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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: S4O-00404

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 November 2011
Current Status: Awaiting answer

To ask the Scottish Executive what consultations NHS boards should carry out before implementing changes to services.

Question reference: S4W-03808

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 November 2011
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 15 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4W-00647 by Fergus Ewing on 23 June 2011, when it will reach a decision on the appropriate assessment criteria on which to base the detailed decision making on how best to establish enterprise zones.

Question reference: S4W-03646

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 October 2011
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 9 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4W-02953 by John Swinney on 18 October 2011, how much of the £6.5 million has been allocated to the (a) Warm Homes Fund and (b) Future Transport Fund.

Question reference: S4W-03581

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 October 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 7 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason funding for the rail franchise is to increase from £299.5 million in 2011-12 to £447.4 million in 2012-13 according to the 2012-13 draft budget.

The Rail Services (franchise) budget supports the delivery of ScotRail passenger services in Scotland. A change in Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) policy in the 2008 Periodic Review resulted in an increase in franchise payments (rail services budget) to fund track access charges to Network Rail. This is offset by an equivalent reduction in the level of network grant (rail infrastructure budget) payable directly to Network Rail. The schedule of Fixed Track Access Charges for Control Period 4 (2009-10 to 2013-14) is published on the ORR website. The increased rail services budget also reflects the operating costs associated with new and improved rail services and contractual commitments to indexation within the current Franchise Agreement.

Question reference: S4W-03582

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 October 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 7 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason funding for rail infrastructure is to decrease from £426.1 million in 2012-13 to £290.7 million in 2012-13 according to the 2012-13 draft budget.

The rail infrastructure budget supports the costs of Network Rail maintenance and safe operation of the Scottish rail network and investment in infrastructure enhancement. A change in Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) policy in the 2008 Periodic Review resulted in an increase in franchise payments (rail services budget) to fund track access charges to Network Rail. This is offset by an equivalent reduction in the level of network grant (rail infrastructure budget) payable directly to Network Rail. The schedule of Fixed Track Access Charges for Control Period 4 (2009-10 to 2013-14) is published on the ORR website. In the 2008 Periodic Review the ORR also set Network Rail the target of improving its efficiency by 21 per cent in the 5 years to March 2014.

Question reference: S4W-03305

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 October 2011
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 3 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with off grid energy suppliers to ensure security of supply as part of its winter preparedness plans.

Question reference: S4W-03306

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 October 2011
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 3 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether its winter preparedness plans address the delivery of fuel to vulnerable people not connected to mains gas or the electricity grid.

The Scottish Government has met with Scotland's key fuel suppliers including those that supply off-grid areas. A number of winter resilience initiatives have been developed across the sector including a Vulnerable Persons and Customers Framework. The framework provides a basis for local responders and key service providers to work together to deliver the necessary care measures to vulnerable persons and customers this coming winter.

Question reference: S4W-03277

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 October 2011
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 2 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive who can contract for work under the Universal Home Insulation Scheme and when the second phase of the scheme will be implemented.

Local authorities have the client role for work under the Universal Home Insulation Scheme and are responsible for the procurement of all services required. This includes both the installation of energy efficiency measures, and the work associated with this in terms of marketing, signing up households, survey work, energy advice, etc. Councils are responsible for carrying out procurement in accordance with all relevant legislation, and for ensuring that installers are suitably qualified and experienced, have in place the necessary insurances, etc. In 2010-11 work was awarded both to large insulation installation companies working on a national scale, and to smaller local installers, including social sector businesses. The network of Energy Saving Scotland Advice Centres (ESSACs) played a key role in most projects, particularly in relation to energy efficiency advice, and identifying households eligible for the Energy Assistance Package (EAP).

An announcement detailing the awards of funding for the second round of UHIS was announced on 26 September. Schemes are currently getting underway across the country.

Question reference: S4W-03278

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 October 2011
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 27 October 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how the Universal Home Insulation Scheme will be publicised in order to encourage take-up.

Local authorities are responsible for publicity arrangements for their individual schemes. However, to assist, the Scottish Government has issued guidance on marketing alongside formal offers of grant. Marketing strategies for individual schemes vary, taking into account the nature of the scheme, local geographical factors, relationship with other local initiatives, etc. Most schemes involve direct mailing to all households within the chosen area, and many follow this up by sending out teams of trained Home Energy Assessors, who carry out door-to-door visits to offer Home Energy Checks, and to explain what is offered under the Scheme. Callers to the Home Energy Scotland Hotline will also, if appropriate, be advised of the support on offer through the Universal Home Insulation Scheme.

Question reference: S4W-03276

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 October 2011
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 27 October 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how funds from the Universal Home Insulation Scheme are prioritised and allocated by local authorities and what criteria are used to ensure fairness.

Bids submitted by councils for funding from the Universal Home Insulation Scheme were assessed in the first instance by officials, who reported to a Bid Assessment Panel made up of representatives of a range of organisations with an interest in the Scheme, including COSLA, the Fuel Poverty Forum, and Energy Action Scotland. Bids were assessed against criteria which reflected the agreed objectives of the Scheme, i.e., to reduce carbon emissions and fuel poverty.

The recommendations of the Bid Assessment Panel were then considered and agreed by COSLA’s Leadership Board.

A key criterion was that bids should demonstrate how the area selected, and the design of the scheme proposed fits with the council’s Local Housing Strategy. The approach to energy efficiency set out in these strategies is in turn expected to take account of Scottish Government guidance, Addressing Climate Change in Local Housing Strategies. This Guidance emphasises the need for councils to analyse the physical characteristics of the stock in their area, and the distribution of fuel poverty, and to plan the investment made through energy efficiency programmes accordingly.

A further criterion required bids to provide evidence of fuel poverty in the area chosen, together with evidence of the physical capacity of the stock in the area to take insulation measures.

The role of local authorities has been critical to the success of the Universal Home Insulation Scheme. The criteria for awards of funding, and processes for bid assessment which have been put in place are designed to ensure fairness and transparency in resource allocation, while recognising the benefits of councils developing schemes which reflect their local needs and circumstances.