Gordon Lindhurst

23 Oct 2019 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much of the £1.37 million allocated to the Citizens’ Assembly of Scotland will be spent on the recruitment of its members.

2 Oct 2019 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to encourage young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to engage with culture and heritage.

27 Aug 2019 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the recent SQA exam results and whether they reflect the strength of the education system.

18 Jun 2019 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what reviews it has carried out of the cost of delivering and implementing wave 2 benefits.

15 May 2019 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to help boost Scotland’s exports.

Answer · Ivan McKee: The Scottish Government has embarked on an ambitious course of action to deliver export growth for Scotland. A Trading Nation represents the most comprehensive analysis of Scotland’s export performance alongside market opportunity ever undertaken by the Scott…

17 Apr 2019 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the UK Withdrawal from the European Union (Legal Continuity) (Scotland) Bill.

28 Mar 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5O-03082 by Ash Denham on 28 March 2019, what its response is to the reported concerns regarding the consequences for sole-practitioners should the proposed model for the levy be adopted, including the impact of the 28% rise for partners/managers in pr…

Answer · Ash Denham: As set out in my answer to question S5O-03082, the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission operates independently of the Scottish Government. The Scottish Government is, however, currently undertaking an analysis of the recommendations of the report of the inde…

20 Mar 2019 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission regarding its proposed budget and levy for 2019-20.

Answer · Ash Denham: Officials met with the Chair and Chief Executive of the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission on 19 th February to discuss the background to its proposed budget. The Scottish Legal Complaints Commission is an independent statutory body and operates independen…

13 Mar 2019 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what role participation in sport and leisure plays in the health of the population.

5 Mar 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what additional resources it will provide to Police Scotland should the Children (Equal Protection from Assault) (Scotland) Bill come into force, in light of evidence submitted on the Bill by the force, which states that the proposed legislation will have potential cost and resource impl…

Answer · Maree Todd: The Scottish Government has established an Implementation Group to consider what action needs to be taken to implement the Children (Equal Protection from Assault) (Scotland) Bill, if it should be enacted by Parliament. Police Scotland are members of this Imp…

5 Mar 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in response to the recent study by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, which suggests that the NHS in Scotland is facing problems in recruiting paediatric doctors, with numbers have to rise by a quarter, and whether it agrees with the college's ana…

Answer · Jeane Freeman: We have worked closely with the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) to agree the appropriate and sustainable paediatric trainee supply. As the report highlights, we have acknowledged the need to increase the number of paediatric trainees. W…

20 Feb 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what meetings it had with businesses and sectoral interests to discuss trade promotion opportunities in relation to the First Minister’s recent visit to North America.

Answer · Ivan McKee: The First Minister engaged in a number meetings with businesses to discuss trade promotion during her visit to North America. Opportunities across a range of key sectors were discussed, including Technology, Financial Services, Tourism, Renewable Energy and F…

31 Jan 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to concerns regarding insufficient parking spaces for staff at St John’s Hospital in Livingston, and what assistance it can provide to NHS Lothian to resolve any problems.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: I refer the member to the answer to question S5O-02870 on? 7 February 2019. The answer to the oral parliamentary question is available on the Parliaments website, the Official Report can be viewed at: http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/report.a…

31 Jan 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the comment by the chairman of the failed energy company, Our Power, that "it is unclear what the level of financial backing is required for a new entrant to cope with market volatility and regulatory change", what it can learn from the collapse of this supplier regarding pr…

Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The development of the outline business case and our future decisions for the Scottish Government’s ambition of a public energy company will take into account the lessons to be learnt by the withdrawal from the market of a number of energy companies, includin…

9 Jan 2019 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to support the food and drink sector.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: We continue to work with farmers, food producers and industry bodies to drive forward the Ambition 2030 food and drink strategy. Our Programme for Government sets out a range of new measures to support the sector, building on the range of work that is already…

5 Dec 2018 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making with developing a peer-to-peer mentorship scheme to boost exports, alongside CBI Scotland.

22 Nov 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5O-02579 by Humza Yousaf on 21 November 2018, whether it considers that the new protocol announced recently by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service aimed at speeding up the release of the bodies of murder victims will have the intended effect…

Answer · James Wolffe QC: In consultation with the Law Society of Scotland, the Faculty of Advocates and Forensic Pathologists, COPFS reviewed post mortem examination protocols. The review recognised the right of accused persons to examine and test the evidence against them, includin…

21 Nov 2018 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to meet its commitment in its Programme for Government to oppose legislative consent to all UK legislation relating to EU withdrawal.

14 Nov 2018 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to support the families of murder victims.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: As part of the three year funding package of £13.8 million from the Scottish Government, Victim Support Scotland will establish a new service by Spring 2019 to provide families bereaved by murder and culpable homicide with dedicated and continuous support. W…

1 Nov 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to concerns that a new single legal services regulatory body could weaken public protection.

Answer · Ash Denham: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-19709 on 14 November 2018. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusine…

1 Nov 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is aware of any existing models around the world of a single legal services regulatory body, as recommended by the Independent Review of Legal Services Regulation in Scotland.

Answer · Ash Denham: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-19709 on 14 November 2018. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusine…

1 Nov 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the (a) Law Society of Scotland, (b) Faculty of Advocates and (c) Association of Commercial Attorneys following the publication of the report of the Independent Review of Legal Services Regulation in Scotland.

Answer · Ash Denham: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-19709 on 14 November 2018. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusine…

1 Nov 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to concerns that a new single legal services regulatory body could increase costs for those using legal services.

Answer · Ash Denham: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-19709 on 14 November 2018. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusine…

1 Nov 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the findings of the Independent Review of Legal Services Regulation in Scotland.

Answer · Ash Denham: Fit for the Future – The Report of the Independent Review of Legal Services Regulation in Scotland was published on 23 October 2018. We are considering the recommendations in detail and will publish a Scottish Government response. To inform this response I wi…

25 Oct 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has responded to the Department for International Trade consultation on trade negotiations with the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership and, if so, whether it will share its response.

Answer · Ivan McKee: The Scottish Government will submit its initial views to the Department for International Trade (DIT) on the issues raised by the consultation on possible accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans – Pacific Partnership as part of our …

25 Oct 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has responded to the Department for International Trade consultation on trade negotiations with (a) Australia, (b) New Zealand and (c) the United States and, if so, whether it will share its response.  

Answer · Ivan McKee: The Scottish Government will submit its initial views to the Department for International Trade (DIT) on the issues raised by the consultations on trade negotiations with Australia, New Zealand and the United States as part of our involvement in the developme…

24 Oct 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to figures suggesting that school support staff in Edinburgh have been attacked or abused by pupils 2,478 times over the last three years.

Answer · John Swinney: It is not acceptable for anyone working in our schools to be assaulted verbally or physically. The Scottish Government, local authorities and all school staff are continually striving to develop peaceful, positive and inclusive learning environments where all…

24 Oct 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported comment by the general secretary of the Scottish Police Federation that officers are working without breaks and beyond their working hours.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The operational deployment of police officers is a matter for the Chief Constable of Police Scotland. The Scottish Government's Fair Work agenda asks that all employers respect personal and family life and we also expect all employers to work within the worki…

24 Oct 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recent Reform Scotland report, Breaking the languages barrier, which calls for a rethink to the approach to teaching foreign languages, including a greater focus on community languages, such as Chinese and Urdu.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government welcomes Reform Scotland’s "Breaking the Languages Barrier” report. As the report itself notes, the Scottish Government is committed to language learning and the value it brings to both individuals and wider society. We will consider t…

24 Oct 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many Environmental Health Officers (EHO) are in post in each local authority area, also broken down by how many EHO vacancies each council has.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: I am informed by Food Standards Scotland that information on staff engaged in food law enforcement activity in the year 2017-18 was reported to them by local authorities. Details of the reported numbers are as follows: Local Authority Number of Local Autho…