Parliamentary questions
Richard Lyle
333 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
29 May 2018 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to amend the entitlement to access legal aid.
21 May 2018 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the completion works for the M8 M73 M74 Improvement Programme.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The M8 M73 M74 Motorway Improvements Project was fully opened to traffic on 1 June 2017. Scottish Roads Partnership (SRP), the contractor responsible for the completion of the project, intends to complete all finishing and snagging works by the end of summer …
14 May 2018 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what mechanism is in place to allow a council tax payer to appeal against a banding that they consider incorrect.
1 May 2018 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government how the Digital Health and Care Strategy will help to deliver person-centred care.
25 Apr 2018 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government what help and support it offers showpeople to establish showpeople sites across Scotland.
Answer · Alasdair Allan: The Scottish Government values the contribution showpeople make to our cultural and community life. Scottish planning policy recognises that the needs of travelling showpeople for appropriate sites should be evidenced through the housing need and demand asses…
16 Apr 2018 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the implementation of its Scottish Energy Strategy.
9 Apr 2018 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to improve the provision and variety of locations of charging points for electric vehicles.
3 Apr 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, subject to the outcome of the pending Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) consultation and any decisions by the Welsh Government, whether it will work with the other UK administrations to ensure that the development of a deposit return system is joined up and that…
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government wrote to the other UK administrations on 29 April 2018 inviting a Ministerial discussion in Scotland on the scope for collaboration on deposit return.
19 Mar 2018 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government what review it will undertake of the operation of family courts, in light of the provisions in the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018.
Answer · Annabelle Ewing: We intend to launch a consultation shortly on the review of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995. This consultation will seek views on a number of issues relating to domestic abuse.
12 Mar 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to encourage active waste recycling.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Scotland has created a common framework for recycling with the Household Recycling Charter. 26 Councils have now signed the Charter, which along with its supporting code of practice is designed to make it easier for people to recycle and help simplify message…
12 Mar 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the average recycling rate is in (a) (i) North and (ii) South Lanarkshire and (b) the rest of the country, and how this compares with 2016-17.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The most recent recycling figures available are for the calendar year 2016. In that year, South Lanarkshire's recycling rate was 53% (an increase of 4 percentage points from 2015) and North Lanarkshire's recycling rate was 41.1% (an increase of 1.1 percentage…
30 Jan 2018 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what financial assistance it offers to companies to relocate or diversify their business offering.
18 Dec 2017 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has carried out on the possible impact on Scotland of the UK Government's decision not to pursue a hard border with Ireland following Brexit.
Answer · Michael Russell: The Scottish Government continues to press the UK Government for further details on the precise nature of the proposals for the Irish border, and we fully support the development of a proposal which does not lead to any change to the current open border arran…
4 Dec 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether all local authorities will be consulted on the impact of the proposed deposit return scheme on household kerbside collections.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: As part of the previous evidence gathering work, Zero Waste Scotland has discussed this issue with Cosla and local authorities. All local authorities will have an opportunity to engage further during the design process and, of course, respond to the consultat…
30 Nov 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to areas such as Delaware in the United States replacing deposit return schemes in favour of kerbside collections.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Zero Waste Scotland has been asked to undertake work to design a deposit return system that will work well for Scotland, offering increased rates and quality of recycling and broader environmental and societal benefits.
30 Nov 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the impact of the proposed deposit return scheme will be on its household recycling charter.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The interaction of deposit return with the Household Recycling Charter will be considered as part of the design work that Zero Waste Scotland has been asked to undertake. Any necessary changes to the Charter Code of Practice will be considered as part of that…
30 Nov 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what health risk assessment is being carried out of the (a) inclusion of milk products and (b) potential contamination of items returned to outlets where fresh produce is sold in the proposed deposit return scheme.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Hygiene issues, including those noted, will be considered as part of the design process being undertaken by Zero Waste Scotland.
30 Nov 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the current plastic and glass recycling rate is in Scotland; what impact it considers the proposed deposit return scheme could have on this and, in light of this, what discussions it has had with Zero Waste Scotland regarding whether the scheme will represent value for money.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Based on SEPA’s national waste data and Zero Waste Scotland’s compositional analysis, in 2015 an estimated 18% of all plastic waste and 72% of all glass waste managed was recycled. These figures include material that will be outside the scope of any deposit r…
30 Nov 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with HMRC regarding whether a charge under the proposed deposit return scheme will be subject to VAT, and whether this would be refundable to consumers upon the return of items.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: This is an issue that will be considered during the design process currently being undertaken by Zero Waste Scotland.
20 Nov 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what (a) housing and (b) electrical safety standards must Airbnb and other similarly-let premises meet, and what assessment it has made of how many are meeting these.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: Properties let through Airbnb or similar platforms may cover a range of different tenure types and arrangements. This could include an owner occupier letting a room in their property through an occupancy arrangement, through to Private Rented Sector (PRS) lan…
6 Nov 2017 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it will take to improve the availability of electric car charging points in housing estates.
30 Oct 2017 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what investment is planned from the Strategic Timber Transport Fund.
24 Oct 2017 · Inspired Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the review of the Environmental Co-operation Action Fund.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: Significant efforts have been made in recent months to revise and redevelop the Environmental Co-operation Action Fund to make it compliant with EU audit requirements. However, to do so would add too much complexity for applicants and would alter the original…
23 Oct 2017 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action is being taken to alleviate the noise levels impacting on residents since the completion of the M8 M73 M74 Improvement Programme.
23 Oct 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of how much time (a) each person on average and (b) people who currently recycle plastic and glass items will spend each year sorting items that will be subject to the national deposit return scheme from those that will uplifted by kerbside collections.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: This issue will be considered as part of the on-going design work being undertaken by Zero Waste Scotland.
23 Oct 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of how many extra (a) car and (b) other mode of transport journeys each person on average will make each to returns items that will be subject to the national deposit return scheme to retail outlets to redeem deposits.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: This will depend on the exact model that is developed. The impact on journeys by car or by other means will be considered as part of the system design currently being undertaken by Zero Waste Scotland.
23 Oct 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of what the impact of the national deposit return scheme will be on the price of the average weekly shopping costs for a family of four.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: An estimate will be undertaken as part of the on-going design work being carried out by Zero Waste Scotland, though it should be noted that deposits are refundable upon the return of obligated items.
23 Oct 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of what the impact of the national deposit return scheme will be on (a) older and (b) disabled people who might have accessibility issues in getting to retail outlets to redeem deposits.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: This will be considered as part of the system design currently being undertaken by Zero Waste Scotland. Equality Impact Assessment will be undertaken as a core part of this work.
6 Oct 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assurances it has received from the UK Government on maintaining the low voltage directive and electrical equipment safety regulations following Brexit, in light of the impact on people in Scotland.
Answer · Keith Brown: The intention of the UK Government’s EU (Withdrawal) Bill (introduced to the House of Commons 13 July 2017) is to convert existing EU legislation into domestic law. While the Scottish Government accepts that preparations should be made for withdrawal from the…
6 Oct 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assurances it has received from the UK Government on current (a) EU consumer protection, (b) product safety and (c) market surveillance legislation being adopted into UK law after Brexit, in light of the impact on people in Scotland.
Answer · Keith Brown: The intention of the UK Government’s EU (Withdrawal) Bill (introduced to the House of Commons 13 July 2017) is to convert existing EU legislation into domestic law. While the Scottish Government accepts that preparations should be made for withdrawal from the…