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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: S3W-29503

Asked by: Alison McInnes, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 December 2009
Current Status: Answered by Jim Mather on 14 December 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of the population lives in (a) rural and (b) remote areas, broken down by (i) region, (ii) UK Parliament constituency and (iii) Scottish Parliament constituency.

The Scottish Government Urban Rural Classification defines rural areas as settlements with a population of less than 3,000 people and remote areas as settlements with a drive time of over 30 minutes to a settlement of 10,000 or more people. Based on these definitions, the information is as follows:

(i) Percentage of Population in Rural and Remote Areas, by Scottish Parliamentary Regions (Source: General Register Office for Scotland)

Region	Rural %	Remote %
Central	7.3	0.0
Glasgow	0.2	0.0
Highlands and Islands	54.4	66.9
Lothian	4.9	0.0
Mid Scotland and Fife	25.9	5.9
North East	22.9	10.7
South	35.9	24.2
West	7.1	1.7

(ii) Percentage of Population in Rural and Remote Areas, by UK Parliamentary Constituencies (Source: General Register Office for Scotland)

UK Parliamentary Constituency	Rural %	Remote %
Aberdeen North	0.7	0.0
Aberdeen South	2.0	0.0
Airdrie and Shotts	13.7	0.0
Angus	25.9	1.0
Argyll and Bute	52.7	74.8
Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock	27.8	29.7
Banff and Buchan	51.4	29.7
Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk	49.5	35.4
Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross	54.7	100.0
Central Ayrshire	17.9	0.0
Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill	4.9	0.0
Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East	6.4	0.0
Dumfries and Galloway	36.6	30.3
Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale	72.5	47.5
Dundee East	5.3	0.0
Dundee West	5.7	0.0
Dunfermline and West Fife	14.3	0.0
East Dunbartonshire	4.9	0.0
East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow	5.5	0.1
East Lothian	27.7	27.8
East Renfrewshire	3.9	0.0
Edinburgh East	0.1	0.0
Edinburgh North and Leith	0.0	0.0
Edinburgh South	0.1	0.0
Edinburgh South West	0.8	0.0
Edinburgh West	4.3	0.0
Falkirk	7.6	0.0
Glasgow Central	0.0	0.0
Glasgow East	0.3	0.0
Glasgow North	0.2	0.0
Glasgow North East	0.1	0.0
Glasgow North West	0.0	0.0
Glasgow South	0.1	0.0
Glasgow South West	0.3	0.0
Glenrothes	7.1	0.0
Gordon	38.8	24.5
Inverclyde	5.2	0.0
Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey	31.5	29.3
Kilmarnock and Loudoun	20.0	3.6
Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath	6.4	0.0
Lanark and Hamilton East	19.3	0.0
Linlithgow and East Falkirk	10.7	0.0
Livingston	10.8	0.0
Midlothian	17.1	0.0
Moray	44.0	28.4
Motherwell and Wishaw	3.4	0.0
Na h-Eileanan an Iar	78.2	100.0
North Ayrshire and Arran	12.2	7.1
North East Fife	43.4	0.0
Ochil and South Perthshire	39.7	12.0
Orkney and Shetland	68.7	100.0
Paisley and Renfrewshire North	3.5	0.0
Paisley and Renfrewshire South	5.2	0.0
Perth and North Perthshire	37.7	22.4
Ross, Skye and Lochaber	77.1	77.3
Rutherglen and Hamilton West	0.3	0.0
Stirling	34.6	7.3
West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine	52.5	18.4
West Dunbartonshire	1.4	0.0

(iii) Percentage of Population in Rural and Remote Areas, by Scottish Parliamentary Constituencies (Source: Scottish Government Urban Rural Classification 2007-08)

Scottish Parliamentary Constituency	Rural %	Remote %
Aberdeen Central	0.0	0.0
Aberdeen North	2.5	0.0
Aberdeen South	2.4	0.0
Airdrie and Shotts	18.2	0.0
Angus	28.7	0.0
Argyll and Bute	57.7	100.0
Ayr	13.7	0.0
Banff and Buchan	49.9	23.1
Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross	58.0	100.0
Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley	43.2	37.0
Central Fife	2.2	0.0
Clydebank and Milngavie	1.1	0.0
Clydesdale	38.0	4.5
Coatbridge and Chryston	6.6	0.0
Cumbernauld and Kilsyth	4.7	0.0
Cunninghame North	15.5	9.5
Cunninghame South	5.0	0.0
Dumbarton	16.3	5.1
Dumfries	38.8	34.1
Dundee East	0.0	0.0
Dundee West	0.1	0.0
Dunfermline East	8.4	0.0
Dunfermline West	16.0	0.0
East Kilbride	5.0	0.1
East Lothian	32.7	33.1
Eastwood	3.9	0.0
Edinburgh Central	0.0	0.0
Edinburgh East and Musselburgh	0.3	0.0
Edinburgh North and Leith	0.0	0.0
Edinburgh Pentlands	1.0	0.0
Edinburgh South	0.1	0.0
Edinburgh West	5.0	0.0
Falkirk East	14.8	0.0
Falkirk West	3.3	0.0
Galloway and Upper Nithsdale	61.2	52.4
Glasgow Anniesland	0.0	0.0
Glasgow Baillieston	0.4	0.0
Glasgow Cathcart	0.2	0.0
Glasgow Govan	0.0	0.0
Glasgow Kelvin	0.0	0.0
Glasgow Maryhill	0.3	0.0
Glasgow Pollok	0.4	0.0
Glasgow Rutherglen	0.3	0.0
Glasgow Shettleston	0.0	0.0
Glasgow Springburn	0.1	0.0
Gordon	54.9	44.2
Greenock and Inverclyde	4.7	0.0
Hamilton North and Bellshill	0.2	0.0
Hamilton South	2.0	0.0
Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber	35.5	49.2
Kilmarnock and Loudoun	15.2	0.0
Kirkcaldy	10.3	0.0
Linlithgow	15.3	0.0
Livingston	5.9	0.0
Midlothian	20.2	0.0
Moray	44.4	22.3
Motherwell and Wishaw	0.4	0.0
North East Fife	45.7	0.0
North Tayside	50.6	27.4
Ochil	28.2	0.0
Orkney Islands	67.3	100.0
Paisley North	0.5	0.0
Paisley South	0.9	0.0
Perth	33.4	13.9
Ross, Skye and Inverness West	66.2	54.2
Roxburgh and Berwickshire	55.0	53.0
Shetland Islands	70.0	100.0
Stirling	31.6	9.0
Strathkelvin and Bearsden	7.3	0.0
Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale	35.5	5.1
West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine	52.0	20.2
West Renfrewshire	12.0	0.0
Western Isles	78.2	100.0

Question reference: S3W-29226

Asked by: Alison McInnes, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 23 November 2009
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 9 December 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on how many kilometres UK-licensed HGVs travelled on (a) non-trunk A roads and (b) minor roads in Scotland in the last year.

Question reference: S3W-29230

Asked by: Alison McInnes, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 23 November 2009
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 9 December 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on the number of days (a) UK-based and (b) non-UK-based HGVs were on the road in Scotland in the last year and their weight category.

Question reference: S3W-29502

Asked by: Alison McInnes, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 December 2009
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 9 December 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of roads goes through (a) rural and (b) remote areas, broken down by (i) region, (ii) UK Parliament constituency and (iii) Scottish Parliament constituency.

Question reference: S3W-29157

Asked by: Alison McInnes, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 November 2009
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 8 December 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish its public engagement strategy, as specified in section 91 of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009.

Question reference: S3W-29153

Asked by: Alison McInnes, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 November 2009
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 8 December 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what consultations it has held regarding the provision of permitted development rights for air source heat pumps and micro wind turbines in domestic properties, as specified in section 70 of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009.

Consultation meeting the terms of section 70(4) of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 has yet to take place.

The final research report setting out the findings of the independent study commissioned by ministers on this topic was submitted to the Scottish Government last week and will be published by mid December. The report provides us with recommendations on PDR which will provide the basis for further consultation in accordance with the act.

Question reference: S3W-29151

Asked by: Alison McInnes, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 November 2009
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 3 December 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish its land use strategy, as specified in section 57 of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009.

Section 57 of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act introduced a statutory requirement for ministers to lay a land use strategy before Parliament by 31 March 2011 and to undertake a public consultation on a draft of the Strategy before doing so. We will provide information on the Scottish Government website in the next few weeks including an outline timetable and plans for stakeholder and public participation in the development of the strategy.

Question reference: S3W-29233

Asked by: Alison McInnes, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 23 November 2009
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 3 December 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on the number of kilometres travelled by non-UK-based HGVs over 3.5 tonnes on (a) all and (b) rural roads in Scotland in the last year.

Question reference: S3W-29257

Asked by: Alison McInnes, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 23 November 2009
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 3 December 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what estimate it has made of the number of kilometres that will be travelled by non-UK-based HGVs over 3.5 tonnes on (a) all and (b) rural roads in Scotland in each of the next five years.

Question reference: S3W-29258

Asked by: Alison McInnes, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 23 November 2009
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 3 December 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what estimate it has made of the number of kilometres that will be travelled by UK-based HGVs on (a) all and (b) rural roads in Scotland in each of the next five years.