David Stewart

18 Oct 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government further to the answer to question S5W-01999 by Shona Robison on 13 September 2016, how many of the five GP Specialty Training (GPST) posts in the North region have been filled and whether it remains on target to fill the remaining posts by February 2017.

Answer · Shona Robison: The North region is made up of the Caledonian and Grampian training programmes. Two posts in the Caledonian programme have filled but the three in Grampian have not. The three unfilled posts will be advertised again when recruitment opens in November for an A…

18 Oct 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government further to the answer to question S5W-01999 by Shona Robison on 13 September 2016, whether it is taking additional action to recruit trainee GPs to the Highlands and Islands.

Answer · Shona Robison: As well as the 100 extra places and targeted bursary scheme, other actions include: the GP Rural Track programme operated by NES, which provides trainees with an opportunity to undertake GPST rotations in Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles as well as For…

6 Oct 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with (a) JDRF, (b) Diabetes Scotland and (c) academics about bio-banking data from all new Type 1 diabetes cases to aid medical research.

Answer · Shona Robison: Officials from the Scottish Government met with representatives from JDRF on 28 June 2016 to discuss areas of mutual interest, including possible collaborative research. Contact between the Scottish Government Chief Scientist Office and JDRF is on-going. The…

6 Oct 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-03118 by Shona Robison on 6 October 2016, whether it will provide the information that was requested regarding the reason that no places have been allocated for newly trained GPs under its golden hello scheme to NHS Shetland and Orkney, and whether …

Answer · Shona Robison: The financial incentive available for certain GP trainee posts is described as the Scottish Targeted Bursary Scheme; golden hello payments relate to recruitment of trained GPs. It is NHS Education for Scotland (NES) which manages GMC approved training progra…

30 Sep 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what advice it has received regarding changing the target date for dualling the A9.

Answer · Keith Brown: No advice has been received regarding changing the target date.

29 Sep 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to support a local social enterprise company to bid for the Gourock to Dunoon ferry route.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: Procurement rules would not allow the Scottish Government or Transport Scotland to support a bid from any individual company. The Contract Notice, which was the first step in the procurement process for the Gourock-Dunoon ferry service, was published on 8 Jul…

29 Sep 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the MV Coruisk will be deployed on the Gourock to Dunoon route over the winter period, as in 2014.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: I have discussed the potential deployment of the MV Coruisk on the Gourock-Dunoon route over the 2016-17 winter period with local stakeholders. As yet no decisions have been made. The operational availability of the MV Coruisk is a matter for CalMac Ferri…

29 Sep 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Gourock to Dunoon ferry contract is due to expire on 30 June 2017.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The current contract for the subsidised town centre service between Gourock and Dunoon is due to expire on 29 June 2017 at 00:00. Full details of the contract can be found at http://www.transport.gov.scot/water/ferries/gourock-dunoon

29 Sep 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has instructed David MacBrayne Ltd to bid for the Gourock to Dunoon ferry service.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: It is for the board of David MacBrayne Ltd to decide whether to bid for the Gourock-Dunoon ferry service contract. Ministers would not ordinarily issue such an instruction on a specific business decision.

29 Sep 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is its policy to provide a vehicle and passenger ferry service between Gourock and Dunoon town centres.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Scottish Government would welcome a vehicle and passenger ferry service on the Gourock to Dunoon town centre route. A Contract Notice, formally beginning the procurement process, issued on 8 July 2016. It is for potential participants to assess the commer…

28 Sep 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address the reported shortfall in the number of radiologists, and whether this will include (a) increasing the training budget and (b) advertising vacancies overseas.

Answer · Shona Robison: Under this Government, the number of Consultant Clinical Radiologists in NHS Scotland has increased by 43.1 per cent. We continue to work closely with NHS boards to support their efforts in recruiting and retaining Radiologists to meet the needs of patients …

22 Sep 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to encourage newly trained GPs to relocate to NHS (a) Shetland, (b) Orkney and (c) Western Isles.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government is fully committed to supporting primary care, including GPs, and ensuring that all communities in Scotland, including remote and rural, receive safe, reliable and sustainable health care services. Over three years, the Scottish Gover…

22 Sep 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason no places have been allocated for newly trained GPs under its golden hello scheme to NHS Shetland, Orkney and Highland.

Answer · Shona Robison: In August 2016 Scottish Government advertised 100 new GPST (GP Specialty Training) posts which are additional to current training posts located around Scotland. Over a third of the 100 new posts have a recruitment bonus to attract trainees into areas that ha…

13 Sep 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding CalMac’s proposal to make more use of Passenger Certificates to adjust crewing levels on its vessels during the life of the next contract for Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Scottish Government has had no such discussions with the UK Government.

8 Sep 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will hold a competitive bidding process to determine the selection of the city to have the first low-emission zone.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Scottish Government will be engaging with local authorities and other key stakeholders shortly to discuss the methodology that will be used to determine which city will be selected to take forward Scotland’s first low-emission zone by 2018.

8 Sep 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the remit is of the Cleaner Air for Scotland Communications Group.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: As part of the implementation of the Cleaner Air for Scotland strategy, a communications group has been created to support delivery of the strategy and take forward actions such as the commitment to raise public awareness. It will seek to co-ordinate air qual…

8 Sep 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it will provide to the city chosen to have the first low-emission zone.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The implementation of low-emission zones will be taken forward as set out in the Programme for Government. The Scottish Government will be engaging with local authorities and other key stakeholders to enable Scotland’s first low-emission zone to be put in pla…

23 Aug 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what consultation it (a) has had and (b) plans with local authorities regarding the Land Scotland organisation that was referred to on page 18 of the 2016 SNP manifesto.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: Our legislative programme for 2016-17, set out in our programme for government, includes a bill to complete the devolution of forestry and to facilitate the establishment of a forestry and land management body. We have not consulted with local authorities on …

23 Aug 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government by what date it will introduce the mandatory public register of land and how the register will be implemented.

Answer · Keith Brown: The Scottish Government has no plans to introduce a mandatory requirement to complete the land register. In May 2014, Scottish Ministers invited the Keeper of the Registers of Scotland to complete the land register by 2024 and committed to registering all pub…

17 Aug 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to its news release of 20 August 2016, Drive to recruit GP trainees, how (a) much it will spend in and (b) many training places will be available to each constituency in the Highlands and Islands, and when the project will end.

Answer · Shona Robison: The 100 GPST (GP Specialty Training) posts are additional to current training posts located around Scotland, substantially increasing the overall number of GPST posts that will be advertised in subsequent years. Funding of GPST posts (e.g. salaries, Trainers’…

17 Aug 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides towards educational programmes that encourage pupils in the Highlands and Islands to consider working as a GP in remote and rural areas.

Answer · Shona Robison: Scottish Ministers have invested £2.5 million over three years in a GP Recruitment and Retention Fund. The aim of the fund is to support the recruitment, retention and return of GPs in NHS Scotland. One of the bids, a Scottish Rural Medical Collaborative, i…

7 Jul 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what areas are being considered for the location of the Scottish Land Commission and whether South Uist is being considered as a possible location.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: In line with the established Scottish Government policy and as stated in the Financial Memorandum which accompanied the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill on introduction, we are considering options for locating the commission within the existing Scottish Government…

7 Jul 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how long after the notice of low emission zones has been given to relevant parties will the zones be fully operational.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: Our approach to supporting the delivery of Low Emission Zones in Scotland is described in the National Low Emission Framework (NLEF) within the Cleaner Air for Scotland (CAFS) strategy. NLEF will allow local authorities and partners to appraise, justify the b…

7 Jul 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S5W-00826 and S5W-00829 by Humza Yousaf on 30 June 2016, whether it plans to provide funding to local authorities to support the establishment and maintenance of low emission zones and, if so, how much, and for what reason the previous answers did not…

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The answer to SW5-00829 highlighted existing Scottish Government financial support towards transport measures that deliver air quality benefits; many, if not all, of these will continue to be relevant to actions involved within, or in support of, low emission…

7 Jul 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will achieve its stated commitment to comply with EU law by 2020 through its strategy, Cleaner Air for Scotland, if low emission zones will not be operational until after the end of 2018.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government, together with its partners, is implementing a range of actions to improve air quality at local and national level. These actions are set out in Cleaner Air for Scotland and also in the joint UK action plans which have been submitted t…

6 Jul 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what actions it plans to take to protect peatland from rising salt levels.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Rising sea levels and contact with salt water can slow down the rate of peat accumulation. Recent research has been published on this topic which estimates the risk to coastal peatlands of sea-level rise attributable to climate change, while confirming the va…

6 Jul 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it plans to take to increase the volume and effectiveness of carbon sinks.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Development of the third report on policies and proposals (RPP3), setting out how we will meet targets to 2032, is underway across the Scottish Government. Work is on-going, and contributions from individual sectors have not yet been finalised. For RPP3 we…

28 Jun 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it expects air quality standards to be met throughout Scotland.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Cleaner Air for Scotland - The Road to a Healthier Future, Scotland's first distinct air quality strategy, was published in November 2015. It commits to achieving full compliance with EU air quality legislation by 2020.

22 Jun 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the effect that low-emission zones would have on greenhouse gas emissions.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The National Low Emission Framework process will almost certainly take account of greenhouse gas emissions and will be designed to incorporate an assessment of greenhouse gases. Low emission zones (LEZs) are designed primarily to reduce air quality emissions,…

22 Jun 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to encourage modal shift of freight transportation from road to rail or sea.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: We continue to promote modal shift of freight transportation from road to the more environmentally friendly modes of rail and sea and engage with companies, assisting them with the application process and exploring potentially viable projects. In 2015-16, thr…