Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S4W-29613

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 February 2016
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Burgess on 12 February 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered a reassessment of the 2016 fuel poverty target, in light of the finding from the Scottish House Condition Survey 2012-2014 that the levels of fuel poverty and extreme fuel poverty had increased in some areas.

The Scottish Government is committed to meeting its statutory target of eradicating fuel poverty, as far as is reasonably practicable, by November 2016 and it has no current plans to reassess that target.

The Scottish Government is doing everything it can to tackle this issue and the latest statistics show that fuel poverty levels have been contained despite fuel prices rising.

The most recent statistics on fuel poverty were published in December 2015 (Scottish House Condition Survey: Key Findings 2014

http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2015/12/8460) and do not show an increase in fuel poverty between 2013 and 2014. The Scottish House Condition Survey 2012-2014 publication is based on a different time period to the national report. It is based on three year rolling averages to ensure reasonable sample sizes for local authority analysis and is therefore not designed to measure year-on-year change. Given the small sample sizes and overlapping samples, the local authority results in this publication do not show a statistically significant increase in fuel poverty and extreme fuel poverty between 2011-13 and 2012-14 for any local authority area.

Question reference: S4W-29621

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 February 2016
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Burgess on 12 February 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the finding from the Scottish House Condition Survey 2012-2014 that the levels of fuel poverty and extreme fuel poverty had increased in some areas, what discussions it plans to have with (a) Ofgem and (b) energy companies in relation to tackling fuel poverty.

The most recent statistics on fuel poverty were published in December 2015 (Scottish House Condition Survey: Key Findings 2014 http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2015/12/8460) and do not show an increase in fuel poverty between 2013 and 2014. The Scottish House Condition Survey 2012-2014 publication is based on a different time period to the national report. It is based on three year rolling averages to ensure reasonable sample sizes for local authority analysis and is therefore not designed to measure year-on-year change. Given the small sample sizes and overlapping samples, the local authority results in this publication do not show a statistically significant increase in fuel poverty and extreme fuel poverty between 2011-13 and 2012-14 for any local authority area.

We are listening to a wide range of stakeholders as we develop our approach on tackling fuel poverty. Ofgem and some energy companies are observers on the Fuel Poverty Forum and regularly attend meetings with other stakeholders along with Scottish Government officials to discuss actions that will drive forward the eradication of fuel poverty.

Question reference: S4W-29674

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 February 2016
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Burgess on 12 February 2016

To ask the Scottish Government on what date the Scottish Rural Fuel Poverty Task Force will publish its findings.

Question reference: S4W-29675

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 February 2016
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Burgess on 12 February 2016

To ask the Scottish Government on what date the Fuel Poverty Strategic Working Group will publish its findings.

Question reference: S4W-29502

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 January 2016
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 11 February 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with COSLA about implementing a deposit return system for beverage containers.

Question reference: S4W-29568

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 29 January 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 11 February 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has provided to VisitScotland in each year since 2011.

The amount of funding Scottish Government has provided for VisitScotland in each year since 2011 is provided in the following table:

VisitScotland cash budget since 2011 (£ million)

	2010-11	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15	2015-16
Grant Funding	46.4	45.3	51.45	49.6	49.5	49.1
Additional Income	17.2	14.2	13.9	11.4	10.5	9.48
Total Income	63.6	59.5	65.35	61.0	60.0	58.58
+/- %	-5.5%	-6.5%	+8.9%	-6.66%	-1.7	-2.4

Notes:

(1) Data from annual accounts except for 2015-16 (sourced from VisitScotland business plan for 2015-18).

(2) The % difference is based on the budget allocation from the previous year.

(3) Above figures exclude ring-fenced DEL (non-cash).

Question reference: S4W-29567

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 29 January 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 11 February 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how much VisitScotland has spent on promoting Orkney in each year since 2011.

Orkney benefits from the following types of direct funding provided by VisitScotland.

Funding under the memorandum of agreement (MOA) with Orkney Islands Council and VisitScotland.

Year	Amount
2010-11	£80k (spring campaign from 11 January only)
2011-12	£136k (MOA only)
2012-13	£126k (MOA only)
2013-14	£135,985 (MOA + European Regional Development Fund (ERDF))
2014-15	£108,155 (MOA + ERDF)
2015-16	£100,635 (MOA + ERDF)

This delivers regional marketing campaigns and activities for the islands and includes ERDF funding secured by VisitScotland to boost expenditure.

Investment through EventScotland funding programmes.

The levels of investment are set out in the following table:

Year	Amount
2010-11	£36,620
2011-12	£10,000
2012-13	£19,900
2013-14	£57,250
2014-15	£26,215
2015-16	£17,350

VisitScotland also provides financial support for and organisation of trade familiarisation trips for the travel trade, which is set out in the following table.

Year	Amount
2012	£4,032
2013	£8,585
2014	£1,491
2015	£1,140

Orkney is also promoted as part of national campaigns, through online presence (visitscotland.com, marketing emails, and in its VisitScotland Information Centres, both in Orkney and elsewhere.

Question reference: S4W-29584

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 29 January 2016
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 9 February 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of research showing support for measures to address nuisance calls, what (a) powers and (b) plans it has to (i) take action on nuisance calls, (ii) publish an action plan on dealing with nuisance calls, (iii) make senior executives responsible if their companies make nuisance calls and (iv) make caller identification mandatory, and what action it has taken in this regard.

Regulation of nuisance calls is currently reserved to Westminster. The Scottish Government does not, therefore, have the powers needed to fully address the issue, which currently sit with Ofcom, the Information Commissioner’s Office and the Telephone Preference Service.

We will continue to work with the UK Government, and key stakeholders such as Which?, to ensure that UK-wide regulation in this area is made as effective as possible. In addition, when consumer advocacy and advice are devolved under the Scotland Bill, we propose to establish a unified consumer body in Scotland that will give consumers – particularly those in vulnerable positions – greater clarity on where to turn for help and advice and, in the case of nuisance calls, lead to earlier identification of malpractice.

Question reference: S4W-29499

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 January 2016
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 9 February 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what the accessibility of mobile broadband services and wifi on public transport has been in (a) Orkney (b) the Highlands and Islands and (c) Scotland in each of the last five years.

The Scottish Government does not collect or hold information on mobile broadband services and Wi-Fi on bus and coach services, which form Scotland's principal modes of public transport. These are provided either through local authorities or directly by operators on a commercial basis.

In terms of the ScotRail network in Scotland, which is managed and let by Transport Scotland, there has been a rolling programme of Wi-Fi installation on trains since December 2013. Approximately 45% of the ScotRail fleet is currently Wi-Fi enabled. The present Abellio franchise commits ScotRail to fit all of the fleet with Wi-Fi by December 2018.

CalMac Ferries Ltd, which is owned by the Scottish Government, provides public Wi-Fi on the Wemyss Bay to Rothesay route, which covers those two ports and the MV Argyle and MV Bute. The service has been available on this route since February 2015. CalMac Ferries Ltd will be providing Wi-Fi across their remaining ports and vessels and is working with the suppliers to make sure that this will happen as soon as possible. The programme of works is being developed with an anticipated completion date of spring 2016.

Serco NorthLink Ferries provide Wi-Fi on all their passenger ferries to/from Aberdeen-Orkney-Lerwick and on the Scrabster-Stromness route. Wi-Fi is also available in the ports served by NorthLink. The Scottish Government does not hold any figures on usage.

Question reference: S4W-29498

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 January 2016
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 9 February 2016

To ask the Scottish Government by what date 100% of residents of (a) Orkney, (b) the Highlands and Islands and (c) Scotland will have access to superfast broadband.

Our £410 million investment in the Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband programme will extend fibre broadband access to at least 95% of homes and businesses in Scotland by the end of 2017. The programme has already met its target of 85% coverage across Scotland. Coverage in the Highlands and Islands will reach 84% whereas planned commercial rollout would only have served 21% of premises. 75% of premises on Orkney will be covered by the Digital Scotland programme. No commercial coverage was planned on Orkney.

A key priority is to ensure that the remaining 5% have access to superfast broadband as early as possible. We have established Community Broadband Scotland to progress community led solutions and are working closely with partners to develop plans to extend coverage even further. We expect to announce plans later in 2016.