Parliamentary questions
Angus MacDonald
470 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
28 Sep 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what birds and habitats could be affected by the proposed Rosyth international container terminal.
Answer · Keith Brown: The Environmental Statement submitted with the application and additional reports submitted to the public local inquiry detail the species and habitats that could be affected by this proposal. These are publicly available on the website of the Scottish Govern…
28 Sep 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how the national development status of additional container freight capacity on the Forth in the national planning framework will influence the decision-making process regarding the application for the Rosyth international container terminal.
Answer · Keith Brown: The Annex to the second National Planning Framework (NPF2) contains a statement of Scottish Ministers' reasons for considering that there is a need for additional container freight capacity on the Forth. Section 25 of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) …
28 Sep 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the (a) UK Government and (b) European Commission regarding the potential of the proposed Rosyth international container development to have an adverse impact on a European wildlife site.
Answer · Keith Brown: None.
28 Sep 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the implications will be for the continued viability of the Grangemouth freight hub if consent is granted for the proposed Rosyth international container terminal.
Answer · Keith Brown: We await the report of the recent public local inquiry into the objections to the Rosyth International Container Terminal proposal. Only once that report is received will consideration be given to whether or not the proposal should be consented and any implic…
12 Sep 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much funding has been allocated through the Youth Music Initiative, broken down by local authority area.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Youth Music Initiative funds are allocated and administered by Creative Scotland, our public body for culture and creative industries. I have asked Andrew Dixon, Creative Scotland’s Chief Executive, to write to the member with this information. Further detail…
11 Sep 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what support it gives to promoting the Antonine Wall as a tourist attraction.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: Scotland’s “nature, heritage and culture” has been identified as one of the four key assets in the industry-led “Tourism Scotland 2020”. The Antonine Wall is one of hundreds of locations all over Scotland to feature in VisitScotland’s Brave movie map. The ma…
11 Sep 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with Forth Valley College regarding the proposed phase 1 of the Falkirk campus.
Answer · Michael Russell: We are aware of ambitious proposals by Forth Valley College for the redevelopment of its Falkirk campus, but have had no direct discussions with the College. We have recently seen over £46 million invested in Forth Valley College’s new campuses at Alloa and S…
10 Sep 2012 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what enforcement action is available to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency when waste transfer stations fail to meet licence conditions.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: SEPA’s published Enforcement Policy sets out the range of enforcement tools which are available in pursuing compliance with environmental legislation. If a waste operator fails to meet the conditions of his licence, SEPA can exercise enforcement powers in a …
6 Sep 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made in discussions with EU officials on levels of tolerance in sheep electronic identification rules.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government has obtained flexibilities on sheep electronic identification following discussions with the European Commission. Information on this, along with further guidance on tagging, was sent to all sheep keepers on 30 September 2011. This i…
6 Sep 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the percentage increase in uptake of the education maintenance allowance has been in the Falkirk Council area since it was revised in 2009-10.
Answer · Michael Russell: The number of people in receipt of EMA in Falkirk decreased by 13.7% (a decrease of 125) from 910 in 2009-10 to 785 in 2010-11. Table 1: Young People in Receipt of EMA in Falkirk: 2009-10 to 2010-11 Falkirk Total Schools Colleges 2009-10 910 620 …
6 Sep 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many Blue Badge holders in the Falkirk Council area have (a) been referred to an independent mobility assessor following their renewal application and (b) withdrawn from the scheme and how many renewal applications have been refused since the coming into force of the Disabled Persons…
Answer · Keith Brown: Scottish local authorities are responsible for collating an annual statistical return in relation to Blue Badges in circulation in their area as at 31 March of the reporting period (financial year). Transport Scotland publishes the data in the Scottish Transp…
6 Sep 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has made arrangements to implement an early warning system to detect Schmallenberg virus on farms.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-09162 on 14 September 2012. 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/parliamentar…
6 Sep 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4O-00288 by Alex Neil on 27 October 2011 (Official Report, c. 2857), what progress it has made in encouraging Falkirk pension fund to invest in affordable and social housing.
Answer · Margaret Burgess: The Scottish Government has provided information on options for pension fund investment to local authorities, including Falkirk, through the Local Government Pension Fund Convenors. The Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure and Capital Investment, Alex Neil, m…
22 Aug 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the estimated impact of the 2012 London Olympics and Paralympics has been for Scotland.
Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government was clear from the outset about maximising the benefits to Scotland from London 2012. The Scottish Government worked with partners to deliver Scotland House which enabled Scottish and international visitors to network and showcased the…
22 Aug 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to harmonising school holidays across the country.
Answer · Alasdair Allan: The statutory responsibility for the provision of education rests with local authorities including the requirement that local authority schools must be open for 190 days in each school year. Within that framework, the law does not define the length and struct…
22 Aug 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many post-surgery radiotherapy treatments are conducted by NHS Forth Valley and how many are outsourced elsewhere.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: NHS Forth Valley does not provide radiotherapy treatment. Radiotherapy services (treatment) are provided in each of Scotland’s five cancer centres. These are located in NHS Lothian, NHS Tayside, NHS Grampian, NHS Highland and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. As…
22 Aug 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how successful Business Club Scotland has been at helping small and medium-sized enterprises gain contracts.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: Since being established in 2009, BusinessClub Scotland (BCS) has attracted 3,300 members and hosted over 50 successful business events around the country. These meetings facilitate business-to-business networking and increased awareness of the range and scale…
22 Aug 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how successful VisitScotland’s sustainable tourism certificate scheme, Green Tourism Business Scheme, has been.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Green Tourism Business Scheme (GTBS), which has been in operation since 1997, is the largest and most established scheme of its type in the world. Originally developed in partnership with VisitScotland, the GTBS is now operated by Green Business UK Ltd, a…
22 Aug 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the annual growth rate in tourism has been since 2007.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: Despite the challenging conditions in the global economy, the Scottish tourism sector has remained resilient. The annual growth rate in tourism is set out in the following table: 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Annual Growth Rate Overseas Data Total Visit…
27 Jul 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the potential impact on the shipbuilding industry in Scotland, what representations it has made to the UK Government regarding the appointment of a Korean shipbuilder as preferred bidder for Royal Navy ships.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government and its Ministers have taken a direct interest in the Military Afloat Reach & Sustainability (MARS) tankers project from its inception. A number of representations to the UK Government have been made between 2006 and 2012 both publicly…
4 Jul 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when an announcement will be made on Falkirk Council’s tax incremental financing bid.
Answer · John Swinney: The council continues to work with the Scottish Futures Trust to develop its tax incremental financing proposals and it intends to submit a final business case to them for recommendation to Scottish ministers by autumn 2012. A ministerial decision on this wil…
27 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what safeguards the new Business Gateway contracts will contain to ensure that social enterprises receive full support and advice.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Business Gateway provides support and advice which is open to all businesses across Scotland, including social enterprises. Local authorities are responsible for the delivery of Business Gateway locally and legally responsible for the retendering of the s…
27 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many breaches of the sulphur dioxide 15-minute mean objective, as specified in the Air Quality (Scotland) Regulations 2000, have been identified by the (a) Bo'ness Town Hall, (b) AURN (Inchyra Park), (c) Moray Primary School, (d) Grangemouth Municipal Chambers and (e) Polmont monitori…
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The number of breaches of the sulphur dioxide 15-minute mean objective is set out in the following table: Area 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 20123 Bo’ness Town Hall 0 0 0 0 4 1 0 0 AURN (Inchyra Park) 0 14 1 4 20 46 36 44 Mora…
27 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made with improvements to the A801 Avon Gorge link road since February 2012 and what the timescale is for completion.
Answer · Keith Brown: In light of the objectives of the Strategic Transport Project Review and National Planning Framework 2, we are continuing our discussions with Falkirk and West Lothian Council and other stakeholders regarding the development of the Grangemouth Freight Hub. Th…
27 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress NHS Forth Valley has made toward meeting insulin pump provision targets.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Chief Executive Letter CEL 4 (2012) on Insulin Pump Therapy for People with Type 1 Diabetes, issued on 27 February, made it clear that we expect all NHS boards to triple the number of insulin pumps for both adults and children with type 1 diabetes over the ne…
27 Jun 2012 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government what future plans Scottish Development International has to further develop trade links with Turkey.
25 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made on plans to install signals at the M9 junction 6 off-slip and the M9 junction 6 on-slip.
Answer · Keith Brown: The plans to install signals at the M9 junction 6 off-slip and the M9 junction 6 on-slip are led by Falkirk Council. Transport Scotland and Falkirk Council are discussing the proposals to ensure they fully comply with Transport Scotland’s and the Council’s in…
25 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress Transport Scotland and Falkirk Council have made regarding improving junctions 5 and 6 on the M9.
Answer · Keith Brown: The improvements to junctions 5 and 6 are led by Falkirk Council. Transport Scotland and Falkirk Council are discussing the proposals to ensure they fully comply with Transport Scotland’s and the Council’s interests.
22 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it has made in developing a successor to the air route development fund.
Answer · Keith Brown: The European Commission introduced restrictive guidelines in 2005 which severely limit the amount of public assistance that can be made available for the start-up of new air routes. The Commission is currently reviewing these guidelines and our contributions …
22 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress there has been in integrating health and social care in the Falkirk Council area.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: On 8 May I launched a consultation on the integration of adult health and social care. During the consultation period there will be a thorough engagement process taking place with a wide range of stakeholders involving the NHS, local government, the third and…