Iain Gray

9 Jun 2014 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact on churches, mosques and synagogues of the proposal to change the threshold for the water charges exemption scheme from £64,500 net income to £75,000 gross income per annum.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The proposals that we set out in our consultation sought to design a new scheme within the £4 million cost of the existing scheme. The proposed scheme sought to remove some of the current criteria, in particular the 1999 qualification date. The proposed £75,0…

29 May 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much Zero Waste Scotland has given to each local authority as part of its food waste programme and how much of the budget is still available for local authorities.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: To support local authorities in introducing food waste collections as required by the Waste (Scotland) Regulations 2012, Zero Waste Scotland provided a £20 million fund. That fund is now fully committed, and awards have been made as set out in the following t…

21 May 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to replicate the Green Investment Bank in the event of a Yes vote in the referendum.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Green Investment Bank was established with funding from the Fossil Fuel Levy which was intended to support the development of renewables. We expect these funds to continue to be available across the UK to support renewables and green projects including in…

21 May 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the annual cost of renewable energy subsidies per head of population in the event of a Yes vote in the referendum.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: Linking production subsidies to population is a misleading comparison. Scotland’s share is related not to population size but to the huge amount of clean power produced here. Scottish renewable energy represents the most cost-effective means for the rest of t…

21 May 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the cost of replicating the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority in the event a Yes vote in the referendum.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government's policy is that, in an independent Scotland, the decommissioning costs of Scotland's three non-operational civil nuclear sites (Dounreay, Hunterston A and Chapelcross) will continue to be met from the public purse. Following independe…

21 May 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the cost of replicating the Nuclear Liabilities Fund in the event of a Yes vote in the referendum.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Nuclear Liabilities Fund is a Scottish registered company owned by the Nuclear Trust, which is a public trust under Scots law. The Nuclear Liabilities Fund holds investments for the purpose of providing funding to meet certain waste management costs and, …

21 May 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it can guarantee jobs for the 5,000 workers in Scotland’s civil nuclear supply chain in the event a Yes vote in the referendum.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: The strength of the civil nuclear supply chain in Scotland is underpinned by our world-class engineering expertise, notably at Doosan Babcock’s Renfrew operation and by the continuing pipeline of work that comes from Scotland’s two operating nuclear stations …

21 May 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the cost per head of population of decommissioning the Torness nuclear power plant in the event of a Yes vote in the referendum.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-21293 on 9 June 2014. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybus…

21 May 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the cost per head of population of decommissioning the Hunterston B nuclear power plant in the event a Yes vote in the referendum.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-21293 on 9 June 2014. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybus…

21 May 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the cost of financing coal-related liabilities in the event of a Yes vote in the referendum.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: There is not now and nor ever has been any specific budgetary provision for restoration of open cast coal sites. I established a cross-party taskforce to address the situation and also helped to create the Scottish Mines Restorations Trust, an independent ch…

21 May 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the cost per head of population of decommissioning North Sea oil infrastructure in the event of a Yes vote in the referendum.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: Decommissioning North Sea infrastructure will require significant investment by the industry, and a contribution in the form of tax relief from the government – however, the overall cost should be viewed in the context of the vast reserves estimated to remain…

20 May 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what estimated figure for GDP in 2016-17 was used in Scotland's Future: Your Guide to an Independent Scotland; how it calculated this, and whether it will revisit it if oil and gas forecasts are revised.

Answer · John Swinney: The analysis in Scotland’s Future assumed that Scottish GDP in 2016-17, including a geographical share of North Sea output, was between £170 billion and £175 billion in cash terms. This was estimated by separately projecting forward Scottish onshore and offsh…

15 May 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to commission a highly-specialised service for people with alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency.

Answer · Alex Neil: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-21181 on 2 June 2014. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybus…

15 May 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the (a) quality of the services available and (b) equity of access to appropriate clinical specialists for people with alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Alex Neil: Clinical genetic services and diagnostic genetic testing for alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency are available through the regional genetic centres in Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow. There is equitable access to these services, and they are quality assure…

15 May 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the process is for the commissioning of NHS highly-specialised services.

Answer · Alex Neil: In Scotland highly specialised health services are commissioned through the National Services Division of NHS National Services Scotland. Highly specialised services needed by residents of Scotland are provided in Scotland or England and in very rare cases, a…

15 May 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Michael Matheson: There is no national or NHS board data gathered on the number of people with alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency. Information has been gathered by National Services Scotland through the Practice Team Information programme which can provide estimates of the condit…

2 May 2014 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of what impact the reported decreasing levels of numeracy in schools will have on the uptake of so-called STEM subjects in further and higher education.

29 Apr 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to the third supplementary to question S4T-00474 by John Swinney on 8 October 2013 (Official Report, c. 23382), whether it plans to open up discussion on local taxation beyond local income tax.

Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-20904 on 8 May 2014. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybus…

29 Apr 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to the supplementary to question S4O-02927 by Derek Mackay on 26 February 2014 (Official Report, c. 28179), when in the current parliamentary session it plans to produce a consultation on replacement of the council tax.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government will consult with others to produce a fairer local tax based on ability to pay later in this Parliament.

28 Apr 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-06481 by John Swinney on 17 April 2012, whom it has consulted regarding a fairer local tax and what potential alternative approaches to the council tax it has considered.

Answer · John Swinney: This government is committed to consult with others to develop options for a fairer and more progressive local tax later in this Parliament. All potential alternative approaches that met this criteria will be considered as this work is progressed.

28 Apr 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-06481 by John Swinney on 17 April 2012, whether it remains committed to introducing a local income tax or whether it is now considering other options to replace the council tax.

Answer · John Swinney: This Government is committed to consult with others to develop options for a fairer and more progressive local tax, based on the ability to pay, later in this Parliament. All potential alternative proposals that meet the criteria will be considered.

14 Apr 2014 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish its revised forecasts for oil and gas revenues.

24 Mar 2014 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many renewable energy supply chain jobs have been announced by ministers in person or by news release since May 2011, and how many of those jobs are now in place.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: Renewable energy supports at least 11,695 jobs in Scotland. The true figure, taking full account of jobs in areas such as civil engineering, is likely to be higher still. The single greatest threat to Scotland realising the jobs and investment potential of i…

24 Mar 2014 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government position is on BlackRock's warning to investors of the risks faced by an independent Scotland.

17 Mar 2014 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the level of local planning decisions overturned on appeal by reporters acting on ministers' behalf.

25 Feb 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will establish a fair work commission if there is a No vote in the independence referendum and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

Answer · John Swinney: The rationale for the fair work commission described in Scotland’s Future is dependent upon the creation of an independent Scotland, as employment law is currently a reserved matter. However, Working Together, the independent review of progressive workplace …

25 Feb 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the timescale would be for setting up the fair work commission that it has pledged to establish if Scotland became independent; what its remit would be, and who would be invited to join.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government has adopted a strong social partnership approach, working with the voluntary sector, unions, employer associations and employers directly. With independence we will build on this approach. The fair work commission will commence its wor…

4 Feb 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions ministers or officials have had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer or Treasury officials on (a) new taxes and (b) devolution of taxes under provisions contained in the Scotland Act 2012 since that act came into force.

Answer · John Swinney: Scottish Ministers and officials regularly meet with their counterparts from the UK Treasury to promote the steps we are taking with our limited powers to deliver a more prosperous and fairer Scotland. I will be engaging with UK Ministers in relation to the …

29 Jan 2014 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of how much it would cost an independent Scotland to establish overseas representation.

9 Dec 2013 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide support for the proposed centre for innovation that is to be based in Edinburgh and named after the Nobel laureate, Professor Peter Higgs.