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-05618

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 December 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 10 January 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-03494 by Fergus Ewing on 26 October 2016, whether rural properties with broadband services that cannot benefit from connection to fibre, as they are more than 1,200 metres from the fibre connection box, are included in the total number of homes that now have access to superfast broadband as a result of its Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband programme.

The Scottish Government generally expresses measurements of progress in delivering the Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband Programme in terms of enabling connection to fibre broadband, with around 679,000 homes and businesses now able to access fibre broadband services as a result of the Programme.

Over 90% of these premises are able to receive superfast speeds. Those premises served by a fibre-enabled cabinet delivered by the Programme, but which are located too far from it to receive superfast speeds, will still benefit from more basic broadband services - and service may previously have been poor or non-existent. Such premises are not, of course, counted in the 90% figure quoted.

The Scottish Government is committed to delivering 100% superfast coverage by 2021. This will include any and all premises currently unable to achieve superfast speeds.

Question reference: S5W-05613

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 December 2016
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 10 January 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many phone calls have been received by the Home Energy Scotland advice line in each week since 2 October 2016.

The following table details the number of phone calls received by the Home Energy Scotland Advice line each week since 2 October 2016.

Week commencing	Total number of phone calls
3 October 2016	1719
10 October 2016	1752
17 October 2016	2010
24 October 2016	2523
31 October 2016	2819
7 November 2016	2869
14 November 2016	2790
21 November 2016	3156
28 November 2016	2338
5 December 2016	1993
12 December 2016	1436

Question reference: S5W-05557

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 December 2016
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 10 January 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many of the 200 new paramedics announced in July 2016 will be (a) trained and (b) employed in the Grampian area.

Through an additional £5m funding from the Scottish Government the Scottish Ambulance Service are training an additional 200 Paramedics for frontline care in Scotland. This year’s recruitment plan is the first phase of a 5 year programme that will enhance the clinical skills mix of staff and introduce new ways of working to best meet the needs of patients in all communities.

The new Paramedics will be trained from the current cohort of around 1,100 qualified Ambulance Technicians, supported by a recruitment drive to backfill those who are moving into the Paramedic roles with over 200 new Technicians.

These new paramedics are undertaking a Higher Education Diploma in Paramedic Practice. This is a 12 month course undertaken at the Scottish Ambulance Service Academy at Glasgow Caledonian University and includes 750 hours of practice placement as well as 5 weeks placement in hospital.

Of the 200 paramedics being trained this year 32 are to be based in the Grampian area.

Question reference: S5W-05619

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 December 2016
Current Status: Answered by James Wolffe QC on 30 December 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what the total cost was of the trial at Aberdeen Sheriff Court that resulted in six men being cleared of rioting at HMP Grampian on 13 May 2014.

This information is not held by The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and COPFS do not routinely collate the total cost involved in prosecuting a case at court.

The Scottish Government does though publish the estimated costs of criminal proceedings in Scotland on its website: http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Crime-Justice/Publications/costcrimjustscot/costcrimjustdataset

Table 2 within the published data contains estimated costs of court procedures, including trials, and provides estimated prosecution, court and legal assistance costs.

Question reference: S5W-05623

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 December 2016
Current Status: Answered by James Wolffe QC on 30 December 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Crown and Procurator Fiscal Service is satisfied that there was sufficient evidence to prosecute the six men who were cleared of rioting at HMP Grampian on 13 May 2014.

The case was carefully considered for a sufficiency of evidence by experienced prosecutors and ultimately Crown Counsel prior to criminal proceedings being raised on indictment.

The question of sufficiency of evidence is one which falls to be assessed by prosecutors and is distinct from a determination of guilt which, in a case prosecuted on indictment, is for the jury to decide upon.

Four out of the six accused who were prosecuted, and whose case proceeded to trial, ultimately pled guilty to another offence, namely a breach of the peace. In respect of the remaining two accused the prosecutor in court accepted a plea of not guilty on the basis of evidence adduced at trial.

Question reference: S5W-05497

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 December 2016
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 20 December 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the comment in the letter by the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Jobs and Fair Work to the Convener of the Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee of 9 December 2016 that the delivery of the Balmedie to Tipperty section of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR) project had been revised to winter 2017-18; what the cost of this delay will be; what impact it will have on the budget of the overall project, and when the full AWPR will be completed.

Question reference: S5W-05306

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 05 December 2016
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 13 December 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the announcement by the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills of 30 November 2016, how many of the new trainee teachers undertaking conventional courses will be based at universities or campuses (a) in Aberdeen and UHI in Highland, Moray, Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles and (b) elsewhere in Scotland.

Question reference: S5W-05307

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 05 December 2016
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 13 December 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how many of the 200 new trainee teachers announced by the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills on 30 November 2016 will undertake (a) distance learning and (b) conventional courses.

Question reference: S5O-00448

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 7 December 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what role the regional equality councils will play in taking forward its racial equality framework.

A pioneering programme of engagement activities was used to ensure that a wide range of organisations and individuals, from grassroots community organisations, to practitioners working the public sector and academia, had an active role in the Race Equality Framework.

We are determined to show leadership in advancing race equality in Scotland, and we will continue to work closely with public and third sector organisations, including regional equality councils, in undertaking a wide-range of actions to address inequalities through our Race Equality Framework.

Question reference: S5W-05015

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 5 December 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5O-00311 by Humza Yousaf on 9 November 2016, what the outcomes were of the ministerial meeting on 10 November 2016 with the chief executive of Seatruck.