Parliamentary questions
Sarah Boyack
2,373 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
17 Feb 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it first contacted City of Edinburgh Council regarding the financial difficulties experienced by The Gathering 2009 Ltd.
Answer · Jim Mather: The First Minister and officials met representatives of the City of Edinburgh Council, VisitScotland and a third party organisation on 12 October 2009 to discuss the possibility of that third party organisation buying The Gathering 2009 Ltd in order to secure…
11 Feb 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when householders will be able to apply to the boiler scrappage scheme.
Answer · Jim Mather: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-31666 on 9 March 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <u><a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps…
11 Feb 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will administer the delivery of its boiler scrappage scheme.
Answer · Jim Mather: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-31666 on 9 March 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <u><a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps…
11 Feb 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many estimated jobs will be created by its boiler scrappage scheme.
Answer · Jim Mather: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-31666 on 9 March 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <u><a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps…
11 Feb 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will apply the £400 discount offered by the UK Government in its boiler scrappage scheme.
Answer · Jim Mather: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-31666 on 9 March 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <u><a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps…
11 Feb 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many households it plans to support through its boiler scrappage scheme.
Answer · Jim Mather: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-31666 on 9 March 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <u><a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps…
28 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what targets it has set for implementing the SNP manifesto commitment to “renewable generation in every Scottish school”.
Answer · Keith Brown: Our ambition is to have renewable generation in every school as we believe that will help contribute towards the challenging emissions reduction targets which are required by the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009. The joint Scottish Government and COSLA scho…
22 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to its news release of 20 January 2010, Russell sets out assessment system, how much funding will be made available to help schools implement the Curriculum for Excellence in the Lothians region, broken down by local authority.
Answer · Michael Russell: Resources will be transferred to local authorities to help support the additional local activity associated with introducing and operating the quality assurance and moderation scheme for assessment for curriculum for excellence.</p> <p >The Scottish Governm…
19 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what work it has carried out to assess future workforce planning requirements for town planners.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Government does not collate information centrally on the supply and demand of planners across Scotland. It is the responsibility of planning authorities to ensure that they have appropriate staff resources in place to meet their statutory respons…
19 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the impact of a 22% reduction in funding for town planning courses on its targets for reducing carbon emissions in the built environment.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Officials from the Directorate for the Built Environment have met with representatives of Scotland''s planning schools on a number of occasions at which the matter has been discussed. The chief planner is scheduled to meet with the Chief Executive of the Scot…
19 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what estimates it has made of the economic impact of a 22% reduction in funding for town planning courses.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Officials from the Directorate for the Built Environment have met with representatives of Scotland''s planning schools on a number of occasions at which the matter has been discussed. The chief planner is scheduled to meet with the Chief Executive of the Scot…
14 Dec 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish the full EKOS report on Homecoming Scotland 2009.
Answer · Jim Mather: Yes, the full EKOS report on Homecoming Scotland will be published as an appendix to the final report.</p>
14 Dec 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-16990 by Jim Mather on 5 November 2008, what the total marketing cost was of Homecoming Scotland 2009.
Answer · Jim Mather: The total budget and cost of Homecoming Scotland''s marketing activity is approximately £2 million. </p> <p >Homecoming has been delivered within budget and a breakdown of costs, including those for marketing, will be included in the final report.</p>
14 Dec 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-20442 by Jim Mather on 26 February 2009, whether it will provide (a) details of the evaluation of the online advertising spend, (b) the results of that evaluation and (c) an analysis of the online advertising spend compared with the total marketing c…
Answer · Jim Mather: The full report on Homecoming Scotland will be published in spring 2010. This report will include information on the success of the advertising campaign.</p>
14 Dec 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a geographical analysis of the new email addresses received during Homecoming Scotland 2009 as a result of online marketing.
Answer · Jim Mather: Yes, this information will be included as part of the final report for Homecoming Scotland.</p>
14 Dec 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-20442 by Jim Mather on 26 February 2009, how much it spent on online advertising to promote Homecoming Scotland 2009.
Answer · Jim Mather: £481,139 was spent on online advertising from the Homecoming marketing budget. Homecoming Scotland 2009 messages were also an integral part of wider VisitScotland online marketing activity, including campaigns such as Winter White, Perfect Day, European Touri…
14 Dec 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-19785 by Jim Mather on 30 January 2009, whether it will publish all of the (a) questions in and (b) answers to the YouGov Scotland Omnibus studies.
Answer · Jim Mather: The questions and the answers to the YouGov surveys will be included in the full report on Homecoming Scotland and this will be published in spring 2010.</p>
10 Dec 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will provide a substantive answer to questions S3W-28340, S3W-28341, S3W-28342, S3W-28343, S3W-28344, S3W-28345, which received holding replies on 20 November 2009.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: I refer the member to the answers to questions S3W-28340, S3W-28341, S3W-28342, S3W-28343, S3W-28344 and S3W-28345 on 18 December 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which ca…
9 Dec 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what part of the Environmental Impact Assessment (Agriculture) (Scotland) Regulations 2006 addresses drainage of moorland for purposes other than intensive agriculture.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-29866 on 12 January 2009. All 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/Business/…
9 Dec 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the Environmental Impact Assessment (Agriculture) (Scotland) Regulations 2006 apply to all agricultural or estate management activities potentially damaging to semi-natural areas.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Environmental Impact Assessment (Agriculture)(Scotland) Regulations 2006 contribute to protecting and enhancing the rural environment by guarding against possible negative environmental effects arising from the restructuring of rural land holdings on agri…
9 Dec 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it next plans to review the Environmental Impact Assessment (Agriculture) (Scotland) Regulations 2006 and whether it is required to do so by a given date.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: There is no specific statutory obligation to review the regulations and I have no immediate plans to do so.</p> <p >The European Commission has indicated its intention to bring forward proposals for revision of the EIA Directive 85/337/EEC later this year or…
9 Dec 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how often the public register is required to be updated by the Environmental Impact Assessment (Agriculture) (Scotland) Regulations 2006; how often it is updated, and when it was last updated.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The regulations do not specify how often the public register should be updated. However, in practice it is done on a quarterly basis. It was last updated on 16 December 2009.</p>
9 Dec 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many screening decisions the Scottish Ministers have issued for projects under the Environmental Impact Assessment (Agriculture) (Scotland) Regulations 2006 and how many such projects have been deemed to require the consent of the Scottish Ministers and the submission of an environmen…
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Scottish ministers have issued screening decisions on 27 projects under the Environmental Impact Assessment (Agriculture) (Scotland) Regulations 2006, and the Environmental Impact Assessment (Uncultivated Land and Semi-Natural Areas) (Scotland) Regulations 20…
23 Oct 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what lessons it considers need to be learnt from the financial loss incurred by The Gathering 2009, given that it met the ticket sales target set by the organisers.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Clearly it will be important for those delivering future Gathering events to take cognisance of the experience gained in the organisation and delivery of the 2009 event.</p>
23 Oct 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the creditors of The Gathering 2009, including for any debt written off or payment made by public agencies.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Information relating to the private sector creditors of The Gathering 2009 Ltd is commercially sensitive and, as such, it would be inappropriate to list these creditors.</p> <p >Given the circumstances of the company, the judgement was taken that the debts …
23 Oct 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what losses have been taken on by the (a) City of Edinburgh Council, (b) Destination Edinburgh Marketing Alliance, and (c) Scottish Government in relation to The Gathering 2009.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: A news release issued on 15 October 2009 by the City of Edinburgh Council, on behalf of Destination Edinburgh Marketing Alliance (DEMA), stated that DEMA was taking over The Gathering 2009 Ltd, citing the positive economic impact of the event and the potentia…
23 Oct 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the (a) City of Edinburgh Council and (b) Destination Edinburgh Marketing Alliance regarding debts incurred by The Gathering 2009.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: (a) Given the positive results from the independent economic impact analysis of the Gathering event and the potential of future Gathering events, the Scottish Government had several discussions with representatives of the City of Edinburgh Council.</p> <p >(…
23 Oct 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it received a copy of the business plan for The Gathering 2009 in advance of the event taking place.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-28304 on 18 December 2009. 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/App…
23 Oct 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what communications it had with the organisers of The Gathering 2009 prior to the event taking place.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The First Minister met with the directors of The Gathering 2009 Ltd on 12 November 2008 and Michael Russell, the then Minister for Culture, External Affairs and the Constitution met with them on 28 April 2009.</p> <p >In addition to this, EventScotland, the …
1 Oct 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the inclusion of induced emissions resulting from increases in employment and salaries in the carbon assessment of the draft budget 2010-11 creates an incentive for Scottish Government departments to reduce projected emissions by reducing job numbers and paying l…
Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-27906 on 26 October 2009. 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/Apps…