Parliamentary questions
Dean Lockhart
573 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
17 Jul 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what resources it has committed to Scottish Development International's High Growth Market Unit since May 2016.
Answer · Keith Brown: The total amount of resources committed to Scottish Development International's High Growth Market Unit since May 2016 is £401,490. This includes all staff and project delivery costs.
17 Jul 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made in its discussions with Network Rail regarding the Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement Programme works.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: Transport Scotland officials meet regularly with Network Rail to discuss the progress of the Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement Programme which includes the introduction of electric services between Edinburgh and Glasgow from October 2017.
17 Jul 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government on what date it was provided with the regional labour market statistics for January to March 2017, which were published on 12 July 2017.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: The Labour Market Statistics for January to March 2017 were not published on 12 July 2017, but were published on 17th May 2017.
17 Jul 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government on what date it was provided with the gross domestic product Q1 2017 figures, which were published on 5 July 2017.
Answer · Keith Brown: Scotland’s GDP statistics is a National Statistics publication produced by Scottish Government statisticians. In keeping with the regulations outlined in the Pre-release Access to Official Statistics (Scotland) Order 2008 access was granted to specific offici…
11 Jul 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is, regarding its impact on Scotland, to the report, Good work: the Taylor review of modern working practices.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: While the Scottish Government is considering its response to the Taylor Review, the report fails to recognise that Scotland has been ahead of the curve for some time with regards fair work issues, including promoting the Living Wage as the most effective mean…
5 Jul 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that all new developments that are fully or partly publicly funded comply with disabled parking provision and access requirements.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: The provision of disabled parking and access requirements within new and existing buildings is delivered through compliance with legislation. Governance arrangements for the range of publicly-funded bodies mandate compliance with legislation.
3 Jul 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to ensure that digital connectivity is integrated into all future infrastructure planning and development decisions.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: Although responsibility for digital connectivity is a reserved matter, the Scottish Government has already taken steps to, and seeks opportunities to, integrate digital rollout into infrastructure planning and development. Scottish Planning Policy makes clea…
3 Jul 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve the (a) availability and (b) reliability of broadband coverage on public transport.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: The franchise contract commits ScotRail to deliver free Wi-Fi across the train fleet by December 2018. ScotRail have commenced fitment of the equipment on its train fleet and by the end of 2017, around 90% of trains will benefit from Wi-Fi, with the remaining…
3 Jul 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take with the UK Government on the UK industrial strategy, and how it plans to lead on (a) infrastructure, (b) skills and (c) other areas of devolved responsibility.
Answer · Keith Brown: My officials will continue to work closely with the UK Government to ensure that we realise maximum economic benefit for Scotland and the UK from the planned UK industrial strategy and associated funding. In the context of our overall economic strategy we a…
3 Jul 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the (a) discussions it is having and (b) action it is taking with the UK Government regarding the UK industrial strategy.
Answer · Keith Brown: The Scottish Government continues to engage with UK Government on the Industrial Strategy. On 31 March 2017, BEIS and Scottish Government Permanent Secretaries’ held a roundtable with senior Scottish industry representatives and a separate round table with s…
27 Jun 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much it forecast would be raised from (a) residential and (b) commercial Land and Business Transaction Tax revenues for 2016-17, and how this compared with the actual amount.
Answer · Derek Mackay: The forecast for Land and Buildings Transaction Tax revenues for 2016-17 and the five-year period thereafter were set out in Table 22 of the Draft Budget 2017-18 Devolved Taxes Methodology Report which can be found here: http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2016/…
27 Jun 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much it has raised from non-local taxation in each the last five years.
Answer · Derek Mackay: For the period 2012-13 to 2014-15 inclusive, the Scottish Government did not raise any revenue from fully devolved taxes though, from April 2015, revenue has been raised from two fully devolved taxes, Land and Buildings Transaction Tax and Scottish Landfill T…
27 Jun 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many registered businesses there were in Scotland with fewer than 50 employees in (a) 2015 and (b) 2016.
Answer · Keith Brown: The number of VAT and/or PAYE registered enterprises, for 2015 and 2016, in Scotland with fewer than 50 employees are provided in the table below. Note that these figures refer to all registered enterprises operating in Scotland regardless of where the enterp…
23 Jun 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many primary school pupils in each local authority area have been taught in composite classes in each of the last five years.
Answer · John Swinney: This information is published on the Scottish Government website in table 6.5 of the Pupil Census Supplementary Data, available here: http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Statistics/Browse/School-Education/dspupcensus
21 Jun 2017 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to increase the availability of social housing in rural communities.
21 Jun 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to increase the availability of social housing for rural communities.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: I refer the member to the answer to question S5O-01170 on 28 June 2017. All answers to Oral Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/repor…
19 Jun 2017 · First Minister's Question
To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to improve small business confidence.
14 Jun 2017 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce waiting times for adults referred for psychological therapies.
6 Jun 2017 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that pupils from deprived backgrounds gain more National 5 qualifications.
31 May 2017 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the findings of phase 2 of the enterprise and skills review.
24 May 2017 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will implement the recommendations in the Audit Scotland report, Principles for a digital future, when taking forward its R100 contracts.
2 May 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action is taken should a business liable for non-domestic rates fail to submit updated accounting or other relevant information to valuation officials.
Answer · Derek Mackay: There is a statutory requirement for proprietors, tenants and occupiers to provide requested information to the Assessor to enable rating valuation, and an associated criminal offence related to failure to do so. The review of non-domestic rates led by Ken Ba…
2 May 2017 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to encourage participation in sport.
2 May 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much it cost to set up the Scottish Business Pledge and what its running cost has been each year.
Answer · Keith Brown: Scottish Business Pledge costs, organised by financial year, are as follows: 2015-16 - £44,518, including £36,000 set up costs 2016-17 - £9,075 2017-18 (to date) - £444
27 Apr 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had in the last last three years with any international credit rating agencies in relation to Scottish debt issued by it or on its behalf.
Answer · Derek Mackay: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-09075 on 11 May 2017. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.asp…
27 Apr 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had in the last three years in relation to any international credit rating, indicative or otherwise, that might be assigned to Scottish debt, in whatever form, issued by it or on its behalf, or guaranteed by it or any of its agencies.
Answer · Derek Mackay: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-09075 on 11 May 2017. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.asp…
27 Apr 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the latest indicative international credit rating, in whatever form, would be in respect to Scottish debt issued by it or on its behalf, or guaranteed by it or any of its agencies.
Answer · Derek Mackay: The Scottish Government has not received either an private or public international credit rating from the main ratings agencies.
27 Apr 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has entered into discussions with international credit rating agencies in relation to Scottish debt issued by it or on its behalf.
Answer · Derek Mackay: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-09075 on 11 May 2017. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.asp…
27 Apr 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had in relation to which international credit rating would be assigned to Scottish debt issued by it or on its behalf.
Answer · Derek Mackay: Scottish Government has had the power to issue debt since 1 April 2015 when the Scotland Act 1998 (Variation of Borrowing Power) Order 2015, approved by the UK Parliament in March 2015, gave Scottish Ministers the power to borrow through the issue of bonds, e…
27 Apr 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken in the last three years to investigate the possibility of undertaking a debt issue, in whatever form, to be issued by it, or on its behalf, or guaranteed by it or any of its agencies.
Answer · Derek Mackay: While the Scotland Act 1998 (Variation of Borrowing Power) Order 2015, approved by the UK Parliament in March 2015, gave Scottish Ministers the power to borrow through the issue of bonds, there are no plans at the moment to undertake a debt issue. Borrowing, …