Parliamentary questions
Donald Cameron
1,854 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
14 Apr 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the Barnett formula should continue to be the system for the allocation of funding in devolved policy areas.
Answer · Kate Forbes: The Scottish Government has always been clear that full fiscal responsibility would provide Scotland with greater flexibility and opportunities to encourage sustainable economic growth, increase tax receipts, and invest in public services. Where the Scottish …
14 Apr 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether future funding that it receives from the UK Government should be based on an assessment of relative need, rather than using the existing Barnett formula, which is based on relative population.
Answer · Kate Forbes: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-28389 on 29 April 2020. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness…
6 Apr 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much it has received in Barnett consequentials as a result of the UK Government's policy to establish business support grants of (a) £10,000 and (b) £25,000 to support businesses during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Answer · Ben Macpherson: The Scottish Government has been allocated Barnett consequentials of £1,206 million in relation to these grants.
6 Apr 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it changed the criteria for the £25,000 grant to support businesses during the COVID-19 outbreak, from “hospitality, leisure and retail properties with a rateable value between £18,000 and £51,000” to “retail, hospitality and leisure business ratepayers with a rateable va…
Answer · Kate Forbes: In consideration of the delivery of support for businesses to limit the impact of COVID-19 on the business community, the Scottish Government determined that the grant support should be linked to the established non-domestic rates thresholds of the Small Busi…
24 Mar 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to an oral question from Maureen Watt MSP by the Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy and Tourism on 18 March 2020 (Official Report, col.11) regarding support for the fishing sector, whether it can confirm that a package of support has been agreed, and, if so, w…
Answer · Fergus Ewing: I refer the Member to the answer to question S5W-28078 on 26 March 2020. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness…
13 Mar 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5O-03733 by Jeane Freeman on 7 November 2019 (Official Report, c. 7), whether the final report on allegations of staff bullying in Argyll and Bute will be (a) published in April 2020 and (b) made publicly available.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: NHS Highland has advised that as a result of an extension to the questionnaire completion date due to COVID-19 pressures, it now expects to receive the final report around 8 May 2020. The report will be made publicly available shortly after this date, along w…
11 Mar 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the annual subsidy costs are for each route on ferry services provided by CalMac Ferries Limited.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The £140m annual subsidy provided by the Scottish Government to CalMac Ferries Limited covers the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services network as a whole. There is no agreed definitive mechanism to further disaggregate that total subsidy across all 27 routes tha…
11 Mar 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when RET fares will be applied to the Gourock-Dunoon services provided by (a) CalMac Ferries Limited and (b) Western Ferries (Clyde) Limited.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-23373 on 14 June 2019. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/2…
10 Mar 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of how it calculated the figure of £468 million of anticipated Barnett consequentials listed in Table 1.02 of its Budget 2020-21.
Answer · Kate Forbes: The £468 million of anticipated Barnett consequentials in Table 1.02 of the Scottish Budget 2020-21 is based on the published Costings Document for the Conservative Party manifesto for the UK General Election in December 2019. In that document, Table 1 lists …
10 Mar 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the current total level of its borrowing is, and what this represents as a percentage of its borrowing capacity.
Answer · Kate Forbes: The total Capital Borrowing Position is currently £1.62 billion (54% of cumulative £3 billion limit). No resource borrowing has thus far taken place.
10 Mar 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much it has invested in each of Scotland’s city region deals to date.
Answer · Michael Matheson: We have committed over £1.8 billion over the next 10 to 15 years to city region deals, regional growth deals and associated investments. Five city region deals are currently in delivery. We will invest £500 million in the Glasgow city region, £300 million in …
10 Mar 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what it expects will be the impact of its decision to reduce the budget of Highlands and Islands Enterprise from £61.1 million in 2019-20 to £58.2 million in 2020-21.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: Whilst it is recognised that Highlands and Islands Enterprise, along with the rest of the public sector, is currently operating in a very challenging financial environment, this settlement will allow HIE to provide practical support and opportunities for sect…
10 Mar 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many businesses that received financial support from Highlands and Islands Enterprise have indicated that they require additional financial support in 2020-21 to continue operating.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: This is an operational matter for Highlands and Islands Enterprise and I have therefore asked the Interim Chief Executive to respond to you directly.
10 Mar 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it has reduced the budget of Highlands and Islands Enterprise from £61.1 million in 2019-20 to £58.2 million in 2020-21.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) c apital budget levels have been maintained from 2019/20 and we have doubled their financial transactions budget. The reduction of £4 million in HIE's 2020-21 resource budget includes efficiencies and re-alignment of res…
10 Mar 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much financial support was given to businesses by Highlands and Islands Enterprise in each of the last five financial years.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: This is an operational matter for Highlands and Islands Enterprise and I have therefore asked the Interim Chief Executive to respond to you directly.
10 Mar 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many businesses received financial support from Highlands and Islands Enterprise in 2019-20, broken down by Scottish parliamentary constituency.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: This is an operational matter for Highlands and Islands Enterprise and I have therefore asked the Interim Chief Executive to respond to you directly.
9 Mar 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-26086 by Derek Mackay on 12 November 2019, whether, in the interests of transparency, it will reconsider its position on publishing each Scottish Growth Scheme monthly report.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: There are no plans to publish the internal Scottish Growth Scheme Monthly report. Information on the performance of the Scottish Growth Scheme is readily shared with the Scottish Parliament and the Economy, Energy and Fair Work Committee.
9 Mar 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many businesses no longer offer support to help fund the Scottish Growth Scheme, and for what reasons.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Scottish Growth Scheme is available to unlock investment for viable businesses across Scotland. Businesses do no directly support the activities delivered under the Scottish Growth Scheme. All the activities under the Scottish Growth Scheme are readily av…
9 Mar 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-26084 by Derek Mackay on 12 November 2019, whether it will provide an update regarding how much money has been invested in the Scottish Growth Scheme to date, and how many businesses have been supported by this.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: To 29 February 2020, £201.6 million has been invested in the Scottish Growth Scheme and this has supported 359 businesses.
25 Feb 2020 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to utilise the Scotland Reserve in its 2020-21 Budget.
14 Jan 2020 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the costs for the Citizens’ Assembly of Scotland.
7 Jan 2020 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many prisoners were released early in 2018-19 who had previously been released early and recalled to prison for breach of licence.
11 Dec 2019 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support pupil learning in the Highlands and Islands region.
3 Dec 2019 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether 100% of homes and businesses in the Highlands and Islands will be able to access superfast broadband by 2021.
25 Nov 2019 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support businesses in the Mull of Kintyre.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government is working with a range of partners to ensure businesses in Kintyre can thrive. I held an economic summit at Machrihanish last month - a note of which my officials sent yesterday to all invitees, including the Member - and will conven…
12 Nov 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what changes have been made to its policy or guidance regarding the (a) handling and (b) retention of the handwritten notes of a First Minister in the last 15 years.
Answer · Graeme Dey: No changes have been made to the policy since Scottish Government moved to an electronic corporate record management system in 2004-05.
12 Nov 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it is standard practice for (a) the First Minister and (b) all (i) cabinet secretaries and (ii) ministers to respond to official emails with handwritten notes that are subsequently not retained.
Answer · Graeme Dey: It is longstanding standard procedure for officials to transcribe handwritten notes made by Ministers into a digital version as part of the processing of the papers in their Ministerial boxes. This digital version is then captured within the official record. …
5 Nov 2019 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many police stations have been sold or had their lease terminated since Police Scotland was established.
30 Oct 2019 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government what further progress has been made following the announcement by NHS Highland of an independent review into allegations of staff bullying in Argyll and Bute.
9 Oct 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-24636 by Paul Wheelhouse on 29 August 2019, what the total operating hours were for the (a) MV Argyll Flyer and (b) MV Alicat, for the period January 2018 to July 2019.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: During the period 1 January 2018 to 31 July 2019 the total operating (actual passage) hours for vessels MV Ali Cat and MV Argyll Flyer were 5403 hours and 7144 hours respectively.