- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 June 2016
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 14 June 2016
To ask the Scottish Government in light of the findings in the HM Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland report, Audit and Assurance Review of the use of the Facial Search functionality within the UK Police National Database (PND) by Police Scotland, whether it will (a) introduce legislation regarding the retention and use of photographic images by the police, (b) establish an independent commissioner to oversee biometric databases and records and (c) develop a statutory code of practice to govern the use of biometric data.
Answer
The Scottish Government welcomed HM Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland's review and is currently considering how best to implement its recommendations.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 June 2016
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Current Status:
Answered by Derek Mackay on 14 June 2016
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on adopting a similar approach to data as that of Estonia, which considers that it belongs to the citizen and that people have the right to know who has accessed their information.
Answer
The Scottish Government's identity management and privacy principles demonstrates the Scottish Government's commitment to individuals' right to a private and family life. There is a new EU General Data Protection Regulation which will come into force in May 2018. The new regulations will strengthen individuals rights and extend the scope of previous legislation to include organisations that process the personal data of EU citizens outside Europe, which we believe is a very positive step.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 June 2016
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 14 June 2016
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S4W-25353, S4W-26131, S4W-27521, S4W-28458 and S4W-29913 by John Swinney on 7 May 2015, 7 July 2015, 29 September 2015, 2 December 2015 and 8 March 2016 respectively, what the reason is for the delay in providing this information, and on what date it will set out (a) an analysis of responses to the consultation on proposed amendments to the NHS Central Register (Scotland) Regulations 2006 and (b) details of how it plans to proceed.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-29921 on 8 March 2016. I will provide to Parliament our analysis of the consultation in due course. Any delay has been caused by our wish to give full and proper consideration to the responses received, options moving forward and our commitment to developing a system that protects user privacy.
All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 June 2016
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 9 June 2016
To ask the Scottish Government whether the infrastructure investment plan that was referred to in the 2016 SNP manifesto will focus on properties across all of the country's historic environment or only those designated as "properties in care" under Historic Environment Scotland.
Answer
This plan will be developed by Historic Environment Scotland in partnership with government and the historic environment sector, in line with the strategy set out by the sector in Our Place in Time. We are currently at a very early stage of considering how a long term infrastructure investment plan might operate to the optimum benefit of Scotland’s historic environment. Funding levels will be determined in the light of developing spending plans as part of the forthcoming spending review.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 June 2016
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 9 June 2016
To ask the Scottish Government when it will launch the infrastructure investment plan that was referred to in the 2016 SNP manifesto; what discussions it has had or plans with stakeholders regarding this, and whether it will provide a breakdown of (a) what the plan will do and (b) how much funding it will receive and how this will be allocated.
Answer
This plan will be developed by Historic Environment Scotland in partnership with government and the historic environment sector, in line with the strategy set out by the sector in Our Place in Time. We are currently at a very early stage of considering how a long term infrastructure investment plan might operate to the optimum benefit of Scotland’s historic environment. Funding levels will be determined in the light of developing spending plans as part of the forthcoming spending review.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 June 2016
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 9 June 2016
To ask the Scottish Government whether the infrastructure investment plan that was referred to in the 2016 SNP manifesto will focus on the reported 72% of pre-1919 homes that are in disrepair.
Answer
This plan will be developed by Historic Environment Scotland in partnership with government and the historic environment sector, in line with the strategy set out by the sector in Our Place in Time. We are currently at a very early stage of considering how a long term infrastructure investment plan might operate to the optimum benefit of Scotland’s historic environment. Funding levels will be determined in the light of developing spending plans as part of the forthcoming spending review.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 June 2016
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 9 June 2016
To ask the Scottish Government how organisations and stakeholders will be able to access support from the infrastructure investment plan that was referred to in the 2016 SNP manifesto.
Answer
This plan will be developed by Historic Environment Scotland in partnership with government and the historic environment sector, in line with the strategy set out by the sector in Our Place in Time. We are currently at a very early stage of considering how a long term infrastructure investment plan might operate to the optimum benefit of Scotland’s historic environment.
Scottish Government funding for the historic environment is channelled via Historic Environment Scotland’s grant schemes. Funding levels will be determined in the light of developing spending plans as part of the forthcoming spending review.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 June 2016
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 8 June 2016
To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides to NHS boards to support joint working with local authorities regarding health and care partnerships.
Answer
We are providing both financial and practical support to new integrated health and social care partnerships. Additional funding of more than £500 million for health boards enables investment of an additional £250 million to support the integration of health and social care and build the capacity of community-based services.
Further support is also available to partnerships via the improvement hub at Healthcare Improvement Scotland and also NHS National Services Scotland.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 19 May 2016
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Current Status:
Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 6 June 2016
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-30367 by Fergus Ewing on 17 March 2016, whether it will publish the details of discussions that it has had with the UK Government regarding (a) maintaining the Hydro Benefit Replacement Scheme and (b) introducing a UK-wide cost recovery mechanism for Shetland’s distribution network.
Answer
While the Scottish Government believes all decisions on Scotland's energy sector should be determined by Scottish Ministers and accountable to the Scottish Parliament, it is currently the case that these matters are reserved. The Hydro Benefit Replacement Scheme and cost recovery mechanism for Shetland’s new energy solution are policies of the UK Government and the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change leads government consultations on those matters.
However, the Scottish Government seeks to influence decisions of UK Ministers to deliver optimum benefits for Scotland and Scottish Ministers therefore have regular discussions with a range of stakeholders concerning all matters that affect energy costs and fuel poverty issues, including from time to time issues surrounding network charging and this informs our approach to discussion with UK Ministers on Scotland's behalf. For example, ministers met with members of the Convention of the Highlands and Islands on 7 March 2015, to hear members' views, and as an action arising from that meeting Ofgem and National Grid will be invited to brief members of the convention on network charging issues at the convention's next meeting in the autumn 2016.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 20 May 2016
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Current Status:
Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 3 June 2016
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it will take to (a) support the energy industry on (i) Orkney and (ii) Shetland and (b) encourage the UK Government to deliver the required connections.
Answer
The Scottish Government, alongside our agencies and partners, in recognising the importance of the sector to the Northern Isles, is supporting the energy industry in Orkney and Shetland through a wide variety of measures across oil and gas, renewables and community energy.
In response to the downturn in oil and gas we set up the energy jobs taskforce that is coordinating action across the sector, and have introduced a £12 million skills fund (Transition Training Fund or TTF) to support individuals transition to other employment.
Through our enterprise agencies we are providing practical support to enable our oil and gas supply chain to take advantage of decommissioning opportunities demonstrated through the £2.4 million of public support from Scottish Government and Highlands and Islands Enterprise to develop the Dales Voe Quay in Sheltland.
We recognise the potential of the islands to support our renewables targets - Orkney and Shetland possess some of the best renewable energy resources in Europe and those resources present a greater opportunity for the local economy. We have invested significantly in renewables development on the islands, from the establishment of the European Marine Energy Centre, Wave Energy Scotland and investment in the MeyGen Tidal Array and Nova Innovation's Tidal Array -both of which are making use of the local supply chain in Orkney and Shetland. We are also supporting investment in low carbon projects through the Scottish Government Local Energy Challenge Fund and our Low Carbon Infrastructure Programme.
Further large-scale development of renewables in the Northern Isles will require investment in new grid infrastructure, as I am sure you are aware. Scottish Ministers established the Scottish Island Renewables Delivery Forum and have been at the forefront of inter-governmental work to deliver enhanced electricity connections for Orkney and Shetland, working closely with the two local authorities and UK Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC). Building on joint research co-funded by the Scottish Government, DECC has designed a policy instrument to support onshore wind projects on the Scottish Islands and the regulator Ofgem has made substantial progress in streamlining its regulatory approval processes for the proposed grid connections.