Parliamentary questions

Mark Ruskell

1,773 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

31 Aug 2022 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the proposed National Treatment Centres for NHS Tayside and NHS Fife.

29 Aug 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it is ensuring that every child leaves school with the ability to cycle safely.

Answer · Patrick Harvie: Bikeability Scotland is a national cycle training programme for school children which supports the next generation of confident and responsible people travelling by bike. More than 41,000 children benefited from cycle training across all levels of the program…

29 Aug 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when spill data for monitored combined sewer overflows controlled by Scottish Water will be published.

Answer · Michael Matheson: Scottish Water’s Improving Urban Waters Route Map published in December 2021 sets out clear timescales for the publication of spill data from monitored combined sewer overflows. The route map is published on Scottish Water’s website at https://www.scottishwa…

29 Aug 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to the introduction of noise cameras on certain roads.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: Transport Scotland is aware of the DfT Roadside Vehicle Noise Measurement trials and will continue to monitor their progress and effectiveness. There is an established Transport Scotland remote sensing programme for vehicle emissions and how these relate to a…

24 Aug 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what incentives exist to encourage solar farm developers to offer forms of community financial benefit.

Answer · Michael Matheson: Community benefits from renewable energy developments can help generate lasting social and economic benefit for communities across Scotland. Our longstanding Good Practice Principles for Community Benefit from Onshore Renewable Energy Developments (2019) set…

22 Aug 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration has been given to allow Bikeability training to count as curricula PE in schools.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that all children in primary school receive at least two hours of physical education (PE) every school week, and that all young people in secondaries 1 to 4 receive at least two 50-minute periods of PE every sc…

19 Aug 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is, regarding any potential impact on Scotland, to the reported UK Government policy proposal to require cyclists to be licensed and to display a number plate.

Answer · Patrick Harvie: Vehicle registration is generally a reserved matter operated by the DVLA. We have not been involved in discussions to date and would have to establish whether bicycles are classes as vehicles to understand what its impact on Scotland, if any, would be. We ar…

18 Aug 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration has been given to changing the start of the woodcock shooting season in order to improve populations.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: Scottish Government has asked NatureScot to review the contents of Schedule 2 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act. Schedule 2 lists the species of birds which are protected during the close season but which may be killed or taken outside this period. Consid…

17 Aug 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it is encouraging public collections to consider returning cultural artefacts that were stolen during colonial times.

Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government encourages our public collections to consider the method of acquisition of all objects in their care, the vast majority of which were obtained ethically and legally. Any consideration of returning cultural artefacts would initially be…

10 Aug 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps will be taken to implement the recommendations of Environmental Standards Scotland report, Marine Scotland’s Enforcement of Acoustic Deterrent Devices.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The Scottish Government has welcomed the report from Environmental Standards Scotland. They requested some clarifications and made a number of recommendations on how processes relating to the enforcement of acoustic deterrent devices could be improved. They w…

10 Aug 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many release sites for beaver translocations have (a) been identified and (b) had licence applications submitted for that purpose, by (i) NatureScot (ii) Forestry and Land Scotland (iii) Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park (iv) Cairngorms National Park and (v) other public bo…

Answer · Lorna Slater: The Scottish Government does not hold specific information of how many release sites for beaver translocations have been identified. Following the Scottish Government’s announcement to actively support the expansion of the beaver population in November 2021 …

9 Aug 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many journeys have been completed by young people using a free bus pass through the Young Persons' (Under 22s) Free Bus Travel scheme, based on the latest information available.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: As of the end of the day on 12 September 2022, there had been a total of 21,723,100 journeys made under the Young Persons’ (Under 22s) Free Bus Travel Scheme.

9 Aug 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-09016 by Jenny Gilruth on 23 June 2022, whether it will provide updated figures on how many young people have now received a free bus pass through the Young Persons’ (Under 22s) Free Bus Travel scheme, broken down by local authority, based on the la…

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The following table shows the number of cardholders under the Young Persons’ Free Bus Travel Scheme as of the end of the day on 12 September 2022, broken down to local authority level. This data is supplied by the National Entitlement Card Programme Office (…

9 Aug 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what level of carbon production associated with energy generation it considers as low-carbon.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government considers renewable, nuclear, bioenergy and energy from waste generation technologies to be low carbon. This is consistent with the definition used by the UK Government (BEIS).Most generation technologies are classified as low carbon b…

3 Aug 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress towards its target of rolling out 20 mph speed limits on appropriate roads in built-up areas by 2025.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The multi-stakeholder task group continues to meet on a regular basis and is making good progress towards the development of a national strategy for 20 mph speed limits which incorporates the 2021 Programme for Government commitment “We will ensure all approp…

31 Jul 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of (a) primary and (b) secondary schools offer girls the same access as boys to football through (i) physical education lessons and (ii) after-school clubs.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: Under the provisions of Curriculum for Excellence education authorities and schools have the flexibility to decide upon the content of their own lessons at the local level, this includes for activities offered in physical education (PE) lessons, taking into a…

28 Jul 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported calls for white-tailed eagles to be culled.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: The Scottish Government does not intend to permit a cull of white-tailed eagles. The species has the highest levels of protection under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 being listed on Schedules 1, 1A and A1. Schedule A1 of the 1981 Act lists bird speci…

27 Jul 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on replacing the current Wild Deer: A National Approach (WDNA) vision with a deer population management strategy using deer population and cull data.

Answer · Lorna Slater: The Scottish Government is focused on identifying key areas where deer management efforts will be concentrated to ensure biodiversity and climate change targets can be met. The operational delivery workstream of the Scottish Government’s new deer project boa…

27 Jul 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what it considers to be a sustainable deer population level in Scotland to meet Scottish Biodiversity Strategy targets for 2030 when numbers are reduced as planned from the current population of 1 million animals.

Answer · Lorna Slater: The Scottish Government does not consider setting a nationwide target for sustainable deer populations to be the most effective method of meeting our Biodiversity Strategy targets for 2030. Our approach is to assess and identify priority areas where there is …

27 Jul 2022 · Written Question

Answer · Lorna Slater: The process of gathering cull returns is ongoing and NatureScot continues to gather returns for the last three years. The most up to date figures are captured in the table below and will be available on the NatureScot website later this month. These figures w…

25 Jul 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider the introduction of the full registration of all non-native gamebird releases for monitoring purposes.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: The Scottish Government does not intend to consider the introduction of the full registration of all non-native gamebird releases for monitoring purposes.

25 Jul 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the discussions that it has had with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in relation to the importation of pheasants during the avian influenza outbreak.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: During the current outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1, representatives of the Scottish Government Animal Disease Control Branch have had daily interactions with Defra and the Welsh Government regarding all manner of policy matters relat…

25 Jul 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government under what circumstances a moratorium on non-native gamebird releases could be applied.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: The release of red-leg partridges and pheasants is a legal activity and is permitted under s14 2A of the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981. A moratorium on the release of non-native gamebirds could be applied where it would be in the public interest to suspend…

25 Jul 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported impact of the avian influenza outbreak, whether it will support risk assessments for non-native gamebird releases.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: NatureScot has advised that there is no evidence of spread of avian influenza from poultry or gamebirds to wild birds within the UK. There is no evidence to support further disease control measures on game bird operation activities beyond those already in pla…

25 Jun 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is, regarding the potential impact on Scotland, to reports that the EU Copernicus Climate Change Service is ending its links with UK partners.

Answer · Jamie Hepburn: International science collaboration is vital in both supporting Scotland’s own research and innovation, and in ensuring Scottish expertise contributes to international research addressing global challenges such as the climate and biodiversity crises. Satellit…

22 Jun 2022 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Scottish Animal Welfare Commission’s call for the closure of unlicensed greyhound racing tracks in Scotland.

15 Jun 2022 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its work to provide access to neurodevelopmental support for all children in schools.

14 Jun 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration has been given to developing a natural history National Qualification.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: Existing Environmental Science qualifications (available at National 3, National 4, National 5 and Higher) draw from the sciences and social sciences and take a problem-solving approach to attempt to develop solutions that prevent or reverse environmental det…

14 Jun 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration has been given to developing an expressive arts or moving image arts National Qualification.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: Existing National Qualifications in Art and Design already allow the option of submitting moving image pieces. The following National Progression Awards contain units based on moving image or options to work in a moving image context:Skills for Work: Creative…

13 Jun 2022 · Inspired Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when the second Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing will be reviewed, and when it will respond to the Zero Emissions Social Housing Taskforce report, published in August 2021.

Answer · Patrick Harvie: The Scottish Government has today published its response to the Zero Emissions Social Housing Taskforce (ZEST) report which can be accessed at http://www.gov.scot/ISBN/9781804355176 . The Scottish Government is grateful to ZEST for its work and welcomes th…