Parliamentary questions

Patrick Harvie

1,454 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

27 May 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which ministerial directions issued since 2007, as described under section 6.4 of the Scottish Ministerial Code, have been formally discussed at (a) Cabinet, (b) between the issuing minister and other ministers and in which cases the issuing minister received advice on the direction from …

Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-33951 on 14 June 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business…

27 May 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish all ministerial directions, as described under section 6.4 of the Scottish Ministerial Code, that have been issued since 2007.

27 May 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive on what dates ministerial directions, as described under section 6.4 of the current Scottish Ministerial Code regarding a course of action that the Accountable Officer considers would breach the requirements of propriety or regularity, have been issued since 1999; which minister each dire…

Answer · John Swinney: Since devolution there have been no occasions where Accountable Officers have sought an authority on the grounds of propriety or regularity. There have however, been five occasions where Accountable Officers have sought an authority on value for money grounds…

17 May 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what support it makes available to enable community groups and charities to access recycling services from their premises.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Zero Waste Scotland “ the Scottish Government''s new single Zero Waste delivery programme “ delivers a number of initiatives which can help charities and community organisations to access recycling services: Its Business Resource Efficiency programm…

17 May 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the adequacy of the arrangements for dealing with homophobic incidents in schools.

Answer · Adam Ingram: It is for local authority and schools to set their own arrangements for dealing with homophobic incidents. The Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2007 makes discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation unlawful and requires schools to make sur…

17 May 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what information is held centrally regarding the number and nature of homophobic incidents in schools and the manner in which they were treated.

Answer · Adam Ingram: We do not hold this information centrally.

17 May 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it issues to schools regarding homophobic incidents.

Answer · Adam Ingram: The Scottish Government funded the development of A Toolkit for Teachers: Dealing with Homophobia and Homophobic bullying in Scottish Schools by LGBT Youth Scotland in partnership with Learning Teaching Scotland, issued to every secondary school in Sc…

6 May 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of the organisation, Project Prevention, and what its position is on this organisation becoming active in Scotland.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government is aware of Project Prevention and does not support this organisation. This organisation offers cash incentives to individuals who are having problems with substance misuse to commit to long term, and potentially permanent birth contro…

6 Apr 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to extend the provision of concessionary bus travel to injured veterans as stated in Scotland’s Veterans and Forces’ Communities: meeting our commitment.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Our intention remains to change the eligibility criteria from 1 April 2011. Scottish Government officials are in regular contact with the Department for Transport and the Ministry of Defence to ensure that this takes place.

1 Apr 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, following the commitment given on page 1 of the Land Reform Action Plan of August 2003, whether it will publish a report on the diversity of land ownership in Scotland and what it is doing to address the concentrated pattern of private land ownership.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government has no current plans to publish such a report. We believe that it is still too early to be able to assess fully what the recent package of land reform legislation has achieved for people in rural areas and to report objectively on the …

22 Mar 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what obligation periods have been applied as part of the terms under which each individual Regional Selective Assistance grant has been awarded since 3 May 2007.

Answer · Jim Mather: Under EC Regional Aid rules 2007-13 there are minimum conditions periods which apply to offers of RSA for investment or job creation projects. However, conditions can and do vary above the minimum level on a project by project basis. The statutory conditions …

18 Mar 2010 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether adequate services are in place to assess and meet the mental health needs of asylum seekers and refugees.

Answer · Shona Robison: Asylum seekers and refugees have access to all NHS services on the same basis as the local population and NHS boards will ensure their mental health needs are met on the basis of comprehensive needs assessment and delivery of culturally sensitive services.</p…

11 Mar 2010 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria it will use for the approval or rejection of local authority proposals to use tax increment financing.

Answer · John Swinney: Any decision on local authority proposals to use tax increment financing will be made on a value for money basis. Scottish Futures Trust have been asked to develop a set of criteria to inform this assessment process.

17 Feb 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has had discussions with the developers of the Beauly to Denny grid upgrade regarding the possible use of helicopters to avoid the need for the construction of access roads.

Answer · Jim Mather: The Environmental Statement submitted by Scottish & Southern Energy and Scottish Power as part of the Beauly to Denny application states that helicopters will be used for the stringing of all cables over the whole length of the line, and also for the tran…

2 Feb 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what advice is provided to recipients of Energy Saving Scotland home renewables grants to ensure that planning difficulties are avoided in relation to the installation of renewable energy devices.

Answer · Jim Mather: Alongside grants, the Scottish Government funds the work of specialist home renewables advisors to provide intensive, hands on support to householders on all aspects of their renewable energy installation including assistance with planning permission if neces…

1 Feb 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what actions and events it is planning as part of the European Year of Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion.

Answer · Alex Neil: The Scottish Government is actively involved in the National Implementing Body, set up to develop and oversee the UK Programme for the European Year of Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion. The UK Programme provides a framework for activity, inclu…

29 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3O-9326 by Stewart Stevenson on 28 January 2010, whether it would be willing to discuss the potential for direct Edinburgh to Cardiff rail services with the Welsh Assembly Government with a view to making joint representations to the UK Government if th…

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Government is always willing to discuss enhancements to cross border rail services. We would need to see clear evidence of the demand for a direct Edinburgh to Cardiff service before beginning discussions with the Welsh Assembly Governme…

29 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that landfill gas has a role in energy generation and, if so, how it plans to support this role.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Landfill is at the bottom of the waste hierarchy, this is reflected in the draft of Scotland''s Zero Waste Plan where waste prevention, minimisation and recycling are given greater prominence. Nevertheless, it is recognised that the journey towards a Zero Was…

28 Jan 2010 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to have discussions with the Welsh Assembly Government over the potential for direct rail services between Edinburgh and Cardiff.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: We have no plans to discuss this issue with the Welsh Assembly Government. The Department for Transport is responsible for awarding franchises for cross border services in the UK.

25 Jan 2010 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, further to the answer to question S3W-30709 by Alex Fergusson on 21 January 2010, how many individual journeys to Eurostar destinations for which it has paid in each of the last three years have been made by (a) air, (b) rail, (c) coach, and (d) private car.

Answer · Tom McCabe: To extract the information, and to provide it in the format required by the Member, would be disproportionate in costs. However, the member is invited to contact the Allowances Office to see whether it can be of some other assistance.

25 Jan 2010 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, further to the answer to question S3W-30709 by Alex Fergusson on 21 January 2010, how many individual journeys to mainland United Kingdom destinations for which it has paid in each of the last three years have been made by (a) air, (b) rail, (c) coach, and (d) private …

Answer · Tom McCabe: To extract the information, and to provide it in the format required by the member, would be disproportionate in costs. However, the member is invited to contact the Allowances Office to see whether it can be of some other assistance.

13 Jan 2010 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it plans to develop a sustainable travel policy and, if so, what the process will be for developing it.

Answer · Alex Fergusson: The SPCB will undertake a travel to work survey before the end of April 2010. The results of this survey and information being collected on parliamentary travel will be used to determine if the SPCB''s Travel Plan (2006) needs to be updated. It will also be …

10 Dec 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many nights in hotel rooms it has wholly or partly paid for but not used since May 2007.

Answer · John Swinney: The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate costs. The Scottish Government Hotel Booking Agent has systems in place to allow for late cancellations.

10 Dec 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many nights in hotel rooms it has booked but not used since May 2007.

10 Dec 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many flights it has wholly or partly paid for but not used since May 2007.

Answer · John Swinney: The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate costs. Internal control arrangements are in place to ensure that all travel bookings require prior authorisation. In addition, the Scottish Government travel management provider has systems …

10 Dec 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many flights it has booked but not used since May 2007.

9 Dec 2009 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will assess the level of demand in the Parliament that could be served by a small pool of electric cars or scooters as an alternative to taxis and the costs and potential savings of such a pool.

Answer · Alex Johnstone: The Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB) is due to undertake a travel to work survey before the end of April 2010 and as part of this survey we will ask a question about the demand for pool vehicles. The SPCB has previously provided a pool …

9 Dec 2009 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it plans to install charging points for electric vehicles in the Parliament garage.

Answer · Alex Johnstone: There is currently one electric charging point within the Parliament garage. The point was installed for an electric motorcycle used by Lothian and Borders Police.

17 Nov 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-23504 by Alex Neil on 11 May 2009, what proportion of the £15 million identified for the Home Insulation Scheme will be allocated to its publicity and promotion.

Answer · Alex Neil: The Scottish Government''s Grant Offer Letter to the Energy Saving Trust is available in the Parliament''s Information Centre (Bib. number 49351). It shows an agreed range of costs, of between £5.26 million and £5.80 million (average £5.5 million), f…

16 Nov 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-13639 by Kenny MacAskill on 9 June 2008, when it intends to review the Family Law (Scotland) Act 2006.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: As the act is still relatively new, we are not planning a full review of the Act at this time, although we continue to monitor its impact. Work has been carried out by other bodies in relation to aspects of the 2006 act. The Scottish Law Commission'…