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: S4O-04790

Asked by: Jim Eadie, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 November 2015
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 12 November 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with the City of Edinburgh Council and NHS Lothian regarding delayed discharge from hospital.

Question reference: S4O-04796

Asked by: Jim Eadie, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 November 2015
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 November 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with NHS Lothian regarding the private finance initiative contract at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.

Question reference: S4W-27998

Asked by: Jim Eadie, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 09 October 2015
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 29 October 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making in developing integrated ticketing between the operators providing services to National Entitlement Card users.

Transport Scotland's Smart and Integrated Ticketing Strategy was launched in 2012 and its long term vision is "that all journeys on Scotland's bus, rail, ferry, subway and tram networks can be accessed using some form of smart ticketing or payment".

All buses in Scotland are now equipped with electronic ticketing machines capable of reading smart tickets. 1.3 million smart National Entitlement Cards are now in use for those entitled to concessionary travel on buses. Discussions are currently underway between bus operators and the Scottish Government to roll out smart tickets compatible with National Entitlement Cards, as an option for all bus journeys across Scotland, using a system integrated with that on rail, ferries and the Glasgow Subway.

There is strong engagement with the bus industry and Transport Scotland is both supporting large operators like First and Stagecoach in delivering their commercial objectives and directly assisting smaller bus operators in developing and delivering smart and integrated ticketing.

Question reference: S4W-27997

Asked by: Jim Eadie, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 09 October 2015
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 29 October 2015

To ask the Scottish Government whether the target set by ScotRail for the update of smartcards is being met.

Scottish ministers have set ambitious targets in the new ScotRail franchise. These include clear contractual targets for delivery of smart ticketing on Scotland's rail network. ScotRail is currently working towards achieving 60% uptake and a 65% uptake for all passenger journeys made using Smartmedia, by 2019 and 2021 respectively.

The ScotRail smartcard is only available on selected routes, however, it will be made available across the network for the majority of ticket types by 2017. All ticket types will be made available on Smart by 2019, including some multi-modal tickets.

Question reference: S4W-27999

Asked by: Jim Eadie, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 09 October 2015
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 29 October 2015

To ask the Scottish Government how many National Entitlement Card users receive (a) free and (b) reduced rate travel.

The National Entitlement Card (NEC) is used as the platform to deliver the Scotland-wide Free Bus Travel Scheme for Older and Disabled Persons. It is also used to deliver Scotland-wide concessionary travel for young people ages 16-18 and young full-time volunteers.

Information available to Transport Scotland indicates that, as of 30 September 2015, there were (a) just over 1.3 million cardholders entitled to free bus travel on grounds of age or disability and (b) just over 153,000 cardholders aged 16-18 and young full time volunteers (up to age 25) entitled to concessionary bus and rail travel throughout Scotland.

Question reference: S4O-04690

Asked by: Jim Eadie, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 September 2015
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 October 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Network Rail regarding the development of the rail investment programme beyond 2019.

Question reference: S4O-04655

Asked by: Jim Eadie, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 September 2015
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 30 September 2015

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the progress of its refugee task force.

The Scottish Government refugee taskforce, chaired by myself and bringing together a wide range of stakeholders to co-ordinate Scotland’s humanitarian and practical response, has now met three times, most recently last week (Wednesday 23 September 2015).

The taskforce has established two subgroups which met for the first time last Tuesday. The accommodating refugees subgroup is jointly chaired by the Minister for Housing and Welfare and Cllr Harry McGuigan, COSLA Spokesperson for Community Wellbeing. The integration subgroup is chaired by John Wilkes, Chief Executive, Scottish Refugee Council.

The response from local authorities has been positive and we are ready to assist refugees as soon as they arrive.

Question reference: S4O-04606

Asked by: Jim Eadie, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 September 2015
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 17 September 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the University of Edinburgh regarding the Higher Education Governance (Scotland) Bill.

Scottish Government officials have met with senior managers of the university on several occasions, and I met with Steve Morrison, Rector of the University of Edinburgh on 7 September 2015 to hear his views on the Bill. I reassured Mr Morrison that the Scottish Government has no intention of abolishing the post of Rector. I also made it very clear that ministers have no desire to control our autonomous universities. The Bill simply aims to modernise governance arrangements in our institutions, making them more transparent and inclusive. My meeting with Mr Morrison formed part of an ongoing dialogue with all key stakeholders on development of as consensual a model as possible for new elected chairs in all of Scotland’s higher education institutions.

Question reference: S4F-02942

Asked by: Jim Eadie, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 07 September 2015
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 September 2015

To ask the First Minister what steps the Scottish Government is taking to promote Scotland as a competitive location for film and TV production.

Question reference: S4W-27084

Asked by: Jim Eadie, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 14 August 2015
Current Status: Answered by Marco Biagi on 3 September 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what the fee is for submitting a high hedge notice application in each local authority area.

The setting of fees for submitting a high hedge notice application is a matter for local authorities. This is provided for by Section 4 of the High Hedges (Scotland) Act 2013. This gives local authorities the discretion to set their own fees at a level which will cover the reasonable costs which they incur from considering an application. The legislation is intended to be cost neutral for local authorities.

The cost of submitting an application for a high hedge notice in each local authority area is set out in the following table. The figures provided in this table are for the cost of a standard application.

The information contained in the following table is correct as at 20 August 2015:

Local Authority Area	Standard Fee for a High Hedge Application
Aberdeen City Council	£382
Aberdeenshire Council	£450
Angus Council	£275
Argyll and Bute Council	£450
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (Western Isles)	£401
Clackmannanshire Council	£401
Dumfries and Galloway Council	£450
Dundee City Council	£400
East Ayrshire Council	£400
East Dunbartonshire Council	£401
East Lothian Council	£401
East Renfrewshire Council	£420
City of Edinburgh Council*	£350
Falkirk Council	£401
Fife Council	£382
Glasgow City Council	£500
Highland Council	£450
Inverclyde Council	£192
Midlothian Council	£300
Moray Council	£382
North Ayrshire Council	£382
North Lanarkshire Council**	£450
Orkney Islands Council	£382
Perth and Kinross Council	£270
Renfrewshire Council	£382
Scottish Borders Council	£400
Shetland Islands Council	Information not available
South Ayrshire Council	£495
South Lanarkshire Council	£401
Stirling Council	£192
West Dunbartonshire Council	£384
West Lothian Council	£401

All local authorities, except City of Edinburgh Council and North Lanarkshire Council, charge this single flat fee.

* Fee variations apply in Edinburgh, as follows:

Fees are waived for applications made by registered disabled persons and, in cases of hardship, the fee may be waived at the discretion of the head of service.

Fee is £450 where the hedge is in multiple ownership of more than six owners.

Where multiple applicants are applying in respect of the same hedge, the fee is set at £350 plus £100 per each additional applicant.

Supplementary fees may apply in cases where specialist surveys are required in the assessment of an application e.g. wildlife surveys, although further information will be available from City of Edinburgh Council where applicable.

** North Lanarkshire Council charges a reduced fee of £225 for applications made by registered disabled persons.