Parliamentary questions
Willie Rennie
1,353 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
8 Dec 2014 · First Minister's Question
To ask the First Minister what issues will be discussed at the next meeting of the Cabinet.
21 Nov 2014 · First Minister's Question
To ask the First Minister what issues will be discussed at the next meeting of the Cabinet.
17 Nov 2014 · First Minister's Question
To ask the First Minister what issues will be discussed at the next meeting of the Cabinet.
3 Nov 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much was spent on the Electoral Commission voter registration campaign for the independence referendum.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The financial memorandum which was published alongside the Scottish Independence Referendum Bill estimated that the Electoral Commission would incur expenditure of around £2.2 million for discharging its statutory functions in relation to the referendum. This…
26 Sep 2014 · First Minister's Question
To ask the First Minister what issues will be discussed at the next meeting of the Cabinet.
22 Sep 2014 · First Minister's Question
To ask the First Minister what issues will be discussed at the next meeting of the Cabinet.
7 Aug 2014 · First Minister's Question
To ask the First Minister what issues will be discussed at the next meeting of the Cabinet.
29 Jul 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how (a) environmental groups, (b) relevant ecological expertise and (c) community interests are being represented in the opencast coal mining working groups.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: As set out in the written answer to PQ S4W-22211 on 22 August 2014, Scottish Natural Heritage and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency represent environmental interests. The Association of Environmental and Ecological Clerks of Works represent ecologica…
29 Jul 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish an analysis of responses received to the consultation on restoration of opencast coal mining sites.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The analysis was published in July 2014 and is available at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/0045/00457043.pdf.
29 Jul 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the membership is of the opencast coal mining working groups and on what basis members were selected.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: Membership of the compliance working group: Russel Griggs Chair Lin Bunten SEPA Graeme Walker SNH Professor George Fleming Association of Environmental and Ecological Clerks of Works George Eckton COSLA Alan Doak AED Planning and Development …
29 Jul 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the remits are of the working groups established to take forward the outcomes of the consultation on the regulation of opencast coal mining in Scotland.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The main terms of reference for the finance working group are to assess the financial climate in assurance, make an assessment of parent company guarantees, the market in insurance policies and the pros and cons of escrow accounts, recommend how planning auth…
29 Jul 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that participants in the opencast coal mining working groups have no conflict of interest and that governance of the groups is independent of organisations or individuals who own or control opencast coal mining sites.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government ensures an absence of conflict of interest on the groups by drawing on wide input from industry, environment, community, local authority, independent assessor and business interests. Strong chairmanship is required to ensure all aspec…
29 Jul 2014 · First Minister's Question
To ask the First Minister what issues will be discussed at the next meeting of the Cabinet.
7 Jul 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what implications the failure to restore opencast coal mines in the Muirkirk and North Lowther Uplands Special Protection Area could have for an independent Scotland becoming a member of the EU.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: No implications are perceived for an independent Scotland becoming a member of the EU.
7 Jul 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it will consider in-combination impacts of proposed developments on the Muirkirk and North Lowther Uplands Special Protection Area in light of the current impact of opencast coal mines in the area.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: In-combination impacts of proposed developments are taken into account by the relevant authorities in accordance with the requirements of the Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c.) Regulations 1994 and are informed by statutory advice and all other material con…
7 Jul 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the European Commission regarding the restoration of the open cast coal mines in the Muirkirk and North Lowther Uplands Special Protection Area.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: Officials have had informal discussions with the European Commission as part of the preliminary scoping of possible restoration options.
7 Jul 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government who has liability for controlled activities regulations licences at Powharnal and Grievehill open cast coal sites; whether it considers that the liquidators of Scottish Coal are in compliance with these licences at the Powharnal site in East Ayrshire, and what the reasons are for its pos…
Answer · Fergus Ewing: Responsibility for compliance with the requirements of a water use licence under the Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2011 lies with the ‘responsible person’, as defined in regulation 2. Monitoring of compliance with licences i…
12 Jun 2014 · First Minister's Question
To ask the First Minister what issues will be discussed at the next meeting of the Cabinet.
9 Jun 2014 · First Minister's Question
To ask the First Minister what issues will be discussed at the next meeting of the Cabinet.
30 May 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of an independent Scotland’s total budget it estimates would be needed to invest in systems, processes and institutions required ahead of independence.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-21539 on 27 June 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/parliamentarybu…
30 May 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the basis is for the assertion in the white paper on independence that “the investment in systems and processes will be a small proportion of an independent Scotland’s total budget”.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: This is based on the approach to transition proposed in chapter 10 of Scotland’s Future
30 May 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has asked Audit Scotland to consider modelling the costs of transition to independence using the Scottish Government’s preferred model for institutions and staff.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: No.
30 May 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the preparatory work on the institutions, costs and staff referred to in paragraph 49 of the cabinet paper by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth that has appeared in the media has been destroyed.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: No, the work done is reflected in “Scotland’s Future”.
30 May 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether ministers have, in the last two years, instructed officials to cease work on the preparation of estimates of the transition costs to independence in the event of a Yes vote in the referendum.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: No, the work done is reflected in “Scotland’s Future”.
30 May 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to commission work on the costs of a transition to independence.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-21539 on 27 June 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/parliamentarybu…
30 May 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government who took the decision not to publish an estimate of the transition costs to independence in the white paper on independence.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Decisions on the content of Scotland’s Future were taken by Scottish Ministers
30 May 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what work it has undertaken in relation to the institutions, costs and staff numbers required for the transition to independence since the matter was referred to in paragraph 49 of the cabinet paper by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth that has appeared…
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-21542 on 27 June 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/parliamentarybu…
30 May 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many officials in the finance directorates and the office of the Chief Economic Adviser worked on the paper on the institutions, costs and staff numbers required for the transition to independence referred to in paragraph 49 of the cabinet paper by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, …
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The work that has been undertaken by Scottish Government officials on the transition to independence is reflected in chapter 10 of Scotland’s Future. Officials from across the Scottish Government have contributed to the Scottish Government's policy on indepen…
30 May 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the update on the institutions, costs and staff numbers required for the transition to independence referred to in paragraph 49 of the cabinet paper by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth that has appeared in the media has been produced for the ca…
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government’s work on the transition to independence is reflected in chapter 10 of Scotland’s Future.
30 May 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what estimates of the costs of the transition to independence in the event of a Yes vote in the referendum it plans to publish before the referendum.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-21539 on 27 June 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/parliamentarybu…