John Finnie

7 Mar 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it ensures that ethnic minorities are included in its work on youth employability.

Answer · Angela Constance: This government is committed to improving youth employment for all young people in Scotland. Since my appointment as Minister for youth Employment, I have engaged with a wide range of stakeholders, including speaking at the Black and Ethnic Minority Infrastr…

29 Feb 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to publish a policy statement on its future approach to ferries procurement and how it will relate to wider procurement reforms.

Answer · Keith Brown: We will publish a policy statement on our future approach to ferries procurement after our consultation on the Draft Ferries Plan has concluded. Our statement will recognise the wider context of the ongoing Public Procurement Reform Programme and take account…

20 Feb 2012 · Inspired Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the interim location will be of the proposed single (a) police and (b) fire and rescue service and when the new organisations will become operational.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Bill 2012 was introduced to the Scottish Parliament on 16 January. Discussions have been on-going with the services and other key stakeholders to ensure a smooth transition to the new services. Subject to parliamentary a…

16 Feb 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many fixed penalties have been issued for littering offences since 2003, broken down by police force area.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The available information on non-court disposals for littering offences is given in the following table. The information held centrally is only available from the financial year 2008-09. Information on fixed penalties issued by local authorities is not held …

16 Feb 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many prosecutions there have been for littering since 2003, broken down by police force area.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The available information is given in the following table Persons Proceeded Against in Scottish Courts for Litter Offences1, By Police Force Area, 2003-04 to 2010-11 Police Force 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 Centr…

8 Feb 2012 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what information it holds on how many lives have been saved by the use of Naloxone in the last year.

27 Jan 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what services the Scottish Ambulance Service provides for private patients.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Ambulance Service are permitted to generate income from sources other than the Scottish Government and NHSScotland as long as this is consistent with their main functions. The Scottish Ambulance Service provides a range of services including priv…

27 Jan 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what income the Scottish Ambulance Service has received from private journeys in each year since 2003, broken down by NHS board area.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: This is a matter for the Scottish Ambulance Service, the information requested is not held centrally.

27 Jan 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4W-05130 by Nicola Sturgeon on 26 January 2012, for what reason information on private journeys made by the Scottish Ambulance Service is not held centrally.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: This is a matter for the Scottish Ambulance Service, as such the information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government. The Scottish Ambulance Service can be contacted at: Scottish Ambulance Service Corporate Affairs Department National He…

25 Jan 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide the reasons for all (a) evictions and (b) evictions involving children carried out in each year since 2000, broken down by local authority area

Answer · Keith Brown: (a) The number of eviction actions against council house tenants broken down by reason for eviction is published annually by local authority area on the Scottish Government website. Data is available from 2001-02 which was the first year of this data collecti…

25 Jan 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many evictions have been carried out in each year since 2000, broken down by local authority area, and how many have involved children.

Answer · Keith Brown: The number of eviction actions against council house tenants is published annually by local authority area on the Scottish Government website. Data is available from 2001-02 which was the first year this data collection was carried out. http://www.scotland.g…

25 Jan 2012 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the proposed single Scottish police service will result in a reduction in the number of police superintendent posts.

23 Jan 2012 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister what steps the Scottish Government is taking to promote Scotch whisky overseas.

23 Jan 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost to the public sector will be of providing a public holiday for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

Answer · John Swinney: Public Holidays are devolved in Scotland. On 19 March 2010, the First Minister announced that Scotland should have a public holiday to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee on Tuesday, 5 June 2012. As this holiday will be a privilege day any decision to allow…

23 Jan 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many private journeys the Scottish Ambulance Service has made in each year since 2005, broken down by parliamentary region.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The information requested is not held centrally.

23 Jan 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency Special Alerts Bulletins have been issued in each year since 2005, broken down by police force area.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency (SCDEA) bulletins are issued on the basis of the perceived threat, risk or harm of an issue. If accurate and validated information is received (or obtained) that a particular drug or substance presents an additional …

10 Jan 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria have to be met for the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency to issue Special Alerts Bulletins on emerging drug issues.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency (SCDEA) and Scottish Government work together closely when monitoring and responding to emerging drug issues. The SCDEA continuously monitor, collate and analyse a variety of drug and drug trend information from…

21 Dec 2011 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what investments it has planned for the Highland Main Line and the Inverness–Aberdeen railway.

21 Nov 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what money is available to (a) sustain and (b) promote geoparks.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Geoparks are community based bodies established to protect and promote geological heritage and to support the development of geological tourism. They are not designated by the Scottish Government. It is for geoparks to apply for funding to bodies that might m…

11 Nov 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much money was collected by each district court in each of the last three years and how much was (a) retained by each local authority and (b) forwarded to HM Treasury.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The Scottish Government does not hold the information relating to parts (a) and (b) of the question. The total revenue collected by district courts for the years 2008-09 and 2009-10 is detailed in the following table. As part of Summary Justice Reform, Dist…

2 Nov 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive where the risk assessment of the Airwaves communication system used by UK police officers and by Scottish police officers deployed elsewhere in the UK is available and whether it contains control measures aimed at preventing an overload that could require officers to switch off their radi…

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Airwave delivers mission critical voice and data communications to Scotland's police, fire and ambulance services as well as the wider resilience community. The system offers high levels of resilience and enhanced levels of interoperability contributing to a …

31 Oct 2011 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to tackle knife crime.

26 Oct 2011 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what benefits to the Highland economy will arise as a result of the recent announcement regarding the Nigg service yard.

23 Sep 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the impact would be on adventure tourism in Scotland of the proposed closure of the Adventure Activities Licensing Authority; what its position is on the proposals to close the authority, and whether it has received any representations on this issue.

Answer · Shona Robison: You are aware that the UK Government plan to repeal the Activity Centres (Young Persons’ Safety) Act 1995 and abolish the Adventure Activities Licensing regime replacing it with a proposed code of practice. You will also be aware that the current licensing re…

20 Jun 2011 · Inspired Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the responses to the consultation on the reform of police service reform will be published.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The responses to the consultations, A Consultation on the Future of Policing in Scotland, and A Consultation on the Future of Fire and Rescue Services in Scotland, and the consultation analysis reports, Research Support for a Consultation on the Future of Pol…