Lewis Macdonald

2 Feb 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government further to the answer to question S5W-05557 by Shona Robison on 10 January 2017, whether the 200 new ambulance technicians, who are to be recruited to replace existing technicians moving into paramedic roles, will be trained to the same standards and qualifications as the staff whom they…

Answer · Shona Robison: New ambulance technicians recruited to backfill positions of technicians who have moved on to become paramedics will enter into the recently revised SAS technician training programme. From 2016 the Technician programme for new appointees involves completing …

2 Feb 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many applications have been made to the sportscotland Sport Facilities Fund in 2016-17 and how (a) many have been approved and (b) much has been awarded.

Answer · Shona Robison: SportScotland has received 79 funding applications through the Sport Facilities Fund for the period 2016-17 (to date), with 33 applications approved for an award, totalling £4,929,022.

2 Feb 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-05557 by Shona Robison on 10 January 2017, how many additional ambulances will become operational in the NHS Grampian region as a result of the 32 newly-trained paramedics being deployed there.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Ambulance Service is carrying out a fleet replacement programme to reflect the Service’s commitment to patient care and outcomes as detailed in its 2020 strategy. As part of this programme, three additional ambulance resources will be supplied in…

2 Feb 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding (a) it and (b) the National Lottery will provide toward the sportscotland Sport Facilities Fund in (i) 2016-17 and (ii) 2017-18.

Answer · Shona Robison: SportScotland’s budget for the Sport Facilities Fund, for the period 2016-17, is £5 million. This includes an in-year increase of £1million to address the programmes’ facility commitments. The Sport Facilities Fund is wholly-funded using National Lottery moni…

18 Jan 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will instruct Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd to ensure that, in its negotiations with Seatruck Ferries, seafarers employed on the Helliar and Hildasay vessels under the bareboat charter agreement will not be liable to deductions from their wages for the cost of onboard accommo…

Answer · Humza Yousaf: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-06282 on 31 January 2017. 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/parliamentarybusines…

18 Jan 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the crew of the Helliar and Hildasay vessels will be directly employed by Serco NorthLink under the terms of the revised charter agreement that was announced on 12 January 2017.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-06282 on 31 January 2017. 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/parliamentarybusines…

18 Jan 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government by what date it will publish the (a) draft and (b) final invitations to tender for the next contract for Northern Isles ferry services.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: In my statement to Parliament on 2 February 2017 I indicated that a policy review will be undertaken to consider how we secure our essential lifeline ferry services in future. The review will consider a wide range of issues, including how best to secure the c…

18 Jan 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the collective bargaining agreements covering (a) rating and (b) officer grades apply to all vessels (i) owned, (ii) leased and (iii) chartered will be part of the next contract for Northern Isles ferry services.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: In my statement to Parliament on 2 February 2017 I indicated that a policy review would be undertaken to consider how we secure our essential lifeline ferry services in future. The review will consider a wide range of issues, including how best to secure the …

18 Jan 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to ensure that the collective bargaining agreement between the RMT and Serco NorthLink for seafarer ratings applies to all staff on chartered vessels on the Northern Isles ferry services.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-06282 on 31 January 2017. 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…

18 Jan 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when the negotiations between Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd and Seatruck Ferries for the bareboat charter agreement for the Helliar and Hildasay vessels commenced, and by what date (a) they will conclude and (b) the agreement will enter into effect.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Scottish Government has been seeking to resolve the issue of pay rates for staff on the vessels since 2014 when the matter was first highlighted. Since then both myself, and previously Keith Brown, have written regarding the National Minimum Wage issue to…

18 Jan 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the crew of the Helliar and Hildasay vessels will be directly employed by Serco NorthLink under the terms of the revised charter agreement that was announced on 12 January 2017.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-06282 on 31 January 2017. 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/parliamentarybusines…

18 Jan 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government by what date it will publish revised pay scales for seafarers on the Seatruck vessels, the Helliar and Hildasay.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: In line with my announcement on 12 January 2017, Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited will sub-charter the vessels, on a bare boat basis, to Serco Northlink Ferries who will be responsible for the operation of the vessels and for crewing and all associated matt…

18 Jan 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the collective bargaining agreements covering (a) rating and (b) officer grades in the ferry industry apply to all vessels (i) owned, (ii) leased and (iii) chartered as part of all public contracts tendered by Transport Scotland.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: Companies who operate our Public Service Ferry Contracts are required to comply with UK employment legislation, such as on collective pay bargaining, in the same way as other employers.

18 Jan 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd has had with maritime crewing agencies regarding the bareboat charter agreement for the Helliar and Hildasay vessels that is due to come into effect in February 2017.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd has had no discussions with maritime crewing agencies regarding the bareboat charter agreement for the MV Helliar and MV Hildasay vessels. This is a matter for the operating company, Serco Northlink Ferries.

23 Dec 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the commitment given by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport on 15 June 2016 that the establishment of the National Trauma Network Implementation Group “will ensure that we have the necessary preparation work for the four major trauma centres and the trauma network comp…

Answer · Shona Robison: The preparatory work for the Scottish Trauma Network has been completed. The Chief Medical Officer's report 'Saving Lives. Giving Life Back', launched on 11 January 2017, is available at www.traumacare.scot.

23 Dec 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much has been allocated for the funding of the major trauma network in the 2017-18 Draft Budget and, of that amount, how much has been allocated to each of the four trauma networks with their major trauma centres at (a) Aberdeen, (b) Dundee, (c) Edinburgh and (d) Glasgow.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government is investing an extra £5 million in 2017-18 to begin to deliver an enhanced national trauma network. Decisions on where further investment in the network will be taken by the Scottish Trauma Network Steering Group and will be informe…

15 Dec 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the Budget statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Constitution on 15 December 2016, in what month it now expects the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR) to be completed and open to traffic.

Answer · Keith Brown: When announcing the commencement of the project in 2012, the former First Minister announced that “this long awaited project would be underway in 2014 and complete by the Spring of 2018”. We remain committed to that date.

15 Dec 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on whether it is (a) practically and legally possible and (b) compliant with international obligations, for tax reliefs assigned to oil and gas decommissioning to be invested instead in renewable energy development.

Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The fiscal regime for oil & gas is reserved to the UK Parliament and therefore this would be a matter for UK Government to consider and determine.

15 Dec 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential decommissioning business for Scottish companies in each of the sub-sectors (a) capping and plugging wells, (b) removing offshore infrastructure, and (c) dismantling of infrastructure and equipment that has been brought onshore.

Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-05659 on 11 January 2017. 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/parliamentarybusiness…

15 Dec 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the share of the costs of decommissioning oil and gas platforms in the North Sea that are attributed to (a) capping and plugging wells, (b) removing offshore infrastructure and (c) dismantling of infrastructure and equipment that has been brought onshore.

Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: Scottish Enterprise published a Decommissioning Action Plan, on behalf of Scottish Government, on 21 December 2016 and this sets out a vision of how the Scottish supply chain can maximise the value that is obtained from the forecast spend of £17.6 billion on …

15 Dec 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Crown and Procurator Fiscal Service is satisfied that there was sufficient evidence to prosecute the six men who were cleared of rioting at HMP Grampian on 13 May 2014.

Answer · James Wolffe QC: The case was carefully considered for a sufficiency of evidence by experienced prosecutors and ultimately Crown Counsel prior to criminal proceedings being raised on indictment. The question of sufficiency of evidence is one which falls to be assessed by pro…

15 Dec 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the total cost was of the trial at Aberdeen Sheriff Court that resulted in six men being cleared of rioting at HMP Grampian on 13 May 2014.

Answer · James Wolffe QC: This information is not held by The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and COPFS do not routinely collate the total cost involved in prosecuting a case at court. The Scottish Government does though publish the estimated costs of criminal proceedings…

15 Dec 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-03494 by Fergus Ewing on 26 October 2016, whether rural properties with broadband services that cannot benefit from connection to fibre, as they are more than 1,200 metres from the fibre connection box, are included in the total number of homes that…

Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government generally expresses measurements of progress in delivering the Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband Programme in terms of enabling connection to fibre broadband, with around 679,000 homes and businesses now able to access fibre broadba…

15 Dec 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many phone calls have been received by the Home Energy Scotland advice line in each week since 2 October 2016.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: The following table details the number of phone calls received by the Home Energy Scotland Advice line each week since 2 October 2016. Week commencing Total number of phone calls 3 October 2016 1719 10 October 2016 1752 17 October 2016 2010 24 Octobe…

13 Dec 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many of the 200 new paramedics announced in July 2016 will be (a) trained and (b) employed in the Grampian area.

Answer · Shona Robison: Through an additional £5m funding from the Scottish Government the Scottish Ambulance Service are training an additional 200 Paramedics for frontline care in Scotland. This year’s recruitment plan is the first phase of a 5 year programme that will enhance the…

12 Dec 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the comment in the letter by the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Jobs and Fair Work to the Convener of the Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee of 9 December 2016 that the delivery of the Balmedie to Tipperty section of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR) project …

Answer · Keith Brown: The project contractor does not receive payment for sections of the project until they are available and open to traffic, and this principle applies to the B-T section of the contract. Consequently the budget has not been affected. The AWPR/B-T project is cu…

2 Dec 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the announcement by the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills of 30 November 2016, how many of the new trainee teachers undertaking conventional courses will be based at universities or campuses (a) in Aberdeen and UHI in Highland, Moray, Orkney, Shetland and the Western…

Answer · John Swinney: It is not currently possible to definitively state the number of student teachers that will be recruited to each course. These figures are currently being refined by the universities that provide initial teacher education.

2 Dec 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many of the 200 new trainee teachers announced by the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills on 30 November 2016 will undertake (a) distance learning and (b) conventional courses.

Answer · John Swinney: It is not currently possible to definitively state the number of student teachers that will be recruited to each course. These figures are currently being refined by the universities that provide initial teacher education.

30 Nov 2016 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what role the regional equality councils will play in taking forward its racial equality framework.

Answer · Angela Constance: A pioneering programme of engagement activities was used to ensure that a wide range of organisations and individuals, from grassroots community organisations, to practitioners working the public sector and academia, had an active role in the Race Equality Fr…

24 Nov 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5O-00311 by Humza Yousaf on 9 November 2016, what the outcomes were of the ministerial meeting on 10 November 2016 with the chief executive of Seatruck.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: I can confirm that I met with the CEO of Seatruck Limited on 10 November 2016 to discuss the issues around staff pay on the current freight vessels operating on the Northern Isles ferry service. Following a constructive meeting, further work will be undertake…