Parliamentary questions
Michael Russell
1,207 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
8 Dec 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what work Forestry Commission Scotland is carrying out to ensure that trees and forests are planted in a manner that diminishes downstream flood risk, and what information it has on similar work by commercial forestry companies.
Answer · Aileen McLeod: Scottish Ministers designated the Forestry Commission as a responsible authority, with associated duties to reduce overall flood risk under the Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009. In Scotland, Forestry Commission Scotland exercises flood risk-related f…
8 Dec 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what natural means of flood prevention, including tree and forest planting, are used by (a) it and (b) its agencies.
Answer · Aileen McLeod: The Scottish Government is continuing to work with partners to implement the Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009. The Act promotes actions that work with nature at a catchment scale as part of a more sustainable approach to flood risk management. The S…
8 Dec 2015 · Inspired Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the MV Coruisk will be deployed on the Gourock-Dunoon route over the 2015-16 winter.
Answer · Derek Mackay: I can today (9 December 2015) confirm that the MV Coruisk will again be deployed on the Gourock-Dunoon town centre service this winter. The deployment will bring additional resilience and passenger confidence to the service at a time of year when weather cond…
3 Dec 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the reason is for the reported rapid deterioration of the road surface on the A828 approaching the Connel Bridge; what supervision Transport Scotland (a) has carried out or (b) plans on the recent resurfacing work on this section, and, if urgent remedial work has to be carried out, …
Answer · Derek Mackay: Resurfacing was carried out recently on the A828 approach to Connel Bridge. Supervision of the works was carried out by our operating company BEAR Scotland. BEAR Scotland became aware of issues with the resurfaced section between the Oyster Inn and Connel Br…
3 Dec 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-28411 by Aileen McLeod on 24 November 2015, whether it will designate, for planning purposes, the Seil/Shuna/Melford loch system as a single entity and ensure that it is treated as such at all levels of the planning process.
Answer · Alex Neil: The protection that the planning system affords these waters would be a matter for Argyll and Bute Council to consider through the development planning process. The council's current development plan largely takes a criteria based approach to guide proposals …
17 Nov 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made with developing the code of practice referred to in the proposed local authority Household Recycling Charter that it published on 6 October 2015 and when it will make the code of practice available to (a) local authorities and (b) the public.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: Excellent progress has been made in developing the technical Code of Practice for the Household Recycling Charter. I am pleased to confirm that the Scottish Government and (COSLA) have agreed the principles and content of the Code of Practice to introduce a m…
11 Nov 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what powers of compulsory purchase of land it has, and under what legislation, for the purposes of (a) establishing agricultural holdings within and beyond the crofting counties, (b) the settlement of such land for the conducting of agricultural activity, (c) creating forestry, (d) estab…
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The powers of Scottish ministers and Scottish Government agencies to acquire land compulsorily, and under what circumstances, are set out in various general Acts of Parliament. In response to the specific questions: (a) and (b) there are existing powers unde…
11 Nov 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will designate the Seil/Shuna/Melfort loch system as a single sea loch for the purpose of better regulating fish farming in the area.
Answer · Aileen McLeod: The Scottish Government has designated Disease Management Areas based on separation distances, tidal excursions and other epidemiological disease risk factors. Disease management area 16d includes the Seil/Shuna/Melfort loch system as well as the Loch Craigni…
11 Nov 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government (a) how it is accessing and (b) how much it is able to access from funds allocated by the EU to support broadband in isolated and rural communities in line with Article 174 of the Treaty of Lisbon.
Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government is keen to maximise the amount of EU funds available to support broadband deployment in rural communities. EU funding is primarily being accessed through the European Structural and Investment Funds. We will continue to explore any ad…
10 Nov 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it is aware of the findings of research undertaken on vibroacoustic disease for the RMT union suggesting that (a) it affects around 70% of men exposed to loud low frequency noise, (b) susceptibility may be worse with low body mass index, and women may, therefore, be particularly …
Answer · Maureen Watt: We are aware that some researchers have suggested that there may be harmful health impacts arising from exposure to low frequency noise. The Scottish Government receives expert evidence-based advice on environmental public health issues from Health Protectio…
10 Nov 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that (a) the NHS is fully aware of and (b) suitable treatment is provided to people diagnosed with vibroacoustic disease.
Answer · Maureen Watt: In 2010 the independent Advisory Group on Non-Ionising Radiation considered the issue of health effects of exposure to ultrasound and infrasound. The group found that there was no evidence that infrasound levels normally encountered in the environment would l…
10 Nov 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many people in Scotland have vibroacoustic disease, broken down by (a) local authority area, (b) age and (c) sex.
Answer · Maureen Watt: Information on how many people in Scotland have vibroacoustic disease is not collected centrally.
10 Nov 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what arrangements it has put in place to ensure that action is being taken to eradicate Japanese knotweed on publicly-owned land.
Answer · Aileen McLeod: It is not our policy to eradicate Japanese knotweed in Scotland or to eradicate it from all publicly-owned land. That effort would be prohibitively expensive and is unlikely to be successful. Where Japanese knotweed has been reported as causing a problem on …
10 Nov 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether Transport Scotland is required to treat Japanese knotweed growing on the verges of trunk roads.
Answer · Aileen McLeod: Transport Scotland is not required to treat Japanese knotweed growing on the verges of trunk roads but does include relevant terms in its contract arrangements with trunk road operating companies. As part of their contractual duties, the operating companies …
10 Nov 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what advice it gives to local authorities regarding the (a) treatment and (b) eradication of Japanese knotweed on (i) publicly- and (ii) privately-owned land.
Answer · Aileen McLeod: The Scottish Natural Heritage website provides advice on Japanese knotweed identification and disposal. Detailed advice, recently revised by the Scottish Government and its agencies, on treatment of sites affected by Japanese knotweed is available on the NetR…
30 Oct 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to review the adults with incapacity legislation and, if so, what the timescale is and what consultation arrangements it is planning.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: We have committed to consulting on the Scottish Law Commission’s Report on Adults with Incapacity. The report covers compliance of the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000 with Article 5 of the European Convention on Human Rights, specifically in relati…
22 Oct 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on people recovering from operations being placed in small wards with disruptive patients who have dementia, and what guidance it has provided to NHS boards regarding this practice.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: The placement in wards of patients recovering from surgery is a matter for NHS boards. Whilst the Scottish Government has not produced any guidance on this matter it recognises the importance of patients being accommodated in wards where their recovery can be…
22 Oct 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what research it (a) has commissioned or plans and (b) is aware of regarding the impact of people recovering from operations being placed in small wards with disruptive patients who have dementia.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: The Scottish Government has not commissioned research on the impact on patients of being placed in small wards with disruptive patients who have dementia. Significant work has been undertaken to improve the care of people with dementia in acute hospitals as p…
20 Oct 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will ensure that the Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland provides reasons for what are considered radical changes, such as those proposed for Argyll and Bute in its Fifth Review, other than parity between numbers of voters in wards and roughly equal ratios of cou…
Answer · Marco Biagi: The Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland is independent of the Scottish Government. The commission has carried out a series of consultations on its proposals for changes to local government electoral arrangements in the 32 Scottish council areas,…
20 Oct 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will ensure that the modern boundaries of a national park are not used by the Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland to decide on ward boundaries rather than other links such as social cohesion, communications and historical connection.
Answer · Marco Biagi: The Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 as amended sets out how the Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland is to conduct reviews of local government arrangements, including specifying matters to which the commission is required to have regard in c…
20 Oct 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will inform the Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland of the concerns in Argyll and Bute at the proposed loss of the name, Cowal, as an electoral area.
Answer · Marco Biagi: The Scottish Government has passed to the Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland all concerns it has received about the commission's proposals for Argyll and Bute, including about the proposed loss of the name of Cowal for an electoral area.
20 Oct 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it is aware of the extent of the opposition in Argyll and Bute to the proposals contained in the Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland's Fifth Review.
Answer · Marco Biagi: The Scottish Government is aware that concerns have been expressed by local community groups and others about the Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland's proposals for Argyll and Bute. The final public consultation on the commission's proposals fo…
20 Oct 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will ensure that no proposal made by the Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland regarding changes to the electoral wards in Argyll and Bute is accepted without taking (a) full account of local views and (b) the opportunity for local hearings to be held.
Answer · Marco Biagi: Section 18(2) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 as amended requires the Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland to carry out local consultations, and to take any representations made to it into consideration, in conducting any reviews of l…
8 Oct 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-27269 by Aileen McLeod on 14 September 2015, what its position is on introducing data coding for injuries arising from exposure to giant hogweed.
Answer · Aileen McLeod: There are many diverse environmental risks to health which may result in injury, including a number of garden plants, and it is not possible for all such types of injuries to be coded precisely. There are no plans to introduce coding for injuries caused by gi…
8 Oct 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-27273 by Aileen McLeod on 14 September 2015, whether it will provide further details of the work of the action group, and whether it will ensure that the group’s activities will also monitor the spread of giant hogweed in all areas.
Answer · Aileen McLeod: Recent work undertaken by the Non-Native Species Action Group has included guidance for zoos and wildlife parks on preventing the escape of potentially invasive non-native species. The current focus of the group’s work is on determining management and prevent…
8 Oct 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that the powers are sometimes abused, whether it will carry out an assessment of the use of powers of entry by (a) energy and (b) other private companies, and what its position is on imposing a requirement that any such action must only be carried out following the a…
Answer · Fergus Ewing: Any abuse of power by any company or organisation would be a matter of serious concern for the Scottish Government. The legal situation relating to powers of entry for energy companies is very clear: companies must have either the owner’s permission or an app…
8 Oct 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on considering innovations that aim to see a greater uptake of places at rural schools by encouraging different approaches to transport and catchment areas, and whether it is aware of the Swedish scheme, Turn the School Bus Around.
Answer · Angela Constance: The Scottish Government is committed to protecting rural schools and supporting their role in preserving, supporting and developing rural communities. The legislative responsibility for the provision of education in Scotland rests with individual local autho…
8 Oct 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on establishing a minimum pupil-teacher ratio for Gaelic medium education.
Answer · Alasdair Allan: It is the responsibility of local authorities and individual head teachers to determine the size of individual classes within the limits set by legislation or terms and conditions of service. Accordingly, the relevant local authority and head teacher of a Gae…
8 Oct 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether Gaelic medium education would benefit from clearer guidelines for pupil-teacher ratios.
Answer · Alasdair Allan: Pupil teacher ratios are not stipulated either in legislation or in teachers' terms and conditions of service. Class size limits for P1-P3 are set in statute and all other class size limits are set in teachers' terms and conditions of service. Neither the leg…
8 Oct 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what international research it has studied regarding optimum pupil-teacher ratios for immersive language education.
Answer · Alasdair Allan: We have made enquiries and are not aware of any examples of international research regarding optimum pupil-teacher ratios in immersive language education.