- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 22 January 2016
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 28 January 2016
To ask the Scottish Government what the availability is of (a) 2G, (b) 3G and (c) 4G mobile phone coverage in each local authority area.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not collect data on mobile coverage by technology type at local authority level. As part of its 2015 Connected Nations report, Ofcom – the UK telecoms regulator – published a detailed table of mobile coverage statistics (premises, geographic and road), by technology (2G, 3G and 4G) at local authority level. This data is available at: .
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 25 January 2016
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 26 January 2016
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding how it could assist in accommodating 3,000 unaccompanied refugee children.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 26 January 2016
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 08 January 2016
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Current Status:
Answered by Alasdair Allan on 22 January 2016
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on reviewing whether the SQA exam timetable should be revised to accommodate Ramadan.
Answer
The SQA exam timetable this year starts on Wednesday 4 May 2016, and concludes on Friday 3 June 2016. It therefore falls outside Ramadan.
The SQA consults with a representation of stakeholder groups regarding the timing of exams in order to be as sensitive as possible to any issues of this kind.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 January 2016
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 27 January 2016
To ask the Scottish Government how many schools and children in local authorities that do not receive Attainment Scotland Fund support meet the programme’s criteria.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 27 January 2016
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 December 2015
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Burgess on 8 January 2016
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4O-04702 by Alex Neil on 28 October 2015 (Official Report, c. 19), whether meeting its statutory target "as far as is reasonably practicable" has always been its approach to eradicating fuel poverty and, if so, whether the underlying meaning of that phrase has changed in light of the external factors that have developed since 2011.
Answer
The Scottish Government has a statutory target to eradicate fuel poverty, as far as is reasonably practicable, by November 2016. No changes have been made to that target since it was laid in Parliament in 2001, and was supported by all parties.
The Scottish Government is committed to that target and is doing everything it can to tackle this issue.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 December 2015
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Burgess on 8 January 2016
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-28781 by Margaret Burgess on 14 December 2015, in light of the information not being provided in the answer to S4O-04702, whether it will provide the information that was requested and confirm whether it is on target to eradicate fuel poverty by November 2016 and, if not, whether it will set a revised target.
Answer
The Scottish Government is committed to meeting its statutory target of eradicating fuel poverty, as far as is reasonably practicable, by November 2016 and it has no current plans to revise that target.
The Scottish Government is doing everything it can to tackle this issue and the latest statistics show that fuel poverty levels have been contained despite fuel prices rising.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 December 2015
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Burgess on 8 January 2016
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4O-04702 by Alex Neil on 28 October 2015 (Official Report, c. 19), what additional scenarios it has modelled for measuring fuel poverty other than the notional inflationary increase in fuel prices since 2011.
Answer
Other than the notional inflationary increase in fuel prices since 2011, the Scottish Government has modelled two additional scenarios.
If housing stock conditions and household incomes had changed as observed by the Scottish House Condition Survey (SHCS), but fuel prices had remained at their 2002 levels in real terms (i.e. if they had only increased since 2002 in line with the rate of inflation), then the fuel poverty rate for 2013 would have been around 11% instead of 39%. This analysis was published in the Progress Report on the Scottish Fuel Poverty Statement 2002
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If housing stock conditions and household incomes had changed as observed by the SHCS, but fuel prices had remained at their 2002 levels in real terms (i.e. if they had only increased since 2002 in line with the rate of inflation), then the fuel poverty rate for 2014 would have been around 9.5% instead of 34.9%. This analysis was presented to the Scottish Fuel Poverty Forum when they met on 16 December 2015.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 December 2015
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Burgess on 8 January 2016
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4O-04702 by Alex Neil on 28 October 2015 (Official Report, c. 19), what changes to the fuel poverty target it has made in light of the external factors that have developed since 2011.
Answer
The Scottish Government has made no changes to the fuel poverty target.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 December 2015
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Burgess on 8 January 2016
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S4W-28781 by Margaret Burgess on 14 December 2015 and S4O-04702 by Alex Neil on 28 October 2015 (Official Report, c. 19), whether it has considered a reassessment of the 2016 fuel poverty target after the 2016 UK Budget.
Answer
The Scottish Government has no current plans to reassess the fuel poverty target.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 December 2015
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Burgess on 8 January 2016
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S4W-28781 by Margaret Burgess on 14 December 2015 and S4O-04702 by Alex Neil on 28 October 2015 (Official Report, c. 19), whether it has ruled out a reassessment of the 2016 fuel poverty target in light of the UK Spending Review.
Answer
The Scottish Government has no current plans to reassess the fuel poverty target.