- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 November 2016
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 30 November 2016
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce the use of so-called pothole filling in Aberdeenshire instead of full road repairs.
Answer
The Transport Scotland Road Asset Management Plan sets out how Scotland's trunk road network is maintained strategically and efficiently in order to protect our assets and ensure we get maximum value for money from our available budgets. In addition to our programmed works regular safety inspections are undertaken to identify hazardous defects like potholes, which are then repaired by the trunk road operating companies within the strict timescales set-out in their contracts.
The Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 places the statutory responsibility for local roads improvement, maintenance and repair with local road authorities. We are committed to working with local government to help improve the condition of roads and pavements throughout the country. Primarily we do this through our participation in the Road Collaboration Programme, which is supporting all councils in Scotland to explore opportunities to share services. A number of regional partnerships have now been established including the Northern Roads Collaboration Forum, which includes Aberdeenshire Council and Aberdeen City Council.
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 18 November 2016
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 30 November 2016
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to digitise (a) airgun, (b) firearm and (c) shotgun certificates to allow online completion.
Answer
The majority of firearms legislation is reserved to Westminster. This includes the Firearms Rules 1998 which make provision for applying for firearm and shotgun certificates. The Rules currently require that applications are signed in ink. The idea of online applications has recently been raised with Scottish Government officials by the Home Office, but there are no immediate plans for change.
No specific provision was made for electronic applications for air weapons certificates under Part 1 of the Air Weapons and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2015. The aim has been to provide an air weapons regime in Scotland which is broadly parallel to the process for other firearms. We will, however, keep the position under review.
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 17 November 2016
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 29 November 2016
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to review the Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009 and what its position is on the immediate inclusion of settlements that have been flooded, but are not currently determined to be potentially vulnerable areas (PVAs), on the list of PVAs without having to wait until the end of the five-year review period.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-04269 on 8 November 2016. All answers to written parliamentary are available on the parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.
The process and timescales for identification of Potentially Vulnerable Areas (PVAs) is set out in the Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009 and in the Flood Risk Management (Flood Protection Schemes, Potentially Vulnerable Areas and Local Plan Districts) (Scotland) Regulations 2010. The Regulations require that SEPA must review, update where appropriate, and submit to the Scottish Ministers the document identifying the PVAs by 22 September 2018. There are no plans to change this date.
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 17 November 2016
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 29 November 2016
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with local authorities regarding increasing the number of bin collections for larger homes.
Answer
The frequency of bin collection is for local authorities to decide. It is for each council to determine how they deliver local services and what is the most appropriate collection system for their area.
However, the Scottish Government will continue to work closely with councils on waste and recycling and in particular with regard to the joint Scottish Government-COSLA Household Recycling Charter which will provide more consistency in the way councils meet their recycling obligations.
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Current Status:
Withdrawn
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 31 October 2016
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 14 November 2016
To ask the Scottish Government, in its bid for the ScotRail franchise, by what date Abellio indicated that it would introduce refurbished IC125 trains on inter-city rail routes in Scotland; whether that date is expected to be met and, if not, by what date the trains will be in service and whether a financial penalty would be applied to Abellio if it did not improve services in the event of a delay in introducing improved trains.
Answer
All of the information related to Abellio’s commitments to introduce new and refurbished rolling stock is within the Franchise Agreement, Schedule 1.6, Part 1. This is the formal contract between Scottish Ministers and ScotRail and has been available since 20 February 2016 on the Transport Scotland website.
On potential penalties I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-24870 on 23 March 2015. 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: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 31 October 2016
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Current Status:
Answered by Kevin Stewart on 11 November 2016
To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to encourage more lenders to support the Help to Buy (Scotland) Affordable New Build Scheme and other shared equity schemes.
Answer
The Scottish Government meets regularly with our scheme partner the Council of Mortgage Lenders to consider a number of issues related to the Help to Buy (Scotland) schemes, including encouraging new lenders to participate in the scheme and provision of mortgage products. We would encourage any lender considering offering products to do so.
Officials have also met directly with lenders, including new market entrants, during the scheme's operation and are willing to meet any prospective lender with an interest in providing support or mortgages for shared equity homes.
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 31 October 2016
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 8 November 2016
To ask the Scottish Government whether it would consider amending the Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009 so that Kemnay would be considered a Potentially Vulnerable Area (PVA) before the 2019 review.
Answer
There are no plans to amend the Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009. The Act created a new framework for the assessment and management of flood risk to reduce the risk of flooding from all sources, as far as is reasonable, taking full account of environmental, economic and social priorities. As part of this new approach, the Act requires SEPA to carry out a National Flood Risk Assessment (NFRA) every 6 years, and from this identify Potentially Vulnerable Areas (PVAs) where a significant flood risk exists. The decision not to include Kemnay as a PVA was taken by SEPA based on the best evidence available at that time, including flood maps, historical flood data held for the area, and public consultation.
SEPA is now starting the process for reviewing the NFRA and the designation of PVAs as part of the next cycle of flood risk management planning and will be considering new evidence and information. It should be noted that whilst the PVAs are the primary focus for flood risk management actions by public authorities, areas outwith them can also be subject to flood assessment and management at the discretion of the local authority.
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 October 2016
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 8 November 2016
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on giving people with type 1 diabetes free access to blood glucose monitoring technology such as the Abbott Freestyle Libre.
Answer
We expect clinicians to follow appropriate national clinical guidelines and standards to ensure that continuous blood glucose monitoring technology is accessible to those who would clinically benefit from it.
Work is currently on-going to develop a national approach for the use of Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) devices in Scotland, as we recognise the speed of development of this technology.
- 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: Friday, 14 October 2016
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Current Status:
Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 7 November 2016
To ask the Scottish Government when it last consulted its Chief Scientific Adviser on fracking and for what reason.
Answer
Scottish Government officials have met with the Chief Scientific Advisor and Chief Scientific Advisor for Rural Affairs, Food and the Environment a number of times to provide a summary of the unconventional oil and gas work underway. The Scottish Government values the contribution of the scientific advisors, and our evidence-led approach to unconventional oil and gas underlines the value the Scottish Government places on robust science.
