Parliamentary questions
Mike Rumbles
1,089 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
28 Feb 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the initial projected cost of the Forth Replacement Crossing project was an overestimate.
Answer · Keith Brown: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-07593 on 9 March 2017. The development and breakdown of the initial projected cost of the Forth Replacement Crossing project was detailed in the Financial Memorandum to the Forth Crossing Bill dated 16 November…
22 Feb 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recent report that Coca-Cola Ltd has added its support to a campaign calling for a deposit return scheme to be introduced in Scotland and the company's comment that 63% of its consumers support the introduction of a deposits system in the UK, with 51% saying t…
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government is considering the benefits and drawbacks of a deposit return scheme. Such a scheme has the potential to reduce litter and improve recycling, but other factors must be taken into consideration. These include the impact on small stores …
17 Feb 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the holding answer to question S5W-06536 by Derek Mackay on 8 February 2017, when it will provide a full response.
Answer · Derek Mackay: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-06536 on 22 February 2017. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusines…
16 Feb 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the report by Ombudsman Services, which suggests that one-in-five railway passengers in the UK are “resigned to poor service”, what action it is taking to ensure that passengers have confidence in services in Scotland.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: Monitoring performance is a key aspect of the Scottish Government's management of the ScotRail franchise. Transport Scotland oversees and specifies the performance levels that ScotRail should meet. The Service Quality Incentive Regime operated by Transport Sc…
15 Feb 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what support it can offer to farmers who keep birds that have lost their free-range status because of its avian flu-related measures.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The risk of an incursion of highly pathogenic Avian Influenza from wild birds into domestic birds is assessed to be ‘low to medium’. However, the Scottish Government has listened carefully to key industry stakeholders and are clear that changing the requireme…
15 Feb 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what support it can offer to protect the free-range status of farm birds affected by its avian flu-related measures.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-07256 on 27 February 2017. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusine…
15 Feb 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what support it can offer to farmers who face higher insurance premiums as a result of being located in areas that are deemed at high-risk of avian flu outbreaks.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: There are no areas in Scotland where the risk to poultry on individual premises from avian flu is deemed as "high-risk". The risk of an incursion of highly pathogenic Avian Influenza from wild birds into domestic birds is assessed to be ‘low to medium’ depend…
26 Jan 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many more people will become eligible for a free bus pass under the existing concessionary travel scheme on reaching 60 in each of the next five years
Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Scottish Government estimates that around 70,000 people will reach the age 60 and thus become eligible for a free bus pass under the existing concessionary travel scheme in 2017. This number is expected to rise in each subsequent year to around 76,000 peo…
26 Jan 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government on what date it will (a) launch the public consultation on future arrangements for the national concessionary travel scheme and (b) announce any proposed changes, and whether the public will be given an indication of its preferred model for the future prior to local elections in May 2017.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: Over the coming months, we will be engaging with stakeholders across Scotland to listen carefully to their views so that we may understand the social, equality and other impacts of possible changes that might be made to the scheme. This early period of engag…
26 Jan 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many people have a free bus pass under the national concessionary travel scheme.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: In December 2016 there were 1,310,803 cardholders under the National Concessionary Travel Scheme for Older and Disabled Persons.
26 Jan 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many young (a) modern apprentices and (b) recipients of employment grants it anticipates will be supported by its plans to extend the concessionary travel scheme each year; whether each person in these categories will be automatically eligible for free travel, and in what year the sc…
Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Scottish Government anticipates that around 25,000 Modern Apprentices aged 16-20 and between 6,500 and 8,500 Job Grant recipients aged 16-24 could be supported by its plans to provide free bus travel to these groups. We will be discussing the necessary pr…
26 Jan 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many people have participated in its concessionary travel scheme for people over 60 or with a disability in each year since it was established.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: The number of concessionary travel card holders under the National Concessionary Travel Scheme for Older and Disabled Persons in each year since it was established are as follows:- Year Number of cardholders 2006-07 900,000 2007-08 984,469 2008-09 1,…
25 Jan 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what communications it has had with stakeholders to discuss a possible review or alteration to its concessionary travel scheme for people aged over 60 or who are in a disability scheme.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Scottish Government has on-going dialogue with stakeholders on concessionary travel. In the coming weeks we will be engaging with stakeholders to get their views on ways in which the Scottish Government can safeguard the longer term sustainability of the…
25 Jan 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to make alterations to its concessionary travel scheme for people over 60 or who are in a disability scheme.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: In the coming months the Scottish Government will be consulting on ways in which to ensure the longer term sustainability of the National Concessionary Travel Scheme. Transport Scotland will be engaging initially with stakeholders to get their views, so that…
25 Jan 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether concessionary travel for people over 60 or with a disability should be (a) means tested, (b) a universal benefit, or (c) a national entitlement with a one-off fee.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: In the coming months the Scottish Government will be consulting on ways in which to ensure the longer term sustainability of the Concessionary Travel Scheme, through initial engagement with stakeholders leading to a formal open and transparent public consulta…
25 Jan 2017 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the planning system encourages the use of alternatives to pylons, and how it works to mitigate their visual impact, especially in areas of natural beauty, such as Bennachie.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Scottish Planning Policy states that consideration should be given to underground grid connections where possible.
24 Jan 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of how many businesses may fail as a result of the recent revaluation of business rates.
Answer · Derek Mackay: In my Draft Budget 2017-18 statement to Parliament I set out a comprehensive package of action in light of the revaluation to deliver a highly competitive business rates regime that will benefit businesses across Scotland. The package includes expansion of t…
24 Jan 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much its proposed increase in business rates will raise.
Answer · Derek Mackay: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-06356 on 31 January 2017. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness…
24 Jan 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much the full exemption of business rates for 100,000 small firms will cost.
Answer · Derek Mackay: The Scottish Government estimates that the cost of the expanded Small Business Bonus Scheme will be around £224 million for 2017-18.
24 Jan 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Supreme Court's judgement of 24 January 2017 in respect of the triggering of Article 50 in relation to the UK leaving the EU and, in light of the Supreme Court limiting the Lord Advocate to legal argument based on devolved issues, whether it plans to take further legal a…
Answer · James Wolffe QC: In R (Miller) v. Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union the UK Supreme Court decided that the UK Government may not lawfully notify the European Council under Article 50 TEU of the UK's intention to withdraw from the European Union without the auth…
23 Jan 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the use of underground or undersea cables or other alternatives to electricity pylons to carry power through (a) national parks and areas of outstanding natural beauty and (b) new developments where feasible.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The design and construction of network infrastructure to transport electricity within Scotland is the responsibility of the network owners Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks and Scottish Power Energy Networks in conjunction with the GB-wide system ope…
23 Jan 2017 · Topical Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to increase the eligibility age for the concessionary travel scheme.
20 Jan 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government Government whether it will provide public performance measure and other key figures for train delays and cancellations on the Milngavie to Westerton and Dalmuir route, for the last year.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: The trains which run to Milngavie and Westerton, as well as Dalmuir, also run to Balloch and Helensburgh Central in the west of their route. At the other end of their routes, they serve Springburn, Cumbernauld, Airdrie and Edinburgh. The service is collective…
20 Jan 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government who is responsible for (a) measuring, (b) monitoring, (c) publishing and (d) improving public performance measures on ScotRail routes.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: Network Rail and ScotRail are jointly responsible for the measurement, monitoring and publication of the public performance measure on ScotRail routes, using recognised industry systems. Together, they are responsible for improving performance to meet the con…
20 Jan 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that many rail operators, bulletin boards and websites continue to report trains as "on time" when journeys have been delayed or cancelled, what it is doing to (a) improve passenger communication and (b) ensure ScotRail and Network Rail are updating timetable changes…
Answer · Humza Yousaf: ScotRail conforms to the national PIDD (Passenger Information During Disruption ) programme, an industry-wide standard for Network Rail and Train Operating Companies to comply with agreed principles for dealing with disruption. This is a licence condition set…
20 Jan 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason Cancellations and Significant Lateness is a regulated measure of rail performance everywhere in the UK apart from Scotland, and how those figures would differ from public performance measures.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: The regulated measure of rail performance for Scotland for this railway control period is the Public Performance Measure “PPM”. Network Rail has a regulatory target of a Moving Annual Average of PPM by the end of this Control Period in April 2019 of 92.5%. Th…
20 Jan 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it will announce its plans on how and when it will set up an independent commission on the future of agriculture and rural development and to outline what its remit will entail.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Government is currently considering options for setting up an independent group to provide advice on rural support beyond 2020, as referred to in the motion adopted by Parliament on 19 January, and will make an announcement in due course. As I explained a…
20 Jan 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to its news release of 18 January 2017, where it stated in relation to Network Rail that “further devolution will bring substantial savings of around £100m every year”, whether it will provide an explanation of those savings.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-06329 on 31 January 2017. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusines…
20 Jan 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to its news release of 18 January 2017, where it stated in relation to Network Rail that “further devolution will bring substantial savings of around £100m every year”, which functions currently performed by Network Rail it proposes (a) should continue with a new devolved organi…
Answer · Humza Yousaf: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-06329 on 31 January 2017. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusines…
20 Jan 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to its news release of 18 January 2017, where it stated in relation to Network Rail that “further devolution will bring substantial savings of around £100m every year”, whether it will provide a list of services provided by Network Rail that are covered by this expenditure.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-06329 on 31 January 2017. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusines…