Patrick Harvie

19 Nov 2013 · SPCB Oral Question

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what progress it has made on promoting sustainable travel and reducing reliance on aviation and the use of private cars.

19 Nov 2013 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what role it sees for local banking in the future of the financial services sector.

11 Nov 2013 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will introduce measures to prevent the promotion of creationism in schools.

23 Oct 2013 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what safeguards are in place to regulate the undercover policing of non-violent political protest and what the extent of such activity is in Scotland.

21 Oct 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish its response to the review, Recovery - Opioid Replacement Therapies in Scotland.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government will provide its formal response to the report of the independent expert group on opiate replacement therapies at a Scottish Parliamentary debate on 28 November 2013.

21 Oct 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to prescribing diamorphine to heroin users.

Answer · Alex Neil: Diamorphine is a controlled drug and a licence is required to allow doctors to prescribe, supply and administer (or authorise the supply and administration of) diamorphine for the treatment of drug misuse and addiction. Where a doctor holds a licence, then i…

21 Oct 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when ministers last met Transform Drug Policy Foundation Scotland, and what issues were discussed.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Scottish Ministers have not met with Transform Drug Policy Foundation Scotland.

7 Oct 2013 · Topical Question

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it is giving to the future of local government powers and finance.

3 Oct 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how its consultation on the regulation of the coal industry will link to its revision of Scottish Planning Policy.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: The consultation is well timed to inform the finalised Scottish Planning Policy (SPP) before the SPP June 2014 completion date.

3 Oct 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the (a) funds available from restoration bonds in relation to open cast coal mining and (b) cost of restoring both former and current open cast coal sites.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: There is not now nor ever has been any Scottish Government estimate of specific budgetary provision for restoration of open cast coal sites. Planning permissions for opencast coal operations are granted by the relevant planning authority. As part of that pro…

3 Oct 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what evidence the Minister for Energy, Enterprise and Tourism has for his statement on 17 September 2013 that (a) the opencast coal industry "sustains 1,500 direct full-time jobs and 3,000 indirect full-time jobs" (Official Report, c. 22530) and (b) "Longannet coal power station is expec…

Answer · Fergus Ewing: (a) The Scottish Coal Industry Economic Impact Assessment, published November 2012 provides details on the direct and indirect jobs in the coal industry in Scotland sourcing original data from the Coal Authority (June 2011) and Scottish Annual Business Statis…

27 Sep 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that teacher training courses and in-service training address concerns regarding staff who hold creationist beliefs being given responsibility to discuss evolution or Earth sciences.

Answer · Alasdair Allan: The accreditation of initial teacher education courses is the responsibility of the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTC Scotland) which, since April 2012, has been the independent, self-regulatory body of the teaching profession in Scotland. In-servic…

27 Sep 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance exists for schools regarding the appropriate way to teach evolution.

Answer · Alasdair Allan: Curriculum for Excellence includes guidance on learning and teaching in all curricular areas through the principles and practice papers and the experiences and outcomes. It is for schools and local authorities to determine how best to deliver learning and tea…

27 Sep 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what measures are in place to prevent the teaching of creationism in Scotland's schools.

Answer · Alasdair Allan: Evolution is specifically covered in the experiences and outcomes for the sciences that form a core element of the Curriculum for Excellence. It is of course for teachers, schools and local authorities to determine how best to deliver learning and teaching o…

11 Sep 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what powers it has to prevent adverts that might be considered offensive, misleading or liable to incite racial hatred being placed in public buildings.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Under the Public Order Act 1986 and other legislation, it is a criminal offence for a person to display written material which is threatening, abusive or insulting if he or she intends thereby to stir up racial hatred or if, having regard to all the circumsta…

12 Aug 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what powers it has to extend new applications for accreditation under the Renewables Obligation beyond the proposed end date of 2017 and whether it plans to exercise these.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: Changes to the Renewables Obligation legislation in Scotland remain a matter for the Scottish Government, using powers conferred by section 32 of the Electricity Act 1989. Any such changes are subject to the approval of the Scottish Parliament. We are seekin…

12 Aug 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its target to eradicate fuel poverty, what assessment it has made of the measures called for by the Energy Bill Revolution campaign and what information it has on how many properties in Scotland could be made more energy efficient if the UK Government used the estimated £4 b…

Answer · Margaret Burgess: Fuel poverty is a devolved issue and the Scottish Government is already committing funding to support the installation of measures to make homes in Scotland more energy efficient, as called for by the Energy Bill Revolution. Unlike England, where the only fun…

12 Aug 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its target to eradicate fuel poverty, what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the cost of the Energy Company Obligation on people in Scotland.

Answer · Margaret Burgess: At the joint energy summit with the UK Government on 23 of January 2013 I raised six key demands, including “That the UK Government ensures that the costs of the Energy Company Obligation initiative are passed onto consumers in a way which best protects the p…

1 Aug 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what bus operators applied for monies through each of the Scottish Green Bus Funds.

Answer · Keith Brown: Details of successful bidders under the Scottish Green Bus Fund are published annually and results for the three rounds to date can be found on the Transport Scotland Website at: http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/public-transport/Buses. In addition to th…

18 Jul 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many high-capacity cables taking internet traffic in and out of Scotland do so without passing through other parts of the UK.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Other than those shared with the rest of the UK. Scotland has fibre optic cables running to Norway, North America via Iceland, and North America via the Faroe Islands.

18 Jul 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether internet (a) infrastructure and (b) surveillance will be addressed in the white paper on independence.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The main legislation relating to surveillance of internet and other communications is the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 which currently makes provision for the acquisition of communications data and the authorisation of lawful interception of co…

18 Jul 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether an independent Scotland would have the technical capability to protect internet traffic from surveillance by UK intelligence agencies.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: An independent Scotland will work in very close collaboration with the remaining UK and with wider international partners on security and intelligence matters: it is in everyone’s interests to keep our islands secure. This will be done within a strict legal f…

18 Jul 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether Scotland’s access to the internet is dependent on internet exchange points in London and Manchester and whether there are plans to establish (a) an internet exchange point in Scotland and (b) direct connections to internet exchange points in other European countries.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Most internet traffic to, from and within Scotland currently goes through one of three internet exchange points in London, Manchester or Leeds. As part of our work to improve Scotland’s digital infrastructure and achieve world class connectivity by 2020, the…

24 Jun 2013 · Topical Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the affordability and public reporting concerns raised in Audit Scotland's report, Scotland's key transport infrastructure projects.

12 Jun 2013 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers that the prohibition of convicted prisoners from voting in elections is compatible with its commitment to incorporate the European Convention on Human Rights into an independent Scotland's written constitution.

4 Jun 2013 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Scottish greenhouse gas inventory will show that the emission target for 2011 has been reached, and whether the shortfall resulting from the missed target in 2010 has been compensated for.

28 May 2013 · Topical Question

To ask the Scottish Government what recent representations it has received regarding rendition flights landing in Scotland.

7 May 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the contracts for the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route will ensure that the successful bidders will (a) not make use of tax avoidance practices, (b) pay at least a living wage to all employees, (c) use local staff and raw materials where possible and (d) demonstrate a commitment…

Answer · Keith Brown: The contract will oblige the successful bidder to comply with all legislation including that relating to taxation, including a requirement to pay at least the standard benchmark. It will also stipulate levels of training and employment opportunities for appr…

7 May 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many of the companies bidding for the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route pay full UK tax on their UK business.

Answer · Keith Brown: All bidders have been required to sign an undertaking that they have not been convicted for any offences, including that of revenue fraud. There is no evidence to suggest bidder’s failure to pay the required UK tax on their business.

7 May 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many of the companies bidding for Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route contracts are headquartered in (a) Scotland and (b) the UK.

Answer · Keith Brown: The contract for the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route and Balmedie to Tipperty attracted strong interest from major UK and European companies. Of the 29 different companies in four consortia invited to bid 16 are headquartered in the UK, another eight have o…