Margaret McCulloch

8 Mar 2016 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government what impact fracking would have on Central Scotland.

25 Feb 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether any local authorities have used their new powers under the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 since October 2015 to provide local discretionary business rates relief.

Answer · John Swinney: At this early stage data is not yet available on any schemes put in place by local authorities in respect of their power to reduce business rates which took effect on 31 October 2015 under the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015. I look forward to innov…

25 Feb 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has made an assessment of the potential impact of its decision to double the large business rates supplement for 2016-17 on support from businesses for any future business improvement district ballots.

Answer · John Swinney: The increase to the large business supplement will apply to only around 13 per cent of rateable properties. Taken together with the non-domestic rates poundage for 2016-17 this will mean a 3.4 per cent total annual increase to rates bills for those properties…

19 Feb 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to mark International Day of Older Persons on 1 October 2016.

Answer · Alex Neil: The Scottish Government will work with its stakeholders to agree how to mark the day as we have done in previous years. The Scottish Older People's Assembly (SOPA) celebrated International Older People's Day on 5 October 2015, during older people's week, by h…

1 Feb 2016 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the impact would be on Scotland's economy of the proposed centralisation of HM Revenue and Customs' offices.

8 Jan 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4O-04553 by John Swinney on 9 September 2015 (Official Report, c. 8), what the timescale is for the review of business rates.

Answer · John Swinney: The review of business rates will aim to ensure Scotland’s system minimises the barrier to investment, is responsive to economic conditions and supports long-term economic growth and investment. Further details, including timescales, for the review will be c…

8 Jan 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to update the Town Centre Action Plan and, if so, when.

Answer · Alex Neil: We will publish the second update on the Town Centre Action Plan in the spring of 2016.

5 Jan 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to carry out the (a) electrification of the East Kilbride rail line and (b) delivery of a second platform at East Kilbride station.

Answer · Derek Mackay: Electrification of the East Kilbride line is one of a number of options being considered as part of the rolling programme of electrification from 2019 onwards. Development work for this, and the potential delivery of a second platform at East Kilbride station…

5 Jan 2016 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what medical staffing challenges it has identified in NHS Lanarkshire.

17 Dec 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it will give to public opinion when deciding on the future of its moratorium in relation to fracking in Central Scotland.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: On 8 October 2015 the Scottish Government announced plans for a wide-ranging and comprehensive programme of research into unconventional oil and gas, as well as a full public consultation. Details of these plans are available from the Scottish Parliament Inf…

15 Dec 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what requirements it places on contractors to provide training opportunities as part of its motorway improvements in Central Scotland.

Answer · Derek Mackay: The use of community benefit clauses in procurement is widespread across the public sector in Scotland and is creating a large range of training and recruitment opportunities. The M8 M73 M74 and the Forth Replacement Crossing projects have employed a total o…

15 Dec 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what representations since January 2014 it has received from the energy industry regarding fracking in (a) Falkirk, (b) North Lanarkshire and (c) South Lanarkshire.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government is committed to engaging regularly with our stakeholders. This engagement has helped the Scottish Government to prepare for a robust and thorough research programme and consultation on unconventional oil and gas. Details of this work a…

14 Dec 2015 · Topical Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Presiding Officer's ruling on a potential legislative consent memorandum regarding the UK Government's Trade Union Bill.

8 Dec 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what support is available to help women with neurofibromatosis access pre-implantation genetic diagnosis.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Pre-Implantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) screening service provides cytogenetic testing for foetal chromosome abnormalities and single gene disorders. However, access to PGD is dependent on criteria set out in The Scottish Pre-Implantation Geneti…

27 Oct 2015 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting sustainable economic growth in towns.

29 Sep 2015 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it will provide funding to Falkirk Council from the Attainment Scotland Fund for Langlees Primary School and how it will be spent.

25 Aug 2015 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it supports town centre regeneration in Central Scotland.

28 Jul 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether staffing in Police Scotland has ever fallen below operational base levels and, if so, when and for what reason, broken down by (a) division, (b) parliamentary region and (c) parliamentary constituency.

Answer · Michael Matheson: This information is not held centrally. Operational resourcing levels are an operational matter for Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority.

23 Jul 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of the (a) resource and (b) total departmental expenditure limit has been allocated for future revenue-financed investment charges.

Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-26847 on 12 August 2015. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness…

23 Jul 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of the (a) resource and (b) total departmental expenditure limit has been spent on revenue-financed investment charges in each year since 2012-13.

Answer · John Swinney: The draft budget 2015 to 2016 available from the following link: www.gov.scot/Publications/2014/10/2706 contains information on revenue financed investment as a percentage of Scottish Government DEL for the period since 2013 to 2014 and projections for the pe…

22 Jul 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what priority it gives to leadership capacity building in NHS boards.

Answer · Shona Robison: Building leadership capacity in NHS boards is a significant priority for the Scottish Government. Effective leadership and management is one of the five priority areas for action in Everyone Matters, our 2020 vision for the NHS Workforce. Within that priorit…

22 Jul 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges and Faculties in Scotland Short-life Working Group on Hospitals report, Learning from Serious Failings in Care.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government is committed to driving up standards in our NHS and we had already taken action to implement the recommendations of the reviews the academy’s report covers. We are expanding our world leading Patient Safety Programme, implementing the …

22 Jul 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on couples in civil partnerships that were registered overseas being able to convert these to marriages in Scotland.

Answer · Marco Biagi: Section 9 of the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Act 2014 allows the Scottish Ministers to make an Order enabling civil partners in a partnership registered outwith Scotland to change their civil partnership to a marriage in Scotland. On 6 March 201…

22 Jul 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on developing an LGBT equality and human rights strategy.

Answer · Alex Neil: The Scottish Government’s strategic approach to date has been to work in collaboration with LGBT organisations in Scotland to address the priorities these communities have identified to progress equality for LGBT people. This is no more evident than through t…

22 Jul 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Equality Network report, The Scottish LGBT Equality Report.

Answer · Alex Neil: The Scottish Government welcomes Equality Network’s The Scottish LGBT Equality Report. Despite the significant progress made in relation to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) equality, particularly in recent years, we are aware of the in…

22 Jul 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making toward achieving its productivity purpose target of Scotland ranking "in the top quartile for productivity against our key trading partners in the OECD by 2017".

Answer · John Swinney: Scotland Performs monitors and reports on progress against the Scottish Government’s seven purpose targets and 50 national indicators. Data on Scotland’s productivity performance is currently available for years up to and including 2013. Progress against the…

22 Jul 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve economic productivity and what its preferred standard of measurement for this is.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government is undertaking a range of actions that will support productivity improvements in the Scottish economy including; investing in Scotland’s transport and digital infrastructure; investing in early years, schools, further and higher educat…

9 Jun 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how the transition to a seven-day health service will affect out-of-hours primary care services.

Answer · Shona Robison: Patients in Scotland currently have access to primary medical care 24 hours a day and seven days a week. Health boards and NHS 24 work together to ensure that anyone who requires to see a GP out-of-hours can do so. The Scottish Government is, however, taking…

9 Jun 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides to NHS Lanarkshire to address the risks marked in red in NHS Lanarkshire’s corporate risk register.

Answer · Shona Robison: In addition to setting national policies and providing resources (NHS Lanarkshire’s resource budget has increased by £41.8 million or 4.1% in 2015-16 to a record high of £1,055.6 million), the government keeps in close contact with health boards on the key ri…

9 Jun 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it is promoting employment opportunities in out-of-hours primary care services to doctors.

Answer · Shona Robison: NHS Scotland health boards are responsible for resourcing out-of-hours services to meet the needs of their populations. The national review of primary care out-of-hours services, commissioned by the Scottish Government in January 2015, is examining the out-of…