Parliamentary questions
Gillian Martin
287 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
18 Apr 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of premises in each local authority area is able to access fibre broadband through (a) commercial deployment and (b) the Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband (DSSB) programme.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The table below details the percentage of premises in each Local Authority area by: - predicted commercial coverage figures, based on those obtained during the 2012 Open Market Review - current percentage of premises connected to fibre through DSSB and the …
17 Apr 2018 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that people who repeatedly perpetrate online harassment are identified and investigated by the police.
Answer · Michael Matheson: Police Scotland's advice to the public is clear. If it is illegal off-line, it is illegal online. The investigation of alleged crimes is an operational matter for Police Scotland, taking account of any directions to the Police issued by the Lord Advocate. Th…
19 Mar 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support people facing redundancy as a result of the takeover of Maersk Oil by Total.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The Scottish Government is saddened to learn of the expected redundancies at Total and will do everything it can to support those affected. The oil and gas sector remains a key component of our energy system and our economy. This will be a very difficult time…
12 Mar 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what support it has provided to the film and video sector in each year since 2008, including how much funding Scottish Enterprise has invested.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Scottish Government provides support for the film and video sector through Creative Scotland and Scottish Enterprise as well as other bodies and projects such MG Alba (for the Gaelic short film competition FilmG), the Glasgow Short Film Festival, the Nati…
12 Mar 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many people are employed in Scotland's film and video sector.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Statistics on employment in the creative industries are available at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Business/Publications/GrowthSectors/Database . The data is broken down by sector, including ‘film and video’, and the most recent data …
12 Mar 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many registered film and video enterprises there are in Scotland.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Statistics on the number of registered enterprises in the creative industries are available at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Business/Publications/GrowthSectors/Database . The data is broken down by sector, including ‘film and video’…
5 Mar 2018 · First Minister's Question
To ask the First Minister what progress the Scottish Government is making on increasing the number of modern apprenticeships.
14 Feb 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what impact the discontinuation by Lufthansa of direct flights between Aberdeen and Frankfurt will have on (a) tourism, (b) business and (c) the economy in the north east, and what discussions it has had regarding attracting more direct overseas flights to operate from Aberdeen.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: Securing and retaining routes is primarily the responsibility of Aberdeen Airport. The Scottish Government has not carried out any analysis of the impact on Lufthansa’s decision to end its Frankfurt-Aberdeen route. Transport Scotland, in partnership with Scot…
13 Feb 2018 · Inspired Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress of the first phase of the Aberdeen to Inverness Improvement Project.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: Network Rail reached the first milestone on the Aberdeen and Inverness rail enhancement project with the completion of Forres station in October 2017. Network Rail is now moving forward with delivering the remaining improvements between Aberdeen and Inverurie…
13 Feb 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to forecasts from Opec, which reportedly state that global demand for oil will rise more rapidly than expected in 2018, and what impact this may have on Scotland’s oil and gas exports.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The Scottish Government monitors domestic and international energy research and reports and considers the potential implications for Scottish energy sectors and policies. OPEC’s February Oil Market Report highlighted that the OPEC Reference Basket of crude o…
13 Feb 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to reported concerns that a higher global oil price may lead to a resurgence in oil and gas production in the United States, and what impact this may have on recovery in the North Sea.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The Scottish Government monitors domestic and international energy research and reports and considers the potential implications for Scottish energy sectors and policies. In their February Oil Market Report, the International Energy Agency (IEA) highlighted …
30 Jan 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the projections from energy consultancy ,Wood Mackenzie, that North Sea oil and gas production will average 1.9 millions barrels per day in 2018, and what impact such production levels might have on Scotland's (a) export figures, (b) economy and (c) employment.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: North Sea oil and gas production across 2018 is forecast to be the highest since 2010, reaching an estimated 1.9 million barrels per day, as outlined by global energy consultancy Wood Mackenzie. Major projects predicted to come onstream in 2018 such as Marine…
30 Jan 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response to the finding in the DNV GL report, Confidence and Control, which suggests that confidence among UK oil and gas industry leaders has increased by 43% over the last year; what impact this reported increase in confidence might have on the sector and its supply chain and,…
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: There have been a number of industry reports showing that confidence is returning to the oil and gas sector. The most recent report, DNV-GL shows that, over the past year, confidence in the likelihood of growth in the sector has more than tripled in the UK, t…
30 Jan 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that Premier Oil’s Catcher oilfield is producing 20,000 barrels per day, and what impact this will have on employment.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: Premier Oil's Catcher field obtained First Oil in December 2017 after successful installation of the Floating, Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel. On January 24 2018, Premier Oil announced that its first export cargo of oil from the field was li…
30 Jan 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that Royal Dutch Shell plans to redevelop its Penguins oilfield, and what impact this will have on employment.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: Royal Dutch Shell's welcome announcement on 15 thJanuary 2018 adds to mounting evidence that the industry’s downturn has bottomed out, and that confidence is on the rise. The $1.2 billion redevelopment of the Penguins field - which will have an expected peak …
30 Jan 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports of increasing confidence in the industry and the comment by the chief executive of Premier Oil that "there is a bounce across the sector", what engagement it is having with the oil and gas firms to ensure that they are properly supported in recovery and realising po…
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: We have always maintained there are significant opportunities remaining in the North Sea, even in the context of a low carbon transition, and that a strong and vibrant domestic offshore oil and gas industry will play an essential role in the future energy sys…
30 Jan 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it will begin the provision of free sanitary products in schools, and how it will (a) work with and (b) support local authorities in carrying this out.
Answer · Angela Constance: Our Programme for Government commitment is to provide access to free sanitary products in schools, colleges and universities from August this year. Through our Access to Free Sanitary Products Working Group, the Scottish Government is currently exploring deli…
23 Jan 2018 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to eliminate rural fuel poverty.
Answer · Angela Constance: This Government has always prioritised tackling fuel poverty, and is committed to ensuring that everyone in Scotland, no matter where they live, lives in a warm home that is affordable to heat. We are currently consulting on a new, long-term fuel poverty str…
22 Jan 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that non-native, invasive species such as giant hogweed and Himalayan balsam have increased on river banks in Aberdeenshire due to greater seed distribution caused by Storm Frank in 2015, and what support can be provided to reverse this trend.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) recently funded a PhD study to look at long-term changes in riverside vegetation in Great Britain. This confirmed that the probability of occurrence of invasive non-native plants increased over time and with frequency of high f…
22 Jan 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what measures are in place to (a) monitor and (b) control numbers of goosanders in order to protect (i) salmon and (ii) other freshwater fish populations.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) is able to issue licences under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 for the control of goosanders or other piscivorous birds if they are causing, or likely to cause, serious damage to fisheries or to inland waters. Licences …
22 Jan 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether Scottish Natural Heritage issues advice to salmon fishery districts on best practice for control measures for goosanders.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: New applicants for licences to control goosanders and other piscivorous birds usually receive a site-visit from Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), Marine Scotland and/or Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture staff to provide advice on possible solutions t…
22 Jan 2018 · Topical Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Oxfam report, Reward Work, Not Wealth, and what action it is taking to tackle inequality.
17 Jan 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to whether the remit of the proposed Scottish National Investment Bank could be widened over the longer term to include the development of a sovereign wealth fund.
Answer · Keith Brown: The First Minister appointed Benny Higgins, the Chief Executive Officer of Tesco Bank, to lead work on an Implementation Plan. The plan will develop detailed proposals for the remit, capitalisation, governance, operating model, regulatory timeline and financ…
17 Jan 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what obligations fall to the remaining partners of Aberdeen Roads Ltd for the ongoing maintenance, cleaning and gritting of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR), and what mitigation measures Transport Scotland has in place to cover the long-term maintenance, cleaning and gritting…
Answer · Keith Brown: The contract for the Design, Build, Finance and Operation of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route was awarded to Aberdeen Roads Limited (ARL) in December 2014. As such, ARL is responsible for the funding, final design, construction and subsequent maintenance…
17 Jan 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the number of jobs supported by Carillion in the north east of Scotland; whether any of these are under threat, and what support it can provide to minimise any job losses.
Answer · Keith Brown: We continue to work closely with the official receiver to obtain accurate numbers of jobs supported by Carillion in the north east of Scotland. This will allow the Scottish Government to fully assess whether any of these jobs are under threat and what support…
17 Jan 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the collapse of Carillion, what engagement it will undertake with the Ministry of Defence regarding the maintenance and repair of homes used by armed forces personnel and their families in Scotland.
Answer · Keith Brown: The Scottish Government is in regular contact with the official receiver, their appointed special manager PWC, and with all UK Government Departments including the Ministry of Defence, to seek to ensure on-going service delivery for all of Carillion’s contrac…
17 Jan 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it will undertake with (a) the Federation of Small Businesses and (b) other stakeholders regarding the collapse of Carillion.
Answer · Keith Brown: We have been working with Scotland's business organisations and other key stakeholders since 16 January to develop a shared understanding of the impact of Carillion’s collapse on supply chains and companies in Scotland, and to ensure continuity of employment,…
17 Jan 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact that the liquidation of Carillion will have on the network of local suppliers and small firms in Scotland contracted by the company.
Answer · Keith Brown: We are continuing to gather as much information as possible with respect to public and private contracts where Carillion have been involved. That includes close and regular contact with Scotland's business organisations including Construction Scotland and the…
17 Jan 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it gave to profit warnings by Carillion in 2016 and the impact that this might have had on the delivery of infrastructure projects in Scotland.
Answer · Keith Brown: The Scottish Government closely monitored the financial health of Carillion and worked with its agencies to advise on robust contingency measures which would look to ensure that there was no interruption to public services in the event of a Carillion insolven…
16 Jan 2018 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to support women’s football and rugby.