Margaret McDougall

25 Jun 2012 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body who was present at the recent meeting in the Parliament with His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

Answer · Linda Fabiani: The Presiding Officer was approached by the Edinburgh Inter-Faith Association to ask if she would be willing to facilitate a pastoral meeting between representatives of Scotland’s faiths and religious organisations and His Holiness The 14th Dalai Lama. The Pr…

25 Jun 2012 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it has received representations from the Chinese Government regarding the recent visit of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to the Parliament and, if so, what these were.

Answer · Linda Fabiani: The Presiding Officer was approached by the Edinburgh Inter-Faith Association to ask if she would be willing to facilitate a pastoral meeting between representatives of Scotland’s faiths and religious organisations and His Holiness The 14th Dalai Lama. The Pr…

14 Jun 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the British Transport Police regarding working with the proposed single police force to tackle metal theft.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The Scottish Ministers and officials meet regularly with the British Transport Police to discuss a range of issues, including metal theft and how the BTP will work alongside the new Police Service of Scotland to tackle crime. There are already close working a…

14 Jun 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason the proposed exemption limit for a licence for metal dealers has been changed and what discussions it has had with the (a) British Transport Police and (b) Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (ACPOS) on this matter.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The Scottish Government believes that part of the solution to the rising incidence of metal theft is to tighten regulation of the licensing scheme for metal dealers. For that reason we have announced that the exemption limit should be removed entirely, thus e…

12 Jun 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many employees Revenue Scotland will have and what information it has on how many people will be transferred to it from HM Revenue and Customs under the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006.

Answer · John Swinney: We expect that by 1 April 2015 Revenue Scotland will have a staff of approximately 20 to administer the replacements for the UK Stamp Duty Land Tax and Landfill Tax, assuming current constitutional arrangements. It is not currently anticipated that any staff …

12 Jun 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what services will be transferred from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to Revenue Scotland and what information it has on whether this could lead to a reduction in the number of jobs at HMRC.

Answer · John Swinney: No services are expected to transfer from HM Revenue and Customs to Revenue Scotland as a result of Stamp Duty Land Tax and Landfill Tax ceasing in Scotland and being replaced by devolved taxes administered by Revenue Scotland. We are not aware that HMRC expe…

12 Jun 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason it proposes to establish Revenue Scotland and whether this body will work alongside HM Revenue and Customs to deal with tax evasion.

Answer · John Swinney: We propose to establish Revenue Scotland to administer the replacement taxes that will be set by the Scottish Parliament. We would expect Revenue Scotland and HM Revenue and Customs to work together to tackle tax evasion.

12 Jun 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what impact the taxation proposals that were announced by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth on 7 June 2012 will have on first-time buyers.

Answer · John Swinney: The Taking forward a Scottish Land and Buildings Transaction Tax consultation paper http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2012/06/1301 runs until 30 August. The consultation seeks views on the structure of the proposed tax, and provides scenarios showing ho…

12 Jun 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will allocate the £32 million given to it by the Treasury to expand broadband infrastructure.

Answer · Alex Neil: The additional £32 million allocation announced on 8 June 2012 by the UK Government will be added to the Scottish Government’s central funding pot for broadband delivery across Scotland, which is now £244.5 million. This comprises £143.7 million from the Scot…

30 May 2012 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to tackle metal theft.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Tackling metal theft is a priority for the Scottish Government. A range of measures are being employed to bring about a reduction in levels of this type of crime. We are strengthening the licensing regime for metal dealers and considering a ban on cash trans…

16 May 2012 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what support is available for GP surgeries in remote areas.

18 Apr 2012 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it encourages the use of credit unions.

11 Apr 2012 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will devolve more powers to schools.

26 Mar 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the timescale is for a decision on the coal-fired power station at Hunterston.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: A decision on this application will be taken after the conclusion of the Public Local Inquiry. At present no date has been set for commencement of the inquiry.

26 Mar 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the council tax freeze will have a negative impact on local authority jobs and services and whether it has carried out a risk assessment on continuing the freeze for a further five years.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government has fully funded the council tax freeze since it was introduced in 2008-09 by providing an additional £70 million each year. We are committed to funding the freeze for the lifetime of this Parliament and along with the wider local gove…

26 Mar 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what work it is doing to identify replacements for council tax; what the timescale is, and whether a local income tax remains under consideration.

Answer · John Swinney: The current council tax system is unfair and the Scottish Government will consult with others to produce a fairer local tax based on ability to pay later in this Parliament. All potential alternative approaches will be considered as this work is progressed.

26 Mar 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what provisions have been put in place to deal with the council tax not having risen with inflation during the council tax freeze; how local authorities will compensate for this loss of income, and what assessment has been carried out of the impact on local authorities when the freeze end…

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government has fully funded the council tax freeze since it was introduced in 2008-09 by providing an additional £70 million each year and we are committed to do so for the lifetime of this Parliament.

12 Mar 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in relation to Schmallenberg virus, what steps are being taken to restrict the importation of (a) animals from high-risk areas and (b) pregnant animals wherever possible.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Ministers have no legal basis for restricting the import of animals based on the prevalence of the Schmallenberg virus within the European Union. Restricting the import of livestock from member states is only possible under certain circumstances…

7 Mar 2012 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what support it will give to the Scottish Domestic Abuse Helpline over the next five years.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: We will be funding a domestic abuse helpline for Scotland from 2012-15. Beyond this funding for all our work focused on tackling domestic abuse will be dependent on the outcome of the next spending review.

29 Feb 2012 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of Scotland’s electrical energy is generated through (a) nuclear, (b) coal and (c) renewables and whether its 2020 target for renewable electricity will be met.

22 Feb 2012 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many administrative and hotel services staff were employed by NHS Ayrshire and Arran in 2007 compared with 2012.

22 Feb 2012 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what investment in its transport infrastructure North Ayrshire will receive in the next five years.

22 Feb 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people from Scotland have had elective surgery in (a) NHS facilities in England and (b) NHS commissioned facilities in the independent sector in England in each of last five years.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Information on the number of patients from Scotland who had elective surgery in NHS facilities in England and NHS commissioned facilities in the independent sector in England is provided in table 1. Table 1 - Activity in English NHS Hospitals and English NHS…

22 Feb 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people it expects to have elective surgery in NHS facilities in England over the next three years.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The provision of services is a matter for individual NHS boards to ensure they meet the needs to their resident population. However, a small number of patients who require specialised treatment that can only be provided in England will continue to travel for …

22 Feb 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients from Scotland have received treatment in NHS facilities in England in each year since 2007, broken down by (a) NHS board and (b) surgery type

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Information on the number of patients from Scotland who have received treatment in NHS facilities in England by NHS board and surgery type is provided for all admissions (elective and emergency). The tables are available from the Scottish Parliament Informati…

22 Feb 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the UK Government to ensure that people from Scotland continue to have access to specialist NHS facilities in England  (a) after the planned reforms to NHS services in England and (b) if Scotland votes Yes in the proposed independence referendum.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: In relation to part (a) of this question about the planned reforms to the NHS in England, we have sought to ensure that the legislation allows for any arrangements that currently exist between the health service in Scotland and the health service in England t…

13 Feb 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what upgrades are planned for the A737 other than the Dalry bypass; what the timescales are, and whether the upgrades will be announced in the next spending review period.

Answer · Keith Brown: A road improvement scheme at the Den Dalry is in preparation and in 2012-2013 we are taking forward two structural maintenance schemes on the A737 (A737 Disused Railway to Manrahead and the A737 Barrmill Road to Disused Railway Schemes) and a Road Safety, Rou…

13 Feb 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how long it will take to complete the statutory processes for the proposed bypass at Dalry; how this compares with the time it took to complete the statutory processes for the (a) Roadhead junction of the A737 and (b) previously planned Head Street and Barrmill Road junctions, and what im…

Answer · Keith Brown: The time taken to complete the statutory process of the Dalry Bypass will, in part, depend on the public reaction to draft road orders and whether there is a need for a Public Local Inquiry. The successful completion of the statutory process on road schemes …

13 Feb 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has begun the statutory processes for the proposed bypass at Dalry and, if so, how much has been completed.

Answer · Keith Brown: Advance preparatory work on the proposed bypass has already been undertaken with a route option assessment and environmental assessment complete. Further detailed design work is required to confirm the preferred route prior to publication of draft road orders…

13 Feb 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will invite tenders for the procurement of the Dalry bypass; how much the procurement will cost, and what additional capital sums it estimates that it will need to allocate to this project, and when, in order to proceed to procurement in the next spending review period.

Answer · Keith Brown: Transport Scotland will look to commence the procurement process after satisfactory completion of the statutory process. The £10 million initial funding package, which includes procurement costs, covers the current spending review with remaining costs to be a…