Parliamentary questions
John Lamont
759 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
3 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it promotes skills development in the textile industry in the Scottish Borders.
Answer · Alasdair Allan: As in the rest of Scotland, the Scottish Government offers a range of interventions to support skills development across sectors. As well as national training programmes such as Modern Apprenticeships, Training for Work and Get Ready for Work, employers can a…
26 May 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will bring forward legislation in relation to high hedges.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government is committed to providing a legal framework for settling disputes related to high hedges and we are working towards the introduction of legislation this session. I intend to build on the progress that has already been made and will be…
25 May 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it is supporting Berwickshire fishermen with the transition to electronic logbooks.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: As set out in council regulation 1224/2009 all vessels over 12 metres across the EU are legally required to report using an electronic logbooks on a phased implementation basis: As from 1 January 2010 vessels of 24 metres overall; As from 1 January 2011 ve…
25 May 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what constitutes a common good asset and how such assets differ from property or land owned by a local authority.
Answer · John Swinney: Common good originated as revenues from properties belonging to the early burghs of Scotland. Essentially, the common good denoted all property of a Burgh not acquired under statutory powers or held under special trusts. Historically, the common good became a…
25 May 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to upgrade the A1 in Berwickshire.
Answer · Keith Brown: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-40373 on 17 March 2011. 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/Apps2/Business/P…
11 May 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much it spent on advertising in each of the last 12 months of the last parliamentary session.
Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the Scottish Government website where advertising spend from 2007-08 to 2009-10 has already been published. www.scotland.gov.uk/About/Directorates/Services-Groups/17963/advertising-marketing/spend. Advertising spend for 2010-11 is cu…
11 May 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to make improvements to the A7 at Selkirk
Answer · Keith Brown: The Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR) recommended a programme of active route management and targeted individual investments on the A7 to maintain and safely operate the route.
11 May 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will make a further announcement regarding the reopening of the Reston railway station.
Answer · Keith Brown: First ScotRail commissioned a study to investigate the business case for rail enhancements between Edinburgh and Newcastle, including potential new stations at East Linton and Reston. The study is due to be finalised later this summer. We will consider the o…
8 Mar 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are plans to improve the junctions on the A1 in Berwickshire
Answer · Keith Brown: The A1 is one of the routes identified within Intervention 5 of the STPR (Strategic Transport Projects Review) where our aim will be to optimise the operation of the route through active route management and targeted individual investments.</p> <p >This incl…
8 Mar 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the running costs were for each (a) police authority and (b) joint police board in each of the last two years
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: This information is not held centrally and is a matter for each individual police authority and joint police board.</p>
24 Feb 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, following the consultation on a possible merger with the Scottish Public Sector Ombudsman, when it plans to announce its decision on the future of the Police Complaints Commissioner for Scotland.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Following careful consideration of the views expressed by stakeholders in response to my letter about the future of police complaints handling, I remain of the view that the principle set out in the Sinclair Recommendations on simplifying public service compl…
27 Jan 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many prisoners have been tested for drugs on reception to prison in each of the last five years, broken down by prison.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:</b></p> <p >The information relating to drug testing in prison is published annually in <i >Drug Misuse Statistics Scotland</i> by Information St…
27 Jan 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much it has spent on drug testing of prisoners on reception to prison in each of the last five years, broken down by prison.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:</b></p> <p >The Scottish Prison Service does not separately record the cost of drug testing prisoners on reception to prison.</p> <p >Drug testi…
26 Jan 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Scottish Water regarding the Kelso Waste Treatment Works and whether there are plans to invest in the works.
Answer · Keith Brown: The Scottish Government has regular discussions with Scottish Water regarding odours from Wastewater Treatment Works and some odour improvements have already been delivered at Kelso. The government understands that Scottish Water is agreeing an Odour Improvem…
16 Dec 2010 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it is supporting the Eyemouth fishing industry.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: Following extensive discussion with the Scottish Fisheries Council, the Scottish Government has adopted a four pillar plan designed to support the fishing industry across Scotland. The aim, in Eyemouth as elsewhere, is to enable Scottish fishermen to weather …
13 Dec 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what Scotland’s energy demand was on each day from 25 November to 9 December 2010, and what percentage of the energy for this period was provided by wind power.
Answer · Jim Mather: The information requested is not held centrally. Annual figures for electricity demand and generation by renewables in Scotland are published on the Scottish Government website at:</b></p> <p >http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Environment/s…
9 Dec 2010 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people on community service orders have been drafted in to help with snow clearing.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Low-level offenders sentenced to unpaid work all around those areas of Scotland affected by the recent adverse weather conditions have been working hard as part of the clear-up efforts. Information is being placed within the Scottish Parliament Information Ce…
24 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many cases have been dismissed from (a) sheriff or (b) high courts following the judgment of the UK Supreme Court on Cadder v Her Majesty’s Advocate.
Answer · Elish Angiolini: The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service is currently monitoring the impact of the decision in HMA v Cadder.</p> <p >There were 3,471 cases in which the absence of access to a solicitor prior to interview at a police station had been raised at the dat…
11 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many wind farm development applications it has (a) approved and (b) rejected since 2007, broken down by parliamentary constituency.
Answer · Jim Mather: Since May 2007 the Scottish Government has consented 19 wind farms and rejected seven.</p> <p >The information requested regarding parliamentary constituency is not held centrally.</p>
5 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many spaces are available for service users in each rehabilitation service listed on the Scottish Drug Services Directory.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Drug Services Directory lists 217 community-based services as of 10 November 2010. There is no centrally held information on the spaces available for each community based service, as the capacity of these services fluctuates according to demand.<…
5 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people were recorded on 21 July 2010 as using each rehabilitation service listed in the Scottish Drug Services Directory.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: I have taken the member''s question to cover all rehabilitation services listed in the Scottish Drug Services Directory. This information is not gathered or held centrally. Data on the numbers of people accessing these services on 21 July 2010 may be availabl…
18 Oct 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total capacity for training recruits at the Scottish Police College has been in each month since 2000.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Courses at the Scottish Police College do not run on a month by month basis and the Scottish Government does not hold information on the college''s total capacity for training recruits each month. For most of the period 2003 until April 2010 the Scottish Poli…
18 Oct 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many recruits have been trained at the Scottish Police College in each month since 2000.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Courses at the Scottish Police College do not run on a month by month basis and the Scottish Government does not hold figures for the number of probationers trained in each month. The following table shows the total number of probationers trained each year si…
18 Oct 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much legal aid was paid to lawyers to represent clients suing the NHS for negligence in each of the last 10 years.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The Scottish Legal Aid Board (SLAB) has responsibility for administering the legal aid scheme.</p> <p >SLAB has reparation cases coded on its systems going back to 2001. In 2005, it introduced a category code to identify cases of reparation with a specific …
18 Oct 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much legal aid was paid to lawyers to represent asylum seekers in each of the last 10 years.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: We can only give specific figures for asylum, to any degree of accuracy, after April 2008.</p> <p >The Scottish Legal Aid Board (SLAB) has responsibility for administering the legal aid scheme. It has recorded payment figures in the immigration and asylum ca…
27 Sep 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much the NHS has spent on staff uniforms in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: This information is not held centrally.</b></p>
2 Aug 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many prisoners are on a methadone reduction plan, broken down by prison.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:</p> <p >The Prisoner Survey captures data from prisoners reporting to be in receipt of a methadone prescription and whether they are receiving a …
2 Aug 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what maximum number of prisoners was on a methadone prescription in each prison in each of the last 10 years.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:</p> <p >The SPS has undertaken snapshot audits across all Scottish prisons since 2006 of prisoners being prescribed methadone on a given day, two…
2 Aug 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many prisoners were prescribed methadone in each prison in each of the last 10 years.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:</p> <p >This information is not available. </p> <p >However, the SPS has undertaken prison-wide snapshot audits across all Scottish prisons sinc…
29 Jul 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it is tackling homelessness in Roxburgh and Berwickshire and when it expects everyone in the Scottish Borders to be adequately housed.
Answer · Alex Neil: The Scottish Government remains committed to the target of ensuring that all unintentionally homeless households have the right to access settled accommodation by the end of 2012. At the last statistical count published in March 2010, it is evident that Scott…