Parliamentary questions
Lewis Macdonald
2,224 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
8 Sep 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to questions S4W-26945 and S4W-26943 by Michael Matheson on 19 August 2015, for what reason the Cabinet Secretary for Justice stated that the information sought was not held centrally in relation to the number of police officers and civilian staff carrying out Disc…
Answer · Michael Matheson: The deployment of police officers and staff is an operational matter for Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority and, as such, and as set in previous answers, this information is not held by either Disclosure Scotland or the Scottish Government.
25 Aug 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what measures it took, prior to the announcement that Fletcher Shipping was to go into administration, to secure the public funds invested in the company through the Scottish Loan Fund.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise. I will ask its chief executive to reply to you.
25 Aug 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much of the £5 million invested in Fletcher Shipping by the Scottish Loan Fund it expects to be repaid following the announcement that the company has gone into administration.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise. I will ask its chief executive to reply to you.
25 Aug 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much the Scottish Loan Fund has invested in each year since 2012, which companies have received such loans, how much of each loan has been repaid and what monies have been written-off.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise. I will ask its chief executive to reply to you.
20 Aug 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to use the powers it has over (a) the Renewable Obligations scheme (i) banding and (ii) grandfathering and (b) grace periods for current Renewables Obligation scheme applications to mitigate the impact of the changes to the scheme that were announced on 21 July 20…
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Energy Act 2013 provides the UK Government with the power to close the Renewables Obligation (RO) across the UK. This includes the ability to set grace periods and eligibility criteria. A grace period relates to the closure of the RO and is a provision wh…
29 Jul 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) civilian staff and (b) police officers Police Scotland employs to carry out Disclosure Scotland checks and where they are based.
Answer · Michael Matheson: This information is not held centrally.
29 Jul 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S4W-26614 and S4W-26615 by John Swinney on 28 July 2015, whether it can confirm that the current standstill period applied to the new contract for the provision of water and waste water services to the public sector will come to an end on 30 September…
Answer · John Swinney: No date has yet been set for the conclusion of the standstill period for water and waste water billing services to the public sector.
29 Jul 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) civilian staff and (b) police officers the police service has employed to carry out Disclosure Scotland checks in each of the last four years.
Answer · Michael Matheson: This information is not held centrally.
17 Jul 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-26127 by Fergus Ewing on 13 July 2015, when it estimates the carbon capture and storage (CCS) pilot project will become commercially viable and what plans it has made for the future thermal generation of electricity in the event that CCS does not re…
Answer · Fergus Ewing: Shell and SSE plan to develop the world’s first full-scale gas carbon capture and storage (CCS) project at Peterhead. The detailed design study for this project has now been completed and planning consent was granted for the onshore elements of the project by…
16 Jul 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-26128 by Fergus Ewing on 13 July 2015, whether it will list those onshore wind projects in Scotland that will lose financial support under the planned changes to the Renewables Obligation support scheme, and indicate how much potential electricity g…
Answer · Fergus Ewing: While the onshore wind summit we held recently uncovered serious concern about the planned changes to the subsidy system for onshore wind, the Scottish Government does not hold a definitive list of projects affected by the early closure of the renewables obli…
16 Jul 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-26128 by Fergus Ewing on 13 July 2015, how much of the potential 4.3GW of onshore wind developments identified as in planning could be brought to fruition within the Renewables Obligation support scheme before it is closed by accelerating the planni…
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The grace period as described by Amber Rudd in her statement on 18 June 2015 means that no application with a consent dated after the announcement could apply for the Renewables Obligation support scheme, therefore there would be no benefit in accelerating th…
16 Jul 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-26125 by Fergus Ewing on 13 July 2015, when it will adopt the recommendations for government action in the document, Solar Energy - A Viable Contributor to Renewables in Scotland, to integrate solar as a core part of the Scottish renewables strategy…
Answer · Fergus Ewing: We are engaging closely with the Solar Trade Association and Scottish Renewables to improve the environment for solar in Scotland and Scottish Government actions such as the current consultation on extending permitted development rights for solar have been we…
16 Jul 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-26314 by Fergus Ewing on 13 July 2015, how it responds to the evidence to the Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee on 3 June 2015 by (a) Kersti Berge of Ofgem that fully socialised electricity transmission charges would add £7 billion a year to the…
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government welcomes all of the evidence that has been put forward as part of the Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee’s inquiry into Security of Supply. We welcomed the opportunity to give evidence directly and look forward to considering the ma…
9 Jul 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what (a) legal and (b) other advice it is seeking on the options available to it in reaching a final decision on tenders for the contract to supply water and waste water services to the public sector.
Answer · John Swinney: Due consideration is currently being given to matters raised during the Standstill period, which will inform the decision on the award of the contract to provide billing services for waste and water services.
9 Jul 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason there has been a delay in concluding the current water and waste water services contract with Business Stream and with announcing details of the new contract.
Answer · John Swinney: EU procurement rules require that we provide a ‘Standstill’ period following notification of the tender evaluation to allow all parties involved the opportunity to seek clarification on the outcome before the contract can be awarded. The standstill period has…
9 Jul 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many extensions there have been to the current contract to supply water and waste water services to the public sector and when the supplier was notified of each extension.
Answer · John Swinney: There have been two extensions to the current contract with Business Stream. The first extension was notified on 18 March 2015 and the second on 4 June 2015.
9 Jul 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when the contract for Business Stream to provide water and waste water services to the public sector was originally scheduled to conclude, and when it will now conclude.
Answer · John Swinney: The contract was due to end on 31 of March 2015. The current contract extension expires on 30 September 2015.
9 Jul 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it expects the new contract for the provision of water and waste water services to the public sector to come into force.
Answer · John Swinney: A decision on the award will be made following the conclusion of the standstill period.
9 Jul 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many bids have been received for the contract to supply water and waste water services to the public sector; which companies submitted bids, and when it will announce the successful bid.
Answer · John Swinney: Six bids were received. A decision on the award will be made following the conclusion of the standstill period.
2 Jul 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-25895 by Fergus Ewing on 25 June 2015, whether it will confirm that there have been no meetings between Scottish and UK ministers regarding the future of Longannet.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: As stated in answers to previous answers to parliamentary questions (S4W-25246 on 1 May 2015, S4W-25247 on 1 May 2015, S4W-25248 on 1 May 2015, S4W-25588 on 2 June 2015, S4W-25589 on 2 June 2015, S4W-25591 on 2 June 2015, S4W-25895 on 26 June 2015, S4W-25896 …
25 Jun 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-26113 by Shona Robison on 25 June 2015, whether the cabinet secretary invited elected representatives to attend this meeting and, if so, on what basis they were invited.
Answer · Shona Robison: This meeting was not organised by the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Sport.
24 Jun 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the evidence given to the Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee on 3 June 2015 by representatives of National Grid and Ofgem (Official Report, c.23), what work it has carried out to assess the impact of fully-socialised electricity transmission charges on the (a) overall cost…
Answer · Fergus Ewing: Since 2007, the Scottish Government has done everything possible to address the punitive transmission Great Britain (GB) charging regime. This has led to a significant review of the regime by the regulator Ofgem, but unfortunately the framework has endured. T…
19 Jun 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government which (a) government directorate, (b) agency or (c) public body will have responsibility for planning decisions and appeals for the onshore aspects of underground coal gasification projects in Scotland.
Answer · Alex Neil: A planning application would be determined by the relevant planning authority. An appeal would be considered by the Directorate for Planning and Environmental Appeals. The Scottish Ministers have powers available to them to call-in any planning application fo…
15 Jun 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to update the Electricity Generation Policy Statement - 2013 and, if so, when it will be published.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-26126 on 13 July 2015. 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…
15 Jun 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has assessed the potential impact on proposed wind power developments in Scotland that are awaiting approval of potential UK Government changes to the Renewables Obligations scheme in England and Wales and, if so, what steps it will take to mitigate any such impact.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: Scotland has a potential 4.3GW of onshore wind installed capacity in planning which will be impacted by the changes to the Renewables Obligation scheme which will be applicable in Scotland not in just England and Wales. We cannot be certain about the impacts …
15 Jun 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it still considers that thermal generation will play "an important role though a minimum of 2.5 GW of thermal generation" as stated in the Electricity Generation Policy Statement - 2013.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Electricity Generation Policy Statement - 2013(EGPS) sets out the Scottish Government’s policy to support a shift from fossil fuel generation to a portfolio comprising renewable and cleaner thermal generation. This remains our policy. The analysis that wa…
15 Jun 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government which aspects of the Electricity Generation Policy Statement - 2013 it considers to have been rendered out of date by recent developments affecting the industry.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Electricity Generation Policy Statement (EGPS) was published most recently in 2013. It is a statement of high-level Scottish Government electricity policy, and it remains an accurate reflection of our policy at present. However, as I stated to the Economy…
15 Jun 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential for solar photovoltaics (PV) on (a) public buildings, (b) domestic properties, (c) business premises and (d) brownfield sites.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The document Solar Energy - A Viable Contributor to Renewables in Scotland, was published by the Scottish Institute for Solar Energy Research and others in 2014 and estimated that an installed capacity of around 7 GW of domestic and non-domestic rooftop solar…
12 Jun 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government on what dates the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Sport has met GPs from the NHS Grampian area since February 2015 and what the status was of those meetings.
Answer · Shona Robison: On 29 May 2015 I visited Aberdeen to meet with GPs, elected representatives and NHS Grampian to hear directly from those involved about the difficulties facing general practice in Aberdeen/Grampian and discuss how best to support GPs to find new ways of worki…
10 Jun 2015 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether Scottish Water will continue to provide water supply to schools and hospitals.
Answer · Keith Brown: Yes – Scottish Water will continue to provide wholesale water and sewerage services to all schools and hospitals, and indeed all customers, who are connected to the public network.