David Stewart

13 Jul 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to place restrictions on the culling of mountain hares.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government opposes large-scale culls of mountain hares. It may be necessary to control mountain hare numbers in specific circumstances, such as to protect native woodlands or commercial forestry. The independently-led Grouse Moor Management Gr…

13 Jul 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many tail shortening operations have been carried out on dogs in each local authority area since the Prohibited Procedures on Protected Animals (Exemptions) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2017 came into force.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-10752 on 30 August 2017. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness…

10 Jul 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the ruling in the case of South Lanarkshire Council v Errington Cheese Ltd, what steps it will take to ensure that the source of the 2016 outbreak of E. coli poisoning is found.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: The multi-agency Incident Management Team that was set up to deal with the incident published its report on 29 March 2017. The Incident Management Team concluded that “ the source of the outbreak was consumption of an unpasteurised cows’ milk cheese, Dunsyre …

28 Jun 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has for a new public health supplement to ensure transparency regarding contributions to public health spending as a result of the implementation of minimum unit pricing of alcohol and the consequent increase in revenue for retailers.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: Modelling undertaken by the University of Sheffield in 2016 estimates that a 50 pence minimum unit price is estimated to result in an increase in revenue for the alcohol industry as a whole of around £34 million each year. This is a high level estimate of rev…

25 Jun 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to increase expertise in diabetes technology in all NHS boards.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: In December 2016, the First Minister announced £10m of additional funding over the course of this Parliament, to further increase the number of adults accessing insulin pump therapy and to substantially increase availability of Continuous Glucose Monitor devi…

25 Jun 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how best practice in the usage of insulin pumps and other diabetes technology is shared across NHS boards.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: Our part-time National Diabetes Specialist Nurse makes regular visits to NHS Boards as part of her role to share and encourage good practice in providing insulin pumps and other diabetes technologies. The National Diabetes Managed Clinical Networks meet regu…

25 Jun 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to increase awareness of (a) people living with diabetes and (b) healthcare professionals regarding the benefits of real-time continuous glucose monitoring systems and insulin pumps.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: The benefits of insulin pump therapy and Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGMs) is well evidenced and established. We are currently funding a part-time diabetes specialist nurse to help promote the adoption of CGM technology. This specialist support is helping e…

25 Jun 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether targets for increasing the usage of real-time continuous glucose monitoring systems and insulin pumps have been met.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: Management data shows that NHS Boards are on track to deliver the expected levels of provision of Continuous Glucose Monitors and insulin pumps for adults as set in 2017.

20 Jun 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what recent assessment it has made of the viability of (a) procuring or (b) chartering vessels constructed using EU funding for the ferry services that it subsidises, and what implications this would have for the Ferry Services Procurement Policy Review.

Answer · Michael Matheson: EU funding for vessel procurement has become increasingly scarce. Despite this, in 2011 Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL) were able to secure £450,000 from the European Regional Development Fund for the first hybrid ferry, MV Hallaig, which itself was the…

19 Jun 2018 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to increase the funding for and provision of insulin pumps for under-18s.

14 Jun 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reasons the letter of 23 February 2018 from the European Transport Commissioner, Violeta Bulc, in response to its letter of 24 January 2018 was not shared with the RMT union until the ministerial statement of 24 May 2018.

Answer · Michael Matheson: On 20 December 2017, the Minister for Transport and the Islands made a statement to Parliament that a decision on the procurement of the Northern Isles Ferry Services would be taken in the Spring of 2018. It is appropriate that Parliament was informed first a…

14 Jun 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a list of the sub-contracts that Serco NorthLink has held in each year since June 2012, and how many sub-contractor employees were working to deliver Northern Isles Ferry Services in each year of the current contract.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: Serco Limited, Serco NorthLink Ferries parent company, is a commercial organisation and as such, any information with regards sub-contracts in relation to the Northern Isles Ferry Service Public Service Contract is commercially sensitive.

14 Jun 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many people are directly employed as (a) seafarer and (b) shore-based staff at Serco NorthLink in each year of the current contract for Northern Isles Ferry Services.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: Serco Limited, Serco NorthLink Ferries parent company, is a commercial organisation and as such, any information in relation to the number of people employed in each year of the Northern Isles Ferry Service Public Service Contract is commercially sensitive.

14 Jun 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to satisfy (a) the four Altmark criteria and (b) state aid rulings in the European Court of Justice since 1 January 2017 in its legal arguments to the European Commission for using Teckal case law to exempt public sector ferry contracts from European procurement l…

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Interim Report on the Procurement of Ferry Services published on 20 December 2017 set out the government’s position in relation to Teckal case law. That Interim Report makes clear that the provision of ferry services, whether undertaken in-house or not,…

14 Jun 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the ministerial statement of 24 May 2018 on Ferry Services (Northern Isles), what recent assessment it has made of the likelihood of legal action from private operators of ferry routes in Scotland in the event of a successful application to the European Commission for an exem…

Answer · Michael Matheson: It would be a matter for a private operator to consider whether they would seek to raise a legal challenge in the event of a successful application to the European Commission for an exemption from the tendering regulations under Teckal case law. The European…

13 Jun 2018 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government which NHS boards offer the Freestyle Libre glucose monitoring system.

11 Jun 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S5W-01009 and S5W-12022 by Aileen Campbell on 14 July 2016 and 7 November 2017 respectively, and in light of the comment by the UK Government in its news release of 5 April 2018, Soft Drinks Industry Levy comes into effect, that "all revenues raised t…

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: Scotland receives its share of funding through the Barnett formula which is based on UK government spend rather than revenue raised. There is no dedicated link between the money raised by the UK Government through the Soft Drinks Industry Levy and the block f…

11 Jun 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the use of full-system testing to assess the fire safety of different external cladding systems on high-rise buildings.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: The guidance to building standards recognises the use of full scale testing of external wall cladding systems in accordance with BS 8414 in conjunction with BR 135. The Scottish Government intends to consult over the Summer on recommendations made by the Bui…

11 Jun 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recommendations set out in the paper, Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety: final report.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: The report by Dame Judith Hackitt is specific to England and does not directly affect the building standards system in Scotland although the Scottish Government did feed into the report. The report however is one of a number of reports which we can learn less…

25 May 2018 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish the findings of the 50mph speed limit pilot for HGVs on the A9.

23 May 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential threats to NHS systems from cyber attacks.

Answer · Shona Robison: The NHS Scotland Information Security Policy Framework requires NHS Boards to have a suitable Information Security Management System (ISMS) and work as close as possible to the ISO2700x standard. Over the last few years NHS Boards have implemented a systemati…

22 May 2018 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to bring forward a Clean Air Bill.

16 May 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many people from the NHS (a) Highland, (b) Western Isles, (c) Orkney and (d) Shetland area have travelled to another NHS board area to receive treatment involving a positron emission tomography (PET) scanner in each year since 2016, and how much this has cost.

Answer · Shona Robison: Patients from NHS Highland, Western Isles, Orkney and Tayside travel to NHS Grampian to receive positron emission tomography (PET). Based upon patient’s home postcode, between 1st January 2016 and 30th April 2018, the number of affected patients was: • Highl…

8 May 2018 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the anticipated security of supply of medical isotopes following the UK's withdrawal from Euratom.

30 Apr 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve the accuracy of the data that is kept to record (a) car and (b) commercial vehicle usage on the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Service.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: CalMac, as operator of the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Service is responsible for the accuracy and collection of this data. Carrying statistics are available on the CalMac website by following the link: https://www.calmac.co.uk/corporate/carrying-statistics T…

30 Apr 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much compensation will be paid to Pentland Ferries following the introduction of the Road Equivalent Tariff scheme on the Scrabster-Stromness route.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: We are working with the commercial ferry operators on the Pentland Firth to ensure they are appropriately compensated and involved in the fares reduction scheme. Transport Scotland have commissioned independent consultants to develop financial modelling to u…

30 Apr 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to record (a) car and (b) commercial vehicle usage on Northern Isles Ferry Services routes, and whether this data will be published in its official transport statistics.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: Transport Scotland meets with the current operator of the Northern Isles Ferry Service Public Service Contract, Serco NorthLink Ferries on a monthly basis to discuss a range of operational issues, including the number of cars and commercial vehicles carried o…

30 Apr 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited regarding the cost of purchasing freight vessels to operate as part of the Northern Isles Ferry Service contract.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL) has a bareboat charter arrangement with the owners of the current freight vessels (MV Helliar and MV Hildasay) that are utilised on the Lerwick, Kirkwall and Aberdeen routes. The bareboat charter was agreed on 1 March 201…

30 Apr 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has paid Serco NorthLink Ferries to operate the Northern Isles Ferry Service in each year since July 2012.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: I refer the member to S5W-04450 on 14 November 2016 which details the amount of subsidy paid to Serco NorthLink Ferries from contract year one to contract year four (July 2012 – June 2016). The Scottish Government paid Serco NorthLink £42,239,234.76 to opera…

23 Apr 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) PM2.5 and (b) PM10  particulate matter monitors there are, and what plans it has to introduce more.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: There are currently 44 PM2.5 and 75 PM10 particulate matter monitors in the Scottish national monitoring network. In addition there are four monitors which measure both PM2.5 and PM10 in the Scottish volcanic monitoring network operated by SEPA. The need for…