Parliamentary questions
Richard Lyle
333 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
4 Nov 2019 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what snagging works are yet to be completed on the M8 M73 M74 Motorway Improvements Project.
Answer · Michael Matheson: Under the M8 M73 M74 Motorway Improvements contract, Scottish Roads Partnership, Transport Scotland’s contractor, was determined to have completed the construction aspects of the project in October. SRP is now required to undertake maintenance operations for…
28 Oct 2019 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what income is generated, and how many jobs are supported, by the leasing of holdings from Forestry and Land Scotland.
22 Oct 2019 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it is having with Devro PLC regarding the closure of its Bellshill plant.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: I have spoken with both the company and Union representatives to offer the full support of the Scottish Government. Scottish Enterprise is engaging with the company to establish how it can provide assistance. PACE has already been in contact with the company …
10 Sep 2019 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much compensation has been paid out to residents by the M8 M73 M74 Motorway Improvements Project, including for noise pollution and house damage.
9 Sep 2019 · First Minister's Question
To ask the First Minister what support the Scottish Government is providing to people struggling to meet funeral costs.
4 Sep 2019 · Inspired Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it will establish the stakeholder group to advise on the development of Scotland’s Forestry Strategy Implementation Plan, and whether it is still on track to publish the implementation plan by 1 April 2020.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: I am pleased to announce that the stakeholder reference group been established and that the first meeting of that group is later today. The group, consisting of a range of forestry interests, draws on expertise in the economic, environmental and social drive…
28 Aug 2019 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the findings of the Andersons Centre research on the impact of a no-deal Brexit on farm incomes.
18 Jul 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what support is available to promote micro renewables for the domestic market in Scotland.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The Scottish Government grant funds the Energy Saving Trust to promote micro-renewables to Scottish consumers via the Scottish Home Renewables service, delivered through Home Energy Scotland. The service supports householders in Scotland with free, impartial…
18 Jul 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what funding streams are available to support micro renewable companies start up.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The Scottish Government provides a variety of funding streams and advice to support new businesses wishing to enter the micro-renewables and energy efficiency markets. Scottish Enterprise and Business Gateway can provide details of available funding via exist…
18 Jul 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to create a level playing field for the promotion of micro renewables within the planning system.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: All planning applications are determined in accordance with the relevant local development plan unless there are material considerations that would justify a departure from the plan. There are extensive permitted development rights for the installation of bo…
10 Jun 2019 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that NHS Scotland stays in public ownership.
7 Jun 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish data on any stock assessments of Scotland's wild wrasse populations.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation (SSPO) entered into a voluntary management arrangement with the Scottish Government in May 2018. These measures apply to all fishers catching wrasse supplying SSPO members, and lay the foundations of an evidence base in …
7 Jun 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what stock assessments will be undertaken of Scotland’s wild wrasse populations.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation (SSPO) entered into a voluntary management arrangement with the Scottish Government in May 2018. These measures apply to all fishers catching wrasse supplying SSPO members, and lay the foundations of an evidence base in …
14 May 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Public Health England report, Evidence review of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products 2018, including the finding, which suggests that heated products might be considerably less harmful than tobacco cigarettes.
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: The Scottish Government welcomed the 2018 report commissioned by Public Health England. The findings on e-cigarettes from the report were in line with Scotland’s own Consensus statement on e-cigarettes, which was published by NHS Health Scotland in 2017. The …
14 May 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what independent research it has commissioned into heated tobacco products.
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: The use of heated tobacco products is very rare and does not justify specific research in Scotland. The Scottish Government continues to monitor research and evidence from around the world through its ministerial tobacco control sub-group on research and evid…
8 May 2019 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to review how children’s interests are best served by family courts.
29 Apr 2019 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the noise surveys of the upgraded section of the M74.
26 Apr 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to support the national roll-out of the register that identifies the number of patients with epilepsy, which is operated by NHS Tayside and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: We have been interested to hear about the database project developed by NHS Tayside and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, and to consider how it has been used in work around methadone and sodium valproate. As part of our National Action Plan on Neurological Con…
24 Apr 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much surplus land is owned by (a) central and (b) local government, and how this equates to the capacity for building new homes.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Scottish Government does not currently own any surplus land for housing and does not hold information on land owned by local government. Where a site is in the ownership of a local authority or other public body, it should be included in the effective hou…
24 Apr 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to make (a) public and (b) private land available for house building in areas where there is a housing shortage but where market conditions act against this.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Scottish Planning Policy states that planning authorities should work with developers, service providers and other partners to ensure a continuing supply of effective land to deliver housing, taking a flexible and realistic approach. Development plan acti…
24 Apr 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to support housing associations in accessing lending for affordable housing and housing for social rent.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: Scottish Government officials regularly meet with lenders in Scotland to discuss housing market issues, including appetite for lending to individuals and to organisations. Through the delivery of our ambitious 50,000 affordable homes target, officials also r…
24 Apr 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to support (a) smaller house builders and (b) new entrants to the house building sector to increase the availability of good quality homes, including those that specifically meet the needs of an ageing population.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Scottish Government is working in partnership with Homes for Scotland on a working group looking specifically at the challenges, potential and opportunities for smaller house builders and new entrants to the new build market. This work, independent of Gov…
24 Apr 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many hectares of brownfield land are available for house building, and how this equates to the capacity for building new homes.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Scottish Government does not hold information on the availability of brownfield land for housebuilding. Local development plans, prepared by planning authorities, provide information on land allocated for housing development. The Scottish Planning Policy …
24 Apr 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) affordable homes and (b) homes for social rent have been completed in each local authority area in each year since 2007, also broken down by how many have been (i) future-proofed to meet the needs of older people and an ageing population and (ii) adapted or built specificall…
Answer · Kevin Stewart: The table showing the number of affordable and social rented homes delivered from April 2007 to December 2018 by local authority area has been placed in SPICe under BIB number 60663. Figures to the end of 2018-19 are in the process of being finalised and are …
24 Apr 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to support house building and associated infrastructure.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Scottish Government’s More Homes Scotland approach was launched in March 2016, https://www.gov.scot/policies/more-homes/ This supports house building across all tenures, and through a range of mechanisms including:50,000 affordable homes target is back…
16 Apr 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service on the establishment of an MP/MSP email and telephone enquiry point of contact.
Answer · James Wolffe QC: The Lord Advocate is the head of the system of prosecution and investigation of deaths in Scotland. The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) fulfils prosecution and investigation functions which fall within the Lord Advocate's responsibility. E…
15 Apr 2019 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to help the film industry.
5 Apr 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many women, following self-administration of misoprostol have, (a) had a haemorrhage, (b) had a blood transfusion, (c) been referred to a mental health practitioner and (d) died since its decision to allow the drug to be self-administered.
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: The Scottish Ministers’ approval of October 2017 does not relate to self-administration of misoprostol as it only relates to permitting a woman’s home as a class of place where misoprostol can be taken as part of treatment for termination of pregnancy. Most p…
5 Apr 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to carry out research into the physical and mental health impact associated with the ingestion of the abortion drug, misoprostol.
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: Misoprostol is a licenced drug, used for a number of purposes, including treatment of miscarriage and as part of abortion treatment. Its use in medical abortion is recommended by a wide range of expert bodies, including the World Health Organization and the R…
5 Apr 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many pregnant women have had a “home” abortion since its decision to allow misoprostol to be self-administered at home, and whether it will publish copy of its risk assessment and equality impact assessment documentation.
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: Information Services Division (ISD) within NHS National Services Scotland collects data on abortions in Scotland. Data for 2018 will be published by ISD at the end of May 2019. By the end of 2017, there were 58 medical terminations of pregnancy recorded as ea…