Parliamentary questions

Finlay Carson

905 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

11 Apr 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what data it holds on localised electric vehicle uptake and associated local air quality improvements.

Answer · Michael Matheson: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-22625 on 30 April 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/…

11 Apr 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to track the Electric A9 project’s impact on (a) electric vehicle usage and (b) future air quality trends on the route.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government uses a range of sources of information to evaluate the impact of policies that support the uptake of electric vehicles and the development of the ChargePlace Scotland (CPS) infrastructure, including the eA9. Data on localised electric…

11 Apr 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to make trend analysis and usage data from government-funded (a) ULEV purchase schemes and (b) electric vehicle charging points publicly available.

Answer · Michael Matheson: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-22622 on 1 May 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/288…

11 Apr 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to make charging data from ChargePlace Scotland publicly available, and what smart charging data is already being collected and used from the network.

11 Apr 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to share charging data from ChargePlace Scotland with (a) National Grid, (b) distribution network operators and (c) commercial providers of electric vehicle charging points.

Answer · Michael Matheson: Through the ChargePlace Scotland (CPS) network, Scotland benefits from one of the most comprehensive electric vehicle charging networks in Europe. The Scottish Government is committed to expanding our electric vehicle charging infrastructure between now and 2…

8 Apr 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government which organisation or public body has ultimate responsibility if a fatality on a trunk road was found to be as a result of the road being poorly maintained, and under what circumstances would the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service subsequently consider whether to press charges un…

Answer · James Wolffe QC: The management and maintenance of the Scottish trunk road network is ultimately the responsibility of Scottish Ministers by the virtue of the powers and duties conferred by the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984. The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS)…

8 Apr 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many fatalities there have been on each trunk road in each of the last five years because of the road being poorly maintained, also broken down by (a) which body or organisation was deemed responsible for maintenance and (b) whether there were any subsequent (i) prosecutions and (ii)…

Answer · Michael Matheson: As part of the statistical information routinely collected for injury road collisions, Police Scotland can record a number of pre-defined factors which may have contributed to how and why the collision occurred. One of these contributory factors is “poor or d…

27 Mar 2019 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what process is in place for it to identify its preferred option for delivering effective environmental governance following Brexit, including functions equivalent to those carried out by the European Commission and European Court.

20 Mar 2019 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment the finance secretary has made of the potential economic impact of a new national park.

18 Mar 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-21845 by Fergus Ewing on 12 March 2019, whether it will provide (a) the minutes of the meeting of 23 October 2019 and (b) further details regarding the proposals for the closure of the seasonal fishery.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: In response to part (a) of your question please see the following minutes from the meeting of 23 October 2019 which were produced by Defra officials. Please note that for data protection purposes names of those involved in the meeting have been redacted. Que…

14 Mar 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the local authorities in the South Scotland region concerning any potential overlap between the R100 project and the Borderlands Growth Deal regarding digital connectivity.

Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The Reaching 100% (R100) Team is in regular dialogue with Scottish Borders and Dumfries and Galloway council officials regarding the R100 programme. The same officials are also closely involved with the Borderlands Growth Deal and officials from the Departmen…

14 Mar 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government by what date it will announce the contractor for the R100 project, and when work on the project will commence.

Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The appointment of a preferred bidder (or bidders) is anticipated to take place by the end of September of this year, with contracts to be awarded by the end of this year. The detail of the work programmes will be determined once the contracts are awarded.

11 Mar 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the timescale is for the delivery of mental health counselling services in secondary schools in Dumfries and Galloway.

Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-22016 on 26 March 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.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybus…

11 Mar 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the funding stream for delivering mental health counselling services in secondary schools is part of the local authority settlement.

Answer · John Swinney: The funding to deliver the commitment for counsellors in schools is part of the 2019-20 local government finance settlement and will be paid to local authorities as General Revenue Grant.

11 Mar 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government which body will deliver mental health counselling services in secondary schools in Dumfries and Galloway.

Answer · John Swinney: Counsellors in schools will complement the range of mental health strategies that are already in place within schools and local authorities. It will be for local authorities to make the decision about the delivery mechanism which will best meet the outcomes …

11 Mar 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government by what date every secondary school will have a mental health counselling service in place.

Answer · John Swinney: School counselling will enhance the work that schools already do to support children and young people to learn about mental health and wellbeing within the framework of Curriculum for Excellence. It is intended that to the Programme for Government commitment…

6 Mar 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government (a) how many and (b) what percentage of looked-after children away from home, including in foster care, there have been in each of the last five years.

Answer · Maree Todd: The following information is taken from the annual Children’s Social Work Statistics return, which provides data on children and young people looked after, as well as those on the child protection register and in secure care: Year Number of children looked …

6 Mar 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government (a) how many and (b) what percentage of looked-after children away from home, including in foster care, have been adopted prior to their fifth birthday in each of the last five years.

6 Mar 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government by what date the South West Scotland Transport Study will publish its draft report.

Answer · Michael Matheson: Transport Scotland is currently analysing the evidence gathered from stakeholder and public engagement, and other research methods, to fully determine the issues and opportunities for transport in this area. It is anticipated that a draft report will be publi…

6 Mar 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether Scotland Transerv has the available resources to fulfil its contractual obligations regarding the management and maintenance of the A75 and the trunk road network in the south west.

Answer · Michael Matheson: Scotland TranServ has sufficient resources available to cover its contractual obligations for the management and maintenance of the South West Trunk Road Network, including the A75.

5 Mar 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what statutory protection is available to home owners to protect them from excessive charges for repairs by (a) registered social landlords and (b) factors.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: Registered social landlords (including subsidiaries) who operate as a property factor are regulated by the Property Factors (Scotland) Act 2011. The Act requires all property factors to be registered and then to comply with a code of conduct (the Code) which …

5 Mar 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what appeal mechanisms are available to home owners when facing charges for repairs by (a) registered social landlords and (b) factors that they consider excessive.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: General information on making a complaint to a registered social landlord can be found at: https://www.scottishhousingregulator.gov.uk/publications/complaints-about-regulated-body . Registered social landlords (including subsidiaries) who operate as a prop…

5 Mar 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what support it offers to home owners facing what they consider excessive charges for repairs being carried out by (a) registered social landlords and (b) factors.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: Home owners are responsible for the cost of work to repair their own homes and for their share of common works in tenements, which may include a share of costs for work determined by a majority of other owners. Local authorities have broad discretionary power…

5 Mar 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government under what circumstances a (a) registered social landlord and (b) factor can force a private home owner into bankruptcy.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: The circumstances under which an individual or company who is owed money can initiate bankruptcy proceedings will apply equally to registered social landlords and factors. There are formal steps that must be taken to recover debts prior to petitioning for th…

28 Feb 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to encourage the uptake of superfast broadband.

Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: Since the £400 million Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband (DSSB) programme began, as our response to a failing in the UK wide model to deliver broadband services to many communities across Scotland , take -up of fibre broadband has been encouraged through e…

27 Feb 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much investment has been made by BT through Gainshare as part of the Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband (DSSB) programme, broken down by Parliamentary region.

Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: To date, as a result of better than expected take-up of broadband services by customers with 48.6% in rest of Scotland and 53% in the HIW area, £17.83 million has been brought forward through Gainshare by BT, across the Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband (D…

27 Feb 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what information it collects on fishing net entanglements, and how many there have been since 2015 involving (a) humpback whales, (b) minke whales, (c) porpoises and (d) dolphins.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The Scottish Government funds the Scottish Marine Animal Strandings Scheme (SMASS) which investigates and collects records of strandings, including entanglements. Between 2015 and 2018, there were seven cases reported by SMASS as being consistent with entang…

27 Feb 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it last discussed scallop fishery management with the Manx Government and what the outcome was.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: Representatives from the Scottish and Isle of Man Government’s last discussed scallop management on 23 October 2018. Officials from the two administrations took part in a meeting (which included representatives from industry and other fisheries administration…

25 Feb 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, where a core path is to be re-routed, whether the local authority is responsible for the creation or construction of a re-routed path or diversion.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-21818 on 5 March 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…

25 Feb 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, where a core path has been routed across a residential garden area, whether the landowner can request that it be re-routed; who is responsible for determining such a decision, and who is responsible for meeting the costs of a re-routed path.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Where a core path has been routed across a residential garden area, the landowner can submit a request to the relevant ‘access authority’ - the local authority or, within a national park, the National Park Authority - that the core path be re-routed. Respons…