Parliamentary questions
Tavish Scott
2,683 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
3 May 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how Shetland has benefited from money distributed through the Cashback for Communities Programme in each year since 2007.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-14698 on 21 May 2013. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybus…
3 May 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much money has been distributed through the CashBack for Communities scheme in each year since 2007, broken down by area.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Since the inception of the hugely successful CashBack for Communities Programme in 2007, over £50 million recovered from proceeds of crime has been invested or fully committed in the Programme to directly benefit over 600,000 young people and generating over …
3 May 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what criteria or points systems are used regarding the distribution of the CashBack for Communities scheme funds.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Since the inception of the hugely successful CashBack for Communities Programme in 2007, over £50 million recovered from proceeds of crime has been invested or fully committed in the Programme to directly benefit over 600,000 young people and generating over …
3 May 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it decides how the CashBack for Communities scheme funds are distributed and what three projects have been given the most money in each year since 2007.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Since the inception of the hugely successful CashBack for Communities Programme in 2007, over £50 million recovered from proceeds of crime has been invested or fully committed in the Programme to directly benefit over 600,000 young people and generating over …
30 Apr 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown by (a) funding amount and (b) status of the (i) housing, (ii) transport and regeneration, (iii) further and higher education, (iv) economic development, (v) health maintenance, (vi) maintenance of the justice system estate, (vii) forestry, national par…
Answer · John Swinney: The information relating to part (a) has already been published but has been included in the following table together with the information relating to part (b). Where status is defined as completed, the funding allocated for that project has been fully utilis…
30 Apr 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown by local authority of the £46 million in funding to support capital projects announced in its news release of 19 December 2012, Swinney delivers on jobs and growth.
Answer · John Swinney: The £46 million additional capital funding provided to local authorities was made up of £1.3 million in 2012-13 and £44.9 million in 2013-14. The distribution of these sums to local authorities which was agreed with COSLA, was set out and published in the Loc…
30 Apr 2013 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what recent assessment has been made of dementia services in NHS Shetland and the availability and retention of staff to deliver these.
26 Apr 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-14024 by Humza Yousaf on 25 April 2013, what benefits have arisen from its engagement with the Government of Argentina in the last 12 months.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-14553 on 10 May 2013. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybus…
26 Apr 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-14024 by Humza Yousaf on 25 April 2013, on what occasions in the last 12 months ministers have reported to the Parliament on their engagement with the Government of Argentina.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: Information pertaining to ministers’ reports to Parliament, forms part of the Parliamentary Record which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/OfficialReport.aspx.
26 Apr 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-14024 by Humza Yousaf on 25 April 2013, what documents it has published in the last 12 months that include reference to engagement with the Government of Argentina and how many of those included a ministerial foreword.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Scottish Government has not published any documents in the last 12 months that include specific reference to engagement with the Government of Argentina.
26 Apr 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-14022 by Humza Yousaf on 25 April 2013, what its policy objectives are for officials dealing with the Government of Argentina.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Scottish Government’s international priorities are set out in Scotland’s International Framework which can be found at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/0040/00405438.pdf.
26 Apr 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-14019 by Humza Yousaf on 25 April 2013, for what reasons no summary of the discussions between its officials and the Government of Argentina was provided in the answer.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-14553 on 10 May 2013. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybus…
26 Apr 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-14018 by Humza Yousaf on 25 April 2013, whether ministers have been updated on dialogue between Scottish Government officials and officials and ministers of the Government of Argentina in the last six months.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-14553 on 10 May 2013. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybus…
26 Apr 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-14020 by Humza Yousaf on 25 April 2013, whether ministers have set out parameters for officials to limit the topics that can be discussed in dealing with ministers and officials of the Government of Argentina.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: Ministers have not set out parameters for officials to limit the topics that can be discussed in dealing with Ministers and officials of the Government of Argentina.
26 Apr 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-14017 by Humza Yousaf on 25 April 2013, whether ministers have provided specific guidance to officials, in addition to the Civil Service Code, on dealing with ministers and officials from the Government of Argentina.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: Ministers have provided no specific guidance to officials in addition to the Civil Service Code on dealing with ministers and officials from Government of Argentina.
26 Apr 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S4W-14016 and S4W-13606 by Humza Yousaf on 25 April 2013 and 27 March 2013 respectively, for what reasons the relevant policy officials could not provide their records of engagement with officials and ministers from the Government of Argentina in orde…
Answer · Humza Yousaf: Over the last 12 months there have been no meetings between Scottish Government Ministers or officials, or ministers and officials from the Government of Argentina. However, Scottish Government officials held a courtesy meeting with the Culture Minister of Sa…
25 Apr 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason funding for the HI-Arts agency has been reduced in 2013.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Funding for individual organisations is a matter for Creative Scotland and Highlands and Islands Enterprise and both remain committed to supporting arts and creativity to benefit communities across the Highlands and Islands. I am confident that the arts in th…
25 Apr 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what recent assessment it has made of the effectiveness of the HI-Arts agency.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Assessment of those individual organisations which are funded or part-funded by Creative Scotland and Highlands and Islands Enterprise is a matter for them as funders. I have asked Iain Munro, Interim Chief Executive of Creative Scotland, the national agency …
25 Apr 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the reduction in funding for the HI-Arts agency, how will it ensure that there is a consistent and properly informed support mechanism for culture across the Highlands and Islands.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Funding for individual organisations is a matter for Creative Scotland and Highlands and Islands Enterprise and both remain committed to supporting arts and creativity to benefit communities across the Highlands and Islands. I am confident that the arts in th…
25 Apr 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has provided to the Active Schools initiative in each of the last three years.
Answer · Shona Robison: The level of investment that sportscotland invest in Active Schools is £11,925,900 for each of the years 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2013-14. The commitment to deliver Active Schools is integral to the Partnership Agreement between sportscotland and each local auth…
25 Apr 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it is increasing opportunities for school children to take part in sport and physical education as part of the Commonwealth Games legacy.
Answer · Alasdair Allan: The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that by 2014 all pupils across Scotland receive at least two hours of PE in primary schools and at least two periods of PE in secondary schools in S1-S4. We are supporting local authorities and schools to achie…
23 Apr 2013 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it will bring forward proposals to amend the Crofting Reform (Scotland) Act 2010 to allow owner-occupier decrofting.
18 Apr 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will take action in response to the closure of Vion's Welsh Country Foods abattoir and processing unit in Anglesey in light of the number of farmers in Scotland who send lambs to the facility for processing.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: We are currently discussing with the industry further opportunities to increase the amount of lamb processed within Scotland, but continue to be constrained by the Scottish industry losing approximately £1 million per annum in levies through the current arran…
18 Apr 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the agricultural census will collect information on the number of registered crofters, the scale of crofting, numbers of livestock, area cropped and other such data and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government collects information from agricultural holdings in Scotland in its annual agricultural census which covers detailed information on crops and livestock. The census also collects information on any owned or “rented in” areas that are re…
18 Apr 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the status is of the crofting development budget that was given to Highlands and Islands Enterprise and what the spend was in 2011-12.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: This is an operational matter for Highlands and Islands Enterprise. I will ask its chief executive to reply to you.
18 Apr 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to carry out an empirical analysis of the economic impact of crofting and, if so, what the role of Highlands and Islands Enterprise will be.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The Scottish Government is required, by section 51 of the Crofting Reform (Scotland) Act 2010, to report, once every four years, to the Scottish Parliament on the economic condition of crofting. Copies of the Scottish Government’s Report to Parliament on the…
18 Apr 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government (a) what the status is of and (b) when it will respond to the proposal for an enhanced crofting counties agricultural grant scheme submitted by a group including the Crofting Commission.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The Scottish Government received revised proposals from the Scottish Parliament’s Cross Party Group on Crofting’s Working Group on 22 March 2013. The Scottish Government is seeking views on future design of support for crofting through the recently released …
18 Apr 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on the availability of self-build mortgages and what it is doing to encourage more banks to offer them.
Answer · Margaret Burgess: Margaret Burgess: The Scottish Government recognises the important role that self build plays in Scotland’s housing supply system, particularly in rural and island communities. Officials have discussed the extent to which lending for self build is available w…
18 Apr 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to increase the grants for new-build croft houses to a maximum of £50,000 per application to encourage more building.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The Scottish Government has no current plans for the rates of assistance offered by the Croft House Grant Scheme to be increased. At current rates the annual budget for the Croft House Grant Scheme is sufficient to enable between 120 and 130 croft housing un…
18 Apr 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether grants for new-build croft houses have been undersubscribed in each year since 2005 and, if so, by how much, broken down by area; what the reasons are, and what it is doing to encourage applications.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The Croft House Grant Scheme opened to applications on 1 January 2005 and provides grants for new houses and the rebuilding and renovation of existing croft houses in the crofting areas of Scotland. The grant scheme has been undersubscribed in relation to th…