Parliamentary questions

David McLetchie

326 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

6 Dec 2012 · Topical Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of the severance package agreed with the Chief Executive of Creative Scotland, Andrew Dixon, in light of his announcement that he is to leave the organisation in January 2013.

19 Sep 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the draft order relating to the reform of prison visiting committees.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I announced on 13 December my decision to ask Professor Andrew Coyle (Emeritus Professor of Prison Studies in London University and Visiting Professor in the University of Essex) formally to review the Scottish Government’s proposals on independent monitoring…

13 Sep 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish the progress report on the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) Estate Strategy referred to in paragraph 10 of the minutes of the SPS board meeting held on 25 April 2012.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Colin McConnell, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows: The Scottish Prison Service does not routinely publish these papers. However, on this occasion, I have sent a copy of the relevant document …

13 Sep 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it (a) has considered the recommendations of the report and comparative study commissioned by Scotland's Campaign against Irresponsible Drivers (SCID) from the University of Dundee School of Law into the information available to the bereaved families of victims of road collisions…

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Officials in the Justice Directorate and in the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) are presently considering the terms of the report commissioned by the Scottish Campaign against Irresponsible Driving (SCID) entitled Access in Europe by a bere…

5 Sep 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when was the last occasion on which the law on defamation was the subject of an official published review by the Scottish Government, Scottish Law Commission or any other public body for which the Scottish Government is responsible.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: There has been no official published review of the law of defamation by the Scottish Government, Scottish Law Commission or any other public body for which the Scottish Government is responsible. However, the Scottish Government did consult on a specific aspe…

4 Sep 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it will (a) receive and (b) publish the findings of the Health and Safety Executive’s investigation into the 2012 outbreak of Legionella in Edinburgh.

Answer · Alex Neil: The investigation into the Legionella outbreak by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is ongoing. A joint investigation, by Lothian and Borders Police and the HSE, under the direction of Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) Health and Safety …

31 Aug 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to bring the income level at which Scotland-based students studying at universities in England and Wales are required to commence repayment of loans made to them by the Student Loans Company into line with the threshold that applies to England and Wales-based students.

Answer · Michael Russell: There are no plans to bring the repayment threshold for Scottish students studying in the rest of the UK (RUK) in line with English and Welsh based students.

28 Aug 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how the total consideration received for the sale of surplus land at HMP Edinburgh compares with previously published valuations of the land prior to its sale.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Colin McConnell, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-09293 and S4W-09294 on 13 September 2012. All answers to written parliamentary questions ar…

28 Aug 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will disclose the consideration paid for each of the lots comprised in the surplus land at HMP Edinburgh, which was recently marketed for sale by the Scottish Prison Service and the identity in each case of the successful bidder.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Colin McConnell, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-09293 on 13 September 2012. As this matter is not concluded, the information regarding the …

28 Aug 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether missives have been concluded for the sale of the surplus land at HMP Edinburgh, which was recently marketed for sale by the Scottish Prison Service.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Colin McConnell, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows: Missives have not yet been exchanged. Work is progressing to conclude the missives for the disposal of one plot on the site and the other pl…

18 Apr 2012 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to reduce the number and value of outstanding fines and penalties levied by the courts, the fiscal service and the police.

28 Mar 2012 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to receive a report from NHS Lothian on its inquiry into its management culture.

22 Mar 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the statement by Nicola Sturgeon on 21 March 2012 (Official Report, c. 7456) regarding waiting times management by NHS Lothian, what private providers are being used by the board to tackle the waiting times backlog and at what cost; whether it considers that the extra £4.8 mil…

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: NHS Lothian has commissioned additional capacity with a number of providers, including other health boards, to support delivery of the waiting times backlog to the end March. To date there have been three main providers of independent sector capacity; Spire H…

22 Feb 2012 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide an update on the progress made in response to its request to NHS Lothian to carry out an internal audit of the application of its waiting time practices and management.

3 Feb 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been prohibited from making visits to prisons as a result of having been caught attempting to smuggle in a mobile phone.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows: In the period between 1 January 2011 and 31 January 2012, 12 visitors were caught attempting to bring a mobile phone into the prison. Four visit…

3 Feb 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many prisoners have been (a) charged with and (b) convicted of possession of a mobile phone.

Answer · Lesley Thomson: Being in possession of a personal communication device, which includes a mobile phone and any component part thereof, whilst inside a prison is an offence under section 41ZA(3) of the Prisons (Scotland) Act 1989, as amended by the Criminal Justice and Licensi…

3 Feb 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been (a) charged with and (b) convicted of an offence relating to the smuggling of mobile phones into prisons.

Answer · Lesley Thomson: Bringing or introducing or attempting to bring or introduce a personal communication device, which includes a mobile phone and any component part thereof, into a prison is an offence under section 41(1)(a) of the Prisons (Scotland) Act 1989, as amended by the…

31 Jan 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people under the age of 18 have been charged with attempting to purchase tobacco since April 2011.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Information on the number of persons charged is not held centrally. Information on the number of persons proceeded against in Scottish courts in 2011-12 will not be available until publication of the Criminal Proceedings in Scotland, 2011-12 Statistical Bulle…

31 Jan 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been charged with attempting to purchase tobacco on behalf of someone under 18 since April 2011.

31 Jan 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been charged with attempting to purchase alcohol on behalf of someone under the age of 18 in each year since 2009.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Information on the number of persons charged is not held centrally. There were 156 and 98 persons proceeded against for purchasing alcohol on behalf of someone under the age of 18 in the financial years 2009-10 and 2010-11 respectively.

31 Jan 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people under the age of 18 have been charged with attempting to purchase alcohol in each year since 2009.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Information on the number of persons charged is not held centrally. There were four and three persons proceeded against for purchasing alcohol when under 18 in the financial years 2009-10 and 2010-11 respectively.

25 Jan 2012 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it welcomes the increase in the number of students from European Union countries receiving free higher education in Scotland's universities.

18 Jan 2012 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the Parliament's agreement to motion S4M-01526 on 8 December 2011, whether it will explain its reasons for not carrying out a Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment on the proposed public health levy.

11 Jan 2012 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it expects the 2011-12 financial outturn of NHS boards to demonstrate that they have operated within their budget allocation.

21 Dec 2011 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to enter into discussions with the European Commission to establish the Commission's view of the status of an independent Scotland in relation to the European Union in advance of the proposed independence referendum.

8 Dec 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people given a custodial sentence in cases involving domestic violence received a sentence of (a) three and (b) six months or less in each of the last three years.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Information on offence aggravations have been published and classified as “data being developed” alongside the 2010-11 Criminal Proceedings in Scotland statistical bulletin and some caution needs to be applied to these figures when comparing results across ti…

8 Dec 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been (a) prosecuted and (b) convicted in cases involving domestic violence in each of the last three years, broken down by manner of disposal.

30 Nov 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether local authorities have the power to impose a transient visitor levy or ‘bed tax’ on hotels and serviced accommodation providers and, if not, whether, in its view, the Scottish Parliament has the power to enact legislation which would enable local authorities to do so.

Answer · John Swinney: There are no existing powers for local authorities to levy a local tax of this kind. The Scottish Government position is that the Scottish Parliament has competence to enact legislation which would enable local authorities to do so. Ministers have no plans to…

21 Nov 2011 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister to what extent attempts by the Scottish Executive to reduce its payroll costs through reductions in the number of its permanent staff are being undermined by the increased use of temporary staff.

16 Nov 2011 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made with the development of a mortgage indemnity scheme to facilitate the purchase of new homes and how much funding it will commit to this.