Alex Salmond: The answer to Margo MacDonald's question is yes. That level playing field is essential. The Government's decision on the right to buy is also important in allowing an even playing field for public sector provision by councils in Scotland. That councils have built virtually no houses in Scotland over the past few years is absolutely deplorable. If we are to reconcile the needs of the people...
Baroness Jay of Paddington: My Lords, I beg to move the first Motion standing in my name on the Order Paper. Noble Lords will be delighted to hear that both today's Motions have been agreed by the usual channels. The purpose of the first Motion is to enable the business tomorrow to be taken in the following order: first, the debate on NATS standing in the name of my noble friend Lord Macdonald of Tradeston; secondly,...
Paul Wheelhouse: I acknowledge the points that Mr MacDonald has raised about the importance of listening to communities’ views in his area in Falkirk, while bearing in mind the important future for the chemical industry in Scotland. As I have tried to make clear in my statement, regardless of our position on unconventional oil and gas, our support for our industrial base and manufacturing is unwavering....
John Swinney: Will Mr Macdonald acknowledge—he should, as he is, if I remember rightly, a former energy minister—that it is impossible for certain wind farms to be approved because of other planning considerations, such as objections from the air traffic control authorities, as in the case of the Kyle proposals? Would the Government not be criticised by people such as Mr Macdonald if we did not follow...
Alex Salmond: Lewis Macdonald is being less than fair. As he probably knows, we revised our proposals to reflect concerns about the independent monitoring of prisons that were expressed in Parliament on 2 February. The Cabinet Secretary for Justice wrote to key stakeholders on 24 May to set out his proposals on monitoring, which were sent to the Howard League for Penal Reform, the Scottish Human Rights...
Mr Calum MacDonald: I can confirm that many issues that were discussed at previous meetings of the convention are now reserved powers: for example, general issues of trade and industry. Their impact on the highlands and islands will be an important subject of discussion for the convention participants. I know that the Under-Secretary of State for Scotland, Lord Macdonald of Tradeston, who is responsible for...
Shona Robison: The citizenship through football partnership includes the SFA, the Scottish Premier League, the Scottish Football League, sportscotland, the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland and us. My officials will meet the group's project lead from the SFA next week to discuss progressing health improvement issues through the group. I am happy to feed Margo MacDonald's comments into that...
Keith Brown: We will see how many times Labour spends that budget during the next five years. Time will tell. Lewis Macdonald made an important point about community councils. We are committed to supporting community councils so that they can make a full and active contribution to the communities that they represent. We will consider how best we can support them to operate in future, as part of the wider...
Lewis Macdonald: Initiatives of the type that Angus MacDonald has raised are welcome. However, the cabinet secretary will recognise that the level 4 figures that the Government has just revealed show that the Government’s own investment in social and affordable housing will fall from £268 million this year to £125 million next year. Will he confirm that that represents a cut of more than 50 per cent in...
Andrew Wilson: To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-22673 by Lewis MacDonald on 15 February 2002, (a) in what format it holds the information requested in respect of questions answered substantively by referring to the answer to inspired question S1W-20573 by Lewis MacDonald on 29 November 2001, (b) why it was not able to provide the information requested, given that the...
George Reid: ...that is not a formal point of order, I will try to be helpful. Parliament decided on 20 January to move to Glasgow. The costs are properly a matter for the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body and the Presiding Officer. I refer Ms MacDonald to rule 13.9.2 of the standing orders, which states: "A question addressed to the Presiding Officer under paragraph 1 shall normally be for written...
John Swinney: I confirm to Mr Macdonald that there is a separate funding stream for the energy skills academy, which is distinct from the normal budget allocations to the funding council that are conveyed on to the further and higher education sectors. In the budget statement in September, I committed £3.25 million over financial years 2012-13 and 2013-14 to establish a Scottish energy skills academy. Mr...
Nicola Sturgeon: I certainly take that point on board and I am happy to feed it into the work that is done on evaluation. When I referred to comparing us with the rest of the UK, I was referring not to doing that now but to looking at comparing the effects of minimum pricing and its impact on alcohol consumption in Scotland with what might be happening in other parts of the UK at different times. However, I...
"to make provision for a Regency in the event of the Sovereign being on His Accession under the age of eighteen years, and in the event of the incapacity of the Sovereign through illness, and for the performance of certain of the royal functions in the name and on behalf of the Sovereign in certain other events; to repeal the Lords Justices Act, 1837; and for purposes connected with the...
Charles Hendry: The table is taken from Mott MacDonald (2010) and gives levelised cost estimates (average generation cost per megawatt-hour) for new build coal and biomass plants. The Mott MacDonald report gives the cost estimates for the main large-scale electricity generation technologies in the UK, including both fossil fuel and low carbon plant, at current engineering, procurement and construction (EPC)...
Alasdair Morrison: ...Scottish Executive has introduced new incentives to NHS practices, as the minister has outlined. Unfortunately, those have not eased the recruitment problems for the only dental practice in Lewis and Harris. The dentist there—Ken Macdonald—has given over 20 years of excellent service to thousands of my constituents, but he continues to experience difficulty in recruiting dentists. Mr...
Tricia Marwick: I thank the member for his point of order. When I spoke last week about courtesy and respect for the Parliament, I expected that to apply to all members and not just to Government members. I am therefore disappointed to learn that Mr Macdonald’s point of order was circulated to the press in advance of it being raised first in the chamber. I made my position clear last week in response to...
Paul Wheelhouse: Lewis Macdonald is right that there is consistency on some of our priorities, but we have provided a lot of detail about the specific actions that we propose to take forward in relation to each of the six priorities. That provides some reassurance that our strategy has been broadly along the right lines. That strategy has been informed by people in this chamber and stakeholders outside this...
Jim Mather: I think that such comments are damaging and that there is a real and really unhelpful conspiracy mindset with regard to this matter. On television, Lewis Macdonald said: "The fact that Mike Cantlay has been asked four times and not said either way about Philip Riddle reinforces the view that ministers have ordered his removal." Where is the logic in that? Where is the understanding of how a...
Michael Matheson: As Angus MacDonald will recognise, everyone has a part to play in trying as best they can to encourage schoolchildren to eat a balanced and healthy diet. That includes those in the retail sector, local authorities—particularly education departments—and Government and other agencies, which can all help to achieve that aim. I am aware that Falkirk Council has not proceeded with the seafood...