Parliamentary questions
Tom Mason
273 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
25 Sep 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether more scrutiny should be placed on existing infrastructure and extraction methods for the delivery of natural assets, such as water pipes and leakage, when calculating natural capital.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Water abstraction is one of seven Provisioning Services included within Scotland’s Natural Capital Accounts. Water abstraction within the accounts is measured using the volume of water abstracted for public water supply by Scottish Water, irrespective of the …
25 Sep 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many care service staff vacancies there are in NHS Grampian.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: The information requested is not centrally held.
19 Sep 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what kinds of vegetation were instrumental in the decline of PM2.5 in the atmosphere during 2017, which is referred to in its report, Scottish natural capital: ecosystem service accounts 2019.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: PM2.5 can be given off by a variety of sources such as industrial and vehicle emissions. The decline in PM2.5 in the atmosphere up until 2017 was unrelated to any vegetation.
19 Sep 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much is spent by each local authority in the north east on free personal care for people (a) in care homes and (b) at home.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: This information is publicly available on the Scottish Government website within the Free Personal and Nursing Care in Scotland 2017 – 2018 Report. This is accessible on the link https://www.gov.scot/publications/free-personal-nursing-care-scotland-2017-18/…
18 Sep 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what improvements it will make to the recruitment and attainment of nursing care staff, in light of recent statistics, which suggests that vacancies have reached record highs of 4,000 for nursing and midwifery staff and 500 for consultancy staff.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Health and Care (Staffing) Act, passed earlier this year, will require Health Boards to clearly identify the needs of service users, the workload and skills required to deliver those needs and ensure appropriate numbers of suitably trained staff are in pl…
18 Sep 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the publication of Scottish natural capital: Ecosystem Service Accounts, 2019, and in terms of collecting data for this purpose, what its position is on the argument that there should be more distinction made between private and public sources in calculating natural capital m…
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Natural Capital Accounts is based on an internationally agreed framework produced by the United Nations System of Environmental Economic Accounting and the principles of the methodology are to provide calculation for environmental assets. The terms provis…
12 Sep 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how the reported decline in the production of grazed biomass will affect the country's (a) natural capital and (b) rural agricultural revenue.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The grazed biomass in the natural capital accounts is categorised as the pasture that livestock eat while the livestock are assumed to be a produce not associated with natural capital. Therefore the decline of grazed biomass is due to a decline in the numbers…
12 Sep 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what data NHS Grampian collects to deal with an aging population, and what assessment the board has made of future requirements.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: NHS Grampian report that they regularly review a range of data in order to provide a general oversight of demand and also to provide monitoring and surveillance to gauge the effect of targeted improvement efforts. This can cover demographic data such as popu…
11 Sep 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the expected level of renewable energy production will be in 2035.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: We have not developed forecasts for the level of renewable energy production at specific points in the future. However, Scotland's Energy Strategy made clear the Scottish Government's unwavering commitment to the development and deployment of renewable techn…
11 Sep 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that older people have a say in how it reshapes the services that they use, and what analysis it has carried out of the effectiveness of this.
Answer · Christina McKelvie: The Scottish Government is committed to listening to the voices of older people to inform and shape policy and services and we have demonstrated this by working with the Older People’s Strategic Action Forum who played an integral role in developing ‘A Fairer…
10 Sep 2019 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress of the Roberton review of the regulation of legal services.
5 Sep 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when the last assessment of the Reshaping Care for Older People outcomes framework was carried out, and what recommendations were made.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Reshaping Care for Older People: A Programme for Change 2011-2021 was published in 2010 and set out the Scottish Government's vision, actions and framework for reshaping care and support for older people. An update of the progress made in the first two ye…
5 Sep 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government which countries have been Scotland's five largest (a) export and (b) import markets for timber products in each year since 1999, broken down by tonnage traded.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government does not collect data on the exports or imports of timber products to Scotland and therefore these are not available. Data are collected by the HMRC for imports and exports of timber products into and out of the UK. This data is publi…
11 Jun 2019 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it will support the tourism industry in championing the sector as a career destination of choice.
28 May 2019 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether mandatory bovine electronic identification for newborn calves will be introduced as planned by January 2020.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The new EU legislation that enables the introduction of electronic identification for bovine animals will come into force in April 2021. In preparation for this we are working with industry on an industry led voluntary bovine EID pilot in Scotland. The pilot …
22 May 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent by the Child Poverty Fund in each year since 2017, also broken down by project.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: The Tackling Child Poverty Fund, worth £50 million, was established following the publication of the first Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan on 29 March 2018. In 2018-19, £2.350 million was spent from the Fund, a breakdown of which can be found in the foll…
22 May 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on Scottish Enterprise's work to realise major economic opportunities in high-value manufacturing, the digital economy and low-carbon transition.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise. I have passed your query on to Steve Dunlop, the Chief Executive, and asked him to respond to you directly.
22 May 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what Zero Waste Scotland's delivery programme is for (a) 2018-19 and (b) 2019-20, broken down by (i) cost and (ii) project.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Zero Waste Scotland delivers Scottish Government priorities in respect of waste and resources management. Information on Zero Waste Scotland’s delivery programme for 2018-19 and 2019-20 is detailed below. The way work was grouped into outcomes and objectives …
22 May 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the average rescheduled waiting time is for NHS Scotland patients whose operations are cancelled, broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: This information is not centrally available. As you will be aware there are a number of reasons why operations can be cancelled including, at the request of the patient and based on clinical reasons. Clearly, if a patient is not clinically able to have an op…
22 May 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what criteria it sets for the measurement of natural assets and their value.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Natural Capital is the stock of Scotland’s natural assets including geology, air, water and all living things. The Scottish Government’s Biodiversity Strategy, “The 2020 Challenge for Scotland’s Biodiversity” , stresses the desirability of including natural c…
22 May 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-17428 by Derek Mackay on 16 July 2018, what its position is on whether borrowing less than the maximum level of available capital borrowing in its post-2019-20 budgets over a shorter repayment period would have the effect of freeing up borrowing spa…
Answer · Derek Mackay: The Scottish Government’s Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) published on 30 May 2019, sets out the Scottish Government’s borrowing policy over the period of the National Infrastructure Mission. The MTFS publication can be found by way of the following li…
22 May 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the average notification time of operation cancellations is, broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-23401 on 4 June 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/28…
22 May 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much of any additional Barnett consequentials from increased NHS spending in England in each of the last three years was spent on (a) NHS Grampian and (b) NHS boards in total.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-23395 on 4 June 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/28…
22 May 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many grants have been awarded by Scottish Enterprise in each of the last three years, broken down by (a) industry and (b) local authority area.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise. I have passed your query on to Steve Dunlop, the Chief Executive, and asked him to respond to you directly.
22 May 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made in the last year in delivering an affordable, sustainably-funded, public sector pay policy that offers a fair deal for staff.
Answer · Derek Mackay: The 2019-20 public sector pay policy strikes the right balance in delivering a fair deal for public sector workers and value for the public purse in terms of affordability and investing in high-quality public services. It continues the Scottish Government’s c…
22 May 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the number of GP surgeries has reportedly reduced across the north east, and what influence this has had on the Skype consultations initiative.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: In the last year a number of north east practises have merged, resulting in a slight reduction in overall practice numbers. In addition a practice has closed due to the retirement of GPs with the patient list being absorbed by other practices. Together this h…
22 May 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what decisions on the repayment method of capital borrowing it has taken for 2019-20.
Answer · Derek Mackay: The Scottish Government’s Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) published on 30 May 2019, sets out the Scottish Government’s plans to borrow £450 million in 2019-20. This is an outline at this stage and has been modelled at 2% over a 25 year repayment term. A…
22 May 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government on what resources any additional Barnett consequentials from increased NHS spending in England in each of the last three years have been spent.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government continues to deliver its commitment made in 2010-11 that all health resource consequentials will be passed on in full. Details of spending are set out in the Scottish Budget publications.
22 May 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when Scottish Enterprise will release its 2019-20 business plan.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: Scottish Enterprise plans to publish its business plan in mid-June.
22 May 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the progress it is making to reduce food waste by one third by 2025.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: In April we published our Food Waste Reduction Action Plan which sets out a number of measures that will support the delivery of the target to reduce food waste by 33% by 2025.