Bruce Crawford

12 Dec 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the Scottish Ambulance Service not responding to correspondence sent by an MSP on 3 October, 4 November and 1 December 2014 about patient transport services in the Killin area.

Answer · Shona Robison: It is understood that the correspondence referred to was addressed to 23 Tipperlinn Road, Edinburgh EH10 5UU. The Scottish Ambulance Service relocated to South Gyle Square, 1 South Gyle Crescent, Edinburgh EH12 9EB on 9 December 2011. Mail was being redirecte…

24 Nov 2014 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what agreements are in place with COSLA regarding the funding of education services.

12 Nov 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it will next review the concessionary bus pass scheme.

Answer · Keith Brown: The terms of reimbursement for operators carrying concessionary passengers are subject to periodic discussion with the Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT), informed by an economic model agreed in January 2013. We are currently discussing reimbursement …

12 Nov 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much the concessionary bus pass scheme has cost in each of the last three years.

Answer · Keith Brown: The cost of reimbursing operators for carrying concessionary passengers under the national concessionary bus travel scheme in 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2013-14 was £180 million, £187 million and £188.6 million respectively. In addition, a further £10 million was p…

12 Nov 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many journeys have been made under the concessionary bus pass scheme in each local authority area in the last year.

Answer · Keith Brown: We do not hold information on the number of journeys made in each local authority area under the national concessionary bus travel scheme for older and disabled people. However, a total of just under 147 million journeys throughout Scotland were made under th…

12 Nov 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Stirling Council regarding mental health provision for people over 65.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government has had no discussions specifically with Stirling Council regarding their provision of mental health services for over 65s.

12 Nov 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many lives will be saved by the introduction of its legislation on drink driving.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Around one in 10 deaths on Scotland’s roads each year involve drivers over the legal drink drive limit. The estimates of lives to be saved from a lower limit can vary as they are often made on different bases for different countries. Sir Peter North’s Report …

10 Nov 2014 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides for people and their families living with fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva.

4 Nov 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government which orchestras it provides funding to; how much it has provided each orchestra in each year since 2011, and what conditions are attached regarding where the orchestras perform.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Scottish Government directly provides grant funding to the Royal Scottish National Orchestra (RSNO) and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra (SCO), two of five Scottish Government–funded National Performing Companies. The following core revenue funding has bee…

3 Nov 2014 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government what importance it places on the delivery of a high quality music experience for primary school children.

13 Jun 2014 · Inspired Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the consultation on the draft Scottish Independence Bill.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Independence Bill: a Consultation on an Interim Constitution for Scotland is being published today. The consultation document includes a draft Bill, which would be introduced to the Scottish Parliament following a vote for independence in the re…

22 May 2014 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government how its legislation on air weapons will achieve a balance between protecting communities and allowing legitimate shooting in a safe environment.

21 May 2014 · Inspired Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the costs of events associated with Scotland’s Future: Your Guide to an Independent Scotland.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scotland’s Future events programme began with the launch of this document on 26 November 2013 and includes a stakeholder event on 10 December 2013 and a programme of public Q&A events hosted across Scotland. The following expenditure in relation to event…

21 May 2014 · Inspired Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the public information costs associated with Scotland’s Future: Your guide to an Independent Scotland.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: When Scotland’s Future was published, I announced a budget of £450,000 to ensure the public were made aware of how to access information about the Scottish Government’s proposals for independence. Of this, £350,000 was spent in financial year 2013-14. The fo…

12 May 2014 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action Skills Development Scotland is taking to encourage apprenticeships in traditional skills.

Answer · Angela Constance: Skills Development Scotland works with Sector Skills Councils and other partners, to promote the uptake of all apprenticeship frameworks through My World of Work and Our Skillsforce. This includes working with Historic Scotland to promote opportunities for ap…

17 Apr 2014 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the findings of its consultation on the control of entry arrangements and dispensing GP practices.

26 Mar 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how the £2.5 million it provided to Citizens Advice Scotland has been used to help people affected by welfare reform.

Answer · Margaret Burgess: The funds are being distributed to local Citizen’s Advice Bureaux across Scotland to enable them to increase their front line capacity to meet the growing demand for advice services in the face of the UK Government’s welfare reforms. We recognise the key rol…

17 Feb 2014 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government when the Minister for Youth Employment will next visit the Stirling constituency.

17 Feb 2014 · Topical Question

To ask the Scottish Government what contact it has had with the UK Government regarding the "Edinburgh Agreement", in light of recent comments by the UK Government regarding currency and a “senior coalition source” regarding respect for the outcome of the referendum.

4 Feb 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether, in considering its response to the Report of the Review of Higher Education Governance in Scotland, it will take into consideration the mechanism for deciding the remuneration of university principals.

Answer · Michael Russell: As autonomous institutions, the salary levels of principals and other senior staff are a matter for each university’s governing body and remuneration committee. The Scottish Government expect university principals and senior management to refer to the proposa…

4 Feb 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it will announce its recommendations in response to the Report of the Review of Higher Education Governance in Scotland.

Answer · Michael Russell: In an announcement to Parliament on 28 June 2012, we broadly accepted the recommendations in the report and advised that they would be taken forward by engaging key sector stakeholders as implementing partners; engaging the sector itself in implementing recom…

4 Feb 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what remuneration the principal of each university receives and what the mechanism is for agreeing such remuneration.

Answer · Michael Russell: As autonomous institutions, the salary levels of principals and other senior staff are a matter for each university’s governing body and remuneration committee. The Scottish Government expects university Principals and senior management to refer to the recom…

27 Jan 2014 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what consultation Transport Scotland has with communities when considering trunk road closures at night.

13 Jan 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when ministers last met representatives of the retail sector to discuss the introduction of the proposed single use carrier bag charge and when the next meeting is scheduled to take place.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: I last discussed our proposals for single use carrier bag charging at the Scottish Grocery Retailers Forum meeting that I chaired last year. Since then, my officials have been discussing the proposals in more detail with retailers and these discussions will c…

13 Jan 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will seek to restrict allocation of proceeds from the proposed single use carrier bag charge to charities registered in Scotland.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-18979 on 10 January 2014. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at the following address: http://www.scottish.parli…

13 Jan 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that a proportion of funds raised by the proposed single use carrier bag charge is allocated to environmental charities.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-18979 on 10 January 2014. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at the following address: http://www.scottish.par…

17 Dec 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that organisations based in Scotland that campaign against litter will be properly resourced.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government funds Zero Waste Scotland to deliver a co-ordinated programme of action on waste and litter. As part of this programme, Zero Waste Scotland is contributing £250,000 this financial year towards the local clean up activity of Keep Scotla…

17 Dec 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it is giving to ringfencing a proportion of any money raised as a result of the proposed Single Use Carrier Bag Charge (Regulations) Scotland for organisations based in Scotland that deal with litter reduction.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-18979 on 10 January 2014. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at the following address: http://www.scottish.parli…

17 Dec 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that any money raised as a result of the proposed Single Use Carrier Bag Charge (Regulations) Scotland will remain in the Scottish economy.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: We intend to negotiate an agreement with retailers for the proceeds of the charge to be donated to good causes in Scotland, including for litter and waste prevention. We have always been clear that the primary aim of the charge is to drive behaviour change an…

2 Dec 2013 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government what value it places on music tuition in schools.