Patrick Harvie

14 May 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many households have been (a) contacted, (b) offered free insulation and (c) given free insulation under the (i) Home Insulation Scheme and (ii) Universal Home Insulation Scheme since the scheme was introduced.

Answer · Alex Neil: The Home Insulation Scheme which ran in 2009-10 and 2010-11 offered free loft top-up insulation and access to virgin loft insulation or cavity wall insulation through the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT) scheme. In some cases the measures available th…

14 May 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will (a) receive and (b) publish the interim report of the Fuel Poverty Forum.

Answer · Alex Neil: I received the interim report of the Forum from its chair, Professor David Sigsworth last week. The findings are being considered and I will respond to Parliament shortly. The interim report will be published soon.

2 May 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many seafarer (a) ratings and (b) officers have been trained by Caledonian MacBrayne in each year since 2002.

Answer · Keith Brown: Training provided by Caledonian MacBrayne between 2002 and September 2006 and by CalMac Ferries Ltd from October 2006 to 2011 is as follows:- Year New Ratings Trained (all disciplines) Rating to Officer Training Officers Trained to a Higher Certificate o…

2 May 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many vessels registered for service on ferry routes are (a) publicly owned, (b) privately owned, (c) leased by the public sector from the private sector or (d) leased by the private sector from the public sector.

Answer · Keith Brown: On ferry routes for which the Scottish ministers are responsible, the number of vessels deployed in each category is as follows: (a) 31 (b) 6 (c) 6 (d) 0.

2 May 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish the invitation to tender document for the 2013 to 2019 contract for Clyde and Hebridean ferry services.

Answer · Keith Brown: An announcement on tendering for the next Clyde and Hebrides ferry services contract will be made in due course.

2 May 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average fare will be under the proposed road equivalent tariff for a (a) passenger, (b) private vehicle and (c) commercial vehicle on each ferry route affected.

Answer · Keith Brown: As set out in our 29 November 2011 news release, RET for passengers and cars will become a permanent feature in the Western Isles, Coll and Tiree. On ferry routes to the Western Isles, Coll and Tiree, RET has been extended to include small commercial vehicles…

2 May 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ensure that Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd can borrow funds in order to invest in (a) new vessels and (b) future harbour and port upgrades on Scottish ferry routes.

Answer · Keith Brown: The Final Ferries Plan will provide details of future investment and of how we will ensure that funding priorities can be met over the period of the Ferries Plan to 2022. The completed Final Ferries Plan will be published later this year.

30 Apr 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it has given to introducing a scheme to subsidise bus fares so that they cost no more than the equivalent journey by car.

Answer · Keith Brown: The Scottish Government provides annual grants to the bus industry (£50 million in the current financial year), the aim of which is to keep fares at affordable levels and enable bus operators to run services that might not otherwise be commercially viable. Th…

30 Apr 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of buses has been on time in each year from 2005 to 2011, broken down by (a) local authority and (b) operator.

Answer · Keith Brown: The information requested is not held centrally.

30 Apr 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it holds bus service data broken down by (a) region and (b) company.

Answer · Keith Brown: This information is not held centrally. Bus operators must register local services with the Office of the Traffic Commissioner. There is a search facility for bus service registrations on the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency website at: http://www.tan.g…

30 Apr 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what data it or its agencies collect on (a) punctuality of bus services, (b) bus ticket prices and (c) bus passenger experience, broken down by (i) operator and (ii) local authority.

Answer · Keith Brown: Information on the punctuality of bus services is not held centrally. Table 6 in Bus and Coach Statistics: 2010-11 provides information on bus ticket prices. This can be found at: http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/files/documents/public-transport/Bus_and…

23 Apr 2012 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister when a decision will be made on the European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre.

15 Mar 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has had discussions with (a) the Crown Estate, (b) Stirling Council and (c) the Scotland Office over plans to sell King's Park in Stirling and, if so, what the outcome of these discussions was.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: There have been meetings between Historic Scotland, the Crown Estate and Stirling Council on this topic on a number of occasions. The Scotland Office was not involved in these meetings. These meetings have discussed (a) how best to secure the future day-to-d…

14 Mar 2012 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to make changes to the planning system.

9 Mar 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish the results of the review of the Public Transport Users' Committee for Scotland.

Answer · Keith Brown: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-06137 on 21 March 2012. 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…

9 Mar 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is considering altering the functions of the Public Transport Users' Committee for Scotland.

Answer · Keith Brown: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-06137 on 21 March 2012. 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…

9 Mar 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what options it is considering for the future delivery of the functions of the Public Transport Users' Committee for Scotland.

Answer · Keith Brown: The Public Transport Users’ Committee for Scotland (PTUC) is a Ministerial Advisory Committee which has been in existence for five years. I have commissioned an internal review of the body. That review is underway and I shall consider its analysis and any rec…

8 Mar 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether adverse impacts on the Muirkirk and North Lowther Uplands Special Protection Area as a result of opencast mining at Grievehill are greater than anticipated and, if so, what those impacts are and what action is being taken to ensure compliance with the Habitats Regulations 1994 (as…

Answer · Derek Mackay: This would principally be a matter for East Ayrshire Council to consider, in consultation with Scottish Natural Heritage.

8 Mar 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that the opencast coal mine at Grievehill will not have a long-term adverse impact on the Muirkirk and North Lowther Uplands Special Protection Area.

Answer · Derek Mackay: This would principally be a matter for East Ayrshire Council, as planning authority, through the monitoring and enforcement of planning conditions and by ensuring compliance with the accompanying Section 75 legal agreement of the planning consent.

8 Mar 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with (a) East Ayrshire Council, (b) Scottish Natural Heritage and (c) the European Commission regarding the impact of the Grievehill opencast coal mine on the Muirkirk and North Lowther Uplands Special Protection Area.

Answer · Derek Mackay: The Scottish Government held discussions with East Ayrshire Council, Scottish Natural Heritage and the European Commission following the bog burst incident at the Grievehill extension opencast coal mine in August 2008.

6 Mar 2012 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will consider installing a clock in the Garden Lobby.

Answer · Linda Fabiani (on behalf of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body):: The SPCB is happy to consider installing a clock in the Garden Lobby. This is being investigated and options will be presented to the SPCB shortly.

22 Feb 2012 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether young unemployed people are at risk of exploitation.

22 Feb 2012 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what impact the Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement Programme will have on existing rail services in Glasgow.

Answer · Keith Brown: The Edinburgh Glasgow Rail Improvement Programme (EGIP) is a comprehensive programme of improvements to Scotland’s railway infrastructure, rolling stock and service provision which will provide a major boost to the wealth of Scotland and its long term economi…

21 Feb 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many planning enforcement officers there are, broken down by local authority.

Answer · Derek Mackay: The Scottish Government does not hold this detailed information centrally.

21 Feb 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much renewable electricity generation in megawatts is currently in local and community ownership and what plans there are to achieve the target for local and community ownership of electricity in the 2020 Routemap for Renewable Energy in Scotland.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government has commissioned work to produce a database on community and locally owned renewable energy projects in Scotland which will show how much renewable generation by technology is currently operational in Scotland. The report will be avail…

21 Feb 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the prudential borrowing regime would allow local authorities to borrow in order to invest in renewable energy generation with a view to repaying the debt through the income from energy sales.

Answer · John Swinney: Legislation permits local authorities to borrow for capital expenditure, and places a statutory duty on a local authority to have regard to the CIPFA Prudential Code when determining the maximum amount it can afford to allocate to capital expenditure. Whether…

21 Feb 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what barriers there are to the establishment by local authorities of energy companies to (a) develop publicly owned renewables, (b) bulk-buy electricity from the wholesale market and (c) become retail suppliers of electricity to domestic properties.

Answer · John Swinney: Many public bodies already own and operate renewable energy technologies manufactured, installed and supplied by third parties and which generate power that can either be exported to the national grid or used on site. The Scottish Futures Trust is working wit…

19 Feb 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the UK Government statement that "The education provisions of the Equality Act 2010 which prohibit discrimination against individuals based on their protected characteristics (including their sexual orientation) do not extend to the content of the curriculum".

Answer · Michael Russell: Section 89 (2) of the Equality Act 2010 states that the provisions of the legislation do not apply to anything done in connection with the content of the curriculum. However, the way in which the curriculum is taught is covered by the provisions of the Act. I…

13 Feb 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has assessed the likely impact on the Year of Creative Scotland if all free events that were previously exempt from the requirement to hold a public entertainment licence are, in future, required to hold one and are charged the full fee.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2010 gives local authorities the power to licence free to enter public entertainment. This is entirely discretionary and it is for local authorities to decide what types of entertainment they wish to licence. …

13 Feb 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether changes to legislation on public entertainment licences made by the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2010 leave local authorities discretion regarding (a) the level of fees and (b) allowing small events to be exempt from the requirement to hold a licence.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Yes, local licensing authorities have discretion both over the level of fees they charge and over what events they choose to licence.