Parliamentary questions
Bill Bowman
310 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
13 Sep 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish in full the Ernst and Young deep water feasibility study that identified Dales Voe as the optimal location for an ultra-deep water port for decommissioning, and, if so, when, and if it does not plan to publish the report in full, what the reasons are for its posit…
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The outcomes of the feasibility study undertaken by Ernst & Young will published on the Scottish Government website shortly. The study included interviews with commercial operators and vessel operators who shared commercially sensitive information. This info…
13 Sep 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the level of its encouragement of private investment in Dundee’s decommissioning capabilities and the port’s similar depth to Dales Voe, what factors were identified by Ernst and Young in its deep water feasibility study that led to the Shetland site being labelled as the "o…
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The locational assessment of ports in the study consisted of 3 stages. Stage 1 was an assessment of minimum approach depths and current quayside depths. The key physical criteria to determine whether an existing quay could be developed on to an UDW port were …
13 Sep 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to assure Dundeecom, which was established to create a new decommissioning industry in the city, that it is actively promoting the city as a UK oil and gas decommissioning hub.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The Scottish Government continues to provide ongoing support for organisations in Dundee and the wider region to seek market opportunities to benefit from oil and gas decommissioning. We have provided support and grant funding to decommissioning projects in …
13 Sep 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what pros and cons were identified by Ernst and Young in its feasibility study into the location of an optimal ultra-deep water port for decommissioning in relation to (a) Dundee and (b) Dales Voe.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: Dundee has many pros as a location to undertake decommissioning work. The city boasts many supply chain companies that I’m sure can offer a good integrated decommissioning solution. This includes one of Europe’s largest quayside heavy lift cranes, supported b…
11 Sep 2018 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government on what date it plans to introduce its non-domestic rates bill.
3 Sep 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with NHS boards regarding the action that can be taken against members of staff facing outstanding complaints who voluntarily remove themselves from the medical register to facilitate the dropping of these.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: Professional regulation of the registered health professions is the statutory responsibility of eight independent, UK-wide regulatory bodies. Each of the regulators has established procedures for assessing applications for voluntary removal on individual meri…
3 Sep 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve rules and guidelines for NHS boards to reduce the likelihood of incidents where staff harm patients without appropriate repercussions.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government expects all NHS Boards to provide high quality care that is safe, effective and person-centred. A number of systems are already in place that focus on and emphasise the requirement for Boards to act swiftly and robustly when things go…
3 Sep 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will assess NHS board complaint procedures regarding the performance and attitudes of staff towards patients, to protect the physical and mental wellbeing of patients.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: The revised NHS complaints procedure implemented from April 2017 provides a formal route for patients and their families to express concerns about any aspect of NHS services. The new procedure reflects the broader ambition for the NHS in Scotland to be an op…
30 Aug 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to question S5O-02225 by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 13 June 2018 and S5W-18074 by John Swinney on 29 August 2018, for what reason the former Minister for Further Education, Higher Education and Science suggested that part-time courses were often five hours long in…
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The answer to S5O-02225 stated that it is the short courses de-prioritised by the Scottish Funding Council which were often around 5 hours in length and did not lead to recognised qualifications. 97.4% of learning hours were delivered on courses that led to a…
23 Aug 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-18378 by Michael Matheson on 23 August 2018, what consideration it has made of whether the costs of such a bid would be funded through reduced spending in other budget areas or through further changes to tax policy.
Answer · Michael Matheson: Rail franchising and competition legislation are matters reserved to the UK Government. As a consequence, the UK Railways Act 1993 requires that rail franchise are let through open competition. The Scottish Government secured an amendment to that Act which al…
23 Aug 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-18378 by Michael Matheson on 23 August 2018, what consideration it has made of the level of cost provisioning required for such a bid.
Answer · Michael Matheson: Competitive tendering for a rail franchise is a requirement under UK legislation. Available evidence suggests that this activity could be estimated to cost in the region of £10 million. The cost of any bid will depend on the nature of the bidding organisation…
21 Aug 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the Scottish Retail Consortium’s remarks that the "overall rates burden remains onerous" and that the current system hinders "retailers’ confidence about investing" and whether it considers that this is at odds with its claim that Scotland has the "most attractive…
Answer · Kate Forbes: The Scottish Government provides the most competitive rates relief package in the UK, worth around £720 million, up from £660 million in 2017-18. This includes a number of measures that are unique in the UK, including the Business Growth Accelerator which enc…
21 Aug 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made with the Tay Cities Deal.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government remains committed to achieving a Heads of Terms agreement for the Tay Cities Region as soon as possible. We are in a position to proceed however we are waiting for the UK Government to confirm its position before taking forward with th…
21 Aug 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the suggestion that its proposed plans to allow councils to increase business rates for online retailers would create an incentive for online retailers to move either between local authorities or relocate to the rest of the UK and continue their business in Scotla…
Answer · Kate Forbes: The independent Barclay Review of Non-Domestic Rates suggested a number of recommendations aimed at supporting economic growth and increasing the fairness of the business rates system. One of these recommendation was a proposal to allow, in no more than three…
21 Aug 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will fund projects in the Tay City Deal that fall within areas of devolved competence.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government remains committed to the best possible deal for the Tay Cities Region. We are focused on improving the economic prospects of every region in Scotland and all projects will be considered whether they are seen as operating in the devolve…
21 Aug 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Scotland’s poor real wage growth as reported by the Scottish Fiscal Commission, what consideration it has given to the impact of its proposal to allow councils to increase business rates for online retailers on staff who receive bonuses based on profit and loss.
Answer · Kate Forbes: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-18363 on 6 September 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.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentar…
21 Aug 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what impact the Tay Cities Deal will have on deprivation levels in Dundee.
Answer · Michael Matheson: Tay Cities partners have developed an economic strategy and deal proposal focused on benefits at a regional level and delivering inclusive economic growth. Partners seek to generate additional economic growth for the Scottish economy, create new job opportuni…
21 Aug 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to the impact of its proposed plans to allow councils to increase business rates for online retailers on the potential for increased delivery charges and waiting times in cases where businesses relocate to other parts of the UK in response to the policy.
Answer · Kate Forbes: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-18363 on 6 September 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.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentar…
21 Aug 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the Scottish Retail Consortium view that the proposed plans to allow councils to increase business rates for online businesses would make it "more expensive for retailers to operate in Scotland" than in the rest of the UK.
Answer · Kate Forbes: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-18363 on 6 September 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.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentar…
21 Aug 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the Scottish Retail Consortium’s classification of the Scottish Government’s projection of having a "competitive rates regime" as a "stated ambition" rather than a factual reality, as indicated in various Scottish Government publications.
Answer · Kate Forbes: The Scottish Government provides the most competitive rates relief package in the UK. Worth around £720 million, the package includes significantly more generous support for small business across Scotland as well as a number of measures which are unique in th…
21 Aug 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to concerns that its 2018-19 income tax policy has led to a possibility that an estimated 900,000 people on the intermediate income tax band are at risk of spending a portion of their pension savings due to the 1% relief above the initial 20% being included in take-h…
Answer · Derek Mackay: The Scottish Government supports pension saving. That is why the Scottish Government negotiated with the UK Government to ensure that in the current tax year relief at source would continue to be available to Scottish income taxpayers on exactly the same basi…
21 Aug 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government on what date it will publish consultation responses to its suggestion to allow councils to increase business rates for online retailers.
Answer · Kate Forbes: The consultation on non-domestic rates reform opened on 25 June 2018 and closes on 17 September 2018. This consultation paper seeks the views of stakeholders on the implementation of the accepted recommendations of the Barclay Review, including a proposals to…
21 Aug 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the Scottish Retail Consortium’s view that a "speedier timetable" is needed to reduce the Large Business Supplement in order to create a "level playing field".
Answer · Kate Forbes: The Scottish Government has taken the decision to support the economy by prioritising small businesses and introducing unique measures like the Growth Accelerator, which benefit all businesses, large and small. The large business supplement helps ensure a fa…
21 Aug 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to provide suicide prevention training across the (a) public and (b) private sector.
Answer · Clare Haughey: The National Suicide Prevention Leadership Group will consider detail on this and make recommendations to Ministers on the most appropriate focus for the refreshed training which is to be developed under Action 2 in the new Suicide Prevention Action Plan.
21 Aug 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether its position on rates relief for independent schools with charitable status is to recommend that local authorities instead of it should be responsible for implementing and funding the relief.
Answer · Kate Forbes: While we recognise the importance of the independent schools sector to the Scottish education system, the independent Barclay review highlighted that the current situation whereby independent schools benefit from reduced or zero rates bills through charitable…
21 Aug 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the reported reduction in the savings ratio will make it more likely that people on the intermediate income tax band will spend the 1% relief that they receive in their take-home pay from their pension payments instead of it automatically being saved in th…
Answer · Derek Mackay: The Scottish Government supports pension saving. That is why the Scottish Government negotiated with the UK Government to ensure that in the current tax year relief at source would continue to be available to Scottish income taxpayers on exactly the same basi…
21 Aug 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to ensure that people who are on the intermediate income tax band do not accidentally spend 1% of their pension payments relief.
Answer · Derek Mackay: The operation of relief at source, as with all income tax reliefs remains reserved and therefore a matter for HMRC and the UK Government. Income taxpayers in Scotland who are paying into a pension are treated in exactly the same way as income taxpayers in the…
21 Aug 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how the income tax system in 2018-19 will impact on people on the intermediate band who receive the first 20% of relief in their pension pots and the remaining 1% in their take-home pay.
Answer · Derek Mackay: The operation of relief at source, as with all income tax reliefs remains reserved and therefore a matter for HMRC and the UK Government. Income taxpayers in Scotland who are paying into a pension are treated in exactly the same as income taxpayers in the res…
20 Aug 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on running an awareness campaign regarding the HPV vaccine.
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: A full communications and engagement plan will developed as part of the implementation process, including consideration on the best way to raise awareness of the programme.
20 Aug 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on running a catch-up programme for 14- to 18-year old males in conjunction with the HPV vaccine programme for adolescent boys.
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: The JCVI advice on extending the HPV vaccination programme to adolescent boys does not include a specific recommendation in regards to a catch up programme. Scottish Government officials are working closely withUK colleagues, Health Protection Scotland and NH…