Murdo Fraser

9 Mar 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it gave to turbulence issues arising from industrial wind turbines and their effects on air traffic safety prior to the approval of Whitelee Windfarm.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: Aviation stakeholders were consulted in the original consent for Whitelee Windfarm and subsequent applications to extend Whitelee. There is no evidence that aviation stakeholders objected on the grounds of turbulence arising from individual wind turbines aff…

9 Mar 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to ensure that windfarms will not diminish the armed forces’ ability to detect hostile aircraft over and around Scotland using radar.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government will continue to administer pre-application and post submission consultation processes on all proposals/applications submitted to Scottish Ministers to ensure that the views of the MOD are secured in relation to air defence radar and t…

9 Mar 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what it will do to ensure that wind turbines do not endanger the safe operation of major and minor airports, particularly with regard to emergency landings.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government will continue to administer pre-application and post submission consultation processes on all proposals/applications submitted to Scottish Ministers to ensure that the views of all relevant aviation stakeholders are secured and taken i…

8 Mar 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government which body provides the expertise to ensure that private water supplies are protected adequately.

Answer · Aileen McLeod: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-30448 on 22 March 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.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybus…

8 Mar 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government which body is responsible for ensuring that private water supplies are protected from damage from third parties.

Answer · Aileen McLeod: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-30448 on 22 March 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.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybus…

8 Mar 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it takes to ensure that wind turbine construction near (a) public and (b) private water sources does not damage drinking water quality.

Answer · Aileen McLeod: Responsibility for protecting drinking water supplies is shared across a number of different bodies and individuals. In the first instance it is a matter for developers to identify any public and private water supplies likely to be affected by the developm…

17 Feb 2016 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met NHS Tayside and what issues were discussed.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government meets regularly with NHS Tayside to discuss matters of interest to the people of Tayside.

11 Feb 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the average cost is of planting one hectare of trees and what the cost will be of meeting its target of planting 100 million trees.

Answer · Aileen McLeod: The average cost of planting one hectare of trees is £4,500. This figure is based on the average grant per hectare provided for tree planting within the new Forestry Grant Scheme as part of the Scotland Rural Development Programme 2014-20. The budget for tree…

11 Feb 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on introducing restrictions on charities and other third sector organisations in using public funds to lobby (a) it, (b) local government and (c) the Scottish Parliament.

Answer · Alex Neil: A key theme of the Programme for Government is encouraging and facilitating participation by everyone in the debates and decisions that matter to them most, regardless of circumstances or backgrounds. We recognise that third sector and equalities organisation…

9 Feb 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what resources it has allocated to provide support for farmers until a decision on the future of the beaver population is made.

Answer · Aileen McLeod: Scottish Natural Heritage has contracted a former Royal Zoological Society of Scotland member of staff involved in the Scottish Beaver Trial to give free advice to land managers in Tayside on how to manage beaver impacts on their land.

8 Feb 2016 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to the latest Bank of Scotland's Purchasing Managers' Index.

19 Jan 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the availability is of superfast broadband in each local authority area, and what information it has regarding how many homes (a) are able to access and (b) have such a service.

Answer · John Swinney: Our Digital Superfast Broadband (DSSB) programme aims to make fibre-based broadband available to 95% of premises across Scotland by the end of 2017. Ofcom published its Connected Nations 2015 report on 1 December 2015. The information within the following tab…

19 Jan 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) primary and (b) secondary school pupils have been classified as “school refusers” in each of the last five years, broken down by local authority.

Answer · Angela Constance: The Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally.

15 Jan 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it will set out the detailed remit for its review of business rates announced in the Draft Budget 2016-17; who will conduct the review, and in what timescale.

Answer · John Swinney: The review of business rates will aim to ensure Scotland’s system minimises the barrier to investment, is responsive to economic conditions and supports long-term economic growth and investment. Further details, including timescales and who will conduct the …

6 Jan 2016 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether e-cigarettes are now available on prescription from the NHS.

16 Dec 2015 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many uniformed officers have been deployed to roles previously filled by civilian staff since Police Scotland came into existence.

14 Dec 2015 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to the final report of the Commission on Local Tax Reform.

30 Nov 2015 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government is doing to reduce healthcare inequalities.

25 Nov 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that local authority planning officers are aware of Scottish Planning Policy in relation to wild land areas and how it should be (a) applied in relation to applications for wind turbine developments and (b) considered in reports to planning committees.

Answer · Alex Neil: Scottish Planning Policy is a material consideration within the planning process. The Scottish Government refers to Scottish Planning Policy in our routine communications with planning authorities, including through the Heads of Planning Scotland network. Co…

25 Nov 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on the percentage of (a) land area and (b) wild land area from which at least one wind turbine of more than 20 metres in height is visible.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government does not hold any information on the percentage of land or wild land area from which at least one wind turbine of more than 20 metres in height is visible.

24 Nov 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the percentage take-up of free school meals is for pupils in primary one to three, broken down by local authority.

Answer · Alasdair Allan: This government's action to provide a free school meal to every child in primary one to three has had huge take up. Our action is helping to ensure that every child in Scotland gets the best possible start while tackling inequalities and saving parents around…

23 Nov 2015 · Topical Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many farmers will not receive the 70% emergency common agricultural policy payment in December.

20 Nov 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) whole-time equivalent and (b) headcount places were available in science, technology, engineering and maths subjects at each college in (i) 2013-14 and (ii) 2014-15.

Answer · Angela Constance: Data on students in colleges in Scotland are collected by the Scottish Funding Council. The latest available data is for 2013-14 and I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-23591 on 19 January 2015 where this data was provided. Data for 2014-15 will …

20 Nov 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many trees have been planted under its 2010 initiative to plant 100 million trees by 2015, broken down by (a) species and (b) acreage.

Answer · Aileen McLeod: In 2010 Scottish Ministers pledged to plant 100 million trees by 2015 as part of The Climate Group’s States and Regions Alliance Billion Trees initiative. This Scottish figure of 100 million trees was based on achieving 50,000 hectares of woodland creation ov…

3 Nov 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-27864 by Fergus Ewing on 2 November 2015, as the minister has not produced evidence to support his statement on 17 September 2015 that the cost of providing sufficient electricity storage to deal with the intermittency issue arising from onshore win…

Answer · Fergus Ewing: The deployment of energy storage technologies – both established and emerging – is among the options available for delivering a more flexible and sustainable energy system. As indicated in the reply to S4W-27864, an increase in large scale hydro pumped storag…

3 Nov 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-27864 by Fergus Ewing on 2 November 2015, for what reason the answer quotes statistics that do not support the minister's statement on 17 September 2015 that the cost of providing sufficient electricity storage to deal with the intermittency issue a…

Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Department of Energy and Climate Change highlights that levelised costs are subject to a number of uncertainties and are not the sole basis for setting the support given to low carbon generators. The first Contract for Difference allocation round highligh…

2 Nov 2015 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister at what level the Scottish rate of income tax will be set.

27 Oct 2015 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has collected in Land and Buildings Transaction Tax.

20 Oct 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that patients are being expected to wait 12 months for a first appointment, when it expects the Sandyford gender identity clinic to meet the referral to treatment target of 18 weeks.

Answer · Shona Robison: Gender reassignment services are not covered by the 18 weeks referral to treatment standard. This is because patients accessing these services are likely to undertake psychological therapy and significant counselling as part of their treatment and clearly it …

20 Oct 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide alternative support services for the reported 167 patients on the Sandyford gender identity clinic waiting list and, if so, what these will be.

Answer · Shona Robison: NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde have advised that they are in the process of recruiting an additional consultant to increase their current capacity at the Sandyford Clinic and improve waiting times for patients.