Parliamentary questions
Jenny Marra
379 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
1 Dec 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what Scottish Water is doing to promote water conservation and water-use efficiency as per section 74 of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009.
Answer · Alex Neil: In line with the Scottish Water (Objectives for 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2015) Directions 2009, Scottish Water has prepared a plan on how it intends to promote water conservation and water-use efficiency. Reports on the implementation of the plan will availab…
1 Dec 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how Scottish Water is using the £20 million allocated to it for climate change mitigation measures in the 2010 to 2015 water industry investment period.
Answer · Alex Neil: In line with the Scottish Water (Objectives for 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2015) Directions 2009, Scottish Water is: Investing in renewable generation using its existing asset base; Undertaking studies to understand the potential effects of climate change on …
1 Dec 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps Scottish Water and its subsidiaries are taking to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change as per the duties of public bodies set out in Part 4 of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009.
Answer · Alex Neil: In line with the Scottish Water (Objectives for 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2015) Directions 2009, Scottish Water is: Taking steps to mitigate its carbon emissions by seeking opportunities to reduce energy demand, investing in energy efficiency and increasing, …
30 Nov 2011 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will use the £70 million National Renewables Infrastructure Fund to boost investment.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The fund is targeted at supporting port and manufacturing facilities and supply chain provision for manufacturing offshore wind turbines and related components across Scotland. It is expected that the fund will leverage significant private sector investment …
24 Nov 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its strategy for procurement will be with regard to the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
Answer · Shona Robison: The Glasgow 2014 Organising Committee is responsible for the majority of games-related contracts for the Commonwealth Games. In addition, the Scottish Government is working to use the London 2012 Olympics and Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games to help build the …
15 Nov 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which minister has responsibility for dealing with (a) financial exclusion and (b) credit union-related issues.
Answer · John Swinney: Financial inclusion is part of our approach to tackling poverty, a portfolio responsibility of the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Cities Strategy. Several Ministers have an interest in credit unions, depending on the issue. For example, I have po…
15 Nov 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many credit unions have received funding from the Enterprise Growth Fund in 2011 and how much in total was paid out to the credit unions.
Answer · John Swinney: Applications for the Enterprise Growth Fund are still being assessed and we expect decisions to be made in early December.
9 Nov 2011 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average waiting time is for children seeking mental health treatment.
7 Nov 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which ministerial portfolio has responsibility for the management of the Young Scots Fund.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The budget for the Young Scots Fund sits within the Culture and External Affairs Portfolio. The focus of the Young Scots Fund is support for emerging young talent in sport, enterprise and creativity and as such the fund will support projects in other Scottish…
7 Nov 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive over how many budgetary cycles the money for the proposed national football academy will be extracted from the Young Scots Fund.
Answer · Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-03912 on 17 November 2011. 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/parliamentary…
7 Nov 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it anticipates the completion of the proposed national football academy.
Answer · Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-03912 on 17 November 2011. 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/parliamentary…
7 Nov 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much money has been earmarked from the Young Scots Fund for the proposed national football academy.
Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government has committed up to £25 million towards the national football academy, funded through our Young Scots Fund. An announcement will be made early in the new year on how we will deliver the academy by 2016.
26 Oct 2011 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what support it gives to credit unions facing new or increased bank charges.
25 Oct 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many households would be in fuel poverty if the energy performance of all homes were raised to Energy Performance Certificate rating (a) A, (b) B, (c) C, (d) D, (e) E and (f) F, income levels remained the same and fuel prices (i) remained constant, (ii) increased by 13%, (iii) increas…
Answer · Alex Neil: The information requested is not currently available. The Scottish Government is working closely with the Fuel Poverty Forum to scope out the analytical requirements that can be delivered in support of the fuel poverty review.
25 Oct 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many domestic properties can reach or exceed an Energy Performance Certificate rating (a) A, (b) B, (c) C, (d) D, (e) E and (f) F, also expressed as a percentage of all properties.
Answer · Alex Neil: An exact measure of the data requested is not currently available. However the following table which was published in March 2011 in a document entitled ‘Impacts of Options for regulating energy efficiency standards in the domestic sector” http://www.scotland.…
25 Oct 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the impact on carbon dioxide emissions would be of raising the energy performance of all homes to Energy Performance Certificate rating (a) A, (b) B, (c) C, (d) D, (e) E and (f) F by (i) 2015, (ii) 2016, (iii) 2017, (iv) 2018, (v) 2019 and (vi) 2020.
Answer · Alex Neil: The information requested is not currently available. The Scottish Government is working closely with the Fuel Poverty Forum to scope out the analytical requirements that can be delivered in support of the fuel poverty review.
25 Oct 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) costs and (b) benefits would be of raising the energy performance of all homes to Energy Performance Certificate rating (i) A, (ii) B, (iii) C, (iv) D, (v) E and (vi) F by (A) 2015, (B) 2016, (C) 2017, (D) 2018, (E) 2019 and (F) 2020.
Answer · Alex Neil: The information requested is not currently available. The Scottish Government is working closely with the Fuel Poverty Forum to scope out the analytical requirements that can be delivered in support of the fuel poverty review.
19 Oct 2011 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to guarantee widening access to further education.
19 Oct 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many cochlear implant patients are using processors that are over five years old.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: There are 221 patients with cochlear implants with processors that are over five years old.
19 Oct 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many Scotland-domiciled patients travel to England for cochlear implant follow-up services; how much this costs NHSScotland per patient per annum, and whether this includes the cost of an upgrade processor every five years.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Currently, there are 21 patients who are resident in Scotland who are receiving aftercare from cochlear centres in England. These centres are in Nottingham and Manchester. The cost of follow-up care is approximately £5,500 per annum for a child with bilater…
19 Oct 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the NHS National Services Division provides a policy that sets out a minimum timescale for upgrades to cochlear implant speech processors.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The policy agreed between National Services Division and the Scottish Cochlear Implantation Programme is that processors would begin to be assessed for renewal from five years onwards and be upgraded when clinically and technically necessary.
19 Oct 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many new cochlear implant procedures were funded in (a) 2009-10 and (b) 2010-11 and how many were to fit bilateral cochlear implants.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: In 2009-10, 83 new cochlear implants were funded and one repeat procedure (adult). Seventy were unilateral implants (51 adults, 19 children) and 13 were bilateral implants (four adults, nine children). In 2010-11, 84 new cochlear implants were funded and one…
19 Oct 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether ring-fenced funding is available to provide bilateral cochlear implants to all children who would benefit from them.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Funding is available to provide bilateral cochlear implants to all children who meet the agreed clinical criteria for cochlear implantation.
19 Oct 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the cochlear implant programme is given ring-fenced funding for purchasing upgrade processors each year.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The total funding allocated to the cochlear implantation service in 2011-12 is £4,511,569. This includes £2,355,030 for purchasing new cochlear implants and a further £800,000 for maintenance, replacement and upgrading of processors.
19 Oct 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much the Scottish Cochlear Implant Programme is allocated per paediatric patient per annum of post-implant follow-up and whether this includes the cost of an upgrade processor every five years.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Funding for the Scottish Cochlear Implant Programme is not separately allocated for adults and children. The total funding allocated to the cochlear implantation service in 2011-12 is £4,511,569. This includes the cost of follow-up care and upgrades.
19 Oct 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the family of a deaf child opting to have one cochlear implant for their child can opt for a second at a later date.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The family of a deaf child opting for a single cochlear implant can request at a later date an assessment for a second implant. The clinical benefit for the individual child would then be assessed on a case by case basis by the clinician in consultation with …
17 Oct 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many households in fuel poverty have been in receipt of a qualifying benefit for the Energy Assistance Package in each year since 2006, also expressed as a percentage of (a) fuel-poor and (b) all households.
Answer · Alex Neil: The Energy Assistance Package has been operational since 1 April 2009 with the twin aims of tackling fuel poverty and reducing household carbon emissions. As such there would be no data for 2006-07, 2007-08, or 2008-09 as the scheme was not operational then. …
17 Oct 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether a minimum National Home Energy Rating will be required to ensure that no household lives in fuel poverty by 2016 and, if so, what that rating will be.
Answer · Alex Neil: Fuel poverty is determined by the relationship between income levels, fuel prices and energy efficiency at a household level. In order for any individual household to be fuel poor they would have to spend more than 10% of their income to heat their home to a …
17 Oct 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many households will be lifted out of fuel poverty by (a) stage 1 of the Energy Assistance Package, (b) stage 2 of the Energy Assistance Package, (c) stage 3 of the Energy Assistance Package, (d) stage 4 of the Energy Assistance Package, (e) the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target and s…
Answer · Alex Neil: The Scottish Government’s Scottish House Condition Survey does not produce forward projections of fuel poverty. Fuel Poverty is affected by a combination of fuel prices, individual household incomes and home energy efficiency, none of which can be easily pred…
17 Oct 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what improvement will be required in the mean National Home Energy Rating of homes to ensure that no households live in fuel poverty by 2016, assuming that incomes remain at present levels and prices rise in line with Ofgem's projections as outlined in its Project Discovery report.
Answer · Alex Neil: The information requested is not currently available. Fuel poverty is determined by the relationship between income levels, fuel prices and energy efficiency at a household level. The Scottish Government is working closely with the Fuel Poverty Forum to sco…