec 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a breakdown of the (a) type and (b) scale of renewables projects being approved for each of the five lots on the Forestry Commission estate.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The Forestry Commission Scotland (FCS) website will continue to give updated information about the number of option agreements that have been signed with developers and provide links to the developers’ websites for more detailed information.
16 Dec 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what scope there is for communities to bid to establish renewables schemes on each of the five lots on Forestry Commission estate allocated for developments of (a) 5MW or less and (b) more than 5MW.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: For both size categories, communities that wish to do so are being encouraged to investigate potential schemes. To assist them, Forestry Commission Scotland (FCS) has placed on the FCS website a map of areas which are available for community-led hydro project…
16 Dec 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish the timescales for conclusion of agreements on each of the five lots on the Forestry Commission estate allocated for renewables developments.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The timescale will vary according to the detail of individual potential developments. Forestry Commission Scotland expects to enter into option agreements for a number of potential sites over the first half of 2012. Other potential sites will be subject to fu…
16 Dec 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what areas of land have been leased to power companies for developing renewables projects.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The information requested is not held centrally.
16 Dec 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of land is now committed for the development of renewables by (a) community groups and (b) power companies.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The information requested is not held centrally. However, the Scottish Government has commissioned the production of a database of community and locally owned renewables projects, and findings will be available in the near future.
16 Dec 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what income it expects to receive from companies that it has selected to develop renewables projects on the Forestry Commission estate.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Forestry Commission Scotland (FCS) expects to receive around £30 million per annum in income from renewable energy generation on the National Forest Estate. This is based on achievement of FCS’s 2,000 megawatts installed capacity target, and takes into accoun…
16 Dec 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many expressions of interest have been received by groups interested in pursuing community renewables projects on the Forestry Commission estate following the announcement by the Forestry Commission Scotland on 22 February 2011 of community development opportunities.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Forestry Commission Scotland (FCS) has received 75 expressions of interest from Community Councils, Development Trusts, and other community-based organisations. FCS will be contacting all these organisations to update them on progress and advise on next steps…
16 Dec 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4O-00484 by Nicola Sturgeon on 15 December 2011 (Official Report, c. 3327), on what date a copy of the further report received by the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Cities Strategy will be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centr…
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The copy of the further report is in fact an “addendum” to the initial report. A copy of this report was placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre on 9 January 2012.
16 Dec 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive further to the answer to question S4O-00484 by Nicola Sturgeon on 15 December 2011 (Official Report, c. 3327), what its response is to the further report received by the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Cities Strategy.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The response to the addendum to this report is contained in a letter which I have sent to the Office of the Convener of the Health and Sport Committee. A copy of this covering letter and the report itself were both placed in the Scottish Parliament Informatio…
16 Dec 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive further to the answer to question S4O-00416 by Nicola Sturgeon on 24 November 2011, what further information was requested by the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Cities Strategy following receipt of the initial report.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Health Workforce and Performance Directorate asked NHS Lothian to quantify exactly the number of patients and the length of time they were waiting. The original report received by Scottish Government did not have these details which required a longer time…
16 Dec 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive further to the answer to question S4O-00416 by Nicola Sturgeon on 24 November 2011, when it will publish the initial report that the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Cities Strategy has received.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: A copy of this report was placed in Scottish Parliament Information Centre on 9 January 2012.
14 Dec 2011 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish its response to the investigation by NHS Lothian of so-called hidden waiting lists.
13 Dec 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what estimates it has asked local authorities to provide to indicate whether they expect to meet the 2012 target for eradicating homelessness.
Answer · Keith Brown: Homelessness statistics are published every six months from quarterly returns provided by local authorities. These provide an indication of progress towards the target that by the end of December 2012 all unintentionally homeless households will be entitled t…
13 Dec 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the penalty will be for local authorities that do not meet the 2012 target for eradicating homelessness.
Answer · Keith Brown: The 2012 target is not about eradicating all homelessness but about ensuring that, by the end of December 2012, all unintentionally homeless households applying to their local authority for assistance will be entitled to settled accommodation. The terms of t…
7 Dec 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many forests or woods are identified as to be made available to communities through the National Forest Land Scheme.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Under the National Forest Land Scheme, communities or housing bodies can apply to buy or lease areas of land that are owned by Scottish Ministers and managed by Forestry Commission Scotland (FCS), even where such land has not been declared surplus or for sale…
7 Dec 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many forests or woods have been successfully (a) conveyed and (b) leased to local community groups through the National Forest Land Scheme in each year since it was introduced.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Under the National Forest Land Scheme, communities or housing bodies can apply to buy or lease areas of land that are owned by Scottish Ministers and managed by Forestry Commission Scotland, even where such land has not been declared surplus or for sale. Sinc…
7 Dec 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities are implementing its guidance, The right tree in the right place, and have (a) published or (b) are writing a forest and woodland strategy.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The right tree in the right place was published in 2010. (a) The following local authorities have published a forestry and woodland strategy. Depending on the date of production these may or may not directly follow the right tree in the right place guidance,…
7 Dec 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will start publicly reporting woodland loss and by what (a) method and (b) frequency.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Forestry Commission Scotland expects to publish further information about woodland loss in April 2012. The method for gathering this information includes an analysis of the Commission’s own records and an investigation of the extent of woodland loss resulting…
30 Nov 2011 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish its response to the investigation by NHS Lothian of so-called hidden waiting lists.