Questions and answers

Question reference: S5W-10210

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 July 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 28 July 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what work it has carried out to define eligibility criteria for concessionary travel for carers, and what those criteria are.

The Scottish Government has no current plans to extend concessionary travel to carers although many can already benefit from concessionary travel under existing criteria. A substantial number of carers are aged 60 or over and are therefore already eligible for free bus travel. Younger carers aged between 16 and 18 and those who are full time volunteers aged up to 25 can benefit from the National Concessionary Travel Scheme for Young People, which provides discounts on bus and rail travel.

There are currently over 1.3m cardholders under the National Concessionary Travel Scheme for Older and Disabled Persons. The Scottish Government’s publication Scotland’s Carers estimates that in Scotland there are 759,000 adult carers aged 16 and over and 29,000 carers under the age of 16. In total 788,000 carers.

A substantial number of carers will already be eligible for concessionary travel by virtue of age or as a companion for a cardholder. On the basis of age we can assume that around 20% of Scotland’s 759,000 carers aged 16 and over already hold a card. This suggests that over 600,000 new people would be entitled to concessionary travel if the scheme were extended to carers. This, in turn, would suggest a requirement for budget increases of upwards of 50% of the existing scheme.

While the Scheme does not contain specific eligibility criteria for carers, people who are in receipt of the higher or middle rate of the care component of DLA, the Daily Living component of PIP or Attendance Allowance, or who are certified blind can apply for a companion concessionary travel card. This allows the card holder, and a companion (who may be a carer) to travel together free of charge for the same bus journey.

Question reference: S5W-10209

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 July 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 28 July 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with carers and carers' organisations as part of its consultation on concessionary travel regarding the introduction of concessionary travel for carers.

No discussions have been held with carers and carers' organisations as part of the preparations for the consultation, which is due to be published later this year. The consultation's focus will be on securing the long term sustainability of the scheme and it is not planned to cover the introduction of travel concessions for carers.

There are currently over 1.3m cardholders under the National Concessionary Travel Scheme for Older and Disabled Persons. The Scottish Government’s publication Scotland’s Carers estimates that in Scotland there are 759,000 adult carers aged 16 and over and 29,000 carers under the age of 16. In total 788,000 carers.

A substantial number of carers will already be eligible for concessionary travel by virtue of age or as a companion for a cardholder. On the basis of age we can assume that around 20% of Scotland’s 759,000 carers aged 16 and over already hold a card. This suggests that over 600,000 new people would be entitled to concessionary travel if the scheme were extended to carers. This, in turn, would suggest a requirement for budget increases of upwards of 50% of the existing scheme.

While the Scheme does not contain specific eligibility criteria for carers, people who are in receipt of the higher or middle rate of the care component of DLA, the Daily Living component of PIP or Attendance Allowance, or who are certified blind can apply for a companion concessionary travel card. This allows the card holder, and a companion (who may be a carer) to travel together free of charge for the same bus journey.

Question reference: S5W-10169

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 July 2017
Current Status: Answered by Annabelle Ewing on 25 July 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the proposed introduction by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service of tactical response vehicles.

Question reference: S5W-10168

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 July 2017
Current Status: Answered by Annabelle Ewing on 25 July 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether it supports the agreement between the Scottish Fire Brigades Union and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service of sending a minimum of nine firefighters and two fire engines to house fire incidents.

Question reference: S5W-10167

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 July 2017
Current Status: Answered by Annabelle Ewing on 25 July 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown by operational area of the allocation of specialised equipment for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service for the last five years, and what representations ministers have made to allocate specialised equipment to particular operational areas during the same period.

Question reference: S5W-10166

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 July 2017
Current Status: Answered by Annabelle Ewing on 25 July 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what it considers to be the minimum safe deployment of Scottish Fire and Rescue Service aerial ladder platforms in each operational area.

Question reference: S5W-10207

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 July 2017
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 19 July 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether it supports the consistent use of the five-year land supply methodology found in table 1 of the Scottish Government's Draft Planning Delivery Advice: Housing and Infrastructure throughout the planning and appeals processes.

The only Scottish Government published method to calculate a 5 year effective housing land supply is contained in the Draft Planning Delivery Advice: Housing and Infrastructure’ advice note of 2016. This document was published in order to allow for further discussion and comment from all those with an interest in housing and infrastructure. The draft planning delivery advice will not be finalised and adopted until the range of views offered have been fully considered and until it has been finalised Planning Advice Note 2/2010: Affordable Housing and Housing Land Audits remains in place.

Question reference: S5W-10208

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 July 2017
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 19 July 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions ministers have had with the Planning and Environmental Appeals Division regarding the adoption and application of a consistent methodology in calculating housing and land supply in appeals processes.

Ministers have not had discussions with the Planning and Environmental Appeals Division on this issue. Scottish Government Planning and Architecture Division officials are having regular discussions with the DPEA and wider stakeholders as part of the ongoing review of the planning system in Scotland. We will to continue this collaborative approach as we move towards legislative change and subsequent reviews of policy and guidance.

Question reference: S5W-09694

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 June 2017
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 29 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government who the members are of the Cabinet Subcommittee on Climate Change; how often the subcommittee meets; whether it will publish the (a) minutes and (b) action points of the subcommittee's meetings; what the subcommittee's priorities are for 2017-18, and how the subcommittee (i) has influenced and (ii) will influence the (A) Climate Change Plan and (B) Energy Strategy.

Current members of the Cabinet Sub-Committee on Climate Change are: Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform (Chair); Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy and Connectivity; Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Constitution; Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Jobs and Fair Work; Cabinet Secretary for Communities, Social Security and Justice; Minister for Transport and the Islands; Minister for Business, Innovation and Energy; and Minister for Local Government and Housing.

Meetings are held at the discretion of the Chair. In order to provide for the free and frank exchange of views between Ministers and also in line with the principle of collective responsibility, papers of the Cabinet Sub-Committee are not disclosed. The Cabinet Sub-Committee was involved in the development and production of the draft Climate Change Plan, which included consideration of the relationship between the draft Plan and Energy Strategy. Priorities for 2017-18 will be informed by the Cabinet Sub-Committee’s remit which includes agreeing the package of policies and proposals for inclusion in the final Climate Change Plan, and overseeing delivery.

Question reference: S5O-01133

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 June 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 15 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it plans to increase the number of electric vehicle charging points.

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