Liz Smith

10 Feb 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many local authorities have applied to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency for licences to dredge rivers in each year since 1999.

Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: Authorisation to carry out dredging was required from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency from 2006 onwards, with the introduction of the Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2005. Authorisations can be granted in two forms…

5 Feb 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much air quality management funding each local authority has received in each year since 1999.

Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The information requested is provided in the following tables. Allocations are based on an application process, rather than being made automatically. Three air quality funding schemes currently operate, local air quality management (introduced in 1998), vehic…

5 Feb 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many bids there have been for air quality management funding in each year since 1999.

Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The information requested is provided in the following table. Three air quality funding schemes currently operate, local air quality management (introduced in 1998), vehicle emissions testing (introduced in 2003) and vehicle emissions reduction/air quality ac…

4 Feb 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many cases of flytipping have been reported to procurators fiscal in each year since 1999, and how many (a) prosecutions and (b) convictions there were.

Answer · Lesley Thomson: Fly-tipping is covered by section 33(1)(a) and (6) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 which makes it an offence to deposit “controlled waste” unless the deposit is authorised by a waste management licence. The following table contains the information re…

30 Jan 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers that Education Scotland inspections should take account of the quality of teaching facilities and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

Answer · Michael Russell: Education Scotland Inspectors take account of the quality of teaching facilities during school inspections. No formal evaluation of accommodation is made using a quality indicator, but in cases where pupils' safety might be at risk, or where poor facilities a…

27 Jan 2014 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister what discussions the Scottish Government has had with local authorities regarding the provision of primary school places.

20 Jan 2014 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address reported increases in emergency admissions for people over 75.

16 Jan 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it expects that, if Scotland becomes independent, British citizens born in Scotland but living in the rest of the UK will retain British citizenship.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: As set out at page 271 of Scotland’s Future, Scottish Government policy is that all British citizens who are habitually resident in Scotland and all British citizens born in Scotland but residing elsewhere would automatically be considered Scottish citizens. …

15 Jan 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many calls the national confidential reporting system for police employees has received each year.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The Scottish Government does not hold this information. This is a matter for Police Scotland. You may contact the chief constable, Sir Stephen House at Police Scotland, Randolphfield, Stirling, FK8 2HD.

14 Jan 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the number of police stations needed to provide effective policing.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The police in Scotland operate independently of ministers and any decisions on the future of police stations would be an operational matter for Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority. In this regard, it is not the role of the Scottish Government t…

14 Jan 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Police Scotland on the closure of police stations.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The police in Scotland operate independently of ministers and any decisions on the future of police stations would be an operational matter for Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority. The Scottish Government support the overarching aim of visible …

14 Jan 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-18988 by Alasdair Allan on 13 January 2014, for what reason there has been a 61% increase in the number of people in this category since 2011.

Answer · Alasdair Allan: Prior to 2010, only pupils with co-ordinated support plans (CSPs), individual educational programmes (IEPs) or who were attending a special school were recorded as having additional support needs. However, in 2010 this was extended to include anyone receiving…

13 Jan 2014 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider introducing a national confidential alert line for Police Scotland employees.

18 Dec 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the definition is of "Other" under the heading, Additional Support Needs, in Table 3.5 in the Summary Statistics for Schools in Scotland, No.4: 2013 Edition.

Answer · Alasdair Allan: The definition of 'Other' which is provided in the ScotXed guidance to local authorities for the completion of the pupil census is: Other Need Type: This need type is there to record any other type of additional support that does not fit into any of the oth…

18 Dec 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the definition is of a pupil with additional support needs and whether this has changed since the 2010 edition of the Summary Statistics for Schools in Scotland was published.

Answer · Alasdair Allan: Additional support needs is defined by the Additional Support for Learning Act 2004 (as amended). The definition and guidance on the definition is available from the code of practice on additional support for learning available from http://www.scotland.gov.uk…

16 Dec 2013 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister what the impact will be on the Scottish Government's energy policy of Scottish Power's decision not to go ahead with its proposed wind turbine development off Tiree.

13 Dec 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it is having with (a) Creative Scotland and (b) film producers regarding the (i) appointment process for and (ii) job description of the agency’s new Director of Film and Media.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: This is an internal operational matter for Creative Scotland and thus there have been no discussions. The Scottish Government remains in regular contact with Creative Scotland and a range of stakeholders on wider film policy.

11 Dec 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what actions (a) it is and (b) the organisers of the 2014 Commonwealth Games are taking to address the predicted shortfall in security provision for the games.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government, working with the Organising Committee and Police Scotland have agreed that a mixed workforce solution involving police, military and private industry resources would be the most robust structure to ensure a safe and secure games. Th…

9 Dec 2013 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met the board of Scottish Opera and what issues were discussed.

5 Dec 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many applications for support from the start-up fund have been made to Community Broadband Scotland; which applications were successful; how much was awarded, and how many of the projects supported by this funding have been completed, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-18744 on 16 December 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/parliamenta…

5 Dec 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many community-led projects have bid for support from Community Broadband Scotland; which bids were successful; how much was awarded, and how many of the projects have been completed, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Community Broadband Scotland (CBS) provides a broad spectrum of support to community-led broadband projects including advice, guidance and funding support. The purpose of the funding support is to assist communities in the planning, development and delivery o…

27 Nov 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it took to prevent the politicisation of officials during the development of the white paper on Scottish independence.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Officials developed Scotland’s Future as part of their normal duties in support of Scottish Ministers in line with the Civil Service Code. This code of conduct, and guidance for civil servants on political activity, is available at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/…

27 Nov 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether (a) members of the Yes Scotland campaign and (b) SNP party officials met officials involved in the development of the white paper on Scottish independence during its development.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Scotland’s Future is a Scottish Government publication developed and drafted by civil servants under the direction of ministers. A meeting between special advisers, SNP officials and government officials leading work on the white paper took place on 12 August…

27 Nov 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many officials were involved in the development of the white paper on Scottish independence.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Officials in policy teams across a number of areas in the Scottish Government worked on material included in Scotland’s Future. Details of Scottish Government staff supporting constitutional reform have been published on the Scottish Government website at: …

20 Nov 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government (a) how many times and (b) for how long on average the (i) M9/A9 and (ii) A92/A972 have been closed as a result of crime scene investigations of accidents in the last three years, and for what reason these roads cannot be reopened for managed traffic flow more quickly in such cases.

Answer · Keith Brown: Details of trunk road closures on the M9/A9 and A92/A972 in the last 3 full calendar years are contained in the following table. Our records for 2013 are not yet complete: 2010 2011 2012 Road Number of Closures Average time (hrs) Number of Closures …

18 Nov 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many music teachers there have been in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Alasdair Allan: Information on the number of music teachers in 2011 and 2012 can be found in the teacher census supplementary tables to the Summary Statistics for Schools in Scotland publication. This is available on the Scottish Government website and can be accessed using …

18 Nov 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many pupils have been learning a musical instrument in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority.

Answer · Alasdair Allan: This information is not held centrally. However, as part of the work of the Instrumental Music Group which reported to the Scottish Government on 27 June 2013, the improvement service obtained information on the number of pupils learning a musical instrument…

14 Nov 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Scottish Qualifications Authority regarding introducing a learning scheme similar to that offered by the Nisai Virtual Academy in England.

Answer · Alasdair Allan: The Scottish Government has not had discussions with the Scottish Qualifications Authority on this issue. Scottish Government officials met with Nisai academy representatives and provided information on the steps Nisai may wish to consider if they were to dev…

12 Nov 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with local authorities regarding the protection of routes of former railway lines.

Answer · Keith Brown: The Scottish Government is not aware of any discussions that have taken place with local authorities regarding the protection of routes of former railway lines.

12 Nov 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the protection of routes of former railway lines across the country.

Answer · Keith Brown: The responsibility for protecting the historic alignment of former railway lines lies with relevant planning authorities. The Scottish Planning policy states that disused railway lines with a reasonable prospect of being reused as rail, tram or active travel…