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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.

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Question reference: S6O-01324

Asked by: Kaukab Stewart, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 August 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will confirm when actions to remove cladding from properties identified as dangerous under the Single Building Assessment programme will be completed.

Question reference: S6W-10378

Asked by: Kaukab Stewart, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 12 August 2022
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Neil Gray on 12 August 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its arrangements for welcoming displaced people from Ukraine through the Super Sponsor scheme.

The Scottish Government’s super sponsor scheme was introduced on 18 March 2022, to offer sanctuary in Scotland to displaced people from Ukraine. It works within the UK Government’s Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme to provide a fast and safe alternative to private sponsorship.

Statistics published by the UK Government show that, as at 11 August, 10,056 people sponsored by the Scottish Government had travelled to Scotland. We continue to provide safe and secure temporary accommodation to all Ukrainians who need it on arrival.

This includes the MS Victoria I passenger ship, which has been docked in Edinburgh, which is providing temporary accommodation for 1,000 people from Ukraine. There has been positive reception from those families accommodated on board and from stakeholders.

There are nearly 36,000 Super Sponsor applications that have been made, of which nearly 30,000 have been approved for a visa so far. Not everyone will choose to use their visa. However, excluding the 10,000 who have already arrived so far this means around a further 20,000 visa holders could potentially arrive.

Therefore the Scottish Government has chartered a second passenger ship which will be located in Glasgow. We expect the ship to be operational in September, and it will provide up to a further 1750 people with the same level of facilities and support currently available to those in Edinburgh.

This is a humanitarian crisis requiring a whole of Scotland response, and the Scottish Government will continue to work closely with local councils and with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities to ensure that those displaced people who are already here, and those who have applied and are granted permission to travel, will be safe, secure and supported for as long as they need, after the dangers they have faced at home.

We are getting very close to capacity for the temporary accommodation currently available, particularly across the Central Belt. We do not want people having to stay in temporary accommodation for any longer than is necessary. We are therefore putting every effort into helping people find longer-term accommodation in communities across Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-09451

Asked by: Kaukab Stewart, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 25 July 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what the average (a) length and (b) cost of a phone call is to the Scottish Ambulance Service to seek support getting to and from NHS appointments.

Question reference: S6W-09092

Asked by: Kaukab Stewart, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 10 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 21 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its plans to respond to the Zero Emissions Social Housing Taskforce report, Achieving net zero in social housing, in order to provide registered social landlords with as much certainty as possible as they plan to retrofit their stock of tenement accommodation to meet its climate targets, including in the Glasgow Kelvin constituency where the stock is reportedly extensive.

The Scottish Government published its response to the Zero Emissions Social Housing Taskforce (ZEST) report on 14 th June 2022, and can be accessed at http://www.gov.scot/ISBN/9781804355176 .

The ZEST report rightly highlighted the need for clarity with regards to the second Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing (EESSH2) given that milestones were not fully aligned with net zero and it also confirmed that Housing Associations and Local Authorities need long-term certainty to plan investment appropriately.

The Scottish Government has therefore confirmed that the review of EESSH2 will be brought forward to commence this year for completion in 2023, in order to provide registered social landlords with as much certainty as possible as they plan to retrofit their stock.

While the review is underway the current EESSH2 2025 and 2032 milestones will be temporarily put on hold to ensure that any investment is targeted toward long-term solutions that deliver net zero and support the eradication of fuel poverty. Social landlords should continue to invest in energy efficiency measures to help reduce running costs, and in zero emissions heating systems where appropriate.

The Scottish Government’s Social Housing Net Zero Heat Fund supports projects to deploy zero emissions heat, improve energy efficiency and reduce fuel poverty. The fund will make £200 million available over the course of this parliament.

As set out in the Heat in Buildings Strategy, the Scottish Government recognises the challenges presented in decarbonising Scotland’s tenements and earlier this year convened a Short Life Working Group of experts, tasked with developing recommendations on the best approach for tenement buildings to reach a good level of energy efficiency and install a zero emissions heating supply. The recommendations made by the Group will form part of a forthcoming public consultation.

Scottish Ministers have also commissioned the Scottish Law Commission (SLC) to undertake a law reform project, considering the establishment, formation, and operation of compulsory owners’ associations in tenement properties, including the feasibility and desirability of providing powers for associations to carry out energy efficiency and heating improvement work. This was one of the key recommendations of the Scottish Parliamentary Working Group on Tenement Maintenance. The SLC expects to provide the Scottish Government with a report detailing its recommendations and providing a draft Bill for consideration by Spring 2026.

Question reference: S6O-01269

Asked by: Kaukab Stewart, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 June 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the implementation of the baby box programme.

Question reference: S6W-08708

Asked by: Kaukab Stewart, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 14 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what the timescale is for holding the abortion centre buffer zones summit, which the First Minister said, on 12 May 2022, that she would convene and chair.

Question reference: S6F-01203

Asked by: Kaukab Stewart, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 06 June 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 June 2022

To ask the First Minister whether she will provide an update on the Scottish Government's Super Sponsor scheme for displaced Ukrainians.

Question reference: S6O-01206

Asked by: Kaukab Stewart, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 June 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Diversity in the Teaching Profession Scotland Annual Data Report, published in May, which states that there is a continued chronic and disproportionate lack of minority ethnic teachers in Scotland’s schools.

Question reference: S6O-01084

Asked by: Kaukab Stewart, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 12 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress on delivering the Heat in Buildings Strategy, published in October 2021.

We are creating a broad, co-ordinated package of policies and support programmes to deliver the change required. We have widened the scope of our capital and advice programmes and have several live funding calls for large scale projects. Further work over the coming year includes:

consulting on regulations for zero emissions heat
establishing a virtual National Public Energy Agency to coordinate delivery and build public understanding
co-producing, with industry, a Heat in Buildings supply chain delivery plan
collaborating with a range of partner organisations, through the Green Heat Finance Taskforce, on innovative heat decarbonisation finance mechanisms.

Question reference: S6O-00964

Asked by: Kaukab Stewart, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 April 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how measures in the Water Safety Action Plan will support awareness of water safety amongst school pupils.