Parliamentary questions
Donald Cameron
1,854 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
1 Nov 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many projects have (a) applied for and (b) received funding from the Knowledge Transfer and Innovation Fund since its introduction, broken down by local authority area.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: Since its introduction in June 2015, the Knowledge Transfer and Innovation Fund (KTIF) has received 120 project applications, with the Project Assessment Committee awarding funding to 52 projects delivered by a range of national organisations operating across…
1 Nov 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) social housing, (b) housing association and (c) private rental properties have been (i) placed into and (ii) taken out of the rental market in each month since January 2022, broken down by local authority area.
Answer · Patrick Harvie: The following table shows the number of properties, by local authority area, as shown in the Scottish Landlord Register for each month in 2022 to September 2022. In relation to the social rented sector there is no monthly data available. Figures on the new su…
1 Nov 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many C-peptide tests have been (a) offered to and (b) taken by type-1 diabetes patients since they were introduced on 1 November 2021, broken down by NHS board area.
Answer · Maree Todd: The number of C-peptide tests taken by people with type 1 diabetes since 1 November 2021 can be found in the following table. The information on the number of c-peptide tests being offered to those with type 1 diabetes is not held centrally. NHS Board Type …
1 Nov 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish monthly data on the number of (a) social housing, (b) housing association and (c) private rental properties being (i) placed into and (ii) taken out of the rental market, broken down by local authority area.
Answer · Patrick Harvie: The Scottish Government does not hold this data centrally. Associated monthly data on the stock of private rented properties is as set out in my answer to S6W–11915 and a description of available rented stock data in provided in S6W–11913 and S6W-11915 on 17…
1 Nov 2022 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recent Highland and Islands Enterprise survey in which 76% of people who responded said that "there aren't enough affordable houses for rent or to buy locally".
25 Oct 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the cost to the Scottish Government was for (a) counsel (b) solicitor and (c) court fees in relation to the two-day hearing on 11-12 October 2022 for the Lord Advocate's referral to the Supreme Court.
Answer · Angus Robertson: On 22 September 2022 we published spending at Independence referendum Supreme Court referral: legal costs - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) . Of that £113,824.04 was spent on counsel. There has been no spending on external solicitors. An additional £350 has been sp…
25 Oct 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether any agreements are being negotiated between NatureScot and the Isle of Rum Community Trust over the future of Kinloch Castle.
Answer · Lorna Slater: Following a meeting with the Isle of Rum Community Trust on Wednesday 2 nd November, the Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity has agreed that more time is necessary to work with the community to try and secure a positive future for the…
25 Oct 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what consultation has been conducted between NatureScot and the Isle of Rum Community Trust in relation to the proposed sale of Kinloch Castle.
Answer · Lorna Slater: NatureScot, as owners of Kinloch Castle has consulted with the Isle of Rum Community Trust (IRCT) on future options for the property since 2015, including the feasibility of a community asset transfer, and a subsequent search for a beneficial owner. Over the…
25 Oct 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether any guarantees have been obtained from the prospective purchaser of Kinloch Castle on Rum in relation to continued access by residents over land in front of the castle and, if this is the case, whether it will provide the details of any such guarantees.
Answer · Lorna Slater: Following a meeting with the Isle of Rum Community Trust on Wednesday 2 nd November, I agreed that more time is necessary to work with the community to try and secure a positive future for the Castle, that can be supported by the community on the Isle of Rum.…
17 Oct 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-11274 by Mairi Gougeon on 17 October 2022, whether any additional funding (a) is currently available and (b) will be made available to local authorities to assist them in the clearance of bird carcasses in the event of an outbreak of an avian diseas…
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: With regard to the safe collection and disposal of dead wild birds suspected of having been infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), current government disease control guidance is for carcases to be left in situ. At present there is no scient…
13 Oct 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many music and cultural organisations’ funding was (a) paused and (b) restarted by Creative Scotland, as a result of the Scottish Government’s Resource Spending Review in May 2022.
Answer · Neil Gray: Funding provided through the Youth Music Initiative Formula Fund by Creative Scotland, who deliver the initiative on behalf of the Scottish Government, was paused and then confirmed to all 32 local authorities and Jordanhill School. This was related to the ma…
13 Oct 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Historic Environment Scotland regarding the flexibility to use its reserves, and whether it has plans to extend any such flexibility to other organisations.
Answer · Neil Gray: Historic Environment Scotland is a Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB). Under Treasury rules, any underspends generated by NDPBs within a financial year forms part of the wider Scottish Government budget position. NDPBs cannot hold their own reserves from Gra…
10 Oct 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) artists and (b) communities have received funding from its Culture Collective Programme in (i) 2021-22 and (ii) 2022-23, broken down by how much funding has been awarded in each year.
Answer · Neil Gray: The Culture Collective programme was awarded £5,891,553 in March 2021 and £4,241,918 in March 2022. This is supporting 26 projects in communities across Scotland and has, to date, created over 320 opportunities for creative practitioners.
10 Oct 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the Centre for the Moving Image reportedly entering into administration, and the impact that this will have on ensuring Scotland’s festivals maintain a "global competitive edge", in line with the Scottish National Party 2021 manifesto commitment.
Answer · Neil Gray: With regard to the Centre for the Moving Image entering into administration, it would not be appropriate for the Scottish Government to comment on ongoing legal proceedings, but the Scottish Government is engaging with Creative Scotland, as well as Aberdeen a…
10 Oct 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of how much funding it has invested in the sustainable development of Scotland’s historic estate in (a) 2021-22 and (b) 2022-23, in line with the Scottish National Party 2021 manifesto commitment.
Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government delivers support for the Historic Environment through sponsorship of Historic Environment Scotland (HES) and we continue to invest and support the sustainable development of Scotland’s historic estate. In 2021-2022 we provided HES wit…
10 Oct 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will confirm how many (a) apprenticeships and (b) skills opportunities it has created in (i) 2021-22 and (ii) 2022-23 in the screen sector.
Answer · Angus Robertson: Screen Scotland, the dedicated public sector agency for the film and television industry in Scotland which is funded by the Scottish Government and the National Lottery, has supported a total of 1,964 trainees between March 2021 and September 2022. In this t…
10 Oct 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has introduced three-year funding settlements for Scottish Government core funded cultural organisations, in line with the Scottish National Party 2021 manifesto commitment.
Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government is continuing to work closely with its core funded cultural organisations, to understand the impacts that the current cost crisis, and wider pressures, are having on the sector. We will be looking at the potential for three-year fundin…
10 Oct 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government in what ways it has increased funding available to artists in line with the Scottish National Party 2021 manifesto commitment.
Answer · Neil Gray: Artists are a significant part of Scotland's culture sector and the Scottish Government is committed to seeing them thrive. Since April 2021, Creative Scotland has distributed 491 awards to individuals through the Open Fund, totalling £6.2m. They also distr…
10 Oct 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it made support through its Festival Expo Fund available to the Centre for the Moving Image (CMI) prior to the organisation reportedly entering into administration, and, if so, how much funding was awarded to CMI in each year since 2007.
Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government has supported the Centre for the Moving Image (CMI) in the production of Edinburgh International Film Festival through our Festival EXPO fund since the fund’s inception in 2007. The amounts awarded are as follows: 2008-09 - £60,000 2…
10 Oct 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will confirm how much tax relief it has provided to (a) the games sector, (b) high-end TV production, (c) children’s TV production, (d) animation, (e) film, (f) theatre and (g) orchestras in (i) 2021-22 and (ii) 2022-23.
Answer · Neil Gray: The measures listed relate to Corporation Tax, which remains reserved. Policy is set by the UK Government and the tax is administered by HMRC.
10 Oct 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will confirm how many (a) core funded and (b) non-core funded cultural organisations have received three-year funding settlements.
Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government is continuing to work closely with the culture sector, to understand the impacts that the current cost crisis, and wider pressures, are having on the sector. Due to the dynamic situation we are still assessing multi-year settlements fo…
10 Oct 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made in (a) supporting and (b) increasing studio space in the screen sector.
Answer · Angus Robertson: The Scottish Government remains focused on strengthening our screen sector and creating the conditions for continued growth through our support for increased studio infrastructure. Working with Screen Scotland, the Scottish Government has facilitated the del…
10 Oct 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to introduce the Scottish National Party 2021 manifesto commitment for a Percentage for the Arts scheme.
Answer · Neil Gray: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-11288 on? 19 October 2022. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility of which can be found at Written questions and answers | Scottish Parlia…
5 Oct 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd will accept delivery of (a) MV Glen Sannox and (b) Hull 802 even if the vessel does not meet the contractual obligations agreed to by Ferguson Marine Engineering Ltd.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: CMAL has confirmed that it is not aware of any contractual obligations that would at this time prohibit the successful handover and delivery of MV Glen Sannox and Hull 802. CMAL will only accept the vessels if they are fit for purpose. In addition, the vesse…
5 Oct 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will outline the contractual obligations under which Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd may reject the vessel (a) MV Glen Sannox and (b) Hull 802, following its completion.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: CMAL will only accept the vessels if they are fit for purpose. There are penalties and also the ability to reject the vessels regarding deadweight, speed and fuel consumption.
28 Sep 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to prepare for future outbreaks of avian diseases, in light of the recent reported outbreak of avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 in Scotland.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The Scottish Government and its operational partners have robust contingency plans in place, such as the Notifiable Avian Disease Control Strategy to prevent and control outbreaks of avian influenza spreading, and have a strong track record of controlling a…
28 Sep 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many avian disease outbreaks there have been in each year since 2007, and how much funding it allocated to resolve each outbreak.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: Since 2007, there have been 14 cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in domestic birds in Scotland and one case of low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) H5N1 in domestic birds. All highly pathogenic avian influenza strains are notifiable along wit…
28 Sep 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what additional funding (a) is currently available and (b) it will make available to local authorities to assist them in the clearance of bird carcasses in the event of an outbreak of an avian disease.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: With regard to the safe collection and disposal of dead wild birds suspected of having been infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), current government disease control guidance is for carcases to be left in situ, unless the local authority deem…
27 Sep 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an exact date for when the National Records of Scotland will publish the findings of Scotland's Census 2022.
Answer · Angus Robertson: NRS will publish the first census outputs approximately one year after conclusion of the census data collection phases. NRS will consult with data users over the coming months to ensure that census outputs are accessible and provided in a format which meets …
22 Sep 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when the National Registers of Scotland will carry out a lessons learned exercise following Scotland's Census 2022, and when it expects those results to be published.
Answer · Angus Robertson: Evaluation of Scotland’s Census 2022 is an essential component of the overall programme. NRS will ensure that the evaluation of the census covers the full lifecycle of the programme. An over-arching General Report will be laid before Parliament in 2024.