Richard Lochhead

21 Feb 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what role full-time secondary school librarians play in closing the attainment gap.

Answer · John Swinney: Research commissioned by the Scottish Library and Information Council in 2013 aimed to both identify and critically evaluate the effect of school libraries. It used both UK and international evidence from 2001 onwards, linking school libraries to educational …

13 Feb 2018 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government to what extent any transition period for Brexit is likely to affect Scotland’s influence on future fisheries negotiations.

24 Jan 2018 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to ensure that wind farm companies deliver adequate levels of community benefit to provide income streams for local communities.

17 Jan 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what criteria are used to determine who the recipients will be for each phase of the roll-out of the increase in childcare provision in Moray, and what decisions are taken by (a) local authorities and (b) ministers in this regard.

Answer · Maree Todd: The Scottish Government published A Blueprint for 2020: The Expansion of Early Learning and Childcare in Scotland - Expansion Planning Guidance for Local Authorities in March 2017, which includes guidance on the phasing in of entitlement prior to 2020. The gu…

15 Jan 2018 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister what discussions the Scottish Government has had with the UK Government regarding concerns expressed by the Scotch whisky industry regarding the possible consequences of Brexit for customs arrangements.

11 Jan 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with (a) COSLA and (b) local authorities regarding when it is acceptable to use compulsory redundancies.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Scottish Government has had no recent discussions with COSLA or any local authority about the use of compulsory redundancy. Councils as independent bodies are responsible for their own employment policies. The Scottish Government’s no compulsory redundanc…

11 Jan 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how the recent announcement by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs regarding the future of financial support for agriculture might impact on Scotland.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: In his recent speech at the Oxford Farm Conference, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs confirmed what the UK government has already announced, i.e. that they have guaranteed the amount of farming support, in cash terms, will be pro…

10 Jan 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on every secondary school having a library and full-time qualified librarian, and how it can encourage and promote moves towards this.

Answer · John Swinney: We want all our children and young people to succeed in life. High quality education is critical to that aim. Decisions that shape the education of our young people should be made in classrooms, schools and establishments by people working directly with those…

10 Jan 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its work to develop a national strategy for school libraries.

Answer · John Swinney: Development of a national strategy for school libraries, due to be launched in Summer 2018, is well underway. This has included a literature review spanning the globe to ensure Scotland's strategy reflects global best practice. This has identified a number of…

10 Jan 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported proposal by The Moray Council to reduce its number of school librarians by half as part of its 2018-19 budget.

Answer · John Swinney: School libraries play a vital role in developing literacy - including digital and information literacy - supporting attainment, giving access to knowledge and encouraging people of all ages to develop and maintain a love of reading. That is why the Scottish G…

10 Jan 2018 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress towards the expansion of Scottish Ambulance Service provision in Moray.

20 Dec 2017 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its plans are for the Dallas Dhu Historic Distillery.

13 Dec 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) Quality Improvement Officers, (b) Education Support Officers and (c) Quality Improvement Managers are employed in each local authority’s education department; how many were employed in (i) 2012 and (ii) 2007, and what the current ratio is to the number of (A) schools and (B)…

Answer · John Swinney: Statistics on the number of Quality Improvement Officers (including Educational Advisors and Support Officers) by local authority are published on the Scottish Government website in the school staff census supplementary data (Table 10.3) available here: http:…

13 Dec 2017 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to protect and promote Scotland the Brand for food and drink.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Scottish brand – whether the saltire or ‘Scottish’ label - is a key provenance mark and a signal of quality, at home, in the rest of the UK and throughout the world. Our Programme for Government commits to a range of initiatives that will help increase d…

12 Dec 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the expected timeline is for the roll-out of tomography for breast screening in Scotland.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: There is currently no plan to roll-out tomography for breast screening in Scotland.

12 Dec 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the resolution to eliminate plastic pollution in seas, which was passed by the UN Environment Assembly in Nairobi.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government recognises the importance of tackling marine plastics and welcomes the UN’s Resolution and the international attention it brings to the serious problem of plastic pollution in our seas. We published our Marine Litter Strategy in 2014 w…

29 Nov 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how awareness of the needs of stroke survivors is promoted across (a) the NHS and (b) health professionals that do not specialise in the treatment of the condition.

Answer · Shona Robison: To improve the experience and clinical outcomes for patients living with stroke, the Scottish Stroke Improvement Programme sets clear aims which have been established through the Scottish Stroke Care Standards and the priority actions from the Stroke Improvem…

29 Nov 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what support is available for stroke survivors in Moray, and for their carers and families, following discharge from hospital.

Answer · Shona Robison: While policies, frameworks and resources are provided by the Scottish Government, individual NHS Boards and Health and Social Care Partnerships are responsible for planning, funding and implementing services in their area and for managing the resources to del…

29 Nov 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing for the establishment of further scenic routes, and what analysis it has carried out of the impact of the current routes.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The final installation as part of the pilot projects under the Scottish Scenic Routes initiative was only very recently completed in the Cairngorms National Park. No formal evaluation of the pilot projects has been carried out and a decision on the future of …

28 Nov 2017 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what response it received to representations it made to the UK Government regarding the location of PIP assessment centres and the impact that this has had on claimants in Moray.

22 Nov 2017 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to attract and retain staff at Dr Gray’s Hospital.

Answer · Shona Robison: All NHSScotland Boards are required to undertake workforce planning to ensure we have the correct staff in place to meet the needs of the service. The Scottish Government works closely with Boards and has invested record levels of funding, underpinned by a si…

15 Nov 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government to what extent checks are carried out to ensure that individuals applying for insolvency are genuinely insolvent.

Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The Accountant in Bankruptcy undertakes all investigations necessary to be satisfied that the statutory requirements as set out in the Bankruptcy (Scotland) Act 2016 are met before awarding bankruptcy.

15 Nov 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether an individual declared insolvent is deemed no longer liable for child maintenance payments.

Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: An individual declared insolvent is required to meet their on-going liabilities for child maintenance payments. Arrears of child maintenance existing at the commencement of insolvency proceedings will rank with other equivalent debts and will be repaid from a…

15 Nov 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government to what extent the Mobile Action Plan will address the reported lack of 4G coverage on the A96 and A9, and when it expects there to be full coverage.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: An integral part of the Scottish Government’s Mobile Action Plan is our collaborative work with the UK Government to facilitate wider coverage benefits for Scotland arising from the Emergency Services Network (ESN) rollout which will provide a GB-wide 4G serv…

14 Nov 2017 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Skills Development Scotland regarding reported skills shortages, such as a shortage of chefs, in the hospitality sector.

8 Nov 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans there are to increase the number of (a) primary and (b) secondary school teacher training places delivered by (a) the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) and (b) Moray College UHI.

Answer · John Swinney: Consideration of the number of training places for primary and secondary school teacher training places for all initial teacher education institutions, including UHI, is discussed in partnership with local authorities, universities and other educational stake…

8 Nov 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what support is provided to families that have a sudden bereavement as a result of an accident.

Answer · Shona Robison: A sudden bereavement will have a wide range of practical, social and emotional consequences, short and long term, for those affected, including families. Information of assistance to people in such circumstances has been brought together on the NHS Inform web…

8 Nov 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many emergency vehicles carry defibrillators, broken down by service and also given as a percentage of all emergency vehicles for each service.

Answer · Shona Robison: This information is not held centrally. Each service should be contacted for their own data.

8 Nov 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made with the roll-out of defibrillators carried by Police Scotland vehicles; whether it will provide the results of the recent trial, and what the next steps are.

Answer · Shona Robison: An evaluation report on the six month Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest (OHCA) co-responding pilot in the North East of Scotland by Police Scotland has been submitted for consideration by their Force Executive. To take this forward, the Police Scotland Senior Le…

8 Nov 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how the roll-out of community-based defibrillators is supported, and what financial support it has provided for this.

Answer · Shona Robison: An aim of the Scottish Government's Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest (OHCA) Strategy is to put in place effective arrangements to ensure that Public Access Defibrillators (PADs) are mapped, maintained and accessible to the public. The promotion and registrati…