Former Member of the Scottish Parliament

John Home Robertson

Unknown party

At a glance John Home Robertson was a Member of the Scottish Parliament.

Questions124 tabled

John Home Robertson has tabled 124 questions in the Scottish Parliament.

To ask the Scottish Executive what the value to the economy is of exports of electricity to other parts of the United … 7 Mar 2007 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the value to the economy is of exports of electricity to other parts of the United Kingdom through the national grid, in both financial and employment terms.

Answer · Allan Wilson · 15 Mar 2007

In Scotland in 2002,the latest year for which data is available, 8.03 terawatt hours of electricitygenerated in Scotland was exported to other parts of the UK.According to Ofgem, the average wholesale price for electricity in 2002 was£15.20/MWh, on which basis the gross value of sales of electricity for thatyear is estimated at £122 million. There is no breakdown for the value ofexports of electricity in employment terms.

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to assist the dental practice in Prestonpans to meet the growi… 22 Nov 2006 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to assist the dental practice in Prestonpans to meet the growing demand for NHS dental checks and treatment of patients from East Lothian and elsewhere whose dentists refuse to work for the NHS.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald · 30 Nov 2006

Responsibility for the provisionof NHS dental services in Prestonpans rests with NHS Lothian. They are currentlyin discussion with the dental practice regarding possible expansion plans.

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will co-operate with the Battle of Prestonpans (1745) Heritage Trust to seek t… 1 Nov 2006 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will co-operate with the Battle of Prestonpans (1745) Heritage Trust to seek to safeguard the site of the battlefield and to promote awareness of its local and national significance.

Answer · Patricia Ferguson · 9 Nov 2006

The Executive is taking stepsto promote awareness of battlefields in Scotland, and recognises Prestonpans as a site of national significance.We are committed to working in partnership with the voluntary sector, and are happyto talk to the Battle of Prestonpans Heritage Trust; indeed a meeting between theTrust and Executive officials took place recently.

To ask the Scottish Executive how many needles were provided for drug users through needle exchange schemes, and how ma… 24 May 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many needles were provided for drug users through needle exchange schemes, and how many were returned, in each local authority or NHS board area in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Answer · Hugh Henry · 8 Jun 2006

The following table details thenumber of needles and syringes distributed and returned by NHS board for 2004-05as reported by alcohol and drug action teams.<table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3 width=444> <thead> <tr> <td width=164 valign=top> NHS Board </td> <td width=139 valign=top> Number of Needles / Syringes Distributed </td> <td width=142 valign=top> Number of Needles / Syringes Returned </td> </tr> </thead> <tr> <td width=164 valign=top> Argyll and Clyde </td> <td width=139 valign=top> 125,924 </td> <td width=142 valign=top> 111,837 </td> </tr> <tr> <td width=164 valign=top> Ayrshire and Arran </td> <td width=139 valign=top> 398,420 </td> <td width=142 valign=top> 312,140 </td> </tr> <tr> <td width=164 valign=top> Borders* </td> <td width=139 valign=top> 4,410 </td> <td width=142 valign=top> 2,669 </td> </tr> <tr> <td width=164 valign=top> Dumfries and Galloway* </td> <td width=139 valign=top> 142,957 </td> <td width=142 valign=top> 107,943 </td> </tr> <tr> <td width=164 valign=top> Fife </td> <td width=139 valign=top> 481,537 </td> <td width=142 valign=top> 296,815 </td> </tr> <tr> <td width=164 valign=top> Forth Valley </td> <td width=139 valign=top> 178,195 </td> <td width=142 valign=top> 155,018 </td> </tr> <tr> <td width=164 valign=top> Grampian* </td> <td width=139 valign=top> 520,096 </td> <td width=142 valign=top> 357,991 </td> </tr> <tr> <td width=164 valign=top> Greater Glasgow </td> <td width=139 valign=top> 539,896 </td> <td width=142 valign=top> 327,381 </td> </tr> <tr> <td width=164 valign=top> Highland </td> <td width=139 valign=top> 34,807 </td> <td width=142 valign=top> 20,314 </td> </tr> <tr> <td width=164 valign=top> Lanarkshire* </td> <td width=139 valign=top> 56,000 </td> <td width=142 valign=top> 11,863 </td> </tr> <tr> <td width=164 valign=top> Lothian* </td> <td width=139 valign=top> 279,687 </td> <td width=142 valign=top> 82,262 </td> </tr> <tr> <td width=164 valign=top> Orkney </td> <td width=139 valign=top> 50 </td> <td width=142 valign=top> Not recorded </td> </tr> <tr> <td width=164 valign=top> Shetland* </td> <td width=139 valign=top> 5,405 </td> <td width=142 valign=top> 5,116 </td> </tr> <tr> <td width=164 valign=top> Tayside </td> <td width=139 valign=top> 182,523 </td> <td width=142 valign=top> 66,344 </td> </tr> <tr> <td width=164 valign=top> Western Isles </td> <td width=139 valign=top> 0 </td> <td width=142 valign=top> 0 </td> </tr></table>Note: *Datafor full 12 months was not provided.

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body when it will provide a notice explaining the history, significance and… 11 May 2006 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body when it will provide a notice explaining the history, significance and provenance of the Arniston Lintel stones from the original Scottish Parliament building which are now situated in the members’ lobby and whether it will ensure that the Parliament’s tour guides are aware of that information.

Answer · Duncan McNeil · 25 May 2006

The Arniston Stone iscurrently included and interpreted as part of the guided tours programme; informationis also available on the Parliament’s website. There are a number of pieces withinthe building, such as the Arniston Stone and the Visitor Information Desk, thatare interpreted in this way, rather than with standard artwork captions. TheSPCB will look at whether to further interpret the Stone when consideringinitiatives such as a guide to the art collection and the content for further specialisttours, such as an art or architecture tour.

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the implementation of the ban on smoking in enclosed publi… 10 May 2006 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the implementation of the ban on smoking in enclosed public places.

Answer · Andy Kerr · 18 May 2006

Thanks to the very hard workof all involved, including local authorities, the Licensed Trade and individualbusinesses, implementation has been very smooth. Compliance with no-smoking in enclosedpublic places is very high. Local authorities are working with businesses to dealwith mainly technical infringements for non-display of the required no-smokingsignage. Compliance data for the first month of the ban will be published in June.

To ask the Scottish Executive what benefits resulted from its participation in Tartan Week 2006. 20 Apr 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what benefits resulted from its participation in Tartan Week 2006.

Answer · Tom McCabe · 4 May 2006

Tartan Week is now the biggestsingle programme of events promoting Scotland overseas. The United States is our most important market forbusiness and tourism. The Executive’s participation in Tartan Week ties in withthe objectives laid out in our International Strategy and in particular is focusedon:building political tiesattracting tourism to Scotlandpromoting economic growthcementing cultural ties.Theprogramme of activity around this year’s Tartan Week was the broadest yet. It includeda series of literary events involving some of Scotland’s best known authors andpoets in both New York and Washington DC; a programme of sell out performances of“Geordie” by the Scottish Youth Theatre; a month long exhibition of Scottish paintingsby the National Galleries of Scotland, and, a series of conversations put on bya collaboration of Scottish universities. The Scottish Run – a 10k race in Central Park –is becoming a favourite fixture in the New York athletic calendar. Over 6,300 runnersparticipated in the race this year – up 25% on last year.The Scotland Village in GrandCentral Station, which promoted Scotland as a place to visit, study, live and work attracted around250,000 visitors during the week. For the first time we produced a comprehensiveprogramme of Tartan Week activities for the New York public. This was well received.It also allowed us to generate a considerable amount of positive coverage for Scotland in theNew York media.Advances were made this yearin nurturing the important political links between Washington and Edinburgh. TheFirst Minister and I and a delegation from the Scottish Parliament headed by thePresiding Officer attended events on Capitol Hill to mark the inauguration of theCongressional Friends of Scotland Caucus. The Caucus is a bi-partisan body thatwill serve as a new forum for deepening bilateral relationships between membersof the House of Congress and politicians and government in Scotland.The First Minister undertooka busy programme of engagements with a strong business focus. He announced on Monday3 April a world first collaboration between Wyeth Pharamaceuticals, four Scottish Universitiesand the NHS in Scotland on translational medicine. He also hosted a receptionfor senior business figures in New York. Separately he met privately with five major companieswith investments in – or who are considering making investments in – Scotland. TheFirst Minister also visited STRIVE, an employment project in Harlem whose uniquemodel of employment rehabilitation is about to be launched in Scotland. Healso visited a middle school in the Bronx with former Project Scotland volunteers to look at howthey use video conferencing creatively. The former volunteers are interested inbringing that experience to Scotland. The First Minister attended Dressed to Kilt and gavea lecture at Princeton University on historical and contemporary links between Scotland andthe USA.In addition to promotional eventsTartan Week also offers an important platform for ministers to engage in a rangeof meetings and visits that tie in to our own domestic priorities. In Chicago I undertooka series of engagements around the areas of Urban Regeneration including a substantialdiscussion on this theme with Mayor Daley. I also had a very positive discussionwith the Andrew Corporation regarding their facility in Lochgelly which will celebrateits 40th anniversary later this year. In Washington I was able to discuss the Scottish economy with an influentialgroup of staff from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund and the issueof “shared services” with the Federal administration.Scotland’s profile in the USA during Tartan Week also benefitedfrom the participation of the cross-party Parliamentary delegation headed by thePresiding Officer. The other members of the delegation were Bill Aitken MSP, ScottBarrie MSP, Brian Monteith MSP, Jeremy Purvis MSP and Andrew

To ask the Scottish Executive what funding and staffing is provided from Executive sources, including the Forestry Comm… 28 Mar 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what funding and staffing is provided from Executive sources, including the Forestry Commission and Scottish Enterprise, for the Confederation of Forest Industries (ConFor); what proportion of ConFor’s budget this represents, and whether it is satisfied that ConFor has the support or active participation of a sufficient number of Scotland's forest and timber businesses to justify such support from public funds.

Answer · Rhona Brankin · 27 Apr 2006

Scottish Enterprise hasa contract with ConFor for the provision of services to support the forest industries.The contract for 2005-06 was for £112,000 and covered services provided by ConFor’sco-ordinator for the Scottish Forest Industries Cluster, and its Productivity Executive.ConFor also has a Timber Transport Forum Project Manager who will play a key rolein the operation of the £13 million Strategic Timber Transport Fund. Both ScottishEnterprise and the Forestry Commission contribute towards the cost of this post- £25,000 and £17,000 per annum respectively. The Forestry Commission has one memberof staff on secondment to ConFor, covering its Policy and Projects post. The postholder mainly works on promoting sustainable development in the forestry sectorthroughout UK, so the funding comes from the Forestry Commission’sWestminster Vote. We have no information on ConFor’s budget, but we are contentthat the payments we have made have been justified as ConFor is the leading representativebody for forest industries in Scotland, and the rest of the UK.

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Motions lodged33 lodged

19 Mar 2007	CIS Insurance Cup Final 2007	21 sig.
8 Feb 2007	The Battle of Prestonpans, 1745	38 sig.
29 Jan 2007	Congratulations to Scotland's Latest World Champion	32 sig.
16 Jan 2007	Bicentenary of the Abolition of Slave Trade	9 sig.
24 May 2006	Nuclear Power and a Balanced Energy Policy	7 sig.
21 Apr 2006	Tribute to Andrew Fletcher of Saltoun 1653-1716, Patriot and Unionist	14 sig.

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Seat & career2 seats held

East Lothian Constituency MSP · Dissolution 1 May 2003 – 2 Apr 2007
East Lothian Constituency MSP · Dissolution 6 May 1999 – 31 Mar 2003

Source: this MSP's profile on parliament.scot.

Source: this MSP's official Scottish Parliament profile. Last updated 26 Jul 2026.