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: S5W-07167

Asked by: Edward Mountain, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 22 February 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what the cost of wild fisheries review process has been, also broken down by (a) staffing, (b) meeting, (c) publication and publicity, (d) travel and (e) other costs each year.

The Wild Fisheries Review commenced in March 2014 and concluded in October 2014 when the Review Panel submitted its findings to Scottish Ministers. From October 2014 the Wild Fisheries Reform Programme has been supported by the Wild Fisheries Reform Team. In total, from March 2014 until the end of February 2017, the cost of the wild fisheries review process has been circa £446,000. This figure includes an estimate of some costs that the Scottish Government does not yet have or hold, as detailed in the notes associated with the following table.

The breakdown of this overall cost is:

Period	(a) Staffing costs*	(b) Meeting costs**	(c) Publication and Publicity costs	(d) Travel costs***	(e) Other costs
1-03-2014 – 31-12-2014	£142,583	£1,987	Nil	£4,891	£17,292
2015	£129,449	£614	Nil	Nil	Nil
2016	£126,532	Nil	£900	£1,746	Nil
1-01-2017 to 28-02-2017	£13,608	Nil	Nil	£313	£1,050

Notes:

* Average salary costs for the financial years 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16 have been used to calculate staffing costs. Average salary costs for the financial year 2016-17 have not been produced yet. The 2016 and 2017 year to date staffing costs therefore use 2015/16 average salary costs.

** Meeting costs are for external venues. The Scottish Government does not hold a formal record of the cost of all meetings held.

*** Travel costs are for the Review Panel, staff travel to the associated external venue meetings and some stakeholder travel costs to attend subsequent Wild Fisheries Reform Programme meetings. The Scottish Government does not hold a record of other staff travel expenses associated with the wild fisheries review process.

Question reference: S5O-00598

Asked by: Edward Mountain, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 25 January 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will build a new hospital in Aviemore if the St Vincent's and Ian Charles hospitals are closed.

In February 2015 I approved NHS Highland’s proposals for the modernisation of its community and hospital services in Badenoch and Strathspey.

The go-ahead will mean development of community and adult social care services as well as the construction of a new community hospital and resource centre in Aviemore. Aviemore Health Centre will be relocated to the new facility. It will also mean the eventual closure of the Ian Charles Hospital in Grantown-on-Spey and the St Vincent’s Hospital in Kingussie once the new arrangements are in place. The detailed arrangements will be confirmed as part of developing the business case.

Question reference: S5T-00313

Asked by: Edward Mountain, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 16 January 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 January 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Scottish Ambulance Service is meeting its response time targets in rural areas.

Question reference: S5O-00529

Asked by: Edward Mountain, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 December 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 January 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how important it considers superfast broadband is to tourism in the Highlands.

Question reference: S5F-00691

Asked by: Edward Mountain, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 December 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 December 2016

To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to support the Christmas tree industry.

Question reference: S5W-05241

Asked by: Edward Mountain, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 15 December 2016

To ask the Scottish Government who is entitled to travel allowance in the NHS Highland area when receiving treatment, and how much can be claimed per mile.

The Highlands and Islands Patient Travel Scheme reimburses reasonable travel costs for all patients in the Highlands and Islands area that are required to travel 30 miles or more to a hospital for treatment, less the first £10, with the exception of those in receipt of qualifying benefits, or who hold an NHS low income certificate.

NHS Highland sets its mileage payments according to HMRC advisory rates. The current paid by NHS Highland is 13 pence per mile.

Question reference: S5W-05366

Asked by: Edward Mountain, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 December 2016
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 13 December 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-00699 by Derek Mackay on 23 June 2016, whether it will provide an update regarding how much additional tax revenue it expects will be generated in each local authority area by the doubling of the large business rates supplement for 2016-17.

Question reference: S5O-00431

Asked by: Edward Mountain, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 November 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 December 2016

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met COSLA.

Question reference: S5O-00414

Asked by: Edward Mountain, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 30 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what action it takes to look after the health and wellbeing of primary school-age children in the Highlands, including ensuring that they receive an equitable amount of physical education compared with those across the rest of Scotland.

This Government is committed to supporting the health and wellbeing of all children and young people in Scotland, no matter what local authority they live in. Health and wellbeing is one of the eight curricular areas in Curriculum for Excellence. Its substantial importance is reflected in its position at the centre of the curriculum and at the heart of children’s learning – as well as a central focus of the Scottish Attainment Challenge and the National Improvement Framework for Education. Along with literacy and numeracy it is one of the three core areas that are the responsibility of all staff in the school. It is also central to the implementation of Getting it Right For Every Child

There are a wide range of initiatives in place in the Highlands looking after the health and wellbeing of primary school-age children. I am delighted to tell the member this year's Healthy Living Survey shows all primary schools in the Highland Council area have met this Government's target of two hours of PE a week.

Question reference: S5W-04446

Asked by: Edward Mountain, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 15 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government which (a) ministers and (b) officials have met the chief executive of the Scottish Prison Service regarding the proposed new Highland Prison since 1 August 2016, and what information it has regarding what meetings the chief executive has had with other stakeholders.

I have monthly meetings with the Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to discuss a range of operational issues. Our last meeting took place on 3 November 2016.

Since 1 August 2016, no Ministers or Scottish Government officials have met the Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service specifically to discuss proposals for HMP Highland. The Scottish Government has no information on any meetings that the Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service has had with other stakeholders regarding HMP Highland within this timeframe.