Parliamentary questions
Lewis Macdonald
2,224 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
20 May 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the success of the All-Energy Exhibition and Conference in (a) 2014 and (b) previous years.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government acknowledges the success of All-Energy in helping to drive the growth of Scotland’s renewable energy sector, and enhancing both Aberdeen and Scotland’s reputation as a global leader in renewable and low carbon energy.
14 May 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration was given to the management of incidents of disorder in the design of (a) Low Moss and (b) Grampian prison and what conclusions were reached.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Colin McConnell, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows: “The evolution of design and general operational principles for HM Prisons Low Moss and Grampian was led by a dedicated group, the Scottish …
14 May 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many injuries have been sustained by (a) staff and (b) prisoners at Grampian prison since it was opened.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Colin McConnell, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows: “The following table provides the total number of recorded injuries on staff and prisoners since HM Prison and Young Offenders Institute Gra…
14 May 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many incidents have been recorded at (a) Low Moss and (b) Grampian prison since it was opened.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Colin McConnell, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows: “Incidents within Scottish prisons are assessed into three categories: Category 1: Incidents that are minor in nature and managed within no…
14 May 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many injuries have been sustained by (a) staff and (b) prisoners at Low Moss prison since it was opened.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Colin McConnell, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows: “The following table provides the total number of recorded injuries on staff and prisoners since HM Prison Low Moss became operational on 12…
30 Apr 2014 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government how its cities strategy will support public bodies in the Aberdeen city region that find it hard to recruit and retain staff because of the high cost of living relative to the rest of the country.
26 Mar 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-20069 by Kenny MacAskill on 21 March 2014, how many nationally deployed police officers are based in (a) Aberdeen City and (b) Aberdeenshire and Moray.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The Scottish Government now publishes national police officer numbers. Sub-national police officer numbers are not held centrally by the Scottish Government. This is a matter for Police Scotland. Police Scotland published sub-national police officer numbers …
26 Mar 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-20069 by Kenny MacAskill on 21 March 2014, how many regionally deployed police officers in North Region are based in (a) Aberdeen City and (b) Aberdeenshire and Moray.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The Scottish Government now publishes national police officer numbers. Sub-national police officer numbers are not held centrally by the Scottish Government. This is a matter for Police Scotland. Police Scotland published sub-national police officer numbers …
12 Mar 2014 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it will support strategic infrastructure developments in the Aberdeen city region.
7 Mar 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many police officers there have been in Aberdeenshire and Moray in each quarter since the second quarter of 2013.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The Scottish Government now publishes national police officer numbers. Sub-national police officer numbers are not held centrally by the Scottish Government. Police Scotland published sub-national police officer numbers as at 31 December 2013, on the 4 March…
7 Mar 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many police officers there have been in Aberdeen City in each quarter since the second quarter of 2013.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The Scottish Government now publishes national police officer numbers. Sub-national police officer numbers are not held centrally by the Scottish Government. Police Scotland published sub-national police officer numbers as at 31 December 2014, on the 4 March…
7 Mar 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many police officers there were in Grampian Police in each quarter between the first quarter of 2007 and the first quarter of 2013.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The number of police officers in Grampian Police in each quarter between the first quarter of 2007 and the first quarter of 2013 can be found in table 2 of the Scottish Government’s publication titled Police Officer Quarterly Strength Statistics Scotland, 31 …
5 Mar 2014 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government what special measures are being put in place to allow families from the north and north east of Scotland to attend the Scottish League Cup Final in Glasgow on 16 March 2014.
28 Feb 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-19659 by Roseanna Cunningham on 27 February 2014, what discussions the Minister for Community Safety and Legal Affairs had with members of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Board (SFRS) regarding the decision not to hold a public consultation on the clos…
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: I meet regularly with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) to discuss a range of current issues. My last meeting with the SFRS Chair and Chief Fire Officer was on 11 March 2014. Decisions on the allocation of SFRS resources, including the number and l…
20 Feb 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to its paper, Currency - Transaction Costs to UK Businesses, what methodology it used in calculating the value of UK exports to other countries in the EU.
Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government position is to retain sterling within a formal monetary union with the rest of the UK. We are confident this will be delivered as it is in the overwhelming interests of both Scotland and the rest of the UK. There will therefore be no c…
20 Feb 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to its paper, Currency - Transaction Costs to UK Businesses, how much it calculates the transaction costs to Scottish businesses would be if the country left the sterling zone.
Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government position is to retain sterling within a formal monetary union with the rest of the UK. We are confident this will be delivered as it is in the overwhelming interests of both Scotland and the rest of the UK. There will therefore be no c…
20 Feb 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government further to its paper, Currency - Transaction Costs to UK Businesses, whether it considers that an impact of around 1% of GDP in transaction costs for "small open economies" would apply to Scotland in the event of the country leaving the sterling zone.
Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government position is to retain sterling within a formal monetary union with the rest of the UK. We are confident this will be delivered as it is in the overwhelming interests of both Scotland and the rest of the UK. There will therefore be no c…
20 Feb 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government for what reasons its paper, Currency - Transaction Costs to UK Businesses, estimates the transaction costs arising from a separate Scottish currency as 0.1% of GDP, given that the paper cites a range of possible impacts of 0.1% to 1.0%.
Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government position is to retain sterling within a formal monetary union with the rest of the UK. We are confident this will be delivered as it is in the overwhelming interests of both Scotland and the rest of the UK. There will therefore be no c…
20 Feb 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to its paper Currency - Transaction Costs to UK Businesses, what methodology it used in calculating the distribution of costs between exporters and importers in the event of Scotland leaving the sterling zone.
Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government position is to retain sterling within a formal monetary union with the rest of the UK. We are confident this will be delivered as it is in the overwhelming interests of both Scotland and the rest of the UK. There will therefore be no c…
7 Feb 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government which ministers have met senior officers from the (a) Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Board and (b) the Scottish Police Authority since April 2013; when those meetings took place; where they were held, and what issues were discussed.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Since 1 April 2013 various ministers have met with senior Fire and Rescue Service and Scottish Police Authority officers to discuss a range of different topics and issues at a number of different venues, events and incidents throughout Scotland.
7 Feb 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Scottish Police Authority on its decision not to hold a public consultation on the closure of police control rooms.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Consideration of the national structure of police control rooms is an operational matter for the Chief Constable in consultation with the Scottish Police Authority. The Scottish Government did not discuss the decision not to hold a public consultation with th…
7 Feb 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it was aware in advance of the decision to revise the costings of the options for fire control rooms on the day of the meeting of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Board on 30 January 2014.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Decisions such as the rationalisation of control rooms are matters for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service board, who are responsible for undertaking the appraisal of options based on all information available to them.
7 Feb 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Board on its decision not to hold a public consultaton on the closure of fire control rooms.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service undertook an extensive programme of engagement with staff members, unions, local authorities, and MSPs since the decision to move from eight to three control rooms was made in September 2013, which informed the more recent…
29 Jan 2014 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the estimated cost is of upgrading the east coast railway line between Aberdeen and the central belt at Montrose.
15 Jan 2014 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what support it gives to local authorities to address the risk of flooding.
8 Jan 2014 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with Aberdeen City Council regarding a new exhibition and conference centre.
20 Dec 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what ministerial engagements the First Minister carried out in (a) Aberdeen and (b) Aberdeenshire in 2013.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: a: 29.01.2013: Scottish Offshore Wind and Supply Chain Conference 10.05.2013: Visit to ASET Oil and Gas Training Academy 11.06.2013: Cashback announcement Banks O Dee Sports Club 17.06.2013: Photo.opp at Piper Alpha memorial garden, Hazlehead Park 06.…
20 Dec 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what ministerial engagements the Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs carried out in Aberdeen on 7 December 2013 and, as specified in section 9.20 of the Scottish Ministerial Code, on what date the constituency and regional members for the area were informed.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: I undertook one ministerial engagement in Aberdeen on 7 December 2013; I attended the Alba Trad Music Awards Ceremony where I presented the Gaelic Singer of the Year Award. It is routine for the Scottish Government to inform constituency and regional MSPs, i…
20 Dec 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what ministerial engagements the First Minister carried out in Aberdeen on 2 December 2013 and, as specified in section 9.20 of the Scottish Ministerial Code, on what date the constituency and regional members for the area were informed.
Answer · Alex Neil: The First Minister undertook one ministerial engagement in Aberdeen on 2 December 2013, opening the £15 million Aberdeen Community Health and Care Village, which provides state-of-the-art healthcare facilities for local people. The First Minister wrote to you…
5 Dec 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what changes were made to NHS Grampian's budget to achieve NHSScotland Resource Allocation Committee parity in each year from 2007 to 2015.
Answer · Alex Neil: The NHSScotland Resource Allocation Committee (NRAC) formula was introduced in 2009-10. For the years 2009-10 to 2013-14, additional funding was provided to NHS Grampian to support movement towards NRAC parity. 2013-14 £10.6 million 2012-13 £7.4million 2…