Alexander Burnett

14 Oct 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it had with the Chief Scientific Adviser prior to, and in relation to, its decision to ban underground coal gasification.

Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: Chief Scientific Adviser for Rural Affairs, Food and Environment, Professor Louise Heathwaite, was engaged in the review from the outset and throughout. Since coming into post, the Chief Scientific Adviser for Scotland, Professor Sheila Rowan, has met officia…

14 Oct 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it last consulted its Chief Scientific Adviser on fracking and for what reason.

Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: Scottish Government officials have met with the Chief Scientific Advisor and Chief Scientific Advisor for Rural Affairs, Food and the Environment a number of times to provide a summary of the unconventional oil and gas work underway. The Scottish Government v…

13 Oct 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on giving people with type 1 diabetes free access to blood glucose monitoring technology such as the Abbott Freestyle Libre.

Answer · Shona Robison: We expect clinicians to follow appropriate national clinical guidelines and standards to ensure that continuous blood glucose monitoring technology is accessible to those who would clinically benefit from it. Work is currently on-going to develop a national …

29 Sep 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will review the specialist medical clothing and equipment needs of people with xeroderma pigmentosum in order to make these available through prescription or social services.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: There are no current plans to undertake a review. Xeroderma Pigmentosum is an extremely rare disease affecting around 100 people across the UK. Treatment and supervision for this condition is highly specialised which is best delivered through specialist hospi…

29 Sep 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will categorise xeroderma pigmentosum as a genetic DNA repair disorder, as opposed to a skin condition, to enable people with the condition to claim middle rate Disability Living Allowance.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: While we will have powers over disability benefits in the future, the Scottish Government does not yet have the power to amend the qualifying criteria for Disability Living Allowance. We are consulting on our approach to Social Security in Scotland. However, …

29 Sep 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on promoting education and awareness in schools of rare diseases.

Answer · John Swinney: Further to the response provided to the answer to question S5W-03315 on 18 October 2016, it is for local authorities and schools, in partnership with their NHS Board and wider school communities, to identify their priorities for learning and health promotion.…

29 Sep 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on promoting the use of sunscreen in schools.

Answer · John Swinney: Health and wellbeing in Curriculum for Excellence is the responsibility of all school staff and promotes pupils' understanding of their own health and wellbeing. Schools and local authorities are required to ensure that health promotion is at the heart of a …

29 Sep 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on providing access to adapted vehicles to people with xeroderma pigmentosum who are reliant on them, regardless of their care component rating.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government has set out plans to continue to work with Motability, the independent charity that provides vehicles to recipients of qualifying disability benefits, to ensure the scheme can continue to operate in Scotland when powers over disability…

29 Sep 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of food outlets in Wales and Northern Ireland being required to display food hygiene certificates, what plans it has to introduce such a measure.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: In Scotland, Food Standards Scotland (FSS) operate the Food Hygiene Information Scheme (FHIS) in partnership with local authorities. The scheme is intended to help consumers choose where to eat out or shop for food by providing at-a-glance information about f…

6 Sep 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what support it offers to young people with Asperger's who are (a) sitting exams and (b) planning to enter work after leaving school.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government want all children and young people to receive the support that they need to reach their full learning potential. This includes support when sitting exams and support for young people planning to enter the workforce. For young people w…

5 Sep 2016 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether its climate change plan will contain sectoral targets for waste, buildings, heat and transport.

5 Sep 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to providing funding for charitable trusts to carry out maintenance on public walkways.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: A variety of funding sources are available for charitable trusts and other bodies to upgrade and carry out maintenance on public footpaths. Grants to support the costs of the maintenance of urban public amenity areas in existing woodlands are available unde…

17 Aug 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of other countries doing so, for what reason Scotland does not audit longer-term rehabilitation in stroke care.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Stroke Improvement Programme report published on 12 July contains data collected on stroke rehabilitation. From November 2015 to January 2016 a rehabilitation sprint audit was conducted in all acute and integrated stroke units and is again a focu…

17 Aug 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the Scottish Stroke Care Audit was renamed as the Scottish Stroke Improvement Programme.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Stroke Care Audit (SSCA) is managed by Information and Statistics Division (ISD) Scotland under that name. The Scottish Stroke Care Audit Annual Report was renamed as the Scottish Stroke Improvement Programme Report to reflect the inclusion of re…

17 Aug 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason The Scottish Stroke Improvement Programme 2016 Report records that 22 out of 29 hospitals did not achieve the 90% stroke unit standard, and what action it is taking to (a) address this and (b) improve equality in access to care across all NHS boards.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government's Stroke Improvement Plan (2014) sets out actions and priorities which aim to improve the experience and clinical outcomes for patients living with stroke across Scotland by supporting the community to adopt a seamless approach to the …

2 Aug 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it made contact with Aberdeenshire Council in relation to the non-strategic/non-infrastructure planning application by Sandlaw Farming for a housing development in Banchory and whether it considers that this action was appropriate.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: Contact between the Scottish Government and planning authorities is commonplace. In this instance contact was made in connection with a major housing proposal for private rented accommodation to request an update on the planning application and to enquire whe…

2 Aug 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what policy position determines its use of powers to become involved in non-strategic/non-infrastructure planning applications that have not become stalled in the planning process.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: Scottish Planning Policy provides the policy context for Ministers’ expectations for the planning system. This underlines the importance of all those involved working together constructively and proportionately to achieve quality places. Whilst Scottish Minis…

2 Aug 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider publishing a register of cases in which ministers make contact, offer assistance or intervene in planning applications.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: In the few cases where ministers intervene by recommending call-in of planning applications the reasons are publicly available. It is part of the day to day operation of the planning service that stakeholders, including government, communicate and it would n…

2 Aug 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers that the involvement of a representative on its Joint Housing Policy and Delivery Group in asking for the Scottish Government to assist in relation to the planning application by Sandlaw Farming for a housing development in Banchory represented a conflict of interest.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Joint Housing Policy and Delivery Group includes representatives from 28 national housing related organisations. The Group offers Ministers advice on national strategic policy and delivery issues relating to housing. Members of the Joint Housing Policy an…

2 Aug 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on reported concerns that there has been an increase in ministers intervening in local authority decisions regarding planning applications.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: Scottish Ministers have a general power to intervene in the determination of a planning application but only where it appears there may be some matter of genuine national interest at stake. In practice, Ministers will exercise this power very sparingly, recog…

1 Aug 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with universities and colleges in the north east regarding flexibility in entrance requirements for unemployed oil workers and what its position is on measures to allow these workers such flexibility for certain courses via the Transition Training Fund.

Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The Scottish Government has not directly held such discussions with academic institutions in the North East but I understand that Skills Development Scotland has met with its academic partners to discuss the Transition Training Fund (TTF). The TTF was set up…

6 Jul 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the total cost was of the First Minister's visit to Brussels following the EU referendum result, including the costs for her team, and from what budget these costs will be met.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: First Minister Nicola Sturgeon travelled to Brussels for a series of meetings with senior figures to set out Scotland's position following the result of the EU referendum, and to ensure Scotland's voice is heard in the negotiation process. During a full day o…

5 Jul 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what funding it has provided in (a) 2014-15, (b) 2015-16 and (c) 2016-17 toward the provision of cars for road traffic collision training and how many cars this funding has helped provide, broken down by local authority.

Answer · Annabelle Ewing: This information is not held centrally. The allocation of resources is for the Boards of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, the Scottish Ambulance Service and the Scottish Police Authority, according to their assessment of needs and priorities.

4 Jul 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what funding provision it has made for rural homes that have exchange only broadband cables and would therefore not be upgraded to Fibre to the Cabinet (FTTC) in order to receive superfast broadband, broken down by parliamentary constituency.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government and our partners are investing over £410 million in the Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband (DSSB) Programme, which will extend access to fibre broadband to at least 95% of premises in Scotland by the end of 2017. The DSSB programme…

30 Jun 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government to ensure that the actions of Wave Energy Scotland are aligned with the other UK-wide wave innovation programmes.

Answer · Keith Brown: There are currently no other funded wave innovation programmes with which Wave Energy Scotland (WES) can align. The Scottish Government has taken the initiative in the UK by developing this internationally unique programme. However, the Energy Catalyst run …

20 Jun 2016 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has allocated to making houses in west Aberdeenshire more energy efficient.