Parliamentary questions
Tavish Scott
2,683 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
28 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what programmes have partly or fully funded or will partly or fully fund energy efficiency schemes in (a) 2007, (b) 2008, (c) 2009, (d) 2010, (e) 2011, (f) 2012, (g) 2013, (h) 2014, (i) 2015 and (j) 2016.
Answer · Alex Neil: In relation to fuel poverty and housing energy efficiency, the following programmes of the Scottish Government has partly or fully funded, or will partly or fully fund, schemes in the following calendar years: Programme by Year 2007 2008 2009 2010 201…
28 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how the pro-rata share of the proposed energy company obligation to help fund the transformation of ageing housing into energy-efficient homes is calculated.
Answer · Alex Neil: The pro-rata share is based on the expected level of investment required from energy suppliers to deliver on their targets under their obligations, as estimated by the UK Government, Department of Energy and Climate Change, and assuming that Scotland achieves…
28 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much money will be spent in Shetland to transform ageing houses into energy-efficient homes over the next 10 years.
Answer · Alex Neil: In my statement to Parliament on 6 June 2012 I confirmed the Scottish Government’s plans to develop a National Retrofit Programme to transform Scotland’s ageing houses into energy efficient homes. The Scottish Government has established a local authority wor…
28 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will meet its stated £200 million annual spend on its programme to transform ageing houses into energy-efficient homes in 2012–13, given that its funding is quoted as £65 million and the proposed Energy Company Obligation is quoted as equating to an investment of £120 million in Sc…
Answer · Alex Neil: This government is committed to eradicating fuel poverty, as far as is reasonably practicable, by 2016. The Economy, Energy and Tourism committee report on fuel poverty, published 22 February 2012, called for £200 million per annum of funding from public and …
28 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the £200 million a year for the new programme of measures to transform ageing houses into energy-efficient homes noted in its press release of 6 June 2012, Drive to tackle fuel poverty, will be spent in (a) 2013, (b) 2014, (c) 2015 and (d) 2016.
Answer · Alex Neil: This government is committed to eradicating fuel poverty, as far as is reasonably practicable, by 2016. The Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee report on fuel poverty, published 22 February 2012, called for £200 million per annum of funding from public and …
28 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the impact on Shetland will be of the programme to transform ageing houses into energy-efficient homes.
Answer · Alex Neil: In my statement to Parliament on 6 June 2012 I confirmed the Scottish Government’s plans to develop a National Retrofit Programme to transform Scotland’s ageing houses into energy efficient homes. In line with the recommendations from the Scottish Fuel Pove…
28 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much money Shetland Islands Council will receive under the Police and Fire Reform Bill.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The Scottish Government’s Draft Budget for 2013-14 will be published in September. Details of funding for individual local authorities will be set out in the Local Government Finance (Scotland) Order 2013 which will be debated by the Scottish Parliament in Fe…
28 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish the contract and supporting documentation between it and Serco Ltd for the Northern Isles ferry service that beings on 5 July 2012.
Answer · Keith Brown: The contract for the Northern Isles ferry services will be published on the Transport Scotland website in due course.
26 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions (a) it and (b) its agencies have had with (i) Aberdeen City Council and (ii) ITM Power regarding the hydrogen economy and on what dates.
Answer · John Swinney: Representatives of the Scottish Government and its agencies have discussed a hydrogen project proposal with Aberdeen City Council on the following dates: 25 November 2011 6 December 2011 17 January 2012 15 February 2012 12 March 2012 20 April 2012 16 M…
26 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what financial assistance has been given by (a) it and (b) its agencies to ITM Power regarding the hydrogen economy and whether future assistance is planned.
Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government and its agencies have not provided any financial assistance to ITM Power for hydrogen related activity and there are no current plans to do so. However, we welcome the presence of ITM Power in Scotland, recognise the contribution it co…
25 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether information for agricultural producers in respect of single farm payments and the Less Favoured Area Support Scheme is provided in advance or retrospect of the application periods for these schemes.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: Current information is available for all schemes through the Scottish Government’s website and in paper form from all local offices of the Rural Payments and Inspections Division (RPID). In addition, we make available guidance two months in advance of the app…
25 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what payments have been made under the Less Favoured Area Support Scheme in each of the last three payment years, broken down by Scottish Government Rural Payments and Inspections Directorate area office.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The following table shows payments made under the Less Favoured Area Support Scheme, broken down by Scottish Government Rural Payments and Inspections Division Area Office. Area Office 2009 2010 2011* Ayr 7,146,694 7,010,799 7,195,732 Benbecula 819,…
25 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that an extension to the Less Favoured Area Support Scheme will ensure that agricultural producers have some degree of business certainty in relation to reform of the common agricultural policy.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: We are aware of the change that is likely to happen as a result of the new common agricultural policy proposals from the European Commission, and we are working on managing the impact of these changes to ensure a positive outcome for the Scottish agricultural…
25 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it is having with the European Commission on the reform of the common agricultural policy and what the Scottish Government's position is on coupled payments.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government is involved in ongoing discussions with the European Commission on the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) indeed I met with Commissioner Ciolos recently at the Royal Welsh Show. In addition, Scottish Government officials ha…
25 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there will be a rollover of Scotland Rural Development Programme measures prior to the agreement of a replacement programme.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: Although my officials are continuing to make preparations on the basis that a new programme will come into force as soon as possible after the current one ends, due to the potential delay in agreeing the new regulations within the EU we are also considering c…
25 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what will replace the Scotland Rural Development Programme at the end of the current programme.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: Although my officials are continuing to make preparations on the basis that a new programme will come into force as soon as possible after the current one ends, due to the potential delay in agreeing the new regulations within the EU we are also considering c…
21 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4W-07593 by Keith Brown 18 June 2012, for what reason it provided the figures for the calendar years 2010 and 2011.
Answer · Keith Brown: We provided figures for 2010 and 2011 to offer some insight into the change in Air Discount Scheme expenditure following the application, in 2011, of terms and conditions which were an original component of the scheme agreed with the European Commission in 20…
21 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4W-07593 by Keith Brown 18 June 2012, how much the Air Discount Scheme cost (a) Scotland and (b) Shetland from (i) 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2011 and (ii) 1 April 2011 to 31 March 2012.
Answer · Keith Brown: Amounts paid in discounted air fares under the Air Discount Scheme are as follows: Scotland April 2010 to March 2011 - £5.689 million April 2011 to March 2012 - £4.610 million Shetland April 2010 to March 2011 - £2.092 million April 2011 to March 2012 -…
21 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what (a) its initial estimate and (b) the final outturn cost was of each public sector body merger that has taken place since 2007.
Answer · John Swinney: The estimated costs and savings of each public body merger in the Simplification Programme are set out in the Public Services Reform: Simplification and Improvement Update Document, May 2009, which is published on the Scottish Government website at http://www…
14 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many children were referred to the Scottish Children's Reporter Administration for (a) protection and (b) offences in (i) 1999 and (ii) 2011 or according to the latest published data.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: This is an operational matter for the Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration (SCRA). I have asked the Principal Reporter to respond. His response is set out in the following table: 1998-99 2010-11 Children referred on offence grounds 14,951 8,126…
14 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many children are in care and how many were in care in May 1999.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: The latest statistics show that at 31 July 2011 there were 16,171 children looked after by local authorities in Scotland. Figures are not available for May 1999, but are available for 31 March 1999, when there were 11,191 children looked after by local autho…
14 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the reoffending rate for criminal offences was in (a) 1999 and (b) 2011 or according to the latest published data.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Information on reconviction rates is published annually by the Scottish Government. These are available at the following location (http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Crime-Justice/PubReconvictions). The latest data published in August 2011 r…
14 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people are living in fuel poverty and how many there were in May 1999.
Answer · Alex Neil: The most recent available statistics from the Scottish House Conditions Survey (2010) show that around 658,000 (28%) Scottish households are fuel poor. This data was not collected in 1999. Data was collected in 1996 when 756,000 households were fuel poor (…
14 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many properties were repossessed in (a) 1999 and (b) 2011 or according to the latest published data.
Answer · Keith Brown: According to the statistics published by the Council of Mortgage Lenders, the number of properties repossessed in the UK in 1999 was around 30,000. Recent data published by the CML states that the total number of properties taken into possession by first-cha…
14 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many criminal offences were committed in (a) 1999 and (b) 2011 or according to the latest published data.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Crimes1 and Offences2 Recorded by the Police in Scotland, 1999-2000 and 2011-12 1999-2000 2011-12 Crimes 435,481 314,186 Offences 499,402 544,033 Crimes and Offences 934,883 858,219 Notes: 1. Crimes consist of non-sexual crimes of violence, sex…
14 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many children live in a household where there is a drug problem and how many lived in such households in May 1999.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Estimates are that between 40,000 to 60,000 children in Scotland may be affected by parental drug misuse, of whom 10,000 to 20,000 may be living with that parent. These estimates are derived from Estimating the National and Local Prevalence of Problem Drug M…
14 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) heroin and (b) crack cocaine users there are and how many there were in May 1999.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: (a) Heroin According to the Estimating the National and Local Prevalence of Problem Drug Use in Scotland 2009-10 (published in 2011) report the number of individuals with problem drug use (opiates and/or benzodiazepine use) was 59,600 individuals. Accordi…
14 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many dependent drinkers there are and how many there were in May 1999.
Answer · Michael Matheson: There is no standard definition of a dependent drinker which is used in population surveys. The Scottish Health Survey used the CAGE questionnaire between 1998 and 2010 which asks current drinkers a set of six questions about their drinking. Answering two or …
14 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people are registered homeless and what the figure was in May 1999.
Answer · Keith Brown: The Scottish Government doesn’t produce statistics on the number of homeless people at a point in time. We do however produce statistics on the number of cases assessed as homeless or threatened with homelessness over a 12 month period. During 2011-12, 35,51…
14 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the participation rate was in higher education of young people from the most deprived decile in (a) 1999 and (b) 2011 or according to the latest published data.
Answer · Michael Russell: The information requested concerning young people from the most deprived decile in Scotland is not readily available but is available for the most deprived quintile (20 per cent). The following information refers to the 20 per cent most deprived areas in Scot…