Parliamentary questions

Oliver Mundell

1,091 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

21 Nov 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what monitoring of water conditions are being undertaken at Pow Burn in Powfoot, in light of the recently reported incidents.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: SEPA's water quality monitoring programme requires that routine sampling of invertebrates is undertaken twice a year, every third year. This routine monitoring was carried out on the Pow Burn at Hurkledale, upstream of Powfoot, in 2017. SEPA has advised that…

26 Sep 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on providing interview feedback on request to applicants for government jobs who are disabled.

Answer · Derek Mackay: It is not our policy to provide interview feedback to job applicants as a matter of course. We do however provide feedback if applicants request it and this includes those with a disability.

25 Sep 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what defines a "remote rural settlement" for the purpose of wind development.

Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: “Remote Rural Settlement” is defined in the Scottish Government Urban Rural Classification document as: Areas with a population of less than 3,000 people, and with a drive time of over 30 minutes to a settlement of 10,000 or more However, this definition is…

25 Sep 2018 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to support school pupils with autism.

Answer · John Swinney: We want all children and young people to receive the support needed to reach their full learning potential. We will continue to work closely with local authorities to secure more positive experiences for pupils with autism. We will do this by improving cons…

18 Sep 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of concerns raised by pupils at St Mungo Primary School, whether it will confirm what plans it has to improve broadband in rural communities around Kettleholm.

Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: I welcome the feedback from the pupils of St Mungo Primary School which raises the importance of broadband provisions in the Kettleholm area, for the perspective of young people in a region that, for obvious reasons is close to my heart. Regulation and legis…

18 Sep 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when the road operator contracts for the (a) A7, (b) A75, (c) A76, (d) M74 and (e) A701 will be due for renewal.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Trunk Road Operating Company Contracts for the A7, A75, A76, A701 and the M74 between Junction 1 M8 and Junction 12 Millbank (excluding Junction 3 – 6) are due for renewal in August 2020. The procurement competitions for the contracts which contain these …

18 Sep 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it takes to (a) assess the quality and (b) monitor the provision of the care call services that are provided by local authorities.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government is committed to improving the quality of care in Scotland and wants to ensure that everyone who requires care has access to the highest standards of care in every setting, whether in their own home or in residential accommodation. Alth…

18 Sep 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what national standards it has introduced regarding the level of care call services that should be provided by local authorities, and how it monitors the effectiveness of these standards.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: Jeane Freeman : Operational standards are the responsibility of the LA providing the service and there are no regulatory requirements. The Scottish Government have always promoted standards bodies (of which there are several) so around a third of organisation…

11 Sep 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has made of the Consortium for Research in Deaf Education 2017 report for Scotland.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government remain committed to ensuring that all children and young people get the support that they need to reach their full learning potential. Following recommendations made by the Education and Skills Committee, in 2016 the Scottish Governme…

11 Sep 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address the issue highlighted in the Consortium for Research in Deaf Education 2017 report for Scotland that 48% of teachers of the deaf are over 50 and are likely to retire in the next next 10 to 15 years.

Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-18135 on 29 August 2018. 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…

11 Sep 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the number of teachers of the deaf is reported to have fallen.

Answer · John Swinney: The employment of teachers of the deaf is a matter for education authorities, to be addressed in light of their local circumstances and priorities. Under the Education (Additional Support for Learning) Act 2004 (as amended) education authorities have duties …

7 Sep 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to compensating householders whose properties are devalued by large scale wind development.

Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The most recent research conducted on this matter ( Impact of Wind Turbines on House Prices in Scotland, by ClimateXChange in October 2016) found no evidence of a consistent negative effect on house prices. This finding was similar to the findings of the othe…