Parliamentary questions
Iain Gray
713 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
14 Oct 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the (a) capital and (b) running costs of setting up a benefits payment body in an independent Scotland.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-17811 on 9 December 2013. 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/parliamentary…
14 Oct 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the (a) capital and (b) running costs of setting up a tax collection body in an independent Scotland.
Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-17813 on 9 December 2013. 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/parliamentar…
14 Oct 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the (a) capital and (b) running costs of setting up a national insurance system in an independent Scotland.
Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answers provided on page 386 of the Scottish Government’s White Paper Scotland’s Future: your guide to an Independent Scotland and in particular the answer provided to question 30.
14 Oct 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the (a) technological requirements and (b) costs to separate Scottish pensions and benefit records from the existing UK infrastructure.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The arrangements for moving from a transitional period of shared delivery to a completely independent Scottish delivery system would be the subject of negotiation between the government of an independent Scotland and the government representing the rest of th…
14 Oct 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what procedures underpin the guarantee that pensions will be paid "on time and in full" in an independent Scotland if no agreement can be reached with the UK Government.
Answer · John Swinney: Scotland already has the people and infrastructure in place to manage and to pay pensions and pension scheme administrators across the UK will continue to pay pensions on time and in full during any transitional period leading up to a move to independence. In…
14 Oct 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what contingencies it has put in place in the event that no agreement with the UK Government can be reached on the use of (a) Department of Work and Pensions and (b) Treasury infrastructure in an independent Scotland.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government will enter negotiations with the UK Government following a vote in favour of independence to agree arrangements for the transition to independence, including shared service arrangements where appropriate. The First Minister and Prime M…
14 Oct 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of North Sea oil and gas revenues it would invest in (a) a stability fund and (b) an oil fund in an independent Scotland.
Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-17800 on 5 November 2013. 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/parliamentar…
14 Oct 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government at what level of North Sea oil and gas revenues it would invest in (a) a stability fund and (b) an oil fund in an independent Scotland; in what year it considers that this value will be achieved, and in how many further years.
Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-17800 on 5 November 2013. 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/parliamentar…
14 Oct 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government at what (a) oil price and (b) production volume it would start investing in (a) a stability fund and (b) an oil fund in an independent Scotland; in what year it considers that this value will be achieved, and in how many further years.
Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-17800 on 5 November 2013. 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/parliamentar…
14 Oct 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what criteria it has set for when it would start investing in (a) a stability fund and (b) an oil fund in an independent Scotland; for what reasons; in what year it considers that these criteria will be met, and in how many further years.
Answer · John Swinney: The Fiscal Commission Working Group set out a detailed framework for how investments could be made into both a short-term stabilisation fund and a longer-term savings fund. In the short-term the Working Group recommend that a stabilisation fund could initia…
8 Oct 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many fire service training courses have been cancelled at each training site as a result of inclement weather in the last five years.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: This is a matter for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS). I have asked the SFRS to respond to you directly on this matter.
8 Oct 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has made of the potential financial impact on the local community of the closure of the Scottish Fire Service College at Gullane.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: This is a matter for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS). I have asked the SFRS to respond to you directly on this matter.
8 Oct 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Board considered the cost of delivering training at each of its training sites before proposing the rationalisation of its training facilities.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: This is a matter for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS). I have asked the SFRS to respond to you directly on this matter.
8 Oct 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service will receive the proceeds of the proposed sale of the Scottish Fire Service College at Gullane.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service’s annual grant allocation is set taking into account expected capital receipts. This is in accordance with guidance contained within the Scottish Public Finance Manual and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service - Governance …
8 Oct 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Board has given to the provision of residential accommodation and catering facilities at its proposed new national training centre in Cambuslang and what assessment it has made of the potential cost.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: This is a matter for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS). I have asked the SFRS to respond to you directly on this matter.
8 Oct 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Board has given to the provision of residential accommodation at fire service training facilities following closure of the Scottish Fire Service College at Gullane and what assessment it has made of the potential cost.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: This is a matter for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS). I have asked the SFRS to respond to you directly on this matter.
8 Oct 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government where fire service training will be delivered for the east of Scotland if the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service closes its facilities at Gullane, Thornton and Maddiston.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: This is a matter for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS). I have asked the SFRS to respond to you directly on this matter.
30 Sep 2013 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service regarding proposals to close the Fire Service College at Gullane.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government has regular meetings with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS). Decisions on the allocation of its resources, including training facilities, is a matter for the SFRS Board.
23 Sep 2013 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its plans are for the regulation of energy markets should Scotland become independent.
20 Sep 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many patients have received deep brain stimulation surgery in (a) Dundee, (b) Edinburgh and (c) Glasgow in each year since 2007.
Answer · Alex Neil: The specific information requested is not available centrally as there are no exact OPCS4 codes (Office of Population Censuses and Surveys - Classification of Interventions and Procedures) which solely relate to deep brain stimulation surgery.
20 Sep 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many patients have been referred for deep brain stimulation surgery in each NHS board in each year since 2007.
Answer · Alex Neil: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-17387 on 7 October 2013. 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/parliamentary…
20 Sep 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many patients resident in Scotland have received deep brain stimulation surgery in (a) Scotland and (b) England in each year since 2007.
Answer · Alex Neil: The specific information requested is not available centrally as there are no exact OPCS4 codes (Office of Population Censuses and Surveys - Classification of Interventions and Procedures).
20 Sep 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many patients in NHS Lothian have been waiting to receive deep brain stimulation surgery for more than (a)18 weeks, (b) six months and (c) one year.
Answer · Alex Neil: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-17387 on 7 October 2013. 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/parliamentary…
20 Sep 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many patients in NHS Lothian have been assessed as suitable for deep brain stimulation surgery and are waiting to undergo the procedure.
Answer · Alex Neil: The specific information requested is not available centrally.
20 Sep 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many patients in NHS Lothian are awaiting assessment of their suitability for deep brain stimulation surgery.
Answer · Alex Neil: The specific information requested is not available centrally.
20 Sep 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how NHS Lothian provides follow-up support to people who have received deep brain stimulation surgery.
Answer · Alex Neil: The Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) service in NHS Lothian is currently in transition following the retirement of the neurosurgeon DBS Specialist. NHS Lothian are planning to support those patients, who have previously received DBS surgery, with follow up neuro…
20 Sep 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how NHS Lothian assesses whether patients with Parkinson’s and dystonia are candidates for deep brain stimulation surgery.
Answer · Alex Neil: NHS Lothian reports that patients with Parkinson’s and dystonia are reviewed by a specialist neurologist as part of a wider Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) approach and where appropriate a referral is made to a neurosurgeon for deep brain stimulation (DBS) surg…
9 Sep 2013 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government what progress the Cabinet Secretary for Justice has made on implementing plans for the introduction of video-link facilities and family hearings in those towns where courts are to close.
7 Aug 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the reported comment by the First Minister in The Sunday Post on 4 August 2013 regarding EU pension regulations, what its position is on an independent Scotland (a) opting-out of such regulations, (b) breaking up cross-border schemes and (c) any other options in relation to t…
Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-16616 on 2 September 2013. 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/parliamenta…
7 Aug 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the reported comment by the First Minister in The Sunday Post on 4 August 2013 that “the way to deal with [European pensions regulations] is to get a derogation so nobody is forced into a more accelerated settlement of the pension deficit and secondly, an option of splitting …
Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-16616 on 2 September 2013. 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/parliamenta…