Liam McArthur

25 Sep 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what recent (a) discussions and (b) correspondence it has had with Loganair regarding the reliability of flights between Orkney and mainland Scotland.

Answer · Derek Mackay: Scottish Government officials met with Loganair on 17 August 2015 and I met with Loganair on 15 September 2015. The reliability of flights was discussed at both meetings. The Scottish Government corresponds regularly with Loganair about a variety of issues in…

23 Sep 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much of the £146 million superfast broadband budget it has spent on upgrading broadband in Orkney.

23 Sep 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much of the £146 million superfast broadband budget it has spent on remote communities that are experiencing no internet connection.

Answer · John Swinney: The aim of the Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband (DSSB) programme is to extend fibre broadband infrastructure as widely as possible across the Highlands and Islands. As the core network grows, and backhaul becomes more readily available, it will become eas…

23 Sep 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what broadband speeds remote island communities can expect on completion of the superfast broadband rollout in 2020.

Answer · John Swinney: The Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband programme will have a transformational impact in remote island communities, extending fibre broadband access to at least 75% of premises in Orkney, 77% in Shetland and 70% in the Western Isles. No commercial coverage w…

23 Sep 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made on securing alternative technology that will supply broadband to the projected 16% of Highlands and Islands premises not covered in the Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband programme.

Answer · John Swinney: Community Broadband Scotland is supporting a range of communities across the Highlands and Islands to develop broadband schemes using alternative technologies, notably fixed wireless solutions. The Scottish Government is also supporting a trial of TV Whitespa…

23 Sep 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assistance it is giving to remote communities in Orkney to ensure that they have access to improved mobile network coverage and fibre broadband.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government and our partners are investing £146 million through the Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband (DSSB) programme which is extending fibre broadband infrastructure into non-commercial areas. Substantial progress has been made in Orkney, in…

23 Sep 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much of the £146 million superfast broadband budget it has spent on upgrading broadband in Orkney.

Answer · John Swinney: The Highlands and Islands Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband contract is geared towards maximising coverage across the region, rather than having specific amounts allocated to each local authority area. Therefore there is no budget allocation for Orkney and…

17 Sep 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of kinship care allowances being raised to the same level as foster care allowances, what plans it has to introduce a national minimum fostering allowance and by what date.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: As part of the Scottish Government’s response to the Foster Care Review in January 2013, we agreed to take forward further research in relation to fostering allowances. The Scottish Government recently agreed with COSLA to provide £10.1 million a year of fund…

17 Sep 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the introduction of a tax on food with a high sugar content and what action it has taken to consider the evidence relating to the effect of food taxes in improving dietary choices.

Answer · Maureen Watt: The Scottish Government has no current plans to introduce a sugar tax at this time. Furthermore, the creation of new taxes is broadly reserved to Westminster, and while the Scotland Act 2012 does give the Scottish Parliament the power to create new taxes, a s…

15 Sep 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many diversions from prosecution have been agreed in each year since 2011 and what percentage of the number proposed this represents.

Answer · Michael Matheson: Table 2 of the bulletin Criminal Justice Social Work Statistics in Scotland, 2013-14 (http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0047/00474323.pdf, page 24) contains figures for the years 2009-10 to 2013-14 on the number of referrals, assessments and cases commenced for di…

15 Sep 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what changes have been introduced since 2011 to the process for considering diversions from prosecution.

Answer · Frank Mulholland QC: The Prosecution Code of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service sets out the criteria for decision making and the range of options available to prosecutors dealing with reports of crime (http://www.crownoffice.gov.uk/images/Documents/Prosecution_Policy…

15 Sep 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what involvement local procurators fiscal have in discussions about potential diversions from prosecution and whether they are involved in every such decision.

Answer · Frank Mulholland QC: Examples of diversions from prosecution include the referral of an accused to the supervision of a social worker, psychiatrist, psychologist or mediator for the purposes of support, treatment or other action as an alternative to prosecution. The use of divers…

8 Sep 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how planning authorities’ conservation capacity is monitored.

Answer · Alex Neil: The Scottish Government does not hold information on conservation related staff resource in planning authorities, as this is a matter for individual local authorities.

8 Sep 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how the local authority joint working agreements will be updated when the new body, Historic Environment Scotland, starts on 1 October 2015.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Acting as an Executive Agency on behalf of Scottish Ministers, Historic Scotland currently has a Joint Working Agreement (JWA) with every local planning authority in Scotland. On the 1 October, Historic Environment Scotland (HES) will take on its full powers …

20 Jul 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government in how many primary (a) 1, (b) 2, (c) 3, (d) 4, (e) 5, (f) 6, and (g) 7 classes team teaching is used, and which year groups are taught in composite classes, broken down by local authority.

Answer · Angela Constance: The numbers of classes in which team teaching is used, by local authority and by year group, are shown in Table 1. Table 1: Number of classes with two or more teachers, 2014* Local authority P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 P6 P7 Composite Classes Aberdeen …

15 Jul 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Highlands and Islands Airports Limited in the last three months regarding landing charges.

Answer · Derek Mackay: Transport Scotland officials will be discussing airport landing charges with Highlands and Islands Airports Limited shortly.

15 Jul 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the European Commission in the last two years regarding the (a) eligibility criteria and (b) scope of the Air Discount Scheme.

Answer · Derek Mackay: None. The Air Discount Scheme, SA. 40925, was notified to the commission under the General Block Exemption Regulation Article 51 – Social aid for transport for residents of remote regions. This is valid from 1 April 2015 until 31 March 2019, and replaces the …

15 Jul 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to increase the rate of the Air Discount Scheme from 40% to 50%.

Answer · Derek Mackay: As part of our work in response to the recent campaign about air fares from the Islands to the Scottish Mainland, the Scottish Government is considering various policy options to help address the issue.

15 Jul 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to raising the rate of the Air Discount Scheme from 40% to 50%.

Answer · Derek Mackay: As part of our work in response to the recent campaign about air fares from the Islands to the Scottish Mainland, the Scottish Government is considering various policy options to help address the issue.

24 Jun 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it has informed MSPs of the work of the Commission on Widening Access.

Answer · Angela Constance: The intention to create a Commission on Widening Access was published in the Programme for Government and formally announced to the Parliament by the First Minister on 26 November 2014. In addition, the commission’s work has featured regularly in answers …

24 Jun 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the final remit has been set for the Commission on Widening Access.

Answer · Angela Constance: The remit was finalised at the commission’s meeting on 3 June 2015 and is published in full on the commission’s website: http://www.commissiononwideningaccess.co.uk/#!remit/c7ox

24 Jun 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-25348 by Angela Constance on 5 May 2015, what subsequent changes there have been to the (a) membership and (b) remit of the Commission on Widening Access; whether it has informed the Parliament, and, if so, when.

Answer · Angela Constance: Consistent with the plans outlined in the answer to question S4W-25348, that there would be one further member to bring a UK perspective, Conor Ryan from the Sutton Trust has been appointed as the final member of the Commission on Widening Access. The comm…

24 Jun 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will pay bursaries of £1,875 or more for some students in 2016-17.

Answer · Angela Constance: Yes. From academic year 2016-17 eligible ‘Young Students’ living in a household with an income below £19,000 will be entitled to the maximum bursary of £1,875.

24 Jun 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the additional bursary payment of £125 in 2015-16 for students with household incomes of between £0 and £23,999 will continue as a standard payment in future.

Answer · Angela Constance: Yes. From academic year 2016-2017 the additional bursary payment of £125 will be embedded into the total available bursary and spread across eligible students’ monthly instalments.

24 Jun 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government on what date the additional £125 bursary payment for students with household incomes of between £0 and £23,999 will be paid and for what reason this will be a one-off payment.

Answer · Angela Constance: The additional £125 bursary payment is not a one off award. From academic year 2016-2017, the additional bursary payment of £125 will be embedded into the total available bursary and spread across eligible students’ monthly instalments. For academic year 201…

15 Jun 2015 · Topical Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to figures suggesting that there are no head or deputy headteachers from black or minority ethnic backgrounds.

10 Jun 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to the provision of carers’ respite and support.

Answer · Jamie Hepburn: The provision of short breaks (respite care) is important for carers. The latest official statistics publication on respite care in Scotland was published on 28 October 2014. This shows that the Scottish Government has achieved its manifesto commitment of …

10 Jun 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to support the retention of experienced foster carers.

Answer · Fiona McLeod: In response to a recommendation of the national review of foster care the Scottish Government agreed to develop a learning and development strategy that will provide the opportunity for foster carers to work towards a more structured framework of training tha…

10 Jun 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what conclusions it has reached from its research into foster care allowances; whether it plans to introduce changes to such allowances, and, if so, by when.

Answer · Fiona McLeod: The Scottish Government undertook research on foster care allowances which compared methodologies used across the UK on how levels of fostering allowances were reached. It recommended that further research into minimum income standards be undertaken to examin…

10 Jun 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made with the development of a national learning and development framework for foster care.

Answer · Fiona McLeod: In July 2014 the Scottish Government commissioned Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) to develop a learning and development framework for foster carers in Scotland. A large scoping exercise was undertaken to capture existing qualifications and learning an…