Parliamentary questions
Tavish Scott
2,683 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
12 Dec 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many people who have registered for alternative routes into teaching are within (a) 10 and (b) 11 to 20 years of the state retirement age.
Answer · John Swinney: This is a matter for the individual universities concerned. The information requested is not held centrally.
12 Dec 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the report in the TES on 10 December 2018 of a shortfall in the uptake of alternative routes into teaching, and what additional measures it is taking to increase the number of STEM teachers in light of the reported shortfall in that area.
Answer · John Swinney: A total of eleven alternative routes were announced in November 2016 and an additional two routes have since been added to that package. The focus of these programmes includes attracting new teachers into the classroom more quickly for priority Science, Tech…
6 Dec 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many Cabinet sub-committees there are; what the membership of each is, and when each last met.
Answer · John Swinney: There are three current Cabinet Sub-Committees: the Cabinet Sub-Committee on Legislation; the Cabinet Sub-Committee on Public Service Reform Delivery; and the Cabinet Sub-Committee on Climate Change. Their memberships and the dates of their last meetings are …
5 Dec 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the responses received to the Scottish 4G Infill Programme Consultation, and when it will respond to the results of the consultation.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The Scottish Government will publish responses to the Scottish 4G Infill Programme consultation by the end of January 2019. We are currently working with the Scottish Futures Trust, WHP Telecoms and technical advisors to the programme to analyse consultation…
5 Dec 2018 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made in repatriating ophthalmology services from NHS Grampian to island NHS boards.
3 Dec 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its work plan from March 2018 in response to the recommendations by the Education and Culture Committee regarding its 2015 inquiry into attainment of pupils with sensory impairment, when the final guidance on the presumption of mainstreaming will be published, and whether a …
Answer · John Swinney: The issue of the timing of the publication of the final guidance on the presumption of mainstreaming was answered on 4 December 2018 to question S5W-20098 from Iain Gray MSP: http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx?SearchType=Advance&Refe…
23 Nov 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-19840 by Paul Wheelhouse on 21 November 2018, whether the freight vessel that will be used on the Stromness-Scrabster route will be removed from the Lerwick-Aberdeen service for this period and, if so, what the implications of this will be for freig…
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The freight vessel, the MV helliar, will provide relief cover for the MV Hamnavoe for around one week. The operator, Serco NorthLink Ferries, has confirmed that no southbound sailings from Lerwick will be affected, thus minimising the impact on the seafood s…
21 Nov 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-19820 by Kevin Stewart on 21 November 2018, in light of section 8 of the Islands (Scotland) Act 2018, which states that an islands communities impact assessment must be carried out if a policy "is likely to have an effect on an island community whic…
Answer · Kevin Stewart: The provisions of the Islands (Scotland) Act 2018 ("the Act") relating to island communities impact assessments ("ICIA"), do not apply to the Fuel Poverty (Target, Definition and Strategy) (Scotland) Bill because it was laid before Parliament on 26 June 2018,…
21 Nov 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the daily charge for car parking will be at (a) Sumburgh, (b) Kirkwall and (c) Stornoway airport in the next financial year.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The daily charge for car parking at Sumburgh, Kirkwall and Stornoway airports will be £3 in 2019-20.
12 Nov 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the measures in the Polar Code that aim to alleviate pollution, whether it plans to develop additional discharge facilities at ports to cater for ships travelling through the Arctic.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government has no plans for additional discharge facilities at ports. Ports are already obliged to provide waste disposal facilities for ships calling at the port and it will be for them to consider whether any additional facilities are needed ba…
12 Nov 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to its news release, 2018 Arctic Circle Assembly, which was published on 19 October 2018, what progress is being made with developing its arctic strategy; by what date it will be published, and what discussions it has had with (a) Shetland and (b) Orkney Island Council regarding…
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Scottish Government is committed to developing links with its close neighbours in the high north and identifying opportunities for collaboration, growth and policy exchange. An Arctic Policy Steering Group comprising experts and interested parties has no…
12 Nov 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether British Airways and KLM have received any financial support to enable the operation of flights to and from Inverness Airport.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government has not provided financial support to British Airways or KLM for their services from Inverness. Any agreements between Inverness Airport and its customers are a commercial matter for Highlands and Islands Airports Limited (HIAL).
12 Nov 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the aeronautical income from landing at Inverness Airport has been per passenger in each of the last five years.
Answer · Michael Matheson: This is a matter for Highlands and Islands Airports Limited. The information requested is not held centrally.
12 Nov 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the income from security charges for airline operators of passenger, cargo and mail flights at Inverness Airport has been in each of the last five years.
Answer · Michael Matheson: This is a matter for Highlands and Islands Airports Limited. The information requested is not held centrally.
12 Nov 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the statement by the Scottish Childminding Association that “there are potentially thousands of high-quality childminding places that are not being considered as an option for parents” and what it is doing to encourage local authorities to offer qualified childmin…
Answer · Maree Todd: As referred to in the answer to question S5W-19861 on 6 November 2018 there has been welcome progress in the numbers of childminders approved to deliver, and who are actually delivering, the funded entitlement. The Scottish Government’s parental survey, Expl…
12 Nov 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recent report by the Scottish Childminding Association that it is “receiving reports of childminders who are going out of business because funded provision can only be accessed at nursery, forcing parents to move their children”, and what it is doing to suppor…
Answer · Maree Todd: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-19863 on 26 November 2018. 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…
12 Nov 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that 144 eligible two-year-olds and 89 eligible three and four-year-olds are receiving funded early learning and childcare with childminders, when 11,000 children are eligible.
Answer · Maree Todd: Childminders have an important role to play in delivering funded early learning and childcare, particularly for our younger children, and we are working with the Scottish Childminding Association (SCMA) and local authorities to increase the role of childminde…
12 Nov 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to a report by the Scottish Childminding Association that there has been a 4% decrease in the number of childminders available between 2017 and 2018.
Answer · Maree Todd: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-19861 on 26 November 2018. 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…
7 Nov 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will conduct an islands impact assessment on the proposed changes to the definition of fuel poverty in the Fuel Poverty (Target, Definition and Strategy) (Scotland) Bill and, if so, whether the findings of this will be published before stage 3.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: The relevant provisions of the Islands (Scotland) Act 2018 pertaining to such assessments, once in force, would not oblige the Scottish Government to prepare an islands communities impact assessment for the Bill. We have nevertheless committed to undertaking …
24 Oct 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how revenue raised from Crown Estate Scotland assets is to be allocated to island local authorities, and which (a) councils and (b) stakeholders are involved in the allocation mechanism.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Scottish Ministers have committed to providing the net revenue generated, after all costs have been deducted, from Scottish Crown Estate marine assets out to 12 nautical miles for the benefit of coastal communities. The Scottish Government and COSLA have agre…
24 Oct 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much Crown Estate Scotland raised in gross revenue in 2017-18 from assets in (a) Orkney, (b) Shetland and (c) the Western Isles.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: We have committed to provide the net revenue generated from the Scottish Crown Estate marine assets out to 12 nautical miles to island and coastal local authorities for the benefit of coastal communities, and we are currently working with Crown Estate Scotlan…
24 Oct 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when the revenue raised by Crown Estate Scotland for (a) 2017-18 and (b) 2018-19 will be allocated to island local authorities.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The intention is that under interim arrangements, in the March following the end of the financial year, the net revenue from Scottish Crown Estate marine assets out to 12 nautical miles will be paid from the Scottish Consolidated Fund to each island and coast…
22 Oct 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-18358 by Paul Wheelhouse on 19 September 2018, whether it will provide an update on the progress it is making in bringing section 8 of the Islands (Scotland) Act 2018 into force.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: As I stated in my response to the member’s previous question on this issue, work is underway on this and other important elements of the Islands Act. As the member will know, Parliament provided statutory timescales for two important elements of the Islands A…
11 Oct 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it provide a substantive answer to question S5W-18644, which received a holding response on 21 September 2018, and what the reason is for the delay in providing this information.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: Question S5W-18644 was answered on 11 October 2018.
10 Oct 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many P1 pupils in each local authority area have taken either part of the Scottish National Standardised Assessment since the Parliament agreed motion S5M-13945 on 19 September 2018, which called for a halt to the tests, also broken down by date.
Answer · John Swinney: From 19 September 2018 to 23 October 2018, 24 P1 learners undertook a total of 47 assessments. All were conducted in North Lanarkshire, on the dates set out in the following table. During the same period in 2017, no P1 assessments were undertaken. Date Asse…
9 Oct 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to introduce legislation to make the offer of restorative justice a statutory obligation during prosecutions.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: We are currently working with partners to deliver the Programme for Government commitment to publish a Restorative Justice Action Plan by spring 2019.
25 Sep 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the expected gross monthly income was from parking charges at (a) Kirkwall and (b) Stornoway Airport, and how this compared with the actual figure.
Answer · Michael Matheson: At 24 September 2018 the car parking income (net of VAT) at Kirkwall Airport was £16,775. At 26 September 2018 the car parking income (net of VAT) at Stornoway Airport was £15,689. Given the significant seasonal variations in passenger numbers, Highlands and …
24 Sep 2018 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether an islands impact assessment was carried out when it removed the water and sewerage charges exemption for charitable bodies, such as public community halls.
24 Sep 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-18727 by John Swinney on 19 September 2018, and its reference to “A small number of teachers”, how many teachers this constitutes.
Answer · John Swinney: It is not possible from either the EIS survey or the user review focus groups and classroom observations to quantify the specific number of teachers who made these comments. Around 460 teachers responded to the EIS survey, but it is not clear from the respon…
20 Sep 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much it cost (a) it and (b) each of its relevant agencies to operate the P1 assessment tests in the 2017-18 academic year, and what the projected cost is for 2018-19.
Answer · John Swinney: The cost of the P1 assessments for the 2017-18 academic year was around £447,000. This represents the amount paid by the Scottish Government to the SNSA supplier. No other agency contributes to these costs. For 2018-19, the projected cost is expected to be si…