Parliamentary questions
Oliver Mundell
1,091 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
8 Sep 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much it would cost to carry out the outstanding repairs to fixtures and fittings in property belonging to each Police Scotland local region.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The information requested is a matter for the Scottish Police Authority. I have alerted the Chief Executive to your question and I have asked him to write to you.
8 Sep 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the cost of policing has been in the Dumfries and Galloway Council area in each year since 2007.
Answer · Michael Matheson: This information is not held by the Scottish Government.
8 Sep 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what reassurances it have sought from Police Scotland regarding the force's financial projections for 2016-17.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government maintains regular contact with the Scottish Police Authority on a range of financial matters. This includes regular reporting and review of expected outturn for the financial year.
8 Sep 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it expects Police Scotland to return balanced accounts.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government expects all public bodies to work towards returning balanced accounts.
8 Sep 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what cost savings have been made by each legacy police force area in each year since 2013.
Answer · Michael Matheson: Legacy police forces ceased to exist from on 1 April 2013 following the commencement of the new single service and therefore the information requested is not available.
6 Sep 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on introducing a 50 mph speed limit for HGVs on trunk roads.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: There are no current plans to increase the HGV speed limit as we believe that there is currently insufficient evidence in this area to justify a change. In conjunction with the A9 average speed camera system we have increased HGV speed limits on single-carr…
6 Sep 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what date it has set for Transport Scotland to report back to the A7 Action Group regarding the A7 Action Plan.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Minister for Transport and the Islands is currently reviewing Transport Scotland’s comments on the A7 Action Plan and will report back to the A7 Action group as soon as possible.
31 Aug 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the flooding that took place across Scotland during the 2015 festive period, what it is doing to encourage the implementation of preventative flood measures.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government is working closely with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, local authorities, Scottish Water and others to deliver the flood risk management actions set out in the 14 Flood Risk Management Strategies published in December 2015…
18 Aug 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to review the continued requirement of a house seller to acquire and pay for a home report.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Scottish Government carried out a full policy review after five years of operation of the home report. The findings of a public consultation were published on the Scottish Government website on 7 May 2014, and of a research study on 7 January 2015. We hav…
18 Aug 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of home reports on the property market.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: A full five-year policy review of the Home Report was launched on 5 December 2013 and consisted of a public consultation (the findings from which were published on 7 May 2014) and a research study (published on 7 January 2015). Overall, the Review found that…
12 Aug 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-01111 by Humza Yousaf on 26 July 2016 and in light of Audit Scotland's report, Maintaining Scotland's roads: a follow-up report, which ranked Dumfries and Galloway second among local authorities for the percentage of roads deemed unacceptable, what …
Answer · Humza Yousaf: A meeting of the Road Maintenance Strategic Action Group has been scheduled to discuss the Group’s response to the recommendations of the Audit Scotland report. We will continue to co-fund the Roads Collaboration Programme and use that forum to engage with al…
11 Aug 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans the Scottish Investment Bank has to (a) prioritise Dumfries and Galloway and (b) establish a South Scotland enterprise area.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise. I have asked the Chief Executive to contact you with the information you have requested and my understanding is that this will be with you soon.
11 Aug 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to attract investment in South Scotland.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The Scottish Government is involved in a wide range of activities to attract investment in South Scotland. These activities include boosting export performance to attract foreign investment, developing transport links to help maximise the potential of the are…
10 Aug 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much the Scottish Investment Bank has invested (a) nationally and (b) in Dumfries and Galloway in each of the last three years.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise. I have asked the Chief Executive to contact you with the information you have requested and my understanding is that this will be with you soon.
10 Aug 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it takes to encourage businesses to adapt older properties to make them fully accessible for disabled people.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: Businesses are required under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments to ensure disabled people do not experience substantial disadvantage compared with nondisabled people. The duty is ‘anticipatory’. An organisation cannot wait until a disable…
10 Aug 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on encouraging rail operators to give peak-time discounts to students who are 16-25 Railcard holders when travelling (a) for educational purposes and (b) to their part time employment.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Scottish Government is committed to making rail services more affordable for all and encourages ScotRail to offer innovative ticketing products to passengers. In addition the Scottish Government supports the Young Persons Concessionary travel scheme. More…
9 Aug 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to encourage further investment in the Carstairs Junction area to accommodate the service demand until 2043 that was forecast by Network Rail in its report, Scotland Route Study.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Scottish Government is funding Network Rail’s on-going development and detailed design of options to enhance Carstairs junction to improve line speeds and increase capacity and performance levels. Final decisions on investment will be subject to confirmat…
11 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-01000 by Angela Constance on 8 July 2016, whether it will undertake a review of whether it should assess how public authorities meet their obligations to make reasonable adjustments for disabled employees and service users.
Answer · Angela Constance: Enforcement is the role of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (a statutory body established under the Equality Act and accredited by the UN) and we will not, therefore, be carrying out a review.
8 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many people resident in Scotland have received healthcare from the NHS in England in each of the last five years.
Answer · Shona Robison: Information is provided in the following table on the number of finished admission episodes for patients resident in Scotland who have received healthcare from the NHS in England in each of the last five years. Year Finished Admission Episodes 2010-11 7,8…
4 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the implementation of new legislation that gives effect to water and sewerage charges; how it will support village halls in their application for charitable status so that they are eligible for exemption from such charges, and what discussions it has had on…
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Scottish Ministers’ principles of charging statement sets out the basis for calculating water and sewerage charges. It also sets out the terms upon which the Exemption Scheme is available to charities and Community Amateur Sports Clubs. The terms of the new …
29 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has carried out of the impact that land reform could have on the establishment of productive woodland in forests.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government has an ambitious land reform programme, including implementing the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2016 and establishing the Scottish Land Commission to consider the effect of law, policies and practices in the management and use of land in…
29 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on reviewing the time and cost of applying for an environmental impact assessment for landowners planting commercial woodland.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government is committed to planting 10,000 hectares of trees every year until 2022 and we will work to hasten the pace of applications and approval of planting. We are already meeting with the sector to identify points in the current process, fro…
29 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform and the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy and Connectivity have met or plan to meet to discuss the forestry and wood processing sector.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: I am in regular discussion with my colleagues, including the Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform, about matters of mutual interest.
29 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its plans are regarding (a) forestry policy, (b) forest enterprise and (c) the administration of trans-border forestry issues, including plant health and forest research.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-01146 on 29 July 2016. 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/28…
29 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to (a) increase the role of and (b) give more powers to Forestry Commission Scotland and, if so, in what timescale.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government have committed to completing the devolution of the arrangements for the management of forestry in Scotland. As announced in June 2015 by the then Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform, this will involve the transfer …
28 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it makes of the dangers of deteriorating roads; what financial support it provides to smaller local authorities seeking to carry out repairs to these, and what its position is on increasing this support.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Transport Scotland Road Asset Management Plan sets out how Scotland's trunk road network is maintained strategically and efficiently in order to protect our assets and ensure maximum value for money from our road maintenance activities. Regular surveys an…
23 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the reason is for the delay in the publication of its final implementation strategy for the storage of higher activity nuclear waste; what assessment it has made of the effect of this delay on nuclear sites in Scotland, and what contact it had with experts and relevant stakeholders …
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The draft implementation strategy is being revised following the public consultation. Scottish Government officials have continued contact with the nuclear decommissioning authority, the committee on radioactive waste management, nuclear site managers and sta…
22 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it will seek to prevent delays in ambulances being dispatched when callers are not able to provide postcodes, particularly in rural areas.
Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government is committed to working closely with the Scottish ambulance service to ensure that patients who require an emergency ambulance receive one as quickly as possible. In cases where a 999 call comes in to the ambulance control centre from…
22 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-00373 by Fergus Ewing on 13 June 2016, what rationale it used in selecting Arran and the Cairngorms for its mobile masts pilot; for what reason the south of Scotland was not included in the pilot, particularly Eskdale and Upper Nithsdale, and how lo…
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The areas for the non-domestic rates relief pilot scheme were chosen to align with existing mobile pilot projects in development by the Scottish Futures Trust on behalf of the Scottish Government, which fit the organisational and commercial models the Scottis…
22 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it will create parity in relation to the calculation of kinship carers allowance.
Answer · Mark McDonald: In her programme for government statement in September 2015, the First Minister announced additional funding to ensure that eligible kinship carers receive improved allowances to bring them up to the same level as those received by foster carers in their loca…