Parliamentary questions
Joe FitzPatrick
179 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
18 Mar 2009 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to reform criminal law during the parliamentary session.
Answer · Frank Mulholland: <i > This question was answered in the Chamber. The answer can be viewed in the Official Report using the following link:</i></p> <p ><a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/sor0326-01.htm">http://www.scot…
11 Mar 2009 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what further action ministers are taking to combat hospital-acquired infections.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon : <i >This question was answered in the Chamber. The answer can be viewed in the Official Report using the following link:</i></p> <p ><a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/sor0312-01.htm">http://www.scott…
25 Feb 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it intends to take following the meeting between the First Minister, the Prime Minister and leaders of the devolved administrations on 25 February 2009 to discuss the current economic crisis.
Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government intends to continue pursuit of our six-point economic recovery programme. We will also continue to press the UK government to reverse its decision to reduce Scottish spending by as much as £500 million in 2010-11 and the year after, as…
5 Feb 2009 · First Minister's Question
To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to support employment in green industries.
Answer · Alex Salmond: <i > This question was answered in the Chamber. The answer can be viewed in the Official Report using the following link:</i></p> <p ><a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/sor0205-01.htm">http://www.sco…
15 Jan 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what further progress has been made in taking forward the development of the Scottish Futures Trust.
Answer · John Swinney: I shall be announcing today the appointment of the two remaining Non-Executive Directors to the Board of Scottish Futures Trust: Graeme Bissett, a member of the Council of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland, Finance Director at tie Ltd and a M…
11 Dec 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it proposes to respond to the 2008 report by the Scottish Local Authorities Remuneration Committee.
Answer · John Swinney: I wrote to the Chairman of SLARC on 10 December 2008 giving my response to the recommendations contained within the report and I will be bringing forward regulations shortly. The report and my response are available on the Scottish Government website.</p>
21 Nov 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made toward meeting the cancer waiting time target of 62 days, in percentage terms, from quarter to quarter since the target was set, broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-18143 on 4 December 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps…
21 Nov 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish the performance figures for the cancer waiting time target in each quarter since the target was set, broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: In December 2000, <i >Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change</i> announced that by 2005, the maximum wait from urgent referral to treatment for all cancers will be two months. Quarterly performance information showing progress against the 6…
12 Nov 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many businesses it estimates will have their business rates reduced to zero from April 2009, broken down by local authority.
Answer · John Swinney: Information on the business rates paid by individual businesses is not held centrally. The information available relates to the business rates paid on non-domestic properties. Some of these will be owned by businesses, but others will be in the public sector.…
12 Nov 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many businesses will have benefited from the Small Business Bonus Scheme in 2008-09, broken down by (a) discount band and (b) local authority.
Answer · John Swinney: Information on the number of businesses which will have benefited from the Small Business Bonus Scheme in 2008-09 in the form requested is not held centrally. However, information will be available in due course on the number of business properties which have…
30 Oct 2008 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many additional households in Tayside will be eligible under the new qualifying criteria for the central heating programme
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: Helping Scots cope with the impact of high fuel bills and tackling fuel poverty forms part of our six point programme aimed at reducing the impact of the global financial crisis. The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing announced last week that we are …
2 Oct 2008 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to increase the amount of commercial and industrial waste recycled in Scotland.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: This is an issue for the forthcoming review of the National Waste Plan. In particular, we will consider what more can be done to provide advice to business on minimising waste and improvements to data on commercial and industrial waste to encourage investment…
18 Sep 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what input it had to the Migration Advisory Committee’s work on the production of shortage occupation lists for the United Kingdom and Scotland in relation to tier 2 skilled employment and whether it considers that its input was taken into account in the committee’s report.
Answer · Linda Fabiani: While immigration is currently a reserved issue, the Scottish Government has worked closely with the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) since its inception and ministers provided views on the proposed methodology and work plan early in the process. Alongside …
18 Sep 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what Scottish representation there is on the Migration Advisory Committee and what input the Scottish Government has had on the form that representation should take.
Answer · Linda Fabiani: Immigration is currently reserved to the UK Government and as such appointment to the Migration Advisory Committee is a matter for them.</p> <p >We are advised that members of the Migration Advisory Committee are independent experts who have been appointed b…
18 Sep 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received any representations from Scottish businesses expressing concern about the impact of the introduction of a points-based immigration system on their ability to attract and retain skilled workers.
Answer · Linda Fabiani: We received representations from the Asian restaurant industry about its ability to recruit skilled chefs from the subcontinent. As immigration is currently reserved to the UK Government, these were conveyed to the Home Secretary. We also encouraged represent…
18 Sep 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any estimates of the likely impact on the performance of the Scottish economy of the change to a points-based immigration system in the United Kingdom.
Answer · Linda Fabiani: The Scottish Government has no estimates of the likely impact on the performance of the Scottish economy of the change to a points-based immigration system. Immigration is currently reserved and the Home Office noted in its Regulatory Impact Assessment, which…
18 Sep 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any estimates of the likely impact on levels of skilled immigration to Scotland of the change to a points-based immigration system in the United Kingdom.
Answer · Linda Fabiani: The Scottish Government has no estimates of the likely impact on levels of skilled immigration to Scotland of the change to a points-based immigration system. Immigration is currently reserved and the Home Office noted in its Regulatory Impact Assessment, whi…
18 Sep 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any estimates of the likely impact of the change to the Fresh Talent initiative, making it part of the UK-wide post study immigration category as of 30 June 2008, on (a) levels of immigration to Scotland, (b) numbers of foreign students at Scottish universities and (c) Sco…
Answer · Linda Fabiani: Immigration is currently a reserved issue and as such the Scottish Government has no estimates of the likely impact of the change to the Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland Scheme. The scheme has enabled over 8,400 international graduates to remain in Scotland …
18 Sep 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has information on the impact of the Fresh Talent initiative on (a) the performance of the Scottish economy, (b) the number of foreign students at Scottish universities and (c) levels of immigration to Scotland.
Answer · Linda Fabiani: It is not possible to identify the particular impact of the Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland Scheme on the performance of the Scottish economy or the number of foreign students at Scottish universities.</p> <p >Immigration is currently reserved to the UK Go…
18 Sep 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it holds on the economic impact of skilled immigration to Scotland.
Answer · Linda Fabiani: While immigration is currently a reserved issue, skilled immigration is an important contributor to the growth of Scotland''s economy. We have recently published analysis undertaken by Strathclyde University which identifies that continued levels of immigrati…
16 Sep 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what projections it has made of the impact on the budget of an (a) 1p and (b) 2p in the pound reduction in income tax using the Parliament’s taxation powers under the Scotland Act 1998.
Answer · John Swinney: An estimate of the impact of taxation changes in Scotland is published by HM Treasury in the annual economic and fiscal strategy report. The most recent estimate, published on 12 March 2008, indicates that a one penny reduction in the Scottish variable rate o…
16 Sep 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what projections it has made of the impact on the Scottish block grant of a 4p in the pound reduction in the basic rate of income tax during the current spending review period and what representations it has made to Her Majesty’s Government on the matter.
Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-16326 on 24 September 2008. For estimating purposes, it can be assumed that a four pence reduction in the basic rate of income tax in Scotland would reduce receipts by about £1.6 billion. The maximum change in …
4 Sep 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made on plans for the distribution of funds from the UK Dormant Bank and Building Society Accounts Bill.
Answer · Jim Mather: Following an initial scoping seminar held in Edinburgh, the Scottish Government has held four regional consultation seminars in Paisley, Galashiels, Fort William and Aberdeen. A Scottish Government online consultation exercise has been launched and will run u…
14 Aug 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the Registrar General for Scotland will publish his annual report for 2007.
Answer · Jim Mather: <i>Scotland</i><i>''s Population 2007: the Registrar General''s Annual Review of Demographic Trends</i> is published today. The report contains information about births, deaths and marriages during the year, together with other demographic information. A copy…
2 Jul 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it intends to put in place in order to ensure compliance with regulations requiring energy performance certificates at point of rental or sale from January 2009.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Responsibility for ensuring compliance for all buildings lies with the local authority. Where cases of non-compliance occur, the local authority will be in a position to serve a notice in order to address contraventions.</p>
2 Jul 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive to what extent cloning will be permissible in drawing up energy performance certificates.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive allows for certification based on the assessment of another representative apartment in the same block. This has been taken into account in developing software for the generation of energy performance certifica…
2 Jul 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will collect information on the energy performance of non-domestic buildings once energy performance certificates are introduced in January 2009 and, if not, whether any other body will collect this information.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Information from energy performance certificates for new, non-domestic buildings is currently placed on the building standards register maintained by local authorities. We are endeavouring to identify an appropriate register for existing non-domestic building…
2 Jul 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether members of the public will be able to access information on the energy performance of buildings that they are considering purchasing or renting and, if so, how this will be done.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The EU Directive on the Energy Performance of Buildings requires that energy performance certificates (EPCs) are made available to prospective buyers and tenants from 4 January 2009. This will be done by various means. For example, it is intended that, for ma…
20 Jun 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will provide an update on its work to improve external scrutiny, following Professor Crerar’s review of regulation, audit, inspection and complaints handling.
Answer · John Swinney: I have today written to the convener of the Finance Committee with an update of the actions that the Scottish Government has taken since we published our response to Professor Crerar’s review. The update sets out a number of actions that are under way. They w…
30 May 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities charge for the provision of services for disabled children.
Answer · Adam Ingram: This information is not held centrally.</p>