Parliamentary questions
Richard Lyle
333 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
25 Sep 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing last met NHS Lanarkshire and what was discussed.
Answer · Alex Neil: I last met the Chair of NHS Lanarkshire at the monthly meeting of Health Board Chairs on 1 October 2012 when a range of important health issues were discussed.
17 Sep 2012 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what improvement plans it has for Monklands Hospital.
3 Sep 2012 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to Citizens Advice Scotland's report suggesting that the number of Scots receiving food parcels from charities has doubled in the last two years due to changes to the benefits system.
13 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many tonnes of carbon are captured by peat bogs.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Scotland’s peatlands contain an estimated 1,600 million tonnes of carbon. Mosses, mainly Sphagnum species, are the main peat formers. The rate at which carbon is sequestered varies markedly between sites and from year to year. A semi-natural peat bog can capt…
13 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what funding it has made available to local authorities to establish sports hubs in the last two years.
Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government has made available £1.5 million each year to ensure we have 150 Community Sports Hubs established by 2016. The level of funding made available to each local authority is an operational matter for sportscotland and I have asked the chie…
13 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what contribution it has made to the bee industry in the last five years.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: A number of contributions have been made including: The launch in 2010 of the 10-year Honey Bee Health Strategy which aims to develop Education, Training, Knowledge Transfer and Communications as well as promote Surveillance, Diagnosis, Biosecurity and Resea…
13 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which fuel poor areas it expects to benefit first from the National Retrofit Programme.
Answer · Alex Neil: In my Statement to Parliament on 6 June 2012 I confirmed the Scottish Government’s plans to develop a National Retrofit Programme which will offer a range of free or discounted heating and home insulation measures to people across Scotland who struggle with f…
13 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of the £32 million for superfast broadband that it has been given by the UK Government will be allocated to Central Scotland.
Answer · Alex Neil: The additional £32 million allocation announced on 8 June 2012 by the UK Government will be added to the Scottish Government’s central funding pot for broadband delivery across Scotland, which is now £244.5 million. This comprises £143.7 million from the Scot…
29 May 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the proposal by the Nursing and Midwifery Council to increase the annual nursing and midwifery fee from £76 to £120.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The regulation and registration of nurses and midwives is reserved to the UK Government and Scottish Ministers have no statutory powers in this matter. However, a fee increase of this magnitude would impose an unwelcome burden on key frontline health professi…
23 May 2012 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the statement by the chief economist at the Bank of Scotland that "April's barometer showed the strongest improvement in the Scottish jobs market for 11 months."
22 May 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider an independent review of North Lanarkshire Council's provision of dyslexia support.
Answer · Alasdair Allan: The Additional Support for Learning Act provides the framework for all support for learning, including provision for dyslexia. It is the responsibility of all education authorities to identify, make provision for and review the support in place for the additi…
22 May 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the number of children in the North Lanarkshire Council area recorded with dyslexia is low.
Answer · Alasdair Allan: The Additional Support for Learning Act provides the framework for all support for learning, including provision for dyslexia. It is the responsibility of all education authorities to identify, make provision for and review the support in place for the additi…
22 May 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason North Lanarkshire Council's figure of 4.3% of pupils with additional support needs is lower than expected for a deprived area.
Answer · Alasdair Allan: The Additional Support for Learning Act provides the framework for all support for learning. It is the responsibility of all education authorities to identify, make provision for and review the support in place for the additional support needs of the pupils f…
2 May 2012 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how the recently announced additional funding of £150,000 for Housing Options Hubs will be used to best refocus services to look at individuals' housing options.
18 Apr 2012 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it supports employment in the steel industry in North Lanarkshire.
28 Mar 2012 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to help new graduates acquire jobs in their chosen fields of study.
29 Feb 2012 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on concerns that the appeals procedure for altering council tax bands is being applied inconsistently.
7 Dec 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider making free transport schemes available to all war pensioners and recipients of the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme.
Answer · Keith Brown: War pensioners in receipt of a war disablement pension mobility supplement and those aged 60 and over can already receive free bus travel under the Scotland-wide Free Bus Travel Scheme for Older and Disabled People. Many other injured and disabled HM Forces p…
7 Dec 2011 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many applicants have failed the police force entrance exam in the last five years.
19 Oct 2011 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the reduction in the number of Scots applying for university places in England.
5 Oct 2011 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps a person can take to reclaim an overpayment of council tax due to a wrong banding.
26 Sep 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will re-evaluate the zero waste regulations to introduce minimum standards for the extraction of recyclables at waste treatment facilities.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government will shortly issue our Policy Statement which will set out the final measures to be progressed within the Zero Waste (Scotland) Regulations. This follows an extensive consultation process with key stakeholders. A key aim of the Regula…
6 Sep 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether Transport Scotland has lost files regarding the construction of junction 6 of the A8/M8 motorway and, if so, what the Scottish Government's position is on this matter and whether copies of the files can be retrieved by the contractor.
Answer · Keith Brown: Construction of junction 6 was completed in September 1967, and any files relating to the matter have been disposed of in line with the Scottish Government’s records management arrangements. These provide that files in which there has been no action during th…
31 Aug 2011 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on calls by credit unions for regulation of the industry to be devolved to the Scottish Parliament.
18 Aug 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many houses (a) were built from 1999 until 2007 and (b) have been built since 2007.
Answer · Keith Brown: From 1 January 1999 to 31 December 2006 there were 189,938 dwellings completed. From 1 January 2007 to 31 March 2011, the latest period available for all sectors, there were 85,788 dwellings completed. These figures include dwellings built by local authoritie…
18 Aug 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many housing associations use different systems to that of their local authority area for allocating houses.
Answer · Keith Brown: This is a matter for housing associations. The information requested is not held centrally.
18 Aug 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that housing associations and local authorities in the same area should have common points systems for allocating houses.
Answer · Keith Brown: It is for social landlords to determine the most effective allocation policy which balances the housing needs of their communities and addresses the relative needs of individuals.
18 Aug 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason the same system for allocating houses is not used by all local authorities and housing associations.
Answer · Keith Brown: Housing needs, pressures and stock profile vary across Scotland and social landlords are best placed, in discussion with their tenants, to develop the most effective allocation policy which balances the housing needs and demands of their communities.
18 Aug 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that local authorities and housing associations which share a common housing register should have a common policy for allocating houses.
Answer · Keith Brown: It is for social landlords to determine the most effective allocation policy based on the housing needs and pressures they face and the stock they have available to let. A guide for social landlords published in 2009 and entitled Building a Common Housing Reg…
15 Aug 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment is taking to ensure that the Code of Good Practice for Scottish Finfish Aquaculture and the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 are being adhered to by the Scottish fishing industry.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Code of Good Practice (CoGP) for Scottish Finfish Aquaculture is a voluntary code, independently audited by Food Certification International Ltd. A CoGP management group is responsible for implementation of the Code and Marine Scotland Science Fish Health…