Parliamentary questions
Liam McArthur
3,646 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
5 Aug 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown by socio-economic class of the health impacts that have arisen from failure to meet air quality standards in each year since 2007.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: Data are not currently collected in ways that would allow the direct attribution of any poor health effects to exposure to air pollution in relation to socio-economic class. Many different factors interact to produce an overall effect on the health of any sub…
5 Aug 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) children have experienced poor health as a result of and (b) children's already poor health has been exacerbated by failure to meet air quality standards in each year since 2007.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: Data are not currently collected in ways that would allow the direct attribution of poor health in individual children to the effects of exposure to air pollution. Many different environmental and socio-economic factors interact to produce an overall effect o…
5 Aug 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what environmental damage has been caused by poor air quality in each year since 2007.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: Data are not currently collected in ways that would allow the direct attribution of environmental damage in general to poor air quality. Such assessments are normally made only in relation to specific situations.
5 Aug 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what (a) economic and (b) social damage has been caused by poor air quality in each year since 2007.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: Data are not currently collected in ways that would allow the direct attribution of any such damage to poor air quality on an annual basis. To separate out the specific impact of poor air quality would be a complex piece of work for which we do not at present…
5 Aug 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many people have experienced poor health due to failure to meet air quality standards in each year since 2007.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: Data are not currently collected in ways that would allow the direct attribution of any individual poor health effects to exposure to air pollution. Many different environmental and socio-economic factors interact to produce an overall effect on an individual…
5 Aug 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many deaths due to failure to meet air quality standards there have been in each year since 2007.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: Data are not currently collected in ways that would allow the direct attribution of any individual death to exposure to air pollution. To separate out the specific impact of poor air quality from the many other influencing factors would be a complex piece of …
5 Aug 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many deaths due to road traffic accidents there have been in each year since 2007.
Answer · Keith Brown: The following table shows the number of deaths in road traffic accidents reported to the police since 2007. Fatal Road Casualties 2007-12: 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 (p) 281 270 216 208 185 170 The figures are available in table 2 of the Key …
5 Aug 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many local air quality management areas (LAQMA) have been in place for five or more years since the establishment of the LAQMA policy.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: 14 air quality management areas have been in place for five or more years since the establishment of the local air quality management system.
5 Aug 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government on how many occasions a local air quality management area has been deemed no longer necessary due to the achievement of air pollution standards in each year since 2007.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The information requested is as follows: 2007-0 2008-0 2009-0 2010-0 2011-0 2012-1 2013-2
5 Aug 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many local air quality management areas have been declared in each year since 2007.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The information requested is as follows: 2007-2 2008-5 2009-1 2010-3 2011-5 2012-0 2013-3
29 Jul 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many wildlife crime cases there have been in the former Northern Constabulary area over the last five years and whether it considers this workload sufficient to base a full-time wildlife crime officer in this police division.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Figures held by the Scottish Government show that from 2007 to 2012, there were 298 wildlife crime cases in the former Northern Constabulary area. The deployment of wildlife crime officers within Police Scotland is an operational matter for the Chief Constabl…
29 Jul 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether there are part-time wildlife crime liaison officers based in (a) Orkney and (b) Shetland.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The Scottish Government does not hold this information. The deployment of wildlife crime liaison officers within Police Scotland is a matter for the chief constable. Any operational officers within Police Scotland can deal with wildlife crime. In addition, 1…
19 Jun 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-14411 by Fergus Ewing on 8 May 2013, what the names are of the three recipients of support from the Renewable Energy Investment Fund.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: At the All-Energy conference in May 2013, I announced a loan to Gigha Green Power Ltd from the Renewable Energy Investment Fund. Details of further investments by the fund are commercial in confidence and will be announced following financial closure and in …
17 Jun 2013 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to avoid colleges being re-classified as public bodies.
14 May 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to introduce legislation to reverse the decision of the Office for National Statistics to reclassify colleges as part of central government in Scotland and what the reasons are for its decision on this matter.
Answer · Michael Russell: Legislation is not required and to introduce legislation would not be compatible with our policy priorities. The successful outcomes delivered by our colleges are founded on a partnership between Government and colleges. That partnership has its roots in exi…
14 May 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the implications are for (a) borrowing by the college sector, (b) learners, (c) planned capital programmes in the college sector, (d) procurement in the college sector, (e) charitable status in the college sector, (f) college governance, (g) access to the European Social Fund, (h) c…
Answer · Michael Russell: The implications of the decision of the Office for National Statistics to reclassify colleges as part of central government in Scotland are as follows; (a) Borrowing - Consolidated Budgeting Guidance, available at: http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/consolidat…
14 May 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what communications and discussions it has had with the college sector on the decision of the Office for National Statistics to reclassify colleges as part of central government since October 2010.
Answer · Michael Russell: Colleges were notified of the change in 2010. Since then Scottish Ministers have been raising objections with HM Treasury on the basis for the decision, the timing of implementation and the scope for mitigating the implications. The Cabinet Secretaries for E…
14 May 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has carried out of the implications for the post-16 reform programme following implementation of the decision of the Office for National Statistics to reclassify colleges as part of central government in Scotland.
Answer · Michael Russell: Implementation of the decision to reclassify colleges will not begin until 1 April 2014. The ONS’ decision itself does not compromise our ambitions for reform as set out in “Putting Learners at the Centre” in 2011. Nor does the decision affect the rationale …
14 May 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it will implement the decision of the Office for National Statistics to reclassify colleges as part of central government in Scotland.
Answer · Michael Russell: UK Government Ministers have insisted that we must begin implementing the ONS decision with effect from 1 April 2014.
10 May 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the consultants’ report to the Intergovernmental Scottish Islands Renewables Steering Group.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The report, entitled the Scottish Islands Renewables Project – Final Report, will be published on 15 May 2013. Copies have been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 54946) and it is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/pub…
9 May 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on the use of hyperbaric chambers for emergencies in each year since 2003, broken down by NHS board area.
Answer · Alex Neil: The information available is provided in the following tables: Table 1: Divers from each NHS Board treated at Aberdeen hyperbaric chamber from 2003 to 2012 Board Area 2003-09 2010 2011 2012 Ayrshire and Arran 1 Borders Dumfries and Gal…
7 May 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to discuss with Serco Northlink improvements to contingency plans for dealing with unplanned technical failures that affect the ferries that they operate.
Answer · Keith Brown: The Scottish Government supports and requires the contingency arrangements that are put in place by Serco Northlink for dealing with any unplanned technical failures that affects the ferries that they operate. Following the mechanical failure of the MV Hamna…
7 May 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the contingency plans put in place to deal with the loss of MV Hamnavoe from the Stromness to Scrabster route were adequate.
Answer · Keith Brown: The Scottish Government believes that the contingency arrangements, put in place, and acted upon, by Serco Northlink, were sufficient following, the unforeseen breakdown of the MV Hamnavoe. We continue to communicate with Serco Northlink to ensure that all e…
7 May 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the response by Serco Northlink to the MV Hamnavoe engine failure and subsequent loss of a lifeline service between Stromness and Scrabster.
Answer · Keith Brown: Following the unforeseen engine failure of the MV Hamnavoe, Serco Northlink immediately informed the Scottish Government and put in place its contingency plans to minimise disruption to ferry users travelling to Orkney. The Scottish Government believes that …
7 May 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions took place between ministers, Transport Scotland and Serco Northlink (a) prior to and (b) after 25 April 2013 to consider what modifications would be necessary to harbours at Stromness and Scrabster to enable the MV Hellier to operate on this route.
Answer · Keith Brown: There were no discussions prior to 25 April 2013 between Transport Scotland and Serco Northlink to consider modifications at Stromness or Scrabster harbours. Following the unforeseen mechanical engine failure of the MV Hamnavoe, Serco Northlink took immediat…
7 May 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the difference is between (a) fines levied and (b) subsidy paid per day to Serco Northlink before and after the MV Helliar was commissioned to cover the Stromness to Scrabster route.
Answer · Keith Brown: Under the terms of the Public Service Contract between Scottish Ministers and Serco Ltd, in respect of the Northern Isles Ferry Service, the subsidy for providing this service, is paid monthly and not daily. The subsidy provided is not split between the route…
7 May 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what subsidy Serco Northlink receives per (a) day and (b) route when all its routes are operating normally.
Answer · Keith Brown: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-14746 on 22 May 2013. 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/parliamentarybus…
7 May 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what subsidy it has paid to Serco Northlink per (a) day and (b) route since the MV Hamnavoe engine failure on 25 April 2013.
Answer · Keith Brown: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-14746 on 22 May 2013. 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/parliamentarybus…
7 May 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what fines it has levied on Serco Northlink per (a) day and (b) route in relation to the MV Hamnavoe engine failure on 25 April 2013.
Answer · Keith Brown: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-14746 on 22 May 2013. 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/parliamentarybus…
3 May 2013 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the consultants’ report to the Intergovernmental Scottish Islands Renewables Steering Group.