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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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

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Question reference: S4W-23365

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 21 November 2014
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 26 November 2014

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the renewable energy sources installed in the buildings in its estate and the dates of installation.

The Scottish Government currently has two sites with renewable energy sources: Saughton House, Broomhouse Drive, Edinburgh (Solar Hot Water) installed 2011 and Tweedbank, Cotgreen Road, Galashiels (Solar Hot Water) installed 2012

There are three renewable projects in the pipeline for 2015:

Longman House, 28 Longman Road, Inverness (Solar PV) 2015 subject to planning,

Faskally, Pitlochry, Perthshire (Biomass Boiler) 2015 subject to planning and

Thainstone Court, Inverurie (Biomass Boiler) 2015 subject to planning.

Question reference: S4W-23364

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 21 November 2014
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 26 November 2014

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the buildings in its estate by energy performance certificate rating.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-04170 on 7 December 2011. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

The Scottish Government is committed to improving the environmental performance of its estate and this is reflected in its success in achieving the Carbon Trust Standard award during 2012. Recertification is underway and we hope to achieve the Carbon Trust Level 2 Standard in January 2015.

Question reference: S4O-03743

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 November 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 November 2014

To ask the Scottish Government when it expects to reach agreement with Orkney Islands Council on the replacement of the islands' internal ferry fleet.

Question reference: S4W-23080

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 07 November 2014
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 18 November 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent on the pilot scheme for study in Europe for 2014-15 in (a) repayable and (b) non-repayable support to students and (c) other costs.

The expected spend on (a) repayable support to students on the pilot scheme for study in Europe in 2014-15 is £31,500.

The expected spend on (b) non-repayable support to students on the pilot scheme for study in Europe in 2014-15 is £2,900.

The expected spend on (c) other costs for the pilot scheme to study in Europe in 2014-15 is £1,782. This cost was spent on marketing materials for the scheme.

Question reference: S4W-23081

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 07 November 2014
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 18 November 2014

To ask the Scottish Government whether any students awarded support under its pilot scheme for study in Europe for 2014-15 have ceased their involvement with the scheme.

Question reference: S4W-23079

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 07 November 2014
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 18 November 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how many students applied to the Student Awards Agency for Scotland for support under the pilot scheme for study in Europe for 2014-15 and how many are receiving support, broken down by institution.

Question reference: S4W-23116

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 November 2014
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 17 November 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how many times since 1 January 2008 it has been advised by the Freedom of Information Commissioner that the Scottish Ministers failed to (a) provide a response to and (b) comply with a request for a review of a freedom of information request within the statutory period 20 day period.

The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost as we do not have this data in the format requested. Information on the Scottish Government’s performance in responding on time to freedom of information (FOI) requests is available in the annual reports on information request handling at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/About/Information/FOI/Reporting

The Scottish Government is working to increase the proportion of FOI and Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 requests and reviews which are responded to on time.

Question reference: S4O-03682

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 November 2014
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 12 November 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has carried out of the impact in rural and island areas of the proposed reduction in the drink driving limit.

The new limit and the benefits of improved road safety will apply across all parts of Scotland.

The Scottish Government undertook a public consultation in late 2012 on the proposal to reduce the drink drive limit. 74% of respondents supported the proposal, including Shetland Islands Council, Orkney Islands Council, the Highland Council, the Highlands and Islands Fire and Rescue Service and the Shetland Community Partnership.

Question reference: S4W-22636

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 October 2014
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 23 October 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how many times the National Advisory Committee on Heart Disease has met.

Question reference: S4W-22637

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 October 2014
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 23 October 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how many times the National Advisory Committee on Heart Disease has discussed the role of heart failure nurses in Orkney and what recommendations it has made regarding this.