Parliamentary questions
Donald Cameron
1,854 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
3 Jul 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its response to Freedom of Information request FOI/202300359656, how many premises in the Na h-Eileanan an Iar constituency are eligible to be connected to superfast broadband via the R100 scheme.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: As at 29th June 2023, the number of premises in Na h-Eileanan an Iar constituency scheduled for connection through the Reaching 100% (R100) North contract is 2,206. A further 1,975 premises are eligible for a connection through the R100 Scottish Broadband Vou…
3 Jul 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its response to Freedom of Information request FOI/202300359656, for what reason no premises in the Na h-Eileanan an Iar constituency have been connected to superfast broadband via the R100 scheme.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: As at 29th June 2023, the number of premises in the Na h-Eileanan an Iar constituency scheduled for connection through the Reaching 100% (R100) North contract is 2,206. The contract build for these premises is scheduled to begin in 2025, with live connections…
3 Jul 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what meetings it has had with Comunn na Gàidhlig since May 2021, and what the agreed outcomes were of any such meetings.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-19700 on 31 July 2023. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees…
3 Jul 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has plans to assist local authorities with the provision of more wraparound school childcare clubs, and, if so, whether it can provide details of any such plans.
Answer · Natalie Don: We have committed to building a system of school age childcare, providing year-round childcare for families on low incomes by the end of this Parliament. This involves working with Local Authorities to design and deliver a system that works for those who use …
20 Jun 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many GP practices are able to send prescriptions to a community pharmacy by (a) fax only, (b) email only and (c) either fax or email, broken down by NHS board area.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government does not hold information on how many GP practices are able to send prescriptions to a community pharmacy by (a) fax only, (b) email only and (c) either fax or email: NHS Boards are responsible for these arrangements.
20 Jun 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many community pharmacies are able to receive prescriptions by (a) fax only, (b) email only and (c) either fax or email, broken down by NHS board area.
Answer · Jenni Minto: The Scottish Government does not hold information on the number of community pharmacies who are able to receive prescriptions by fax. All 1,258 community pharmacies have access to an NHS email account.
20 Jun 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to promote links to China following the announcement of the launch of a new direct flight route from Edinburgh to Beijing.
Answer · Angus Robertson: We welcome the start of Hainan’s direct service between Edinburgh Airport and Beijing which we have promoted through our social media channels in China, with over 500,000 impressions to date. We wish Edinburgh Airport and Hainan every success with this servic…
20 Jun 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the action it is taking to promote (a) domestic and (b) international routes from Scottish airports to support the aviation industry’s continued recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: My predecessor as Transport Minister met with airline representatives in May and was pleased to note an ongoing recovery in passenger numbers and the extent to which Scotland’s route network has recovered I will continue our engagement with aviation stakehol…
20 Jun 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking to assist NHS Western Isles to recruit a permanent (a) GP and (b) dentist for the Isle of Barra.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government is committed to supporting and developing rural and island primary care and continues to meet regularly with NHS Western Isles to review all aspects of the Board’s service delivery. The Scottish Government are investing in a range of …
20 Jun 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking to assist NHS Western Isles to recruit permanent GPs for a number of vacancies across all the islands.
Answer · Michael Matheson: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-19307 on 4 July 2023 . All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees…
15 Jun 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what additional electricity grid capacity will be needed to meet its target of banning the sale of (a) pure-combustion vehicles from 2030 and (b) plug-in and full hybrid vehicles from 2035.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Independent work commissioned by Transport Scotland on the renewable energy requirements projected to be needed for the entire transport sector as it decarbonises between now and 2045 are set out in the Zero Emission Energy for Transport Forecasts: National D…
15 Jun 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to providing electric vehicle charging points for people living in (a) tenements, (b) tower blocks, (c) maisonettes and (d) modern flats, and whether it can provide details of any such consideration.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Scottish Government offers a range of grants for the installation of electric vehicle charge points at properties, including flatted dwellings where there is access to shared off-street parking. The residential grants are delivered by the Energy Saving Tr…
15 Jun 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it is working with the private sector to establish new so-called gigafactories.
Answer · Neil Gray: Our Agencies, on behalf of Scottish Government, commissioned a series of reports into the economic opportunities around battery use and the circular economy, including Scotland as a potential location for future gigafactory opportunities. Our Enterprise Agenc…
15 Jun 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide a breakdown of the number of privately-managed electric vehicle charging points that are (a) slow, (b) fast and (c) rapid chargers, broken down by local authority location.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Scottish Government does not routinely collate data about electric vehicle charge points which are not part of the ChargePlace Scotland public charging network. Data about public charging devices on privately-managed networks can be obtained from third pa…
15 Jun 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide a breakdown of the number of electric vehicle charging points managed by ChargePoint Scotland that are (a) slow, (b) fast and (c) rapid chargers, broken down by local authority location.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: There are currently 2522 publicly available charge points registered on the ChargePlace Scotland network. LA Area Fast Rapid Slow Ultra Rapid Grand Total Aberdeen City 37 13 20 70 Aberdeenshire 52 19 32 103 Angus 38 23 4 65 Argyll and…
15 Jun 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether Ferguson Marine Engineering Limited has hired a temporary tower crane since October 2020, and, if so, whether it can provide details of the hire, including (a) when it took place, (b) how much it cost and (c) when the crane was returned.
Answer · Neil Gray: Ferguson Marine Engineering Limited (FMEL) was put into administration in 2019 and since then the company has been dissolved. Operating the Crane at Ferguson Marine Port Glasgow is classed as an operational matter for Ferguson Marine as such the Scottish Gove…
15 Jun 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on the number of times that Ferguson Marine Engineering Limited’s replacement tower crane has been in operation since it was installed in December 2020.
Answer · Neil Gray: Ferguson Marine Engineering Limited (FMEL) was put into administration in 2019 and since then the company has been dissolved. Operating the Crane at Ferguson Marine Port Glasgow is classed as an operational matter for Ferguson Marine as such the Scottish Gove…
13 Jun 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the preferred option for the long-term solution for the A83 Rest and Be Thankful to protect vehicles from landslips, whether considerations for critical abnormal loads, such as wind turbine blades and other renewable energy components, will be taken into consideration during e…
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Scottish Government is committed to an infrastructure solution to address landslip risks at the A83 Rest and Be Thankful and shares the urgency communities and businesses place on maintaining and improving connectivity of this vital route. The identifica…
13 Jun 2023 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with NHS boards in the Highlands and Islands region regarding whether there has been any impact on the delivery of their services as a result of recent ferry cancellations.
12 Jun 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential (a) economic and (b) logistical impact of ferry cancellations during summer 2023 on island communities.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Scottish Government understands the importance of ferry connections to our island economies, communities. We work closely with our local authority partners, transport providers and island communities and businesses to understand the impacts of service di…
12 Jun 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported wildfire at Cannich and further to the answer to question Q6W-17514 by Siobhian Brown on 2 May 2023, which stated that the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service “should continue to make use of local assets available to bolster its response during prolonged or widespr…
Answer · Siobhian Brown: During the Cannich incident, SFRS liaised with Forestry and Land Scotland, RSPB and the Scottish Gamekeepers Association, who provided personnel and specialist equipment throughout the incident. The involvement of gamekeepers, farmers and other partners at wi…
12 Jun 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it is considering implementing water restrictions, in light of SEPA raising water scarcity risk levels in multiple parts of Scotland.
Answer · Mairi McAllan: Scotland’s National Water Scarcity Plan (NWSP) published in 2014, and updated in 2020, sets out how water resources will be managed prior to and during periods of prolonged dry weather. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), is monitoring curr…
12 Jun 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support rural communities that are unable to access a local bank.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government recognises that local bank branches provide an important service across Scotland – particularly for rural communities. The regulation of financial services is reserved to the UK Government and, therefore, Scottish Ministers cannot inte…
8 Jun 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to encourage the public to report water levels, in light of SEPA’s announcement on 1 June 2023 that the risk of water scarcity in the Loch Maree area has increased to moderate scarcity, which is the second highest risk level, and that a further 12 areas in the No…
Answer · Mairi McAllan: SEPA and Scottish Water communications campaigns highlight the public’s role in managing our water environment, this summer and beyond. SEPA encourages the reporting of dry rivers and burns. They request that photographs of the conditions are submitted if …
8 Jun 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much funding each of its international offices has received in each of the last five years.
Answer · Angus Robertson: The funding that each Scottish Government International Office has received for the last five years is as noted below. There are no previous financial records on the table prior to 2022 for Copenhagen as this is the year it opened. 2019-20 2020-21 2021-2…
8 Jun 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides for community-run cultural venues and assets.
Answer · Christina McKelvie: The Scottish Government supports a range of organisations which help preserve our culture and heritage in communities across Scotland. Creative Scotland support community-run venues and assets through funds such as their Open Fund and partner funds like Awar…
8 Jun 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many cultural venues have been taken into community ownership in each of the last five years.
Answer · Christina McKelvie: The Scottish Government does not hold data on cultural venues that have been taken into community ownership.
8 Jun 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to alert (a) agricultural and (b) other businesses that abstract water, in light of SEPA’s announcement on 1 June 2023 that the risk of water scarcity in the Loch Maree area has increased to moderate scarcity, which is the second highest risk level, and that a fu…
Answer · Mairi McAllan: The Scottish Government is working closely with SEPA and the Farm Advisory Service (FAS) to communicate the risk of water scarcity to businesses who abstract water. SEPA have been running a communications campaign since the start of May to encourage agricult…
8 Jun 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many staff have been based in its international offices in each of the last five years.
Answer · Angus Robertson: The number of staff based in Scottish Government International Offices in the past five years is listed in the following table. Year International Office Number of Staff (both Scottish Government and Country Based Staff) - Headcount 2019-20 Brussels (Sco…
8 Jun 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking, in light of SEPA’s announcement on 1 June 2023 that the risk of water scarcity in the Loch Maree area has increased to moderate scarcity, which is the second highest risk level, and that a further 12 areas in the Northwest and Southern Central region have been r…
Answer · Mairi McAllan: Scotland’s National Water Scarcity Plan (NWSP) sets out how water resources will be managed prior to and during periods of prolonged dry weather ensuring the correct balance is struck between protecting the environment and providing resource for human and ec…