Parliamentary questions
Gillian Martin
287 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
15 Feb 2017 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it supports Scottish firms in the food and drink sector in accessing public sector contracts.
8 Feb 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many businesses in each local authority area will be exempt from the large business supplement because of the increased threshold.
Answer · Derek Mackay: The following table shows the estimated number of properties that will no longer be liable for payment of the large business supplement from 1 April 2017 due to uplift of the threshold to rateable value of £51,000, split by Local Authority Area. Local Author…
8 Feb 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many businesses in each local authority area will be exempt from business rates because of the extension of the threshold.
Answer · Derek Mackay: Some premises are not yet on the valuation rolls and their entitlement to relief cannot be determined at this point. As a result, it is not possible to provide this breakdown at this time, however our overall estimate is that 100,000 properties will receive 1…
6 Feb 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with Oil and Gas UK regarding the subsea standardisation guidelines.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The Scottish Government has not been directly engaged by Oil and Gas UK on the creation of these guidelines. However, exploration drilling has fallen substantially over the past few years with twenty three exploration and appraisal wells drilled in 2016 comp…
6 Feb 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the benefits of hydrogen-powered buses in reducing carbon emissions.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Scottish Government is supporting the ongoing evaluation of hydrogen-powered buses. In terms of policy development, Transport Scotland commissioned and recently published independent research by Element Energy on a range of low carbon technologies ("Gree…
6 Feb 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will be taking part in the H2 Transport Summit that is scheduled to be held in Aberdeen from 15 to 17 March 2017.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Hydrogen Transport Summit is being organised independently by Aberdeen City Council. Officials from the Scottish Government and its agencies have been invited to attend and will ensure that Scottish Ministers' interests are represented.
6 Feb 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the comment by the UK Government's Special Representative for Climate Change, Sir David King, that “time is no longer on our side” in global efforts in reduce carbon emissions and tackling climate change.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government agrees with Sir David King that time is of the essence in the global fight against harmful climatic change, with 2016 having been confirmed as the hottest year on record. Swift implementation of the Paris Agreement is central to the in…
6 Feb 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what recent engagement it has had with oil and gas companies to encourage them to actively recruit young people.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: I regularly meet with senior representatives from the oil and gas industry, during these meetings a wide range of issues are discussed in support of the sector, including the industry’s current and future skills agenda. We are actively continuing to support…
1 Feb 2017 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government how the NHS supports patients who communicate using British Sign Language.
30 Jan 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to assist people resident in Scotland who have been affected by the ban stopping them travelling to the United States becuase of their country of origin.
Answer · Alasdair Allan: The Scottish Government is deeply concerned at the executive order signed by President Trump on 27 January that effectively bans people from a number of Muslim-majority countries from entering the US. On 28 January, I wrote to the Foreign Secretary urging him…
24 Jan 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to increase the level of youth employment.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: Scotland's youth unemployment rate (9.4%) is the lowest youth unemployment rate since records began, and is the 2nd lowest youth unemployment rate in the EU. However we will continue to build on this progress through the implementation of our youth employmen…
24 Jan 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many signatories to the Scottish Business Pledge there are, and what action it is taking to encourage more businesses to do so.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: As of 31 January 2017 there are 325 Business Pledge Signatory companies. More information is given in the quarterly "Business Pledge - Statistical Overview" which is placed in the Scottish Parliament's Reference Centre. We encourage companies to commit to the…
24 Jan 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it can take to support (a) rural communities and (b) vulnerable or older people in light of the proposed closure of Clydesdale Bank branches, including in the Aberdeenshire East constituency.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The regulation of banking remains reserved to Westminster and the Scottish Government cannot directly compel banks to maintain a branch presence where they have taken the commercial decision to close. Clydesdale Bank, and other banks who are closing branches…
18 Jan 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what impact leaving the EU and the single market could have on geothermal exploration in Scotland, in light of the Geothermal Energy Challenge Fund receiving European structural funds support.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The Geothermal Energy Challenge Fund was run as part of the Low Carbon Infrastructure Transition Programme (LCITP) and provided support to four projects during the 2015-16 financial year, before closing. LCITP receives European Structural Funds Programme sup…
18 Jan 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of whether hot dry rock geothermal technology harnessing of granite in East Grampian could sustainably reduce carbon emissions.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The Scottish Government’s Heat Policy Statement (available at http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0047/00478997.pdf) and the draft Energy Strategy (https://consult.scotland.gov.uk/energy-and-climate-change-directorate/draft-energy-strategy/) recognise deep geotherma…
18 Jan 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how the Geothermal Energy Challenge Fund is taking forward its Geothermal Energy Expert Group’s aim of "producing a viable proposal within which geothermal heat or heat and power can be encouraged and developed in a Scottish context".
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The Challenge Fund was set up to help support feasibility studies in respect of the capacity of the geothermal resource in abandoned mine workings, hot sedimentary aquifers, and hot dry or wet rocks to support a local market and the viability of the identifie…
18 Jan 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of how geothermal energy could provide alternative employment opportunities for people who have gained skills and training in the oil and gas sector.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The Scottish Government commissioned study into the potential for deep geothermal energy in Scotland (which was published in 2013 and is available at http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2013/11/2800) acknowledged a potential crossover of skilled employment oppor…
18 Jan 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is considering to support the geothermal energy industry in North East Scotland following the conclusion of the feasibility projects at Hill of Banchory and the Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: All projects were engaged in follow up meetings with the Scottish Government to agree next steps in respect of the conclusions of their individual feasibility reports in order to continue to progress the projects. Where appropriate, financial support was offe…
18 Jan 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what support it has awarded to geothermal energy initiatives in North East Scotland through the Geothermal Energy Challenge Fund.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The Geothermal Energy Challenge Fund was launched on 6 March 2015 and was run as part of the Low Carbon Infrastructure Transition Programme. A total of £179,131 grant was made available during the 2015-16 financial year to explore the technical feasibility, e…
18 Jan 2017 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government how its Learning Directorate assists young carers in accessing their right to education.
9 Jan 2017 · Topical Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Institute for Public Policy Research Scotland report, Equipping Scotland for the Future.
21 Dec 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking to tackle domestic abuse.
Answer · Angela Constance: Domestic abuse and violence against women is a fundamental violation of human rights, and we are investing significant levels of funding as well as bringing forward new legislation to tackle it. it is completely unacceptable, and we believe that a zero tolera…
14 Dec 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that Scottish renewable energy firms are now active in more than 40 countries.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The results of this research by Scottish Renewables shows the considerable global reach of renewable energy businesses in Scotland. The figures reinforce the growing importance of renewable energy businesses, to the Scottish economy and vindicates the Scotti…
8 Dec 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action has been taken to prepare Aberdeenshire for the possibility of winter flooding, and what lessons have been learned from the floods of winter 2015-16.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: It is key that all partner organisations are prepared for any potential severe weather and/or flooding over the winter months. Resilience Partner organisations in the North of Scotland have been preparing for the winter period over the past few months to ensu…
8 Dec 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it supports businesses in building international links.
Answer · Keith Brown: Our Trade and Investment Strategy, published in March this year, sets out a clear and comprehensive plan for helping more companies export more goods and services to more markets. Alongside this, in October the First Minister announced a four-point plan to bo…
5 Dec 2016 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what was discussed at the last meeting between the finance secretary and the Scottish Chambers of Commerce.
21 Nov 2016 · Topical Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the findings of the GMB union on North Sea decommissioning costs.
16 Nov 2016 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of the Autumn Statement on the oil and gas sector in Scotland.
7 Nov 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what resilience planning it has carried out to ensure safety on the roads in Aberdeenshire over the winter.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: Transport Scotland is responsible for preventing snow and ice endangering the safe passage of pedestrians and vehicles on trunk roads in Aberdeenshire. Significant planning is undertaken in advance of winter to ensure that the trunk road operating companies a…
7 Nov 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support the oil and gas industry with the development of technologies to help bring hard-to-reach fields onstream.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The Scottish Government recognises that new and innovative technologies will be required to ensure we sustainably maximise the economic recovery of oil & gas from the North Sea. In February, the First Minister announced £12.5 million through our enterprise a…