Parliamentary questions
Mark McDonald
261 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
3 Dec 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much tourism revenue has been generated in 2014, also broken down by revenue generated by the (a) Commonwealth Games and (b) Ryder Cup.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: Provisional figures for the 12 months, July 2013 to June 2014, show combined domestic and overseas visitor expenditure of £4.6 billion, a 6% increase in the same period in 2012-13 (£4.3 billion). The Scottish Government does not provide data for periods short…
3 Dec 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many new businesses have been established in 2014.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: New business start-ups are measured using new business VAT/PAYE registration figures. The latest figures available are for 2013. In 2013, there were 21,540 new business start-ups in Scotland. Note that these figures do not include business start-ups which are…
3 Dec 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many small businesses have received support from the Small Business Bonus Scheme in 2014 and what was the (a) average and (b) overall saving was.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: Recent statistics have revealed record numbers of business properties in Scotland are receiving rates relief under the Small Business Bonus Scheme, with 96,265 properties (over two in five) being supported by the initiative in 2014-15 – up four per cent from …
3 Dec 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the average saving has been for band D households since the introduction of the council tax freeze.
Answer · John Swinney: The average Band D household has saved over £900 since the introduction of the council tax freeze in 2008-09. By extending the freeze into 2015-16 the same household will have benefited by around £1,200 in total based on an additional £70 million being provid…
2 Dec 2014 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with pension fund administrators regarding investment opportunities to support capital infrastructure projects.
24 Nov 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish a progress report on the implementation of the Scottish Strategy for Autism.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: A progress report for years zero to two of the strategy was published on the Scottish Strategy for Autism website: http://www.autismstrategyscotland.org.uk/ and on the Scottish Government website: www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2014/10/7066 in November 2…
24 Nov 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how groups and organisations can bid for support from the Scottish Strategy for Autism.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: A broad range of local and national third sector organisations, local authorities and NHS health boards were invited to bid for funding from the autism programme fund from financial year 2011-12 to present. The opportunities are promoted via existing autism s…
24 Nov 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what (a) deadline it has set for local authorities to set autism strategies and (b) information it holds on how many (i) draft and (ii) completed autism strategies have been developed.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: The deadline set by the Scottish Government was March 2014. The autism coordination team – based within the University of Strathclyde and funded under the autism strategy – are supporting local authorities to further develop and implement their local autism s…
24 Nov 2014 · First Minister's Question
To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to the RCN report on mental health services.
29 Oct 2014 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that disabled people and their families are able to access cultural and leisure opportunities.
9 Oct 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the roll-out of superfast broadband by BT will ensure that communities in Aberdeen City are fully able to access superfast broadband.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: We are on track to deliver our commitment that 85% of premises across Scotland have access to fibre broadband by the end of 2015. Using over £280 million of public sector funding and £125 million of private sector funding across two projects, we intend to pro…
9 Oct 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether BT is required to inform communities of any delay or inability to deliver superfast broadband in their area.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The nature of the engineering challenges of broadband deployment means that plans will change. In addition, the quality of information at a granular level improves during the latter stages of the build process. Therefore, BT is not contractually required to i…
9 Oct 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether BT is required to inform it of any delay or inability to deliver superfast broadband.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: BT is required to notify the Scottish Government if it does not or is unlikely to deliver key contractual milestones that are part of the agreed project plan. The Scottish Government is working closely and proactively with BT and local authorities to identif…
9 Oct 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it monitors the performance of BT in rolling out superfast broadband.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: There are two contracts with BT for the deployment of fibre broadband. The first is for the Highlands and Islands and is managed by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE). The second covers the rest of Scotland and is managed by the Scottish Government. An e…
30 Sep 2014 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to increase awareness and understanding of autistic spectrum disorder in schools.
12 Aug 2014 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the implications for justice in Scotland would be if the UK Government were to withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: If the UK Government were to withdraw from the European Convention of Human Rights, to prevent the Convention having an effect on justice in Scotland it would need to amend the Human Rights Act 1998 and the Scotland Act 1998, in which it is an embedded princi…
6 Aug 2014 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the N56 report on oil and gas.
24 Jun 2014 · Inspired Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken since the publication of the response to its consultation on business rates, Supporting Business - Promoting Growth.
Answer · Derek Mackay: In its response to the consultation “Supporting Business - Promoting Growth”, the Scottish Government set out 20 actions it will undertake up to the period of the next rates revaluation in 2017. A summary of progress against each of these actions is as follo…
10 Jun 2014 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with Aberdeen City Council regarding transport developments.
23 May 2014 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it promotes the recreational opportunities of the forest estate.
6 May 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on which local authorities have not started to develop an autism strategy.
Answer · Michael Matheson: All local authorities have started to develop autism strategies/action plans. Local authorities are in different stages, most are either finalised or drafted with some still in development.
6 May 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-18830 by Michael Matheson on 7 January 2014, which local authorities have published an autism strategy.
Answer · Michael Matheson: Published local autism action plans are available from the following web link: http://www.autismstrategyscotland.org.uk/news/. Local authorities have also been encouraged to publish them on their own websites.
6 May 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-16416 by Alasdair Allan on 31 July 2013, whether it encourages education authorities to provide autism awareness training for teachers and educational support staff as part of their continuous professional development.
Answer · Michael Russell: To help teachers and educational support staff meet the needs of pupils with autism, the Scottish Government funded Scottish Autism to produce the Autism Toolbox website. This online national tool will encourage best practice for all education staff in school…
6 May 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-16416 by Alasdair Allan on 31 July 2013, how the Autism Toolbox is being promoted (a) in schools and (b) to teachers.
Answer · Alasdair Allan: The Autism Toolbox website was launched on 29 April 2014 at Grangemouth High School, by the Minister for Learning, Science and Scotland’s Languages. The delegates included teachers, educational support staff and pupils. Scottish Autism has used part of its f…
25 Apr 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the notification that Aberdeen City Council officials would not attend the public exhibition of the Haudagain improvement proposals on 24-25 April 2014 was issued by a council official or an elected member.
Answer · Keith Brown: Notification was given by Aberdeen City Council officials.
25 Apr 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when Aberdeen City Council advised it that council officials would not attend the public exhibition of the Haudagain improvement proposals on 24-25 April 2014.
Answer · Keith Brown: Transport Scotland were advised by telephone on 17 April 2014 that Aberdeen City Council officials would not attend the exhibitions.
25 Apr 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it received prior confirmation from Aberdeen City Council that council officials would attend the public exhibition of the Haudagain improvement proposals on 24-25 April 2014.
Answer · Keith Brown: Council officials had agreed to attend the public exhibitions to discuss the Middlefield regeneration programme and assisted in distributing posters and leaflets.
25 Apr 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has received any correspondence from members of Aberdeen City Council administration in relation to the public exhibition of the Haudagain improvement proposals on 24-25 April 2014.
Answer · Keith Brown: Aside from two local councillors accepting our invitation to attend the exhibition, no correspondence has been received from elected members of Aberdeen City Council in relation to the public exhibitions. Regular meetings have taken place between officials …
25 Apr 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when the booking of the Lord Provost Henry E Rae Community Centre was made for the public exhibition of the Haudagain improvement proposals on 24-25 April 2014 and whether it was made by means of contact with Aberdeen City Council.
Answer · Keith Brown: Aberdeen City Council officials booked the community centre for the Haudagain exhibitions on behalf of Transport Scotland on 20 February 2014.
25 Apr 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it had with officials from Aberdeen City Council in advance of the public exhibition of the Haudagain improvement proposals on 24-25 April 2014.
Answer · Keith Brown: Regular meetings have taken place between officials from Transport Scotland and Aberdeen City Council since April 2013 to discuss the Haudagain Improvement scheme which included the public exhibitions.