Edward Mountain

9 May 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it will distribute income from the Crown Estate, and how often it will do this.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: This Government is committed to ensuring that local communities are able to benefit from the coastal resources of the Crown Estate. We are currently considering how best to distribute net revenue from Crown Estate marine assets out to 12 nautical miles on an …

9 May 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the cost is of the transfer of the powers over the management of the Crown Estate; how these costs will be met, and what additional costs the Crown Estate has to meet.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Scottish Ministers secured external consultancy support to work on transferring the management of Scottish Crown Estate assets. Expenditure on the two relevant contracts totalled £201,767.88 in 2016-2017. The transfer costs borne by The Crown Estate, as a se…

9 May 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the transfer of the powers over the management of the Crown Estate has been completed on time.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The transfer of the management of Crown Estate assets from the Crown Estate Commissioners to Crown Estate Scotland (Interim Management) occurred on the target transfer date of 1 April 2017.

18 Apr 2017 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to reports of defects found in school buildings.

29 Mar 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many accidents involving Scottish Ambulance Service vehicles there have been in the Highlands and Islands region in the last six months, and how long the crews involved had been on shift prior to the accident occurring.

Answer · Shona Robison: This information is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.

28 Mar 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many shooting and deer forest subjects will be on the valuation roll, and whether this is the same as the number of holdings it has registered.

Answer · Derek Mackay: The number of shootings and deer forests in the valuation rolls will be determined by the Scottish Assessors.

28 Mar 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the estimated income is from non-domestic rates for shootings and deer forests in 2017.

Answer · Derek Mackay: As stated in the financial memorandum for the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill, the total gross annual liability (before relief) is estimated at £4 million, but would be subject to considerable rates relief.

28 Mar 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the costs are of the collection of sporting rates.

Answer · Derek Mackay: The Scottish Government does not receive data from local authorities on the cost of non-domestic rates collection broken down by types of property.

28 Mar 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to comments made at the meeting of the Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environment Committee on 3 February 2016, when it will provide information to the Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee on the emerging valuations for sporting rates.

Answer · Derek Mackay: I wrote to the Convenor of the Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee on 30 March 2017, to provide an update on rating valuation of shootings and deer forests – confirming that the Assessors’ work was still ongoing and that a further update could be offered…

23 Mar 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-07527 by Fergus Ewing on 14 March 2017, on what date it received the information from the UK Government regarding the Digital Economy Bill.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: January 2017 (twice) and 16 February 2017. These letters covered a range of issues including both matters that are reserved and matters that are covered by the Legislative Consent Motion.

15 Mar 2017 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it encourages volunteering in communities.

23 Feb 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it received information relating to the Digital Economy Bill from the UK Government to allow it to bring forward a legislative consent memorandum.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: As I said in the debate on the Legislative Consent Motion in Parliament on 22 February 2017, the Digital Economy Bill is complex and there have been a range of amendments to it. The Scottish Government considered that there were a number of issues in relatio…

10 Feb 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the cost of wild fisheries review process has been, also broken down by (a) staffing, (b) meeting, (c) publication and publicity, (d) travel and (e) other costs each year.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Wild Fisheries Review commenced in March 2014 and concluded in October 2014 when the Review Panel submitted its findings to Scottish Ministers. From October 2014 the Wild Fisheries Reform Programme has been supported by the Wild Fisheries Reform Team. In …

18 Jan 2017 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will build a new hospital in Aviemore if the St Vincent's and Ian Charles hospitals are closed.

Answer · Shona Robison: In February 2015 I approved NHS Highland’s proposals for the modernisation of its community and hospital services in Badenoch and Strathspey. The go-ahead will mean development of community and adult social care services as well as the construction of a new …

16 Jan 2017 · Topical Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Scottish Ambulance Service is meeting its response time targets in rural areas.

20 Dec 2016 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government how important it considers superfast broadband is to tourism in the Highlands.

19 Dec 2016 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to support the Christmas tree industry.

6 Dec 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-00699 by Derek Mackay on 23 June 2016, whether it will provide an update regarding how much additional tax revenue it expects will be generated in each local authority area by the doubling of the large business rates supplement for 2016-17.

Answer · Derek Mackay: Updated estimates of 2016-17 business rates income generated by the Large Business Supplement will be available in due course once updated data from local authorities has been verified and processed.

30 Nov 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government who is entitled to travel allowance in the NHS Highland area when receiving treatment, and how much can be claimed per mile.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Highlands and Islands Patient Travel Scheme reimburses reasonable travel costs for all patients in the Highlands and Islands area that are required to travel 30 miles or more to a hospital for treatment, less the first £10, with the exception of those in …

30 Nov 2016 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met COSLA.

22 Nov 2016 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it takes to look after the health and wellbeing of primary school-age children in the Highlands, including ensuring that they receive an equitable amount of physical education compared with those across the rest of Scotland.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: This Government is committed to supporting the health and wellbeing of all children and young people in Scotland, no matter what local authority they live in. Health and wellbeing is one of the eight curricular areas in Curriculum for Excellence. Its substant…

2 Nov 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government which (a) ministers and (b) officials have met the chief executive of the Scottish Prison Service regarding the proposed new Highland Prison since 1 August 2016, and what information it has regarding what meetings the chief executive has had with other stakeholders.

Answer · Michael Matheson: I have monthly meetings with the Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to discuss a range of operational issues. Our last meeting took place on 3 November 2016. Since 1 August 2016, no Ministers or Scottish Government officials have met the Chief E…

2 Nov 2016 · SPCB Oral Question

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what assessment has been made of the drainage on the roof of the Garden Lobby.

26 Oct 2016 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the link between taxation policy and small business insolvencies in Scotland.

28 Sep 2016 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce waiting times for urology and orthopaedics appointments in NHS Highland.

14 Sep 2016 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers that the proposed location for the new Highland prison is the most appropriate site.

7 Jun 2016 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the annual running cost is of Forestry Commission Scotland, and whether it considers that the commission is doing an effective job in delivering the forestry strategy.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: The projected running cost of Forestry Commission Scotland for 2016-17 is £10 million. In addition, the projected 2016-17 running cost of Forest Enterprise Scotland, which manages the National Forest Estate on behalf of Scottish Ministers, is £42 million. App…