- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Submitting member has a registered interest.
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 February 2019
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Current Status:
Answered by Aileen Campbell on 5 March 2019
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5T-01462 by Aileen Campbell on 29 January 2019 (Official Report, c. 3), what due diligence of Our Power was carried out, and whether Audit Scotland plans to review this.
Answer
The Scottish Government made commercial decisions about its support for Our Power based upon due diligence. These decisions were made alongside other lenders as part of a Securities Trust. The due diligence undertaken included obtaining independent expert advice about the commerciality, value for money and financial risk associated with the investment. The Scottish Government also took independent legal advice from solicitors specialising in commercial practice.
The Auditor General for Scotland is responsible for the annual audit for the Scottish Government and the wider work programme delivered by Audit Scotland.
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Submitting member has a registered interest.
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 February 2019
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 26 February 2019
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5O-02764 by Roseanna Cunningham on 16 January 2019, what its response is to concerns that people living in newly-appointed potentially vulnerable areas have reportedly stated that they have been given insufficient opportunity by SEPA to comment and that the maps used have been inaccurate regarding the areas at risk.
Answer
SEPA carried out a three month public consultation on the identification of Potentially Vulnerable Areas (PVAs) commencing on 1 May 2018 and this was promoted in a number of publications and through social media. There was also a radio campaign broadcasting throughout Scotland over this 3-month period. To ensure the outputs of the assessment were a fair reflection of flood risk within their areas, SEPA invited all 32 local authorities and other Responsible Authorities to attend one to one workshops prior to the consultation. In Aberdeenshire, SEPA supported the Council to notify community councils of the consultation and SEPA directly contacted a number of communities/individuals who had previously expressed an interest in the consultation.
The identification of PVAs by SEPA is based on the National Flood Risk Assessment 2018. This uses SEPA's flood maps, which have been supplemented with information given by local authorities and Scottish Water to identify what is at risk of river, coastal and surface water flooding. Having defined PVAs the next stage is for SEPA and local authorities to further develop their understanding of the nature of flood risk in those areas and identify what actions should be taken to reduce it. The results will then be presented for further public consultation before being reviewed and finalised. The information will then be published in the next Flood Risk Management Strategy in December 2021.
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Submitting member has a registered interest.
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 February 2019
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 26 February 2019
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5O-02764 by Roseanna Cunningham on 16 January 2019, how communities will be provided with sufficient funds to protect themselves from flooding, and what its response is to reports that, although the number of houses in potentially vulnerable areas has doubled, the flood prevention budget is set to decrease in real terms.
Answer
No country can entirely remove the risk of flooding. Our approach has been to ensure that investment is targeted to where it can have the most impact. Flood Risk Management Strategies and Local Plans have been developed to reduce the devastating and costly impact of flooding in Scotland. They coordinate the efforts of all organisations that tackle flooding. The Strategies and Plans concentrate the work of these organisations to where the risk of flooding and benefits of investment are greatest.
In 2016, agreement was reached between Scottish Minister and COSLA on a new strategic funding plan for flood protection schemes. The agreement guarantees that, for the next 10 years, the level of flooding capital grant within the local government settlement is set at a minimum of £42m per annum. This agreement will give local authorities the certainty they need to deliver the actions set out in their Local Plans to help protect individuals, business and communities from the danger of flooding.
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 February 2019
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 28 February 2019
To ask the Scottish Government how it is working with stakeholders to improve its autism strategy.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 28 February 2019
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 January 2019
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Current Status:
Answered by Clare Haughey on 18 February 2019
To ask the Scottish Government what the terms will be of the inquiry into the detainment of patients with learning difficulties at the State Hospital; when the inquiry will begin, and how long it will take.
Answer
The Scottish Government has made clear that the independent review of Learning Disability and Autism in the Mental Health Act, which began in January 2018, is investigating the wider issue of whether the current legislation needs to change for people with learning disability and autism. It is not an investigation into individual patient cases.
It is for the independent review to determine what issues or cases it will consider in order to inform its work. The review will consist of 3 public engagement phases, the 1st stage finished in November 2018 and focussed on understanding current experience of the legislation and how that affects people’s human rights. The responses are currently being analysed and preparation is underway for stage 2 which will run between March and May 2019. The focus for stage 2 will be developing ideas on how to improve legislation, if needed.
I expect the independent review to report to me by the end of the year.
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 January 2019
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 30 January 2019
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions ministers have had with civil servants regarding the EU Withdrawal (Legal Continuity) (Scotland) Bill since the Supreme Court’s judgement on it.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 30 January 2019
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Submitting member has a registered interest.
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 January 2019
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 16 January 2019
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the status of the communities that are due to be listed as potentially vulnerable areas.
Answer
Members should be aware this question is about flood management . Scottish Ministers approved the revised set of Potentially Vulnerable Areas submitted by SEPA in September 2018 and these were published on SEPA's website on 22 December 2018.
Working closely with partners, SEPA will draft Flood Risk Management Strategies for the period 2022-2027. These strategies will identify objectives and actions to help protect communities in potentially vulnerable areas, and they will be published following a full public consultation.
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Submitting member has a registered interest.
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 December 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 15 January 2019
To ask the Scottish Government what contribution it anticipates to emissions reduction and renewable heat targets for domestic and non-domestic buildings envisaged in its Energy Strategy and Climate Change plan will be derived from (a) electric heat pumps, (b) biomass heating systems and (c) district heating.
Answer
Scotland’s Climate Change Plan sets out an ambitious trajectory for decarbonising heat, where, by 2032, low carbon heat would supply 35% of domestic buildings’ heat and 70% of non-domestic buildings’ heat. Our Energy Strategy further commits us to ensuring that by 2030, the equivalent of 50% of the total energy for Scotland’s heat, transport and electricity consumption would be supplied from renewable sources. As of 2017, between 5.9% and 6.1% of Scotland’s non-electrical heat demand was already being met by renewable sources.
As we acknowledged in the Scottish Energy Strategy, the structure of Scotland’s energy system will look significantly different in 2050 with the mix of technologies deployed depending on how we collectively respond to challenges and opportunities along the way. We anticipate our energy system will be more diverse and well-balanced than at present, so as to better support the supply of clean and affordable heat. As such, at this stage we have not sought to produce estimates for specific technologies. However, our proposed Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategies (LHEES) will soon allow our partners in local government to take an evidence-based approach to identifying the most appropriate energy efficiency and heat decarbonisation solutions.
In response to the statutory advice from the Committee on Climate Change, we are focusing on prioritising those ‘low regrets’ heat decarbonisation options that fall within our powers. These are measures that will continue to make sense regardless of what types of decisions the UK Government will take on the future of the gas grid, which as you know is a reserved matter. Among other actions, we are:
- promoting energy efficiency to cut the heat demand in buildings through Energy Efficient Scotland and associated measures such as the development of Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategies (LHEES) ;
- supporting district heating, through our District Heating Loan Fund and by taking leading steps to regulate networks ahead of the rest of the UK; and
- planning how we can best support the installation of low carbon heat in off-gas grid areas, a process starting with a call for evidence in January 2019.
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 December 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Jeane Freeman on 21 December 2018
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason over 1,000 NHS dental practices are reported to be exempt from the higher standard of Health Improvement Scotland inspection and enforcement.
Answer
NHS dental practices and practices with a combination of NHS and private work are regulated by the local health board. using the Combined Practice Inspection (CPI) checklist for regulation and inspection which has been in place since 1 January 2014. The CPI Checklist combines Health Board and Vocational Training inspection items and includes items from the National Standards for Dental Services. Healthcare Improvement Scotland now regulate wholly private dental practices and will use the CPI process. If HIS did not undertake inspections for wholly private dental practices, there would be no inspection regime in place for these providers because they are not affiliated to a health board.
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 December 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Jeane Freeman on 21 December 2018
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the Health Improvement Scotland fee structure is reportedly more expensive in Scotland compared with inspecting authorities in other UK regions for the same level of regulation and inspection.
Answer
The Scottish Government’s policy is that the regulation of independent healthcare in Scotland should be entirely funded through the fees paid by those providers who are being regulated. The rate of the fees, which is based on a cost recovery basis, was subject to public consultation and the adopted fee rates were the preferred option of the majority of respondents from the 500 service providers contacted. The fees are calculated in relation to the type of work being carried out in the service.
