Parliamentary questions
Alison Johnstone
905 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
2 Dec 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what evidence it has on the use of unlicensed chemicals to treat sea lice.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Reports recently published by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) show residues of various chemical substances in sediments. Some, although not all, of these substances are legitimately licensed as sea louse treatments but the nature of sampling…
1 Dec 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to replace persistent organic pollutants with safer alternatives in order to protect children’s health, in light of the World Health Organization report, Persistent Organic Pollutants: Impact on Child Health.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Most of the persistent organic pollutants listed in the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants have been banned in the UK for several years. Two substances, known collectively as dioxins, have never been produced intentionally but may be formed…
1 Dec 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it holds on the sources of persistent organic pollutants.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The vast majority of persistent organic pollutants are created in industrial processes, either intentionally or as byproducts. There are very few natural sources. Specific information on sources is not held centrally, but general background can be found in th…
23 Nov 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that shale gas and coal bed methane gas reserves extracted by using hydraulic fracturing methods could impact on its climate change targets.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: In the transition to a low carbon future, we will still need to rely on fossil fuels for many years to come. Shale gas is a natural gas and increased shale gas production could result in lower overall emissions, if it displaces fuels such as coal which is as…
23 Nov 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what evidence it has on the human health risks arising from shale gas development.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: Human health risks to consider in relation to shale gas extraction are mainly related to the potential for water pollution. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) considers this through the Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) licen…
23 Nov 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the burning and extraction of shale gas and coal bed methane gas reserves will release significant quantities of climate change emissions into the atmosphere.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government does not expect significant emissions from the burning and extraction of shale gas and coal bed methane in Scotland. Increased unconventional gas production, if properly controlled, could result in lower overall emissions, if it displa…
23 Nov 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what evidence it has on the impact of extracting and burning shale gas reserves on climate change and whether it will publish these data.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: Evidence on shale gas and coal bed methane activities is not held by the Scottish Government or SEPA, given there are no facilities currently operating in Scotland, although there have been applications in Scotland for investigatory boreholes relating to thes…
2 Nov 2011 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria were used by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency in granting a licence to Greenpark Energy to begin hydraulic fracturing to extract shale gas.
21 Sep 2011 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the World Health Organization report, Persistent Organic Pollutants: Impact on Child Health.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government has noted this report, since its recommendations reinforce the existing health policies and initiatives being taken forward already across the Scottish Government and its agencies.
6 Sep 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4W-01054 by John Swinney on 1 July 2011, whether it will ensure that its cleaning product suppliers sign up to the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection's humane household product standard.
Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government currently has no plans to sign up to the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection humane household product standard as this relates to domestic rather than industrial/professional use. However, as confirmed in S4W-01054, the Scot…
30 Aug 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will monitor the impact of changes to community nursing which involve the establishment of geographically based teams.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The impact of changes to community nursing teams would be monitored by individual NHS boards. NHS Lothian has also advised that a patient experience questionnaire is in the process of being piloted.
30 Aug 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what account it has taken of concerns raised by GPs regarding the delivery of primary care as a result of changes to community nursing which will involve the establishment of geographically based teams.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Issues around the delivery of Primary Care Services is a matter for NHS boards. We are aware that a number of representations from General Practitioners were received about the establishment of geographically based community nursing teams in NHS Greater Glasg…
30 Aug 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how changes to community nursing involving the establishment of geographically based teams will be beneficial to the delivery of holistic patient care.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Decisions on whether community nursing teams should be geographically based are for individual NHS boards to take. This approach has been introduced across a number of boards; and with regard to NHS Lothian, they have advised it will provide a more consistent…
30 Aug 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what consultation was undertaken with GPs and the public regarding changes to community nursing which will involve the establishment of geographically based teams.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Any consultation with general practitioners and the public about the establishment of geographically based community nursing services would be undertaken by individual NHS boards. NHS Lothian has confirmed that consultation via regular communication networks …
28 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the projected budget for HMP and YOI Cornton Vale is for the next two years, excluding capital, headquarters and central costs.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows: Budgets for the next two years will be set by the Scottish Government later this year.
28 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the net expenditure of HMP and YOI Cornton Vale was in the last five years, excluding capital, headquarters and other central costs.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows: Excluding capital, headquarters and other central costs, the net expenditure for HMP and YOI Cornton Vale for the last five years was Year £…
28 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average per capita cost to the Scottish Prison Service was of holding a (a) female and (b) male prisoner in each of the last five years.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows: The average cost per prisoner place is recorded each year in the SPS Annual Report and Accounts. The accounts are available on SPS’s website www.…
28 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the projected capital spend is on HMP and YOI Cornton Vale for the next two years.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows: Budgets for the next two years will be set by the Scottish Government later this year.
21 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to use in its properties only cleaning products that have not been tested on animals.
Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government does not use cleaning products in its premises that have been tested on animals.
16 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what support it is providing to the creative industries.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Growth, Talent, Ambition, the Scottish Government’s creative industries strategy, which was published on March 21 2011, sets out how the public sector in Scotland is working to support the creative industries. It can be found at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/P…
16 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the closure of music departments in educational establishments and what action it will take to support the teaching of music at all educational levels.
Answer · Michael Russell: The Scottish Government recognises the value of the expressive arts and is committed to the actions detailed in the education and the arts, culture and creativity action plan, launched in September 2010. Expressive arts is one of eight curriculum areas within…
16 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many job losses in further education may result from reductions in teaching budgets for 2011-12.
Answer · Alasdair Allan: Colleges are independent employers of staff, and this information is not held centrally. The majority of colleges have given a standard assurance that they would seek to avoid compulsory redundancies if at all possible, with seven going further and giving an …
16 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many classes, workshops and teaching sessions in further education have been either (a) reduced in number, (b) shortened or (c) merged as a result of its 2011-12 budget decisions.
Answer · Alasdair Allan: The college sector has agreed to maintain in 2011-12 the same overall level of core activity as in the previous year. Decisions about the provision of specific courses are made by colleges as independent institutions.
16 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason further education colleges will receive, according to the EIS, a 10.4% reduction in their teaching grants for 2011-12 and a 52% reduction in capital funding over the same period.
Answer · Alasdair Allan: The reduction in the teaching and capital budgets of colleges is a direct result of the decision of the UK Government to reduce Scotland’s block grant by no less than £1.3 billion.
16 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many young people will enter further education in 2011-12 and whether it expects the intake of young people to (a) higher and (b) further education in this period to be higher than in previous years.
Answer · Alasdair Allan: The information requested is not held centrally. The Scottish Government does not produce forecasts of the predicted number of young people entering further or higher education. The latest data on the number of young people entering further and higher educati…
16 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the level of youth unemployment is in Scotland.
Answer · Alasdair Allan: It is estimated from the latest Annual Population Survey (October 2009 to September 2010) that there are 73,000 individuals aged 16 to 24 unemployed in Scotland. The Annual Population Survey is the official source for information on unemployment by age. Unem…
16 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made an assessment of the impact on further education of the decision to reduce the Scottish Funding Council’s budget for 2011-12.
Answer · Alasdair Allan: The college sector has agreed to maintain in 2011-12 the same overall level of core activity as in the previous year.
16 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on whether the Scottish Adjacent Waters Boundaries Order 1999 should be revoked and whether it plans to take any action in this regard.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: Although it is unlikely that we will make any progress with the UK on this issue, we will continue to take any opportunity to raise it with the UK Government.
16 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has meetings planned with the UK Government to discuss the impact of the Scottish Adjacent Waters Boundaries Order 1999.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The relevant UK Government department, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, have made clear that they have no plans to review or make changes to the 1999 order and no meetings on this subject are planned.
10 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to include the teaching of emergency life support skills in schools.
Answer · Michael Russell: The experiences and outcomes under Curriculum for Excellence contain a section on Physical Wellbeing which includes, “I know and can demonstrate how to keep myself and others safe and how to respond in a range of emergency situations.” It is for schools and l…