Parliamentary questions

Lewis Macdonald

2,224 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

28 Oct 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many pupils in P1 to P3 in the Aberdeen City Council area are entitled to free school meals and at what total cost.

Answer · Adam Ingram: The free school meals survey data does not contain information by pupil stage. The most recent school meals data are available on the Scottish Executive website at: <a href="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/06/24125730/0" title="http://ww…

28 Oct 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many schools in the Aberdeen City Council area had class sizes of fewer than 18 in P1 to P3 at the beginning of the 2008-09 school year.

Answer · Adam Ingram: Information on the size of classes is collected as at the school census date in September each year. This census information has yet to be collated for 2008 and will be published early in 2009. Details of individual school class sizes will also be available a…

28 Oct 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many schools in the Aberdeen City Council area had class sizes of fewer than 18 in P1 to P3 during the 2007-08 school year.

Answer · Adam Ingram: Information on individual class sizes from the 2007 pupil census is published on the internet and can be found at: <a href="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/School-Education/PrimClassSizesSep07">http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/St…

28 Oct 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in making school grounds and facilities more accessible after school hours and during weekends.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Local authorities'' and COSLA''s commitment to making school facilities more accessible for community use is already well documented. The Audit Scotland report Improving the School Estate indicated that many schools are providing community access to f…

28 Oct 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to build greater links between schools and local sports clubs and governing bodies.

Answer · Maureen Watt: Over the last four years Active Schools, funded by the Scottish Government, has been instrumental in providing young people with a wide range of sporting opportunities which have introduced many to new activities and stimulated their interest in and commitmen…

28 Oct 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has for the development of after-school activities in primary schools.

Answer · Maureen Watt: The role of the Scottish Government is to set the framework for learning and teaching. We are doing this through the Curriculum for Excellence programme. Building the Curriculum 3: a framework for learning and teaching underlines the importan…

28 Oct 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has issued guidance to local authorities on developing after-school activities.

Answer · Maureen Watt: Building the Curriculum 3: a framework for learning and teaching underlines the importance of recognising that the curriculum comprises more than subjects alone, but is also about other types of experiences such as outdoor learning, work-related activi…

28 Oct 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether guidance has been issued to local authorities to ensure that school grounds and facilities are more accessible after school hours and at weekends.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: We are committed, as are the local authorities, to improving community access to school facilities, and we are working together to enhance both the quality and accessibility of such facilities. Our joint work with COSLA on the new School Estate Strategy provi…

27 Oct 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what funding has been allocated to each local authority under the Affordable Housing Investment Programme, also expressed as a percentage of total funding from the programme.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The following table details the total planned Affordable Housing Investment Programme (AHIP) broken down by local authority area as announced in May 2008. It also includes details of other funding which are not specifically allocated to local authority area l…

27 Oct 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the allocation of £100 million brought forward from 2010-11 to 2008 for the Affordable Housing Investment Programme will vary according to existing funding commitments in each local authority area.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: In allocating the accelerated spend, we will prioritise bringing forward new construction but will also spend on off the shelf units and land acquisitions where this is strategically sensible and offers good value for money. Allocations will be made to projec…

21 Oct 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what capital or revenue support Scottish Enterprise provided to the (a) Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC), (b) Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC) and (c) Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre (AECC) in 2007-08 and whether any such financial support will be…

Answer · Jim Mather: This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise. I will ask its Chief Executive to write to the member in this regard.

9 Oct 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what funding has been allocated to events happening in each local authority area for Homecoming Scotland 2009.

Answer · Jim Mather: All local authorities were given an equal chance to benefit from the funding opportunities available. The following table shows funding allocated from the core Homecoming programme budget to events taking place across local authority areas. In addition to thi…

9 Oct 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what funding for Homecoming Scotland 2009 has been allocated to each local authority, also expressed as a percentage of total Homecoming Scotland 2009 funding.

Answer · Jim Mather: Fourteen local authorities, in their role as event owners/organisers, bid for and are receiving funds from the £3 million Homecoming programme budget. The following local authorities are in direct receipt of funding to support specific event activity: <t…

9 Oct 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what funding it has committed to Homecoming Scotland 2009.

Answer · Jim Mather: There is a core budget of £5 million which has been allocated to EventScotland for delivery of Homecoming Scotland 2009. This includes £3 million for programme, £1.25 million for marketing and communications and £0.75 million for operational costs.<e…

8 Oct 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has assessed or plans to assess the effectiveness of residential units in assisting in the rehabilitation of ex-offenders.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The National Strategy for the Management of Offenders required the Community Justice Authorities (CJAs) to carry out an audit of existing criminal justice supported accommodation within their individual areas. The eight CJAs have completed their audi…

8 Oct 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the residential unit at St Fitticks House in Aberdeen provides a useful model for assisting in the rehabilitation of ex-offenders.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The Scottish Government acknowledges the importance of suitable accommodation as one of the key factors that can reduce the likelihood of an individual re-offending. We are working closely with COSLA to ensure that at national and local level agencies work to…

8 Oct 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it supports the provision of residential units for ex-offenders.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The vast majority of ex-offenders are accommodated within mainstream housing services. However, a small number require additional support in their accommodation to promote their rehabilitation and allow any potential risks to community safety to be reduced. T…

7 Oct 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what feasibility studies it has carried out into the connection of Scotland’s offshore renewable generation with electricity markets elsewhere in Europe.

Answer · Jim Mather: The Scottish Government is involved in two feasibility studies which aim to help to make the business case for future commercial investment in offshore electricity grid connections. The Irish-Scottish Links on Energy Study (ISLES) explores potent…

7 Oct 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive with which national governments it has had discussions about proposals for the connection of Scotland’s offshore renewable generation capacity.

Answer · Jim Mather: Earlier this year the Scottish Government applied through the European Spatial Planning Observation Network (ESPON), along with the governments of Germany and the Netherlands, for funding to undertake a Territorial Impact Assessment of grid links across the N…

7 Oct 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with UK ministers regarding the connection of renewable generation capacity to electricity markets.

Answer · Jim Mather: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-16854 on 4 November 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliamen…

7 Oct 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-6312 by Jim Mather on 29 November 2007, what progress has been made on discussions with the Norwegian Government on proposals for the connection of Scotland’s offshore renewable generation capacity to electricity markets in Norway or elsewhere in Eur…

Answer · Jim Mather: We have now completed a pre-scoping study on the potential for grid links from Scotland across the North Sea and will be using it as the basis for discussions with potential partners, including Norway, to carry out further feasibility work.

7 Oct 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S3W-6313 and S3W-6314 by Jim Mather on 11 December and 29 November 2007 respectively, what progress has been made on discussions with representatives from ofgem about proposals for the connection of Scotland’s offshore renewable generation capacity to…

Answer · Jim Mather: We are progressing studies on the potential for electricity grid connections with Northern Ireland and Ireland, and across the North Sea. Discussions have taken place with officials from the now Department of Energy and Climate Change, and from Ofgem, on the…

7 Oct 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which large-scale renewable projects were granted consent in the two months to 24 September 2008 and on which dates.

Answer · Jim Mather: Large-scale electricity generating developments (over 50MW for onshore wind and over 1MW for hydro/Marine development) are considered by Scottish ministers under Section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989. In July 2008 Scottish ministers consented to two…

7 Oct 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to the first supplementary to question S3F-1077 by Alex Salmond on 2 October 2008 (Official Report, c. 11452), whether it will list the 14 major renewable projects consented to since May 2007, also showing the date on which each consent was granted and the additiona…

Answer · Jim Mather: Section 36 Consented Projects from May 2007 to October 2008 <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <thead> <tr > <td width=22 valign=top >   </td> <td valign=top > Development </td> <td vali…

7 Oct 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the First Minister’s statement on 24 September 2008 that “£1 billion of new private sector investment in the renewable energy sector” had “been made in the past two months alone” (Official Report, c.11088), whether it will list the projects in question, also showing the value …

Answer · Jim Mather : The projects in question, and the associated levels of investment, where this is already in the public domain, are as follows; Clyde windfarm, £600 million; Biomass plant at the Tullis Russell paper mill in Markinch, commercial in confiden…

7 Oct 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to its news release issued on 9 September 2008 on renewable energy targets, which highlighted “a total private investment of over £800 million in green energy schemes over the last few weeks”, whether it will list the projects in question, also showing the value of each and the d…

Answer · Jim Mather: The projects named in the news release, and the associated levels of investment, where this is already in the public domain, are as follows: Clyde windfarm, £600 million; Biomass plant at the Tullis Russell paper mill in Markinch, commerc…

6 Oct 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to replace the Wave and Tidal Energy Support Scheme with a new mechanism for funding research and development specifically in wave and tidal power generation and, if so, how it will do so.

Answer · Jim Mather: The Scottish Government continues to issue grant payments to projects supported by the scheme. We also continue to discuss with stakeholders the need for further direct support for the wave and tidal energy sector. The Forum for Renewable Energy Deve…

6 Oct 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the decision to discontinue the Wave and Tidal Energy Support Scheme was approved by the Scottish Cabinet.

Answer · Jim Mather: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-16833 on 3 November 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/weba…

6 Oct 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the decision was taken to discontinue funding the Wave and Tidal Energy Support Scheme.

Answer · Jim Mather: No such decision has been taken. We continue to issue grant payments to projects supported by the scheme.

6 Oct 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications it received for the Wave and Tidal Support Scheme in (a) 2006-07 and (b) 2007-08 and how many it has received in the current financial year.

Answer · Jim Mather: The scheme closed for applications in November 2006. In total, 13 applications for support were received in response to the call for bids.