John Lamont

12 Sep 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the report, Unfinished Business: A National Parks Strategy for Scotland.

Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-17143 on 26 September 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/Apps2/Busi…

12 Sep 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made on examining the benefits of a national park strategy.

Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: Scotland’s national parks are two of our greatest national assets and the Scottish Government fully recognises the valuable contribution they make to our tourism industry and wider Scottish economy. Our national park authorities, working closely with a range …

24 Jul 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many UK conferences have been held in Scotland in each year since 1999 and what the impact has been on the Scottish economy.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government does not centrally hold information on the number of UK conferences held in Scotland since 1999. However, since the creation of the VisitScotland administered Conference Bid Fund in 2012, three UK conferences have been held in Scotlan…

5 Jul 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-13149 by Kenny MacAskill on 28 February 2013, when it plans to commence sections 1 to 4 of the Prisons (Interference with Wireless Telegraphy) Act 2012, which received Royal Assent on 19 December 2012.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Colin McConnell, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows: The timescales for commencing sections 1 to 4 of the Act continue to be dependent on the conclusion of a Memorandum of Understanding with OF…

2 Jul 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when the standard scale for fines in summary cases was last increased and whether it plans to increase this.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: A summary only offence is an offence that can only be prosecuted in a summary court. The standard scale is the scale used to set maximum fine levels for summary only offences. The current standard scale is as follows: Level 1: £200 Level 2: £500 Level 3: £…

2 Jul 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been fined for summary offences based on the standard scale in each year since 2006, broken down by the level of fine imposed.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The available information is given in the following table. People fined within the standard scale in sheriff summary courts, 2006-07 to 2011-12: Amount of Fine (£) 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 Level 1 (1-200) 19,547 17,705 13,76…

24 Jun 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of what the (a) international reputation and (b) credit-worthiness of an independent Scotland would be if it did not take a share of UK debt.

Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-16009 on 30 August 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/parliamentary…

24 Jun 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of independence on the cost of (a) mortgage and (b) credit card borrowing.

Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-16009 on 30 August 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/parliamentary…

24 Jun 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what impact it anticipates independence would have on the cost of borrowing.

Answer · John Swinney: Scotland is in a stronger fiscal position than the rest of the UK. Scotland’s balance sheet estimates that over the period 2007-08 to 2011-12 as a whole Scotland’s relative fiscal surplus was equivalent to £12.6 billion. Additionally, in each of the last 32 y…

24 Jun 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what body in an independent Scotland would undertake the role performed by the Office of Rail Regulation.

Answer · Keith Brown: Proposals for economic and competition regulation in an Independent Scotland were published by the Scottish Government earlier this year. This included proposals for the economic and safety regulatory functions for Scotland’s railways currently performed by t…

24 Jun 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether an independent Scotland would adopt the financial services rules and regulations of the UK and, if not, how long it would take for it to set out its own and what assessment it has made of how these might impact on the competitiveness of businesses.

Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-16000 on 30 August 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/parliamentary…

24 Jun 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what body in an independent Scotland would carry out the duties of the (a) Prudential Regulation and (b) Financial Conduct Authority.

Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-16000 on 30 August 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/parliamentary…

24 Jun 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what body in an independent Scotland would oversee macro-prudential regulation of the financial system.

Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-16000 on 30 August 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/parliamentary…

24 Jun 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the timescale would be for establishing a financial regulator in an independent Scotland; how much it would cost to (a) establish and (b) operate; what its governance arrangements would be, and what degree of autonomy it would have.

Answer · John Swinney: The Fiscal Commission Working Group has set out a robust macroeconomic framework for Scotland post-independence including financial regulation. In delivering these functions, an independent Scotland would ensure continuity of services, including transition f…

24 Jun 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the search and rescue capacity would be in an independent Scotland, broken down by (a) ships, (b) aeroplanes, (c) helicopters and (d) personnel. 

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government takes its search and rescue responsibilities extremely seriously and we disagreed strongly with the UK Government’s decision in 2010 to cancel the Nimrod MRA4 programme, leaving the UK with no current maritime patrol aircraft capabilit…

24 Jun 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the cost of an independent Scotland losing any economies of scale associated with the UK's military procurement policy.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-15951 on 30 August 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/parliamentary…

24 Jun 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to military procurement policy in an independent Scotland.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-15951 on 30 August 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/parliamentary…

24 Jun 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what military resources an independent Scotland would have to protect its overseas interests.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-15951 on 30 August 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/parliamentary…

24 Jun 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made regarding how separation from the rest of the UK would impact on jobs in the (a) defence and (b) security sector.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-15951 on 30 August 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/parliamentary…

24 Jun 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether an independent Scotland would receive a proportionate share of GCHQ's resources.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish people provide a proportionate contribution to the assets and functions of GCHQ and we expect that this will be reflected in the settlement and any agreements post-independence.

24 Jun 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the timetable would be for an independent Scotland to establish intelligence sharing protocols with other countries.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government will publish its detailed white paper with positive proposals on the opportunities and gains of independence in the autumn. Material on the referendum and the Scottish Government’s proposals for an independent Scotland can be found at:…

24 Jun 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether an independent Scotland would have its own (a) security and (b) signals intelligence and, if so, how much it would cost to (i) establish and (ii) operate.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: As I indicated at the Foreign Affairs Committee on 28 January 2013, it is envisaged that Scotland would have independent domestic intelligence machinery sitting alongside our police service.

24 Jun 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the number of defence sector research and development jobs that there would be in an independent Scotland.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-15951 on 30 August 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/parliamentary…

24 Jun 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the number of defence sector jobs in Scotland that would be required by an independent Scotland's defence forces.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-15951 on 30 August 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/parliamentary…

24 Jun 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the number of jobs in Scotland dependent on Ministry of Defence contracts.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: It cannot be assumed that all defence industry jobs in Scotland are dependent on Ministry of Defence contracts. It should be noted that the numbers working in defence-related industries has been falling from its peak as work on the Queen Elizabeth Class aircr…

24 Jun 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the minimum number of experienced personnel who would be required to transfer from the British armed forces in order for an independent Scotland's defence forces to be viable.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-15951 on 30 August 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/parliamentary…

24 Jun 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the same range of career opportunities would be available to members of an independent Scotland's defence force as the British armed forces.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-15951 on 30 August 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/parliamentaryb…

24 Jun 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether British army personnel who joined up in Scotland would be expected to transfer to an independent Scotland's defence forces.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-15951 on 30 August 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/parliamentary…

24 Jun 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with shipyard workers or their representatives about the consequences of independence.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: There have been discussions with shipyard workers and their representatives this year: 13 February 2013 – Deputy First Minister and the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth met Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions …

24 Jun 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether an independent Scotland would have access to the services of an aircraft carrier after 2020.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-15951 on 30 August 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/parliamentary…