Parliamentary questions
Jamie Greene
1,978 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
24 Apr 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken regarding any income disparity between university and high school graduates.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The Scottish Government has examined published literature across the UK on returns to education (February 2017). The findings from the published literature reported that:Generally, wage returns are found to increase as higher levels of education are attained…
24 Apr 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what cost-benefit analysis it has undertaken regarding the structure of university tuition.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The Scottish Government believe access to higher education should be based on the ability to learn and not to pay which is why we continue to invest over £1 billion annually to ensure higher education remains accessible and affordable to Scottish students.
24 Apr 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much it has allocated toward repairing potholes in each of the next three years, also broken down by local authority area.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Scottish Government fully funds the inspection and repair of all category 1 defects, including potholes, on the trunk road network. However the monthly sums involved are tendered prices and cannot be shared as they are commercially sensitive. Trunk road …
24 Apr 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) complaints and (b) claims for compensation regarding potholes it has received in each year since 2015, and what information it has for each local authority.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: The following table contains information provided by the trunk road maintenance agents (i.e. Operating Companies and Design-Build-Finance-Operate (DBFO) contractors) for the last 3 financial years. Figures for this current financial year to date are also incl…
24 Apr 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) under-12-year-olds, (b) 12- to 18-year-olds and (c) adults have been diagnosed with myopia in each year since 2010.
Answer · Shona Robison: An estimate of the number of (a) children aged under 12 and (b) school children aged 12-17 who have had an eye examination and spectacles or contact lenses dispensed for myopia is given in the following table for each year since 2010. Information is not avail…
24 Apr 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) under-12-year-olds, (b) 12- to 18-year-olds and (c) adults have been classified as obese in each year since 2010.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: The Scottish Health Survey collects height and weight measurements from a representative sample of adults and children across Scotland each year. This provides the national estimates of obesity prevalence. It is not possible to provide figures for all of the…
24 Apr 2018 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action schools take to protect children from knife crime.
28 Mar 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what measures it has put in place to help local authorities that face potential reductions to housing support funding.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: Housing support services are commissioned by Health and Social Care Partnerships as they are best placed to determine local needs and priorities and make best use of resources. We are supporting Integration Authorities to improve outcomes across health and s…
28 Mar 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what measures it has taken to promote the safe disposal of syringes.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: The Scottish Government Guidelines for Services Providing Injecting Equipment (2010) specify that NHS Boards should ensure that all services in their area have robust policies and procedures in place in relation to the safe disposal of used injecting equipmen…
28 Mar 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on the estimated number of syringes that have washed up on Scottish shores in each year since 2012.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally. The Marine Conservation Society's annual Beachwatch programme surveys beach litter. Its 2017 report identified 0.2% of UK beach litter was medical. That included syringes along with other medi…
28 Mar 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many recycling services staff have been injured as a result of syringes in bins in each year since 2012.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: This information is not held centrally.
27 Mar 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken regarding the modes of public transport that are the (a) most and (b) least accessible to people on low incomes.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: Data on transport used by income level focuses on bus and train. Of the two, the bus is the most frequently used mode of public transport for those on the lowest incomes. The ongoing review of the National Transport Strategy is being conducted in collaboratio…
27 Mar 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken regarding the incomes of people who use (a) (i) bus and (ii) train services, (b) the Glasgow underground and (c) CalMac ferries.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: a) We are investing over £1 billion annually in public transport and other sustainable transport options. Our publication, Transport and Travel in Scotland (September 2017), shows that people in lower income households were more likely to walk or take the bus…
27 Mar 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken regarding the feasibility of expanding the Glasgow underground and the (a) costs and (b) benefits of doing so.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: The responsibility for the operation management and investment in the Glasgow Subway rests with Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT). The Scottish Government has not undertaken any analysis of the feasibility of expanding the Subway. (The Scottish Gove…
27 Mar 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many people have used the Glasgow underground in each year since 2012.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Glasgow Subway is the responsibility of Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT). Subway patronage figures are reported to SPT's Operations Committee and are available at: http://www.spt.co.uk/corporate/about/minutes-agendas/operations-committee/ . …
27 Mar 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken regarding the impact of mobile phones on (a) public and (b) children's health.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: In line with our approach to other public health issues, the Scottish Government receives evidence-based advice from Health Protection Scotland (HPS), our national health protection experts, and also from Public Health England (PHE). They have the expertise t…
27 Mar 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on the number of mobile phones that have been in use in Scotland in each year since 2012.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: Telecoms is reserved to the UK Government. As such, the Scottish Government does not hold data of this type.
27 Mar 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been convicted of crimes relating to (a) Islamophobia, (b) racism, (c) homophobia and (d) anti-Semitism in each year since 2012.
Answer · Annabelle Ewing: Statistics on the number of people convicted for crimes with an aggravator recorded is available in table 12 of the Criminal Proceedings in Scotland, 2016-17 publication. The Scottish Government Criminal Proceedings database does not hold information on the f…
27 Mar 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many cases of (a) Islamophobia, (b) racism, (c) homophobia and (d) anti-Semitism have been reported to police in each year since 2012.
Answer · Annabelle Ewing: Not all of the information requested is held centrally. The Scottish Government has previously published statistics on Racist Incidents Recorded by the Police in Scotland, with the most recent release covering the reporting year of 2013-14 ( http://www.gov.s…
27 Mar 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many people have had concessionary railcards in each year since 2012.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: This information is not held by Scottish Government, as there is no Scotland-wide Concessionary Rail Travel Scheme. At their discretion, local authorities can provide travel concessions for their residents, such as free or reduced fares on rail, taxi and ferr…
27 Mar 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what cost- (a) benefit and (b) utility analysis it has undertaken regarding concessionary railcards for 16 to 25-year-olds.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: The 16-25 Railcard is provided by the UK rail industry and not by the Scottish or UK governments. Therefore, the Scottish Government does not hold details on the cost, benefit or utility of this scheme. The scheme offers a discount of one third off most fares…
21 Mar 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to support the cruise ship industry in the West Scotland region.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Scottish Government is highly supportive of the cruise industry and its continued growth. Cruise Scotland figures for the 2018 season show an estimated 815 vessel calls at member ports delivering an expected 821,000 passengers right across Scotland. Our p…
21 Mar 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it takes to prevent incidents of sexual assault in prisons.
Answer · Michael Matheson: I have asked Colin McConnell, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. His response is as follows: SPS has a clear zero tolerance approach towards all violence, including sexual assault and staff are trained to recognise and respond …
21 Mar 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the number of special constables has reportedly decreased over the last five years.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The recruitment and retention of Special Constables is a matter for Police Scotland.
21 Mar 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to protect (a) users and (b) drivers of ride-sharing apps such as Uber from (i) discrimination and (ii) violence.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government legislated in the Air Weapons and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2015 to strengthen the taxi and private hire licensing regime, for example by requiring local authorities to appoint civic licensing standards officers, whose role includes sup…
21 Mar 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to prevent Citizens Advice centres from closing.
Answer · Keith Brown: The Scottish Government recognises the excellent work that Citizens Advice Bureaux do in helping some of the most vulnerable people in our communities. The Scottish Government includes funding to support the most vulnerable people as part of the block grant w…
21 Mar 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on extending CalMac ferry discounts for island residents to people with family on the islands.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: There are no discounts available for island residents on the Clyde & Hebrides Ferry Services (CHFS) network, operated by CalMac, other than those provided for older and disabled people by national and local concessionary travel schemes. The introduction of R…
21 Mar 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken regarding how accessible the Edinburgh tram system is to people on a low income.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: Edinburgh Trams is publicly owned by the City of Edinburgh Council. We are not aware of any analysis having being conducted on the accessibility/affordability of trams for those on low incomes. However, free travel on trams is available to those aged 60+ or w…
21 Mar 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken regarding the (a) cost and (b) benefits of the Edinburgh tram lines, and what the impact could be of extending the tram line to Newhaven.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: Grant Funding Condition 17 between Scottish Ministers and City of Edinburgh Council contains a requirement to undertake an evaluation of the Edinburgh Trams Project and I understand that this work is currently underway. Proposals for extending the tram line t…
21 Mar 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken to quantify the cost of potholes to the economy.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: We fully recognise the importance of a safe, well performing road network for the health of Scotland’s economy, and our research has shown that the trunk road network alone contributes £1.38 billion in approximate Gross Value Added to Scotland’s economy. We w…