Mike MacKenzie

12 Jan 2015 · Topical Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on efforts to restore power supplies affected by severe weather.

3 Dec 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many NHS (a) consultants specialising in emergency care, (b) emergency services technicians and (c) paramedics there were in September (i) 2006 and (ii) 2014, and what the change was expressed as a percentage.

Answer · Shona Robison: The information on how many NHS (a) consultants specialising in emergency care, as at (i) 2006 and (ii) 2014, can be found in Table 1. Information on Scottish Ambulance Service staff for 2006 is not available so data as at 30 September 2007 has been provided…

24 Nov 2014 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much will be invested in the programme, Scotland’s Schools for the Future.

27 Oct 2014 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it is taking forward the proposals in Empowering Scotland’s Island Communities.

27 Oct 2014 · Topical Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has in place to help deal with the current weather conditions.

29 Sep 2014 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government how the education system can be more closely aligned toward job and career opportunities.

11 Aug 2014 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what benefit farmers and crofters would have through Pillar 1 funding in an independent Scotland.

4 Aug 2014 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it will provide safeguards for rural schools.

20 Jun 2014 · Inspired Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it will take forward the policies and proposals in the finalised National Planning Framework 3 and Scottish Planning Policy.

Answer · Derek Mackay: The Scottish Government is committed to achieving a high performing planning system in Scotland. Today, I have published the finalised National Planning Framework 3 (NFP3) and the Scottish Planning Policy (SPP). For the first time, Scotland has an up to date,…

13 Jun 2014 · Inspired Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the outcome of the work of the Island Areas Ministerial Working Group.

Answer · Derek Mackay: Empowering Scotland’s Islands Communities has been published today. Copies are available in SPICe - Bib number 55950.

2 Jun 2014 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to increase community involvement in the pharmacy application process in remote areas.

22 May 2014 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made on developing the tidal energy sector and creating electricity connections to the islands.

Answer · John Swinney: This government is determined to make the most of Scotland’s extraordinary tidal stream resource. We are leading the world in the development of marine energy technologies and will do all we can to maintain that lead. We are working hard with the enterprise …

7 May 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in relation to permitted development rights on battlefields.

Answer · Derek Mackay: The Scottish Government is already taking steps to ensure planning authorities protect, conserve and where appropriate seek to enhance, the key landscape characteristics and special qualities of sites on the current inventory of historic battlefields which in…

17 Apr 2014 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the impact of the so-called bareboat tax on the North Sea oil and gas industry.

14 Apr 2014 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the UK’s 4.2% share of energy from renewable sources that was published in a recent paper by Eurostat.

27 Mar 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how long on average each local authority in the Highlands and Islands region has taken to process a building warrant completion certificate application in each of the last five years; how many applications each has processed; how many have taken over (a) one and (b) two months to process…

Answer · Derek Mackay: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-20444 on 10 April 2014. 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/parliamentaryb…

27 Mar 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how long on average each local authority in the Highlands and Islands region has taken to process a building warrant application in each of the last five years; how many applications each has processed; how many have taken over (a) one and (b) two months to process, and how these figures…

Answer · Derek Mackay: The Scottish Government does not hold this information. From 2005, local authorities’ verification performance has been measured under a balanced scorecard framework. This required them to have in place a customer charter that included measurable performance …

24 Mar 2014 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on Ofgem’s announcement that it will delay the implementation of grid charging reforms.

24 Feb 2014 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the latest figures are for crimes involving the handling of offensive weapons.

17 Feb 2014 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what progress was made at the recent summit in Stornoway on transmission charges and on securing grid connections to the islands.

Answer · John Swinney: Securing connection of the island groups to the mainland electricity grid is a top priority for this Government. The summit that Fergus Ewing chaired on Monday 24 February 2014 brought together the key interests in delivering island grid connections, he deve…

4 Feb 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact on its energy strategy of a further delay in the implementation of Project TransmiT and when it expects the project to be completed.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: Project TransmiT, on-going since 2010, has been a long and exhaustive review of the existing charging regime that is applied to electricity generators for use of the transmission system. It is a regime that discriminates against Scottish generators and is act…

27 Jan 2014 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the impact of the so-called bedroom tax on people living in rural areas.

Answer · Margaret Burgess: At a meeting with Lord Freud on 30 July 2013, I raised the issue of the bedroom tax on people living in rural areas. He agreed that there is less opportunity for people in rural areas to move. Following that meeting, Scotland was allocated £3.5 million out …

13 Jan 2014 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what progress there has been in discussions with the UK Government regarding the common agricultural policy budget allocation announced by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in November 2013.

9 Jan 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking following Seatricity's announcement that it is relocating from Orkney to Cornwall due to the lack of a grid connection.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government is working closely with Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Orkney Islands Council on grid access issues in Orkney, which are critical to the development of the marine energy sector. Highlands and Islands Enterprise are continuing to…

20 Dec 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the highest recorded number of whole-time equivalent staff employed by NHS Western Isles was, and how many it employed in September 2013.

Answer · Alex Neil: The number of whole time equivalent staff (WTE) employed by NHS Western Isles (excluding General Practitioners and General Dental services) is 845.6 WTE as at 30 September 2013. This is the highest number of staff in NHS Western Isles on record. The number …

20 Dec 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the highest recorded number of whole-time equivalent staff employed by NHS Highland was, and how many it employed in September 2013.

Answer · Alex Neil: The highest recorded number of whole time equivalent (WTE) staff employed by NHS Highland (excluding General Practitioners and General Dental services) is 8,012.9 WTE as at 30 September 2013. This is the highest number of staff in NHS Highland on record. Th…

16 Dec 2013 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to prevent unnecessary or inappropriate closures of rural schools.

9 Dec 2013 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the benefits will be of the University of Edinburgh's Centre for Cultural Relations.

6 Dec 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many properties receive support from the small business bonus scheme as part of its rates relief package, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · John Swinney: The following table shows the number of properties that receive support from the small business bonus scheme, split by local authority area: Total number of recipients as at: October 2008 October 2009 September 2010 September 2011 September 2012 Sep…

25 Nov 2013 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the number of convictions for firearm offences in 2013.