Parliamentary questions
Liam McArthur
3,646 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
1 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on adopting a similar approach to data as that of Estonia, which considers that it belongs to the citizen and that people have the right to know who has accessed their information.
Answer · Derek Mackay: The Scottish Government's identity management and privacy principles demonstrates the Scottish Government's commitment to individuals' right to a private and family life. There is a new EU General Data Protection Regulation which will come into force in May 2…
1 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to reform the law with regard to defamation.
Answer · Annabelle Ewing: The Scottish Law Commission is currently reviewing defamation law and will make recommendations to the Scottish Government on the need for reform and the content of any proposed legislation. The Scottish Government awaits the outcome of the Scottish Law Commi…
1 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-29576 by Michael Matheson on 10 February 2016, on what date the guidance will be published.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government is committed to publishing guidance relating to restorative justice as soon as possible. However, it is essential that such guidance is developed in collaboration with restorative justice experts and those with expertise in dealing wit…
1 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S4W-25353, S4W-26131, S4W-27521, S4W-28458 and S4W-29913 by John Swinney on 7 May 2015, 7 July 2015, 29 September 2015, 2 December 2015 and 8 March 2016 respectively, what the reason is for the delay in providing this information, and on what date it …
Answer · Angela Constance: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-29921 on 8 March 2016. I will provide to Parliament our analysis of the consultation in due course. Any delay has been caused by our wish to give full and proper consideration to the responses received, options…
1 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions its (a) ministers and (b) officials have had with (i) Police Scotland and (ii) the Scottish Police Authority regarding the recommendations in the HM Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland report, Audit and Assurance Review of the use of the Facial Search functionality …
Answer · Michael Matheson: Scottish Government officials have been in discussions with the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) and Police Scotland about HM Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland's recommendations. This included a meeting on 23 March 2016 between Scottish Government offic…
1 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the reported comment by the Deputy Chief Constable Designate, Neil Richardson, in The Herald on 1 June 2016 that "we have submitted papers setting out our thinking about strategy and development to the last two Private Meetings' Meetings, however, both of these have been remo…
Answer · Michael Matheson: This is a matter for Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority.
1 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the reported comment by the Deputy Chief Constable Designate, Neil Richardson, in The Herald on 1 June 2016 that "the SPA would be developing the next corporate strategy, a development which has not been communicated to, nor agreed by Police Scotland", what impact the Scottis…
Answer · Michael Matheson: The financial resources available to the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) from the Scottish Government for the current year, 2016, are set out in the Budget Act 2016-17. The budget provides real terms protection for the police resource budget and provides an a…
1 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the reported comment by the Deputy Chief Constable Designate, Neil Richardson, in The Herald on 1 June 2016 that "the SPA would be developing the next corporate strategy, a development which has not been communicated to, nor agreed by Police Scotland", for what reason Police …
Answer · Michael Matheson: This is a matter for Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority.
1 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the reported comment by the Deputy Chief Constable Designate, Neil Richardson, in The Herald on 1 June 2016 that the Scottish Police Authority and Police Scotland "will not bring forward any new strategies before the election in May 2016", what discussion it has had with (a) …
Answer · Michael Matheson: The normal pre-election guidance applied to the Scottish Police Authority as it did to public bodies more generally and at no point did the Scottish Government seek to go beyond this in directing when the Police Scotland corporate strategy could be published.
1 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the reported comment by the Deputy Chief Constable Designate, Neil Richardson, in The Herald on 1 June 2016 that the Scottish Police Authority and Police Scotland "will not bring forward any new strategies before the election in May 2016", for what reason new strategies were …
Answer · Michael Matheson: This is a matter for Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority.
31 May 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the evidence given by Fiona Hyslop to the Education and Culture Committee on 20 May 2014 (Official Report, c. 4152) that, by April 2015, Historic Environment Scotland would provide a cost for the outstanding repair and maintenance backlog for properties, whether this informat…
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The assessment of the cost for the outstanding repair and maintenance backlog in respect of the properties in the care of Scottish Ministers (PiCs) remains the subject of internal discussion at this stage. A significant amount of work had already been underta…
31 May 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how organisations and stakeholders will be able to access support from the infrastructure investment plan that was referred to in the 2016 SNP manifesto.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: This plan will be developed by Historic Environment Scotland in partnership with government and the historic environment sector, in line with the strategy set out by the sector in Our Place in Time. We are currently at a very early stage of considering how a …
31 May 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the infrastructure investment plan that was referred to in the 2016 SNP manifesto will focus on properties across all of the country's historic environment or only those designated as "properties in care" under Historic Environment Scotland.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: This plan will be developed by Historic Environment Scotland in partnership with government and the historic environment sector, in line with the strategy set out by the sector in Our Place in Time. We are currently at a very early stage of considering how a …
31 May 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the infrastructure investment plan that was referred to in the 2016 SNP manifesto will focus on the reported 72% of pre-1919 homes that are in disrepair.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: This plan will be developed by Historic Environment Scotland in partnership with government and the historic environment sector, in line with the strategy set out by the sector in Our Place in Time. We are currently at a very early stage of considering how a …
31 May 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it will launch the infrastructure investment plan that was referred to in the 2016 SNP manifesto; what discussions it has had or plans with stakeholders regarding this, and whether it will provide a breakdown of (a) what the plan will do and (b) how much funding it will receive and …
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: This plan will be developed by Historic Environment Scotland in partnership with government and the historic environment sector, in line with the strategy set out by the sector in Our Place in Time. We are currently at a very early stage of considering how a …
31 May 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-00087 by Aileen Campbell on 25 May 2016, how many applications to tackle diabetes have been made to the research initiative.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: 68 applications were made to the diabetes research initiative, out of which five companies were shortlisted.
26 May 2016 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides to NHS boards to support joint working with local authorities regarding health and care partnerships.
Answer · Shona Robison: We are providing both financial and practical support to new integrated health and social care partnerships. Additional funding of more than £500 million for health boards enables investment of an additional £250 million to support the integration of health a…
19 May 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it will take to (a) support the energy industry on (i) Orkney and (ii) Shetland and (b) encourage the UK Government to deliver the required connections.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The Scottish Government, alongside our agencies and partners, in recognising the importance of the sector to the Northern Isles, is supporting the energy industry in Orkney and Shetland through a wide variety of measures across oil and gas, renewables and com…
19 May 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it will announce how it will spend the £5 million to support island and rural produce pledged in the SNP Manifesto for the Islands.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-00157 on 1 June 2016. 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/28…
19 May 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of how it plans to spend the £5 million investment to support island and rural produce pledged in the SNP Manifesto for the Islands in (a) Orkney, (b) Shetland and (c) the rest of Scotland.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-00157 on 1 June 2016. 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/28…
19 May 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what produce in (a) Orkney, (b) Shetland and (c) the rest of Scotland will be supported from the £5 million investment to support island and rural produce pledged in the SNP Manifesto for the Islands.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-00157 on 1 June 2016. 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/28…
19 May 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how the Minister for Transport and Islands calculated the £5 million to support island and rural produce pledged in the SNP Manifesto for the Islands.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-00157 on 1 June 2016. 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/28…
19 May 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what organisations, businesses and charities can do to ensure that they receive support from the £5 million investment to support island and rural produce pledged in the SNP Manifesto for the Islands.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-00157 on 1 June 2016. 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/28…
19 May 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it will promote the £5 million investment to support island and rural produce pledged in the SNP Manifesto for the Islands to ensure that organisations, businesses and charities will receive support.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government is committed to continuing to support the food and drink industry, which has achieved great success in recent years. We will engage with key stakeholders, including businesses and organisations on how the £5 million investment fund can…
19 May 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when and how it plans to form an islands strategic group and what organisations, businesses, charities and individuals it plans to invite onto the group.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: An announcement on the new islands strategic group, including its membership will be made later in summer 2016 following discussions with elected members, local communities, local authorities and other key stakeholders.
19 May 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the Scottish Survey of Literacy and Numeracy is to be published more than one month later than in previous years, on 31 May 2016; when this decision was made; who made the decision, and what stakeholders were consulted.
Answer · John Swinney: In line with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics the publication month was set by the responsible statistician, and was announced in October 2015.
17 May 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-30367 by Fergus Ewing on 22 March 2016, whether it will confirm what stakeholders it met, and on what dates these meetings took place.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The system of charges levied for use of electricity distribution networks is the responsibility of the independent regulator, Ofgem, who lead formal consultations on that matter. As referenced in the answer to question S4W-30367 on 23 March 2016, Ofgem publis…
17 May 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-30367 by Fergus Ewing on 17 March 2016, whether it will publish the details of discussions that it has had with the UK Government regarding (a) maintaining the Hydro Benefit Replacement Scheme and (b) introducing a UK-wide cost recovery mechanism fo…
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: While the Scottish Government believes all decisions on Scotland's energy sector should be determined by Scottish Ministers and accountable to the Scottish Parliament, it is currently the case that these matters are reserved. The Hydro Benefit Replacement Sch…
17 May 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-30367 by Fergus Ewing on 17 March 2016, what its position is on the UK Government’s plan to deliver a UK-wide cost recovery mechanism for Shetland’s subsidy using the Hydro Benefit Replacement Scheme.
Answer · Keith Brown: In March 2015, the UK Government confirmed that the full costs of the cross-subsidy for Shetland would be spread over Great Britain from the date at which the new energy solution for Shetland is implemented. This change will have the effect of reducing costs …
16 May 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has for the introduction of a Future Islands Bill.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-00108 on 25 May 2016. 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/parliamentarybusi…