Parliamentary questions
Donald Cameron
1,854 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
4 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what new (a) schemes and (b) approach strategies it is considering in order to increase school attendance in (i) primary and (ii) secondary schools, particularly of children from deprived households including those in Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation quintiles 1 and 2.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: As set out in our current guidance “Included, Engaged and Involved Part 1: Promoting and Managing School Attendance,” Local Authorities are expected to have robust processes and guidance for children who do not attend school, from the first day they are absen…
27 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many young offenders are currently being held in young offender institutions, and how many of those young offenders are under the age of 18.
Answer · Angela Constance: As of the morning of 9 October 2023 there were 165 young people held in young offender institutions in Scotland, five of whom were under the age of 18.
27 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to protect rail services from extreme weather events, such as heavy rainfall.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Over the next five year Control Period, the Scottish Government has committed to invest £4.2 billion in the Scottish rail infrastructure in line with our High Level Output Specification. This specification focuses on climate change adaptation and resilience a…
27 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to the question S6W-20859 by Christina McKelvie on 7 September 2023, whether the Minister for Culture, Europe and International Development agreed any action points with the Music Venture Trust at their recent meeting, and, if so, whether it will publish details of…
Answer · Christina McKelvie: I met with the Music Venue Trust on 20 September to discuss the current situation and challenges of grassroots music venues in Scotland. Actions included raising the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on the sector with my UK Government counterpart to unders…
27 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many school exam candidates received access arrangements for their exams in each year since 2017, also broken down by arrangement type.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The information requested relates to Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) data and is not held by the Scottish Government. SQA has advised that the information requested is available from their website at: https://www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/105160.12093.html . …
27 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many current teaching staff have received training to support pupils with (a) sensory issues and (b) autism, also provided as a percentage of total teaching staff.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The Scottish Government does not hold this information. The teaching standards set by the General Teaching Council for Scotland require teachers to be able to identify and respond appropriately to pupils with difficulties in or barriers to learning. During i…
20 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many of its international offices held (a) Burns Night and (b) St Andrew’s Day celebrations, as a means to promote Scotland abroad, in each of the last five years.
Answer · Angus Robertson: Both Burns Night and St Andrew’s Day are important opportunities in the calendar to promote Scotland’s interests internationally: highlighting Scottish culture and food and drink, presenting opportunities to engage a global audience and opening doors for futu…
20 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to widen the regional impact of the screen sector in Scotland beyond Glasgow and Edinburgh, after the recent Screen Scotland report, The Economic Value of the Screen Sector in Scotland in 2021, highlighted that the "Highlands and Islands, West Central Scotland (excludin…
Answer · Angus Robertson: Screen Scotland’s Economic Value of the Screen Sector in Scotland in 2021 report, published this August, shows the continued exceptional growth of Scotland’s screen industry, which contributed £627bn total GVA to the economy in 2021, and generated 10,940 FTEs…
20 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when its proposed Scottish Languages Bill, announced in its Programme for Government 2023-24, will be introduced to the Scottish Parliament.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The most recent Programme for Government (2023-24) sets out the Scottish Government’s intention to introduce the Scottish Languages Bill in this current parliamentary year.
20 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to build upon the reported success of Tartan Week in New York, and whether it plans to support the creation of Scottish-centred occasions in other countries.
Answer · Angus Robertson: The Scottish Government welcomes the hard work of the National Tartan Day New York Committee in organising Tartan Week each year. They come together to honour their heritage and celebrate the impact of Scots in the US. Our office in Washington DC works closel…
18 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it anticipates that Education Scotland will complete its work to develop a range of new resources relating to early reading.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: For young children, learning to read is foundational to their success across the school curriculum and, importantly, is also linked to a wide range of positive outcomes including those of emotional, social and mental wellbeing. Through different forms of sup…
18 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to establish a 5G infill programme, and, if so, whether it can provide details of any such plan.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: Reflecting that commercial deployment of 5G is ongoing and that telecoms remains reserved to the UK Parliament, the Scottish Government has no current plans to establish a 5G infill programme. As set out in our 5G Strategy for Scotland, our policy approach o…
18 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many Police Scotland vacancies have not been filled in the last year.
Answer · Angela Constance: The Chief Constable has responsibility for the recruitment, deployment and HR issues of all police officers and staff under their control. Around 1480 new police officers have taken the Oath of Office in the past 18 months with the latest intake of 200 recru…
18 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many fines (a) it and (b) its agencies have issued to power companies in each of the last five years, also broken down by the total value of fines issued for each year.
Answer · Gillian Martin: The regulation of the energy sector is reserved to the UK Government. Planning enforcement powers are held by local authorities. Planning authorities can take action to issue a fixed penalty notice or seek prosecution through the Scottish courts. Local autho…
18 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it can confirm the number of (a) fatal and (b) serious road traffic accidents on the A83 between Arrochar and Campbeltown, in each year since 2018.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The following table presents the number of fatal and serious accidents for 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 on the A83 between Arrochar and Campbeltown. Please note that the information on the total number of fatal and serious accidents for 2023 are only…
18 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on what percentage of local authorities' annual budgets have been ring-fenced, broken down by local authority, in each financial year since 2016-17.
Answer · Tom Arthur: The percentage of the local government finance settlement that has been ring-fenced, by local authority, in each year since 2016-17, is set out in a document that has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre, Bib number 64545.
18 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many fines (a) it and (b) its agencies have issued to (i) publicly-owned and (ii) privately-owned water companies in each of the last five years, also broken down by the total value of fines issued in each year.
Answer · Mairi McAllan: We are unaware of any fines issued by the Scottish Government to Scottish Water in the last five years; there are no privately-owned water companies in Scotland. Following referral by relevant agencies to the Procurator Fiscal, fines issued in the period are…
18 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it will meet with Argyll and Bute Council to discuss a possible extension on the municipal solid waste landfill ban, ahead of its planned implementation from 1 January 2026.
Answer · Lorna Slater: We are fully committed to delivering the ban on landfilling biodegradable municipal waste on 31 December 2025. As part of preparations for the ban, we are continuing to support and work with those local authorities without a solution for their residual waste …
18 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what (a) it and (b) its agencies are doing to support Doors Open Days in the Highlands and Islands region.
Answer · Christina McKelvie: The Scottish Government values the impressive work that the Scottish Civic Trust does to coordinate the national Doors Open Days festival each year, which is the largest free heritage festival in Scotland and delivers many benefits by connecting people with t…
18 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many communities currently have access to 5G services, broken down by local authority area.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: Telecommunications policy is Reserved to the UK Government. The Scottish Government does not collect or hold data on access to 5G services across Scotland. However Ofcom’s mobile coverage checker ( https://checker.ofcom.org.uk/en-gb/mobile-coverage ) provi…
18 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many communities in (a) Argyll and Bute, (b) the Western Isles, (c) the Highlands, (d) Orkney, (e) Shetland and (f) Moray do not have access to (i) 3G and (ii) 4G services.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Telecommunications policy is Reserved to the UK Government. Therefore the Scottish Government does not collect or hold this data. Information about the availability of mobile services in Scotland can be accessed through Ofcom’s mobile coverage checker ( htt…
12 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it can take to secure the future of Screen Machine, in light of reports that the current lease on its mobile cinema will run out in April 2024.
Answer · Angus Robertson: The Scottish Government is engaging with Screen Scotland to explore all avenues for supporting the future of Screen Machine. I am also meeting with Regional Screen Scotland, who operate the Machine, on 5 October, so I can hear directly about the Machine and t…
12 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when the proposed Electoral Reform Bill, referred to in its Programme for Government 2023-24, will be introduced to the Scottish Parliament.
Answer · George Adam: We are grateful to all those who responded to the Government’s consultation on electoral reform. We are considering the responses to the consultation and the analysis and will publish a formal response in due course. The responses were independently analysed,…
12 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many bike pump tracks there are across Scotland, and what assistance is available to local groups wishing to establish a new bike pump track.
Answer · Maree Todd: The information requested on the number of bike pump tracks is not held centrally by the Scottish Government. We understand the significance of sports and leisure facilities in helping to achieve our vision of a more active Scotland. The Cycling Facilities …
12 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assistance is available to any bike pump tracks that are struggling to pay for increased insurance premiums.
Answer · Maree Todd: The Scottish Government places great importance on sports and leisure facilities and believes everyone should have access to these services locally. We recognise the challenging financial circumstances faced by operators in the maintenance and operating of f…
11 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-17809 by Jenni Minto on 17 May 2023, whether NHS Highland has recruited a permanent dentist for Campbeltown.
Answer · Jenni Minto: There are now 2 independent dentists working in the Campbeltown area listed with NHS Highland to provide NHS General Dental Services. In addition, a Public Dental Service (PDS) dentist visits Campbeltown one day per month to provide NHS dental care and advice…
7 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it can confirm Scottish Water’s current policy for (a) identifying and (b) resolving instances of dry-spilling of sewage.
Answer · Mairi McAllan: The 14 Combined Sewer Overflows identified by Scottish Water catchment studies since 2015 as being at risk of spilling during dry weather are a high priority under Scottish Water’s Improving Urban Waters Route Map. Any reports of dry weather spills are also i…
7 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many instances of dry-spilling of sewage recorded by Scottish Water were considered (a) legal and (b) illegal, for each year since 2016.
Answer · Mairi McAllan: While it has published historic data for reported overflows for 2018-22 at Overflow Spill Data - Scottish Water , the reasons for spills is not available for historic events reported to SEPA, and this information is not correlated to rainfall data. However,…
7 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide details of its reported expansion of the Home Energy Scotland advice service.
Answer · Patrick Harvie: In August 2022, the Scottish Government committed funding to increase capacity across a range of advice services to help to address demand as a result of the energy crisis. This funding supported the Home Energy Scotland advice service to increase its capacit…
7 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it can confirm how many households have been supported with energy efficiency measures, in each month since September 2022.
Answer · Patrick Harvie: The Scottish Government delivers support for energy efficiency measures in owner occupied household through a number of schemes. Information about the number of measures installed by councils as part of our Area Based Schemes is not reported on a monthly bas…