- Asked by: Gordon MacDonald, MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 January 2018
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 31 January 2018
To ask the Scottish Government how it meets the housing demand of older tenants with mobility issues.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 31 January 2018
- Asked by: Gordon MacDonald, MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 19 June 2017
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Current Status:
Initiated by the Scottish Government.
Answered by Keith Brown on 20 June 2017
To ask the Scottish Government when the Queensferry Crossing will open to traffic.
Answer
Thanks to a dedicated workforce, work has continued to make very good progress in all areas of the Queensferry Crossing and its approach roads over the past three months, in spite of the challenges that the weather has presented. This has allowed the contractor, Forth Crossing Bridge Constructors, to confirm that the Queensferry Crossing will open to traffic on Wednesday 30 August 2017.
- Asked by: Gordon MacDonald, MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 June 2017
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 22 June 2017
To ask the Scottish Government how it promotes creative learning among children and young people, including encouraging their participation in music, dance, film and the arts.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 22 June 2017
- Asked by: Gordon MacDonald, MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 April 2017
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Current Status:
Answered by Mark McDonald on 3 May 2017
To ask the Scottish Government how many people have appeared before the Children’s Hearing System in the last year as a result of youth disorder in the Edinburgh area.
Answer
In calendar year 2016, Scottish Children's Reporter Administration information shows that 199 Edinburgh children under 18 were referred to the Reporter on offence grounds. 19 appeared before a children’s hearing in the period. The other cases were either already subject to current supervision, diverted to other services, had insufficient evidence to proceed or required no further action.
- Asked by: Gordon MacDonald, MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 March 2017
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Current Status:
Answered by Derek Mackay on 29 March 2017
To ask the Scottish Government what impact EU funding has on Scottish public finances.
Answer
EU funding benefits Scotland significantly, supporting jobs, delivering infrastructure, sustaining rural communities, providing valuable support for the farming and fishing industries and delivering research funding for universities.
The current EU funding round is expected to benefit Scotland to the tune of around £5 billion over the life of the current EU budget round
(2014-2020).
- Asked by: Gordon MacDonald, MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 March 2017
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Current Status:
Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 8 March 2017
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on protecting additional places for widening access and articulation schemes to ensure that targets set by the Commission on Widening Access are not missed.
Answer
The Scottish Government has already invested £128 million over 4 years in widening access and articulation places and will continue to invest more than £51 million each year to support these places going forward.
The Scottish Funding Council has made clear in its guidance to universities that widening access places should be targeted at those from the most deprived areas in Scotland.
- Asked by: Gordon MacDonald, MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 03 March 2017
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Current Status:
Initiated by the Scottish Government.
Answered by Keith Brown on 6 March 2017
To ask the Scottish Government when it will respond to the Scottish Veterans Commissioner’s report, The Veterans Community - Employability, Skills and Learning, which was published on 3 November 2016.
Answer
I have written today to the Scottish Veterans Commissioner in response to his third report published on 3 November 2016, The Veterans Community - Employability, Skills and Learning.
A copy of the response is available in the Scottish Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib number 58535).
- Asked by: Gordon MacDonald, MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 January 2017
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Current Status:
Answered by Keith Brown on 9 February 2017
To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has made of the impact of Brexit on Scotland’s economy, in light of the value of the pound falling to its lowest level in three months.
Answer
The vote to leave the European Union has, in the short run, resulted a weakening in the value of Sterling, which is now starting to feed through to both consumer and producer price inflation.
The lower value of Sterling is providing a boost for export orders whilst raising input cost pressures. For example, according to the Bank of Scotland PMI for December, input prices were reported by firms to have grown at their highest monthly rate in over five years, which are starting to feed through to output prices. This will ultimately contribute to the uptick in inflation impacting consumer purchasing power.
- Asked by: Gordon MacDonald, MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 January 2017
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Current Status:
Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 19 January 2017
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on RBS branch closures scheduled to take place by summer 2017 and the impact that these may have on vulnerable members of affected communities.
Answer
The Royal Bank of Scotland’s' decision to close further branches, including the Juniper Green branch in Mr MacDonald's constituency, will have an undoubted impact on the local community.
The Scottish Government is of the firm view that it is essential that banking services are available and accessible to all members of our communities and that, in light of such closures, appropriate alternative access arrangements are put in place.
- Asked by: Gordon MacDonald, MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 November 2016
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 17 November 2016
To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to tackle traffic congestion in the west of Edinburgh.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 17 November 2016