Gordon Lindhurst

24 Oct 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Food Standards Scotland report, Capacity and Capability Audit - 773 - City of Edinburgh Council, which shows that, of the 6,488 food firms listed in the city, 2,886 were overdue an inspection and 915 were unrated, and what plans it has to work with the council…

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: Councils are independent bodies, and it is for them to decide how to deliver their services and meet their obligations. I am informed by Food Standards Scotland, the independent food body for Scotland, that it has carried out a number of Capacity and Capabil…

28 Sep 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will base future action arising from its seabird conservation strategy on evidence from an up-to-date and complete national census of breeding seabirds.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The results of the census will provide a welcome update to national population statistics, and will provide important context to the proposed Seabird Conservation Strategy. The Strategy will seek to identify actions that address the pressures impacting on sea…

28 Sep 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that the breeding seabird census will be completed within the planned census window, which ends in August 2019.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The seabird breeding census is being led by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee. Therefore the Scottish Government is not currently taking any action with regard to the census.

27 Sep 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of a successful bid having the potential to support the redevelopment of Hampden Park and spread the success of such a tournament across Scotland, whether it supports the proposal for a home nations bid to host the 2030 FIFA World Cup.  

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: We understand the football authorities in the UK have yet to decide whether or not to prepare a joint bid to host the 2030 World Cup and, if they did, which countries would be involved. I know the Scottish FA has said it is “always open-minded” about hosting…

21 Sep 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of (a) transport infrastructure and (b) public service requirements in and around the city of Edinburgh in anticipation of a projected 50% increase in Edinburgh's population by 2050, as suggested recently by the chief executive of the City of Edinburgh Council.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: Scotland’s third National Planning Framework (NPF3) states that a planned approach to development in the Edinburgh city region will be required to ensure that development needs are met, whilst taking into account existing and future infrastructure priorities.…

19 Sep 2018 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it is working to attract major events to Scotland.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Scotland’s approach to securing events is set out in our National Events Strategy, Scotland the Perfect Stage. The EventScotland team in VisitScotland leads on the delivery of the Strategy, working in partnership with local authorities, sports and venues to a…

12 Sep 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the top 10 countries are that import (a) wild and (b) farmed venison from Scotland.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: The information requested is not held centrally, however data from the industry suggests that the main export markets for Scottish wild and farm venison are Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Ireland.  

12 Sep 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether its recently-announced exports drive partnership with CBI Scotland will include social enterprises, both as mentors and among those receiving assistance.

Answer · Ivan McKee: Whilst details of the initiative are currently under development it is important that participating companies, mentors and mentees, are either actively exporting or are at a stage where exporting is an immediate and practical option for sustainable business g…

7 Sep 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government to what extent its recently announced exports drive partnership with CBI Scotland will take into consideration potential future increases in the value of sterling.

Answer · Ivan McKee: Currency fluctuations provide both an opportunity and a challenge to companies. The Scottish Government–CBI Scotland First Minister’s Export Challenge mentoring partnership will equip companies with the skillsets to address the changing conditions of the glob…

7 Sep 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether its recently announced exports drive partnership with CBI Scotland will be focused on particular (a) international markets and (b) domestic industries, and, if so, which.

Answer · Ivan McKee: The focus of the Scottish Government–CBI Scotland First Minister’s Export Challenge mentoring partnership is to provide companies with practical advice and skills around the opportunity and challenge of exporting, from companies with real world experience of …

7 Sep 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to figures showing that incidents of financial crime have risen by almost one third in the first quarter of 2018 compared to last year, including a rise of 40.7% in Edinburgh, and how it plans to tackle this rise.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: Police Scotland have noted that there has been an increase in online fraud and crimes involving contactless payments. While an operational matter for Police Scotland, I understand that they have made clear that they are investing in resources and equipping of…

4 Sep 2018 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the conclusions of the independent review, Rethinking Legal Aid.

30 Aug 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-18101 by Michael Matheson on 29 August 2018, whether Transport Scotland independently monitors hosts’ performance in meeting the requirement for charge points to be repaired within 48 hours, or whether performance in this area is based only on feedb…

Answer · Michael Matheson: In addition to receiving feedback from hosts, Transport Scotland also receives feedback on the performance of charge points from the ChargePlace Scotland network operator.

30 Aug 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-18101 by Michael Matheson on 29 August 2018, what sanctions are in place should a host regularly fail to meet the requirement to repair out-of-service charge points within 48 hours.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Ministers may re-assess, vary, make a deduction from, withhold, or require immediate repayment of the ChargePlace Scotland network grant should hosts be found to be in breach of the terms and conditions of the grant.

28 Aug 2018 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what level of engagement there has been on the Barclay implementation consultation on non-domestic rates reform.

24 Aug 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Police Scotland in response to figures showing that the number of grenades being seized in the UK has risen sharply, with the largest of the hauls in 2018 having taken place in Scotland.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: Grenades are weapons with the potential to cause widespread harm and the removal of a number of devices from circulation will help keep our communities safe. I plan to meet with senior representatives of Police Scotland, including the newly appointed Chief C…

14 Aug 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to figures showing that the sign-up rate for The City of Edinburgh Council's £25-a-year garden waste collection service is between 15% and 17% in some parts of the city, and what the implications of these figures are for the environment.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: It is for individual councils to decide if a garden waste collection service is required in their area and if a collection charge is necessary.  

14 Aug 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to concerns that the redevelopment of council-run sports facilities at Meadowbank in Edinburgh may lead to a loss of facilities, rather than an increase, and the impact that this may have on the health of local people.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: The Scottish Government is committed to do all we can to encourage more people to lead active lives. Physical activity and sport have a transformative effect on communities, by providing opportunities for people to connect with their neighbourhoods and come t…

7 Aug 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to concerns of drivers of electric vehicles in Edinburgh that there are not enough charging points in the city.

Answer · Michael Matheson: Transport Scotland have provided funding to Scottish Local Authorities and the Energy Saving Trust since 2012 to establish the ChargePlace Scotland electric vehicle charge point network, and will continue to work with stakeholders such as the City of Edinburg…

7 Aug 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many additional charge points it plans to fund in the Lothian region in the next year as part of the ChargePlace Scotland network.

Answer · Michael Matheson: In the financial year 2018-19 Transport Scotland, through the ChargePlace Scotland grant funding scheme, plan to enable the installation of approximately 38 additional charge points within the Lothian region.

7 Aug 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what oversight it has over hosts' maintenance of charge points within the ChargePlace Scotland network.

Answer · Michael Matheson: As part of the ChargePlace Scotland grant award terms and conditions, the Scottish Government stipulates that the host shall ensure that charge points are maintained in a serviceable condition. This includes the requirement to repair out of service charge poi…

1 Aug 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to a recent reply to an FoI request, which shows that over half of the cemeteries operated by the City of Edinburgh Council could be full within the next five years.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: The City of Edinburgh Council is responsible for maintaining 39 cemeteries, 19 of which are classified as active. Of the 19 that are active, 10 have availability. The City of Edinburgh Council has a cemetery usage strategy in place. The Council has informed …

1 Aug 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on recent estimates from the City of Edinburgh Council, which show that it will be required to employ 700 workers and find additional space for 3,000 young people in order to meet the Scottish Government’s expanded childcare plans.

Answer · Maree Todd: The Scottish Government recognises that the earliest years of life are crucial to a child’s development and have a lasting impact on outcomes in health, education and employment opportunities in later life. The near doubling of entitlement to Early Learning a…

20 Jun 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with NHS Lothian regarding the full reopening of the St John’s Hospital children’s ward to out-of-hours inpatients.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: NHS Lothian has given an assurance that the Board is committed to increasing staffing levels and reinstating the 24/7 model for the Children's Ward at St John's Hospital. I recently wrote to the Acting Chief Executive of NHS Lothian to request a further repor…

23 May 2018 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Inspectorate of Prosecution in Scotland's recent report on victims' right to review, and complaints handling and feedback.

16 May 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the comment by the Minister for Business, Innovation and Energy on 2 May 2018 that "the Scottish Government stands ready to work constructively with all concerned...in the interests of consumers and businesses" (Official Report, c. 15), what the impact could be on communities…

Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: It is still unclear what the practical implications of LINK's changes to the ATM interchange rate will be for consumers, businesses and communities in Scotland. The uncertainty surrounding the potential implications of changes, on top of the branch closure an…

16 May 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to its review of removal fees, what information it has regarding any rises in operator costs for the removal of vehicles involved accidents or that have broken down.

Answer · Michael Matheson: As paragraph 6.9 of the Consultation Paper states, how much operators’ costs have increased since 2005 is uncertain. Factors contributing to increased costs over the past 13 years include increased employees’ wages, and increases to fuel and equipment costs. …

16 May 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what factors it has taken into account regarding its plans to increase removal fees for vehicles involved in accidents or that have broken down.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The charges for the removal, storage and disposal of vehicles were last reviewed in 2005, and since then inflationary and operational costs of this work have increased. The Scottish Government believes that it is now time to review these charges to ensure tha…

28 Mar 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how much it will cost to (a) implement and (b) administer the new tax bands.

Answer · Derek Mackay: Total operating costs for Scottish income tax incurred in 2017-18 are £0.5m. This includes the costs associated with the income tax rates and bands for 2018-19. We are working with HMRC to develop an estimate of operating costs in 2018-19 for Scottish income …

28 Mar 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Skills Development Scotland publication, Foundation Apprenticeships: Early Progress and Learning Insights, which suggests that there is a lack of foundation apprenticeships in the IT and scientific technologies sectors in the Edinburgh area.

Answer · Jamie Hepburn: Foundation Apprenticeships(FA) provide industry-recognised qualifications in key sectors where there is a real need for skilled employees. Skills Development Scotland has worked with industry to deliver 3 digital frameworks and 1 scientific technologies frame…