Cameron Buchanan

11 May 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers that the Scottish Qualifications Authority is restricting competition by not publicising other awarding bodies.

Answer · Alasdair Allan: As an awarding body, the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) lists on its website only information about its own qualifications and the centres it has approved to deliver them. This is common practice among awarding bodies who do not publicise each other.…

11 May 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its short and long-term response is to the recent reported steep rise in housebreakings in Edinburgh.

Answer · Michael Matheson: Day to day decisions on policing matters are a matter for Police Scotland, with the oversight of the Scottish Police Authority. However, I understand Police Scotland has housebreaking teams in place in Edinburgh and the ongoing Operation RAC deals specificall…

5 May 2015 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what it will do to improve literacy in schools following the recent results of the Scottish Survey of Literacy and Numeracy.

28 Apr 2015 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to increase investment in roads as a result of the forecast population increase.

24 Mar 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers that the Scottish Qualifications Authority publicises other awarding bodies on an equal basis to its own.

Answer · Angela Constance: The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) operates under the terms of the Education (Scotland) Act 1996, as amended by the Scottish Qualifications Authority Act 2002. This legislation does not place a duty on the SQA to publicise other awarding bodies. Sta…

23 Mar 2015 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has filled all vacancies at Revenue Scotland.

16 Mar 2015 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work of the National Advisory Group on Developing the Young Workforce.

27 Jan 2015 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to introduce new initiatives to help people with chronic migraine disorder.

10 Dec 2014 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to introduce initiatives to encourage cycling beyond its present commitments.

19 Nov 2014 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, further to the answer to question S4O-03661 by Linda Fabiani on 13 November 2014, what projects relate to “emerging building needs”.

Answer · Linda Fabiani: Emerging building needs projects already delivered or planned for delivery in 2014/15 include:   Upgrade of lift 2 in the MSP building to a fire evacuation lift New external CCTV camera for the public entrance Installation of an induction loop and panic a…

11 Nov 2014 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it accepts the European Commission Director General for Trade’s statement that "the net effect of the EU’s approach is that nothing in TTIP [Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership] will lead to privatisation of the NHS".

Answer · Alex Neil: I welcome the director general’s statement. However, there needs to be much greater transparency in the TTIP negotiations and until the Scottish Government and the public see the final legal text of any agreement we cannot be fully assured that such statement…

31 Oct 2014 · SPCB Oral Question

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what building and maintenance projects it plans for 2014-15 and 2015-16 and what the projected costs are.

Answer · Linda Fabiani: Linda Fabiani (on behalf of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body): The Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB) plans to spend in the region of £3.2 million on maintenance and building related projects in 2014-15. These are either maintenance and ass…

16 Sep 2014 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the effectiveness of the arrangements relating to the Property Factors (Scotland) Act 2011 and their operation.

15 Aug 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what arrangements are in place to allow men with prostate cancer in Scotland to have robot-assisted surgery in England until such facilities are available in Scotland.

Answer · Alex Neil: The arrangements which underpin existing access to healthcare in NHS England for residents of Scotland are led by clinical decision making. The clinical requirement for referral is defined by a relevant specialist working in NHS Scotland in consultation with …

15 Aug 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when the National Planning Forum will decide whether to introduce robot-assisted surgery for prostate cancer, and what discussions it has had with Prostate Cancer UK on this matter.

Answer · Alex Neil: I understand that robot assisted surgery for prostate cancer was discussed at a meeting between the First Minister and Prostate Cancer UK in November 2012. On 19 August 2014, I announced that the Scottish Government is investing up to £1 million to complemen…

15 Aug 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the evidence used by countries throughout Europe, including England, to justify the decision to introduce robot-assisted surgery for prostate cancer patients and for what reason it has decided not to introduce this technique in Scotland.

Answer · Alex Neil: A wide range of international evidence relating to robot-assisted surgery has been carefully considered by the Scottish Health Technologies Group and the National Planning Forum. On 19 August 2014, I announced that the Scottish Government is investing up to …

15 Aug 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on Prostate Cancer UK’s view that all men requiring prostate surgery should be able to make an informed choice about whether they wish to have robot-assisted surgery on the NHS, and what steps it is taking to ensure that men have this choice.

Answer · Alex Neil: Men who require prostate surgery should have access to the most appropriate treatment, based on their individual clinical circumstances. On 19 August 2014, I announced that the Scottish Government is investing up to £1 million to complement the fundraising e…

4 Jun 2014 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met representatives of NHS boards.

3 Jun 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to improve the collection of data to assess demand for housing, in light of the 2013 Audit Scotland report, Housing in Scotland.

Answer · Margaret Burgess: The Scottish Government has recently published revised guidance on Housing Need and Demand Assessments to assist local authorities in the task and to provide more consistent estimates for all tenures, within a consistent methodological framework. The Scotti…

20 May 2014 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government when ministers last met representatives of local authorities.

15 May 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-20336 by Nicola Sturgeon on 9 April 2014, what criteria it used to determine the stakeholders who had an interest in the white paper.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Over 100,000 copies of Scotland’s Future have been requested since its publication and we continue to engage with stakeholders to ensure that as many people as possible are able to engage in, and inform, the debate around Scotland’s future as we approach the …

15 May 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to update its (a) advice and (b) guidelines on the use of e-cigarettes in its buildings.

Answer · Michael Matheson: There are no plans to update existing guidance material. While electronic cigarettes are not covered by the ban on smoking within enclosed spaces, individual organisations may still put in place policies to restrict their use. It is the decision of the Scot…

15 May 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the findings of recent research carried out by YouGov and Mississippi State University’s Social Science Research Center regarding the prevalence and rate of use of e-cigarettes, whether it will consider commissioning research into their effects.

Answer · Michael Matheson: There are currently no plans for the Scottish Government to commission its own research into the effects of e-cigarettes. However, the Scottish Government will consider the publicly available evidence which underpinned the Medicines and Healthcare Products R…

25 Mar 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it gathered email addresses for the purpose of contacting people about the white paper on independence.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government contacted both stakeholders with an interest in the publication of Scotland’s Future and individuals who had responded to the consultation Your Scotland, Your Referendum and indicated that they would be content for the Scottish Governm…

25 Mar 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how the £450,000 that it has set aside for public information activity related to the white paper on independence has been allocated.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The £450,000 budget for public information activity that I announced in Parliament on November 26, 2013 is being used to ensure that people in Scotland can access the information they need to make an informed choice on 18 September 2014. Details of spend with…

3 Mar 2014 · Topical Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has had any further discussion with COSLA on the local government finance settlement allocations for 2015-16.

29 Jan 2014 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met representatives of Police Scotland and what issues were discussed.

22 Jan 2014 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met Historic Scotland and what issues were discussed.

4 Dec 2013 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers the Improvement Service’s project on enhancing the role of community councils to be sufficient in tackling the issue of participation.

22 Nov 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-18188 by Margaret Burgess on 11 November 2013, how many of the housing need and demand assessments appraised were revised upward and by how many units.

Answer · Margaret Burgess: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-18188 on 15 November 2013, the Centre for Housing Market Analysis has appraised 23 Housing Need and Demand Assessments (HNDAs) and recommendations were made to 21 based on the process and methodology. In 17 cas…