Parliamentary questions
David Stewart
1,651 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
19 Jan 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has carried out a study of the impact on the Western Isles economy of the decision to delay improvement works on Ullapool harbour for a five-week period from 20 April 2015 and whether it is aware that B&B owners in Lewis are receiving cancellations due to the lack of sailings …
Answer · Derek Mackay: In order to ensure the timely completion of the Stornoway-Ullapool ferry project and entry into service of the MV Loch Seaforth, I have set up a taskforce and chaired the first meeting on 15 January 2015. I will be chairing the second taskforce meeting in Sto…
9 Jan 2015 · Topical Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to resolve transport disruption caused by recent storms.
18 Dec 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-23184 by Paul Wheelhouse on 17 November 2014, when it will receive the results of the research by Optimal Economics Ltd on the cost effectiveness of residential sprinklers and whether it will make them public.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: It is expected that the research will be concluded and published by Easter 2015. The final research report will be published on the building standards division research section of the Scottish Government website at: www.scotland.gov.uk/bsd.
15 Dec 2014 · First Minister's Question
To ask the First Minister what discussions the Scottish Government has had with the Ministry of Defence regarding the closure of the Kinloss rescue coordination centre.
9 Dec 2014 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact on the economy of abolishing air passenger duty for young people.
26 Nov 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what help it provides to diabetes patients who have been refused prescriptions for blood-testing strips.
Answer · Shona Robison: We expect any decisions made on a person’s self-management regimen to be determined on the basis of an assessment of their needs and made in close consultation with the person living with diabetes. In addition to this we would also expect patients to have acc…
26 Nov 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it provides to NHS boards about the circumstances in which prescriptions for blood-testing strips for diabetes patients might be restricted.
Answer · Shona Robison: We expect clinicians to follow national guidelines. Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network guideline 116 on the management of diabetes, makes it clear who would benefit the most from self-monitoring of blood glucose. The guidelines also set out recommend…
26 Nov 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many diabetes patients have been refused prescriptions for blood-testing strips in each year since 2010, broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Shona Robison: This information is not held centrally. We expect clinicians to refer to SIGN guideline 116 on the management of diabetes, which makes it clear who would benefit from self-monitoring of blood glucose.
25 Nov 2014 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it can take to raise parents' awareness of the role that they can play in young driver safety.
Answer · Derek Mackay: The Scottish Government recognises that younger drivers can be particularly at risk on the roads and drivers aged 17-25 are one of the priorities for action within Scotland’s Road Safety Framework to 2020. Earlier this year Road Safety Scotland issued a nati…
20 Nov 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will investigate the impacts of planned and potential improvements to transport and communication infrastructure on the sustainability of communities and businesses in the west Highlands.
Answer · Keith Brown: The Scottish Government recognises that a safe, efficient and effective transport system is essential for Scotland and the Scottish economy. The Strategic Transport Projects Review recommendations, including improvements to the A82 and other road safety impro…
20 Nov 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that the west Highlands becomes more accessible and improve the standard of its transport and communication infrastructure.
Answer · Keith Brown: In addition to the ongoing maintenance of the road network, a further £14 million is being invested to improve journey times and reduce congestion on the A82 through the improvement project at Pulpit Rock and the new Crianlarich bypass which are currently und…
20 Nov 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers the west Highlands a disadvantaged area in terms of transport and communication infrastructure in relation to (a) Scottish, (b) UK and (c) European standards.
Answer · Keith Brown: No. The Scottish Government has invested over £350 million since 2007 to ensure Scotland’s trunk roads in the north west are safe, efficient and effective. Transport Scotland has worked with local authorities via the National Roads Maintenance Review to ensur…
20 Nov 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much time will be added to or saved from journey times by each of the works budgeted for on the A82 trunk road.
Answer · Derek Mackay: A total saving of around four to five minutes will be achieved between Glasgow and Fort William when the improvements at Pulpit Rock, Crianlarich Bypass and between Tarbert and Inverarnan are completed. These improvements will also reduce the likelihood of un…
20 Nov 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the establishment number for educational psychologists was in each local authority and how many were in post in (a) 2012 and (b) 2013 and what the figures are for 2014.
Answer · Alasdair Allan: Establishment numbers for educational psychologists are a matter for education authorities and are not held centrally. Numbers of educational psychologists (full-time equivalent) in post are collected annually by the Scottish Government as part of the teacher…
18 Nov 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the cost of introducing hourly train journeys between Inverness and Aberdeen is included in its £177 million rail infrastructure investment plan.
Answer · Derek Mackay: The £170 million package of phase one improvements to be delivered by 2019, announced on 28 March 2014, includes: redoubling of track between Aberdeen and Inverurie; signalling enhancements; platform extensions at Insch and Elgin; Forres station relocation; a…
18 Nov 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it expects hourly train journeys between Inverness and Aberdeen to be introduced by 2019.
Answer · Derek Mackay: The £170 million package of phase one improvements, announced on 28 March 2014, is the first stage to facilitate the introduction of the hourly service, a half hourly service from Elgin to Inverness and Aberdeen to Inverurie, as well as journey time reduction…
14 Nov 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the comments by Angela Constance on 24 April 2014 (Official Report, c. 30126), what steps it is taking to progress its “targeted approach to [the installation of] sprinklers”.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The Scotland Together 2009 report concluded that the installation of sprinklers in all Scottish homes was not cost-effective, however it found that 40% of accidental dwelling fire deaths occurred within social rented housing, and 31% in the Scottish Index of …
14 Nov 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has had discussions with the Welsh Government regarding the Domestic Fire Safety (Wales) Measure 2011, which enables ministers to call for the mandatory installation of fire sprinkler systems in certain properties, and what its position is on (a) consulting on and (b) introduc…
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-23184 on 27 November 2014. 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/parliament…
14 Nov 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what (a) support and (b) guidance it provides to local authorities regarding the installation of fire sprinkler systems in (i) domestic homes and (ii) other types of residence.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The Scottish Government provides guidance through building regulations (see: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/resource/buildingstandards/2013Domestic/chunks/ch03s16.html) on the buildings which should have automatic fire suppression systems (including fire sprink…
14 Nov 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many fires were recorded as having broken out in (a) domestic homes and (b) other types of residence in each year since 2009, also broken down by (i) how many led to and (ii) the number of fatalities.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The Scottish Government publishes data on key fire statistics on an annual basis. The latest figures were published in the data tables for the Fire Statistics Scotland 2012-13 publication (published on 8 October 2013). These tables contain trend data from 200…
12 Nov 2014 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides to people who want to train as educational psychologists.
29 Oct 2014 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on recent reports regarding the additional cost in energy prices for people in the Highlands and Islands.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The member will have heard my answer to the question S4O-03637 from Dave Thompson MSP on this matter but I am happy to respond to any additional points. We believe a fairer approach is to permanently remove the cost of delivering the Energy Companies Obliga…
23 Oct 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-11500 by Keith Brown on 4 December 2012, whether it will provide an update on when work on Dalcross railway station at Inverness Airport will (a) start and (b) be completed.
Answer · Keith Brown: The Aberdeen to Inverness Rail Improvements works have commenced with site and ground investigations on the infrastructure necessary to provide for a new station at Dalcross. Network Rail, Transport Scotland, the Highlands and Islands Transport Partnership a…
20 Oct 2014 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it will improve the uptake of the pension credit scheme.
16 Sep 2014 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what research has been undertaken to determine if there is a link between the intake of sugar and an increased risk of type 2 diabetes.
22 Aug 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-21268 by Kenny MacAskill on 10 June 2014, whether it will provide the information that was requested by confirming whether an independent Scotland would be part of the Five Eyes partnership.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: It will be in the interests of the rest of the UK and other partners to work closely with Scotland on security matters, including the sharing of intelligence. The Scottish Government and its partners would engage closely as sovereign, equal and cooperative al…
19 Aug 2014 · Written Question
To ask what the Scottish Government what recent assessment it has carried out of the impact on the business community of traffic congestion in (a) Lochaber and (b) the A82.
Answer · Keith Brown: No assessments have been carried out on any impact on the business community of traffic congestion on trunk roads, but the results of the Fort William area congestion study could potentially be used in such an exercise.
19 Aug 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to (a) upgrade and (b) improve the A82.
Answer · Keith Brown: A programme to address a number of areas along the route of the A82 is underway. The £5 million Crianlarich bypass and £9.2 million Pulpit Rock improvements are progressing, and the £1 million re-alignment scheme at Glen Gloy is currently programmed to start …
19 Aug 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with (a) Transport Scotland, (b) The Highland Council and (c) Lochaber Chamber of Commerce regarding improvements to the A82.
Answer · Keith Brown: Transport Scotland is part of the Scottish Government and meetings with Ministers occur regularly in the normal course of business. Transport Scotland has quarterly liaison meetings with The Highland Council on trunk road issues. The next meeting is scheduled…
19 Aug 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with (a) Transport Scotland, (b) The Highland Council and (c) Lochaber Chamber of Commerce regarding traffic congestion in Lochaber.
Answer · Keith Brown: Transport Scotland is part of the Scottish Government and meetings with ministers occur regularly in the normal course of business. Transport Scotland has quarterly liaison meetings with The Highland Council on trunk road issues. The next meeting is scheduled…