Liam McArthur

11 Apr 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will manage accountability for spending public money when working with private companies during Homecoming 2014.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: Robust mechanisms are in place to provide the necessary accountability and transparency needed for all public resources invested in Homecoming Scotland 2014. All organisations, including private companies involved in the delivery of events in the programme, w…

11 Apr 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans are in place to create jobs during Homecoming 2014 and how it will ensure that the event will create jobs throughout Scotland.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: Homecoming Scotland 2009 was a great success generating £53.7 million for the country and creating more than 1,500 full-time equivalent employment opportunities. Homecoming Scotland 2014 will aim to build on that success, with the delivery of an inspirational…

7 Mar 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many young people who were being offered advice, guidance and assistance by a local authority under sections (a) 29(1) and (b) 29(2) of the Children’s (Scotland) Act 1995 and Supporting Young People Leaving Care in Scotland: Regulations and Guidance on Services for Young People Ceasin…

Answer · Aileen Campbell: This information is not held centrally. Individual local authorities should be able to provide information on young people who were receiving advice, guidance and assistance under sections 29(1) and 29(2) of the Children’s (Scotland) Act 1995 and Supporting …

29 Feb 2012 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will announce the preferred bidder for the Northern Isles ferry contract.

28 Feb 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what (a) weight and (b) value of seafood has been exported directly from Scotland to China in each quarter of the last two years, broken down by species.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Due to the way data is reported by HM Revenues and Customs (HMRC) the weight and value of each individual seafood species exported from Scotland to China is unavailable. However, the HMRC Regional Trade Statistics data for “Fish, Crustaceans, Molluscs, Aquati…

27 Feb 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many school groups from (a) island and (b) remote mainland communities have gone on visits in each year as part of the heritage education travel subsidy scheme, also broken down by site.

Answer · Michael Russell: The Heritage Education School Visits Travel Subsidy scheme was established in April 2010 and is administered by Historic Scotland. Information on how the scheme operates and the sites included is available at: www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/education-travel-sub…

27 Feb 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many school (a) groups and (b) pupils have gone on visits in each year as part of the heritage education travel subsidy scheme, also broken down by site.

Answer · Michael Russell: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-05962 on 7 March 2012. 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/parliamentarybu…

27 Feb 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been spent on the heritage education travel subsidy scheme in each year, also broken down by site.

Answer · Michael Russell: The Heritage Education School Visits Travel Subsidy scheme was established in April 2010 and is administered by Historic Scotland. Information on how the scheme operates and the sites included is available at: www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/education-travel-su…

27 Feb 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that any cultural benefits arising from the Cultural Olympiad and the Year of Creative Scotland 2012 will be carried forward to the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: We are committed to ensuring that the benefits of creative and cultural activity underway in 2012 carry through to 2014 and we have already established the appropriate governance structures and evaluation frameworks across all our 2012 and 2014 activity to en…

24 Feb 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how the views of the Orkney and Shetland communities will be taken into account when discussions begin with a preferred bidder for the Northern Isles ferry contract.

Answer · Keith Brown: The views of the Orkney and Shetland communities were first invited during the full public consultation in 2010. In addition to the published consultation document, government officials held a series of public meetings in both Orkney and Shetland. Once the te…

24 Feb 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it took to incorporate the views of the Orkney and Shetland communities during the competitive dialogue process leading to the retendering of the Northern Isles ferry contract.

Answer · Keith Brown: During the Competitive Dialogue stage of the Northern Isles tender process, Transport Scotland engaged directly with officials from HITRANS and ZetTrans in order to benefit from their detailed local knowledge and perspective. This followed extensive engagemen…

24 Feb 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to announce the preferred bidder for the Northern Isles ferry contract.

Answer · Keith Brown: We expect an announcement on the preferred bidder for the next Northern Isles ferry services contract to be made in April 2012.

21 Feb 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it plans to make an announcement regarding the future of the Tayside beavers.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: An announcement will be made shortly.

21 Feb 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it classifies the Tayside beavers as an invasive and non-native species.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The beaver is a former native species which, in Scotland, is now out of its native range. Beavers can have negative, as well as positive, impacts on the environment and their unlicensed release is currently an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1…

21 Feb 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether Scottish Natural Heritage has the authority under the Wildlife and Natural Environment (Scotland) Act 2011 to enter land without the owner’s permission to capture or cull the Tayside beavers and whether it has sought a species control order in order to do so.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The non-native species provisions within the Wildlife and Natural Environment (Scotland) Act 2011 have yet to be commenced and, consequently, no species control orders have been made. Once the provisions are commenced they would empower Scottish Natural Herit…

17 Feb 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what clarification it sought from the European Commission on whether state aid rules were applicable prior to the (a) establishment and (b) extension of the road equivalent tariff pilot.

Answer · Keith Brown: We have previously made clear to the European Commission details of the Road Equivalent Tariff (RET) pilot to the Western Isles, Coll and Tiree. The European Commission noted our position and did not raise objections or ask for any further clarification. Cons…

9 Feb 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much it has spent on the administration of public service obligation flights in each year since 2007.

Answer · Keith Brown: It is not possible to provide a break-down of the administration costs incurred by the Scottish Government for our Public Service Obligation flights.

9 Feb 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria it has used since 2007 to determine a region’s eligibility for public service obligation flights.

Answer · Keith Brown: We have used the following criteria for our supported air services:- routes which are not commercially viable, and routes which would not otherwise be provided.

9 Feb 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the budget for public service obligation flights has been in each year since 2007.

Answer · Keith Brown: Details of Public Service Obligation actual spend for the provision of air services between Glasgow International Airport and Campbeltown, Tiree and Barra are as follows: 2007-08 £1.8 million 2008-09 £1.9 million 2009-10 £2.0 million 2010-11 £2.0 mill…

9 Feb 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with (a) Flybe, (b) Loganair and (c) other airlines serving the Highlands and Islands since 2007 regarding the expansion of the public service obligation network.

Answer · Keith Brown: We have had no such discussions with airlines since 2007.

9 Feb 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with businesses in the Highlands and Islands since 2007 regarding the extension of public service obligation flights to these areas.

Answer · Keith Brown: We have had no such discussions with businesses in the Highlands and Islands since 2007.

9 Feb 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the European Commission since 2007 regarding the extension of public service obligation flights to other air routes, including those eligible for the Air Discount Scheme.

Answer · Keith Brown: We have had no such discussions with the European Commission since 2007.

9 Feb 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with local authorities since 2007 regarding the extension of public service obligation flights to all airports that serve routes that are eligible for the Air Discount Scheme.

Answer · Keith Brown: I met the Convenors of the three island authorities on 29 September when a number of issues were discussed including the extension of Public Service Obligation services.

1 Feb 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how Scottish Water International Business Development's operations will be funded and how its performance will be reflected in Scottish Water’s budget.

Answer · Alex Neil: The start up costs of Scottish Water's international activities are funded from the retained profits of other commercial activities of Scottish Water. All the income generated and costs incurred in Scottish Water's international activities will be consolidate…

1 Feb 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether Scottish Water International Business Development's operations will provide advice and expertise only.

Answer · Alex Neil: Scottish Water International Business Development will provide advisory services - it has no plans to make financial investments in overseas assets.

1 Feb 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what Scottish Water International Business Development's operational targets are and how these will be measured.

Answer · Alex Neil: The governance framework the Scottish Government has put in place with Scottish Water requires the organisation to produce an annual business plan that sets out the overarching business strategy for Scottish Water and its subsidiaries including how it shall e…

1 Feb 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are countries in which it is not prepared to allow Scottish Water International Business Development to operate and, if so, which countries.

Answer · Alex Neil: Scottish Water International Business Development makes its own judgements on the suitability of visiting and operating in particular countries and does so with reference to the published advice available from the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office concerning…

30 Jan 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of (a) adults and (b) children have blood levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D below the minimum level of 25 nanomoles per litre.

Answer · Michael Matheson: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-05302 on 8 February 2012. 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/parliamentar…

26 Jan 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to promote additional vitamin D for (a) pregnant women and (b) children.

Answer · Michael Matheson: In September 2010 the Chief Medical Officer for Scotland wrote to all health professionals urging them to explain the importance of vitamin D to patients at risk of deficiency. In June 2011 we produced a leaflet for the general public and health professionals…

26 Jan 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of older people living in publicly funded care homes is given regular vitamin D supplements.

Answer · Michael Matheson: This information is not collected