Parliamentary questions
Murdo Fraser
2,062 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
8 Aug 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the extent to which there is a risk of transmitting Creutzfeldt-Jacob Disease through a blood donation from an individual who received a blood transfusion after 1980.
Answer · Maree Todd: In 2004, the UK Advisory Committee on Microbiological Safety of Blood and Tissues for Transplantation (MSBT) advised that people who have received a blood transfusion since 1980 should no longer be allowed to donate blood in order to reduce the risks of trans…
8 Aug 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many cases of Creutzfeldt-Jacob Disease have been reported in Scotland in each year since 1996.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: Data is not held centrally on the number of cases reported since 1996 for Creutzfeldt-Jacob Disease (CJD). The number of deaths of individuals with definite or probable CJD since 1996 is 232.
8 Aug 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many individuals in Scotland are currently prohibited from donating blood, because they received a blood transfusion after 1980.
Answer · Maree Todd: The Scottish Government does not hold this data. Whilst there is data available on numbers of patients who receive blood transfusions each year, the majority of these patients would be unlikely to be able to donate blood due to underlying health conditions, e…
27 Jul 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many young people have received a free bus pass through the Young Persons’ (Under 22s) Free Bus Travel scheme in (a) Perth and Kinross and (b) Fife since it was announced by both local authorities.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The following table shows the number of valid card holders in the Young Persons’ Free Bus Travel Scheme as of close of business 1 August 2022 in the Perth and Kinross and Fife local authorities. This information is based on live data as of 1 August 2022 and w…
27 Jul 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many children in (a) Perth and Kinross and (b) Fife have received a free bicycle since the commitment was made to offer free bicycles to children who cannot afford them.
Answer · Patrick Harvie: In this government’s first 100 days, we established six pilot schemes to provide free bikes for school age children who cannot afford one. A further four pilots were then established by the end of 2021. These pilots will run for up to 12 months, testing diffe…
25 Jul 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the estimated start date is for the dualling of the Birnam to Jubilee Bridge stretch of the A9 Perth to Inverness road.
Answer · Michael Matheson: Following completion of an innovative co-creative process with the community, work to assess four route options, including the community’s preferred route option, is ongoing. A preferred route is expected to be announced later this year. Once a preferred rout…
20 Jun 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the reasons were for its decision that school children in Scotland would not automatically receive the commemorative book for Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The Scottish education system is set up in such a way that decision making is devolved to the most appropriate level, enabling local education authorities to make choices that meet their local circumstances and needs. It is for this reason that the Scottish G…
20 Jun 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether parents or carers of children can request a copy of the commemorative book for Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee directly and, if this is possible, how they do so.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The idea for this book was instigated by the UK Government. The Scottish Government is not involved with managing future requests for the book. It is understood from previous correspondence with the UK Government that the book will be available to purchase f…
20 Jun 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many schools requested copies of the commemorative book for Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee for their pupils, broken down by local authority area.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The Scottish Government do not hold this information. The idea for this book was instigated by the UK Government. The Scottish Government is not involved with the opt-in process being carried out by the UK Government with Education Authorities.
20 Jun 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps were taken to promote the offer of a free commemorative book on Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee to school children in Scotland.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The idea for this book was instigated by the UK Government. The Scottish Government is not involved with the opt-in process being carried out by the UK Government with Education Authorities.
14 Jun 2022 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government how the reported proposed real-terms cuts to the budget of Audit Scotland could impact on its work.
13 Jun 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many mental health patients from Scotland have been admitted as inpatients to hospitals and other settings in England and Wales in each of the last five years.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: This information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.
7 Jun 2022 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress towards its commitment to deliver a free laptop or tablet to every school child in Scotland.
30 May 2022 · First Minister's Question
To ask the First Minister how the Scottish Government plans to address the reported potential spending gap of £3.5 billion in its budget by 2026-27.
16 May 2022 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government what impact driver shortages will have on the availability of rail services for passengers in Mid-Scotland and Fife.
3 May 2022 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government what role it considers community hospitals will have in the delivery of NHS services in the future.
22 Mar 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the £5,000 main voucher portion of the Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme can currently be used to access the Starlink satellite service.
Answer · Kate Forbes: The terms and conditions of the R100 Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme (R100 SBVS) require that suppliers meet Ofcom's definition of 'affordable' broadband - set by Ofcom as no more than £46.10 per month, as per the terms and conditions of the UK's broadband …
22 Mar 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has done of any satellite services that can be procured for the purpose of providing broadband to properties that will not be served by the R100 programme and will be able to be purchased with a £5,000 main voucher under the Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme.
Answer · Kate Forbes: Two suppliers of geostationary satellite services are registered to the R100 Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme. Konnect offer commercial services for the central and eastern belt of Scotland (including Orkney and Shetland) and Bentley Walker (under the brand…
22 Mar 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the Starlink satellite service as a means of providing superfast broadband to hard-to-reach properties across Scotland.
Answer · Kate Forbes: Officials advise that Starlink's base level satellite internet service offers speeds of between 50Mbps and 150Mbps, but that Starlink's beta commercial service is currently only available at a latitude below 55 degrees. This means it is unavailable to the vas…
22 Mar 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many properties in (a) Perth and Kinross and (b) Fife are deemed to be eligible for the £5,000 main voucher portion of the Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme that is available to people who will not receive broadband services under the R100 programme.
Answer · Kate Forbes: As of 31 March 2022, 3,890 properties in Perth and Kinross, and 3,801 properties in Fife, remain eligible for the main voucher worth up to £5,000 through the R100 Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme component of the R100 programme.
22 Mar 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will extend the deadline for applications for the interim voucher portion of the Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme for people who are experiencing delays under the R100 programme.
Answer · Kate Forbes: As of 31 March 2022, the interim voucher portion of the R100 Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme is now closed. The main voucher worth up to £5,000 remains open for those who are not planned to benefit from build through R100 contracts or commercial coverage.
22 Mar 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has had any discussions with Starlink satellite service regarding the pricing structure to ensure that the £5,000 main voucher portion of the Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme can be used to access this service.
Answer · Kate Forbes: As Starlink's satellite service currently costs £84 per month (set to rise to £94 per month from 9 May 2022), it does not meet the affordability requirement as set out in the R100 Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme (R100 SBVS) terms and conditions and, therefo…
22 Mar 2022 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what it is doing to address reported workforce pressures in health and social care.
7 Mar 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it will bring into force part 8 (Recovery of Unpaid Parking Charges) of the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: Transport Scotland, as part of the implementation of the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019, has been working on the liability provisions contained within Part 8 of the Act which will bring into force Keeper Liability across Scotland. I am advised that Transport …
2 Mar 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many miles of dual carriageway were opened on the A9 trunk road between Perth and Inverness in (a) May 1979 to May 1997, (b) May 1997 to May 1999, (c) May 1999 to May 2007 and (d) since May 2007.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The available records of published Road Orders details our understanding of when the following sections of A9 dual carriageways were opened: (a) May 1979 to May 1997 Location Approximate Length (m) Date Between Dalnarcardoch and Dalnaspidal 6.2 Circ…
22 Feb 2022 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when it expects to complete the programme of dualling the remaining sections of the A9 between Perth and Inverness.
25 Jan 2022 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it is supporting new entrants into agriculture.
18 Jan 2022 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported criticisms expressed by the legal sector concerning the proposals outlined in the legal services regulation reform consultation.
15 Dec 2021 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce waiting times for people calling Police Scotland’s non-emergency 101 phone line.
30 Nov 2021 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what compensation will be made available to farmers who have been impacted by beaver activities.