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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: S5W-05241

Asked by: Edward Mountain, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 15 December 2016

To ask the Scottish Government who is entitled to travel allowance in the NHS Highland area when receiving treatment, and how much can be claimed per mile.

The Highlands and Islands Patient Travel Scheme reimburses reasonable travel costs for all patients in the Highlands and Islands area that are required to travel 30 miles or more to a hospital for treatment, less the first £10, with the exception of those in receipt of qualifying benefits, or who hold an NHS low income certificate.

NHS Highland sets its mileage payments according to HMRC advisory rates. The current paid by NHS Highland is 13 pence per mile.

Question reference: S5W-05366

Asked by: Edward Mountain, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 December 2016
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 13 December 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-00699 by Derek Mackay on 23 June 2016, whether it will provide an update regarding how much additional tax revenue it expects will be generated in each local authority area by the doubling of the large business rates supplement for 2016-17.

Question reference: S5O-00431

Asked by: Edward Mountain, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 November 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 December 2016

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met COSLA.

Question reference: S5O-00414

Asked by: Edward Mountain, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 30 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what action it takes to look after the health and wellbeing of primary school-age children in the Highlands, including ensuring that they receive an equitable amount of physical education compared with those across the rest of Scotland.

This Government is committed to supporting the health and wellbeing of all children and young people in Scotland, no matter what local authority they live in. Health and wellbeing is one of the eight curricular areas in Curriculum for Excellence. Its substantial importance is reflected in its position at the centre of the curriculum and at the heart of children’s learning – as well as a central focus of the Scottish Attainment Challenge and the National Improvement Framework for Education. Along with literacy and numeracy it is one of the three core areas that are the responsibility of all staff in the school. It is also central to the implementation of Getting it Right For Every Child

There are a wide range of initiatives in place in the Highlands looking after the health and wellbeing of primary school-age children. I am delighted to tell the member this year's Healthy Living Survey shows all primary schools in the Highland Council area have met this Government's target of two hours of PE a week.

Question reference: S5W-04446

Asked by: Edward Mountain, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 15 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government which (a) ministers and (b) officials have met the chief executive of the Scottish Prison Service regarding the proposed new Highland Prison since 1 August 2016, and what information it has regarding what meetings the chief executive has had with other stakeholders.

I have monthly meetings with the Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to discuss a range of operational issues. Our last meeting took place on 3 November 2016.

Since 1 August 2016, no Ministers or Scottish Government officials have met the Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service specifically to discuss proposals for HMP Highland. The Scottish Government has no information on any meetings that the Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service has had with other stakeholders regarding HMP Highland within this timeframe.

Question reference: S5O-00334

Asked by: Edward Mountain, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 November 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what assessment has been made of the drainage on the roof of the Garden Lobby.

Question reference: S5O-00288

Asked by: Edward Mountain, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 October 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the link between taxation policy and small business insolvencies in Scotland.

Question reference: S5O-00213

Asked by: Edward Mountain, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 September 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce waiting times for urology and orthopaedics appointments in NHS Highland.

Question reference: S5O-00154

Asked by: Edward Mountain, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 September 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers that the proposed location for the new Highland prison is the most appropriate site.

Question reference: S5O-00058

Asked by: Edward Mountain, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 June 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 16 June 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what the annual running cost is of Forestry Commission Scotland, and whether it considers that the commission is doing an effective job in delivering the forestry strategy.

The projected running cost of Forestry Commission Scotland for 2016-17 is £10 million. In addition, the projected 2016-17 running cost of Forest Enterprise Scotland, which manages the National Forest Estate on behalf of Scottish Ministers, is £42 million. Approximately 60% of the annual running cost of Forest Enterprise Scotland is offset by trading income.

Forestry Commission Scotland implements the Scottish Government’s forestry strategy with partners and the most recently published progress report shows that 88% of the actions in 2014-15 were successfully undertaken.