Mike Rumbles

28 Sep 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government (a) what measures it has introduced and (b) how much it has allocated to tackle mental health issues in (i) rural and remote areas and (ii) farming communities.

Answer · Maureen Watt: Spending on mental health by NHS Scotland has increased under this Government, from £651.4 million in 2006-07 to £904.9 million in 2014-15 – an increase of 38.9%. The Scottish Government sets national direction of policy on mental health and provides funding…

20 Sep 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what measures will be considered as part of a draft inshore fisheries bill that could give greater community control over the economic use of inshore waters.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: It is generally accepted that existing inshore fisheries legislation is somewhat outdated and emanates from legislating dating from 1967 and 1984. Discussions with key stakeholders will be required ahead of any formal work commencing, to help ascertain where …

20 Sep 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it will monitor the annual impact of marine protected areas on the inshore fishing industry.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government is currently gathering evidence to monitor and assess the socioeconomic effect of marine protected area (MPA) management using the following methods: (a) interviews representatives of various marine user groups; (b) Marine Scotland c…

16 Sep 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to use the proposed Islands Bill to provide for the creation of one or two member wards on islands that are part of local authorities that cover both mainland and islands.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: As set out in the Programme for Government on 6 September 2016, the Government intends to bring forward an Islands Bill in the first year of the new parliamentary session. One of the measures that will be included in that Bill for consideration will be a prov…

15 Sep 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish details of all communications it has had with the Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland regarding its Fifth Reviews of Electoral Arrangements.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: Correspondence between Ministers and the Chair of the Local Government Commission for Scotland regarding the Commission's Fifth Reviews of Electoral Arrangements have been placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib number 58220)

15 Sep 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its role was in proposing that there should be no overall increase in the number of councillors in the criteria used by the Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland in its Fifth Reviews of Electoral Arrangements.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: In the course of the Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland explaining to the Scottish Government its proposed approach to the Fifth Reviews, Ministers expressed the view that they did not think there would be an appetite for an overall increase in…

15 Sep 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its role was in prioritising deprivation in the criteria used by the Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland in its Fifth Reviews of Electoral Arrangements.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-02867 on 30 September 2016. 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 Sep 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the criteria used by the Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland in its Fifth Reviews of Electoral Arrangements and their suitability for the (a) Argyll and Bute, (b) Dundee City, (c) Shetland Islands, (d) Comhairle nan Eilean Siar and (e) Scottish Borde…

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: When making recommendations for changes to the electoral arrangements for a local government area, the Commission must act in accordance with Section 13 and Schedule six of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973. Section 13 states that the Commission may ma…

15 Sep 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it had with the Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland prior to its proposal to reduce the number of councillors for Argyll and Bute from 36 to 33.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: The Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland kept the Scottish Government informed of the Commission's progress in conducting its Fifth Reviews of local government electoral arrangements up to the Commission's submission to Ministers of its final rec…

15 Sep 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what criteria it used to reject proposed boundary changes for the (a) Argyll and Bute, (b) Dundee City, (c) Shetland Islands, (d) Comhairle nan Eilean Siar and (e) Scottish Borders council area.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: Schedule six to the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 sets out rules to be observed by the Scottish Government or the Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland in considering the electoral arrangements for election of councillors for local governm…

13 Sep 2016 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Standing Council on Europe plans to publish a report on Scotland’s relationship with the EU and, if so, when.

12 Sep 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much construction inflation has been applied in each year of the Forth Replacement Crossing project, and how this compares with the projections at Figure 12 in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe) briefing 10/14, The Forth Replacement Crossing, Analysis of Costs.

Answer · Keith Brown: The Scottish Parliament Reference Centre (SPICe) briefing 10/14, 'The Forth Replacement Crossing, Analysis of Costs', identified the total outturn cost range of the Forth Replacement Crossing Project as £1.72 billion to £2.34 billion with a median of £2.044 b…

16 Aug 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to assist NHS (a) Grampian and (b) Tayside in (i) recruiting and (ii) retaining staff.

Answer · Shona Robison: There are a range of actions that are already being taken to support NHS boards to recruit in remote and rural areas, from abroad and also to encourage those who trained or worked in NHS Scotland to return and work in the health service. We will continue to l…

16 Aug 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-01478 by Fergus Ewing on 1 August 2016, whether it will publish the action plan.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government's Mobile Action Plan, developed and agreed with the four UK mobile network operators, was published on 12 June 2016. It is available at the following link: http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Economy/digital/Publications/SGMAP

16 Aug 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to assist NHS (a) Grampian and (b) Tayside in reducing dependency on agency staff.

Answer · Shona Robison: In order to reduce the reliance on agency staff, the Scottish Government and NHS National Services Scotland have launched a nationally coordinated programme for the effective management of all temporary staffing. The team are working with NHS Grampian and NHS…

15 Aug 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government which parliamentary liaison officers have (a) received copies of ministerial briefing material and (b) attended ministerial meeting regarding matters pertaining to the work programmes of Scottish Parliament committees.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: None.

15 Aug 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many departmental meetings with ministers have been attended by each parliamentary liaison officer since June 2016, and who was in attendance at each.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: Jenny Gilruth MSP met Mark McDonald MSP, Minister for Childcare and Early Years and Aileen Campbell MSP, Minister for Public Health and Sport on 14 June 2016 with Scottish Government (SG) officials. Jenny Gilruth MSP met John Swinney MSP, Deputy First Minis…

15 Aug 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many restricted documents have been shared with each parliamentary liaison officer since June 2016.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-01947 on 8 September 2016. 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…

15 Aug 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government which parliamentary liaison officers are included on the circulation list of material it produces pertaining to the business of parliamentary committees.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: None.

15 Aug 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether (a) special advisers or (b) ministerial private offices have shared restricted briefing material with parliamentary liaison officers since June 2016.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: Restricted is not a recognised Scottish Government security classification. The Ministerial code sets out what government information parliamentary liaison officers are allowed to receive on a strictly confidential basis in order to allow them to discharge th…

10 Aug 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S5W-01469 and S5W-01471 by Derek Mackay on 3 August 2016, (a) how much and (b) what percentage of the revenue generated each year was retained by (i) the council and (ii) it.

Answer · Derek Mackay: With effect from 1 April 2011 all local authorities, including Aberdeen City Council, retain 100 per cent of the business rates collected within their area. As a result of this change in policy the amount of business rates retained by Aberdeen City Council in…

28 Jul 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of the funding available for the Young Farmers Start Up Grant has already being allocated; how this will impact on applications to the Scottish Rural Development Programme 2014-2020, and whether it will make additional funds available to ensure that new applicants receive…

Answer · Fergus Ewing: Under the Scottish Rural Development Programme 2014-20, £6 million was allocated to the Young Farmer Start-up Grant Scheme. To date £5.23 million has been committed to fund 90 successful applications. The current funding round opened on the 1 July 2016. Given…

20 Jul 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had or plans with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs regarding issues arising in the current common agricultural policy (CAP) payments cycle; the continuity of CAP payments over the next five years, and the introduction of a similar system shou…

Answer · Fergus Ewing: Scottish Government officials are in regular contact with officials from other UK common agricultural policy (CAP) paying agencies, and from the UK Co-ordinating Body for CAP payments, on issues relating to the current cycle of payments. The Scottish Governme…

20 Jul 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the comments by the Cabinet Secretary for Justice on 10 May 2012 (Official Report, c. 8769) that the Police and Fire Reform Bill would “improve performance by retaining local services for local communities” and that it is “essential to safeguard the vital front-line services…

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government, Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority are taking forward work to strengthen the community focus of policing. The Scottish Government is achieving this through our ongoing review of the Strategic Police Priorities whilst t…

20 Jul 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether Police Scotland should send representatives to (a) community council and (b) other similar public meetings as part of its community engagement obligations.

Answer · Michael Matheson: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-01572 on 17 August 2016. 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/…

14 Jul 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has met its target to pay all final common agricultural policy payments by 30 June 2016 and, if not, what percentage of the total payment amount remains outstanding, broken down by Rural Payments and Inspections Division local office.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: In response to the first part of your question, I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-01160 on 17 July 2016. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at: ht…

13 Jul 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether improving mobile phone coverage for rural and remote communities in Aberdeenshire is a priority and, if so, what programmes are or will be in place to deliver that priority.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: Although reserved to Westminster, the Scottish Government is committed to doing everything we can, with the powers and funding available to us, to improve mobile coverage for rural and remote areas across Scotland. We recently agreed an action plan with mobil…

13 Jul 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what areas of Aberdeenshire that do not have access to superfast broadband are not included in the current phase of its Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband rollout and will not receive superfast broadband coverage before the end of 2017.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: The upgrades to be delivered by the Digital Scotland Superfast Programme will extend access to fibre broadband as widely as possible across Aberdeenshire. The majority of areas within Aberdeenshire will see improved access as a result of our investment. The…

13 Jul 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much money it raises through business rates in (a) the Aberdeen city area and (b) Aberdeen city centre and how that compares with each of the previous five years.

Answer · Derek Mackay: The following table shows how much money has been raised through business rates within the Aberdeen City Council area for each of the previous 5 years. Information is not held at a city centre level. 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 £m …

13 Jul 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many businesses in (a) the Aberdeen city area and (b) Aberdeen city centre pay business rates and how that compares with each of the previous five years.

Answer · Derek Mackay: The following table shows all properties liable for business rates within Aberdeen City Council area for the current year and for each of the previous five years. Information is not held at a city centre level. 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Number of…