Questions and answers

Question reference: S5W-35680

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 March 2021
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 18 March 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the performance of all local authorities that are delivering a building control verification service.

The national performance levels for verifiers providing a building standards service across Scotland have remained steady for building warrant applications turnaround times over 2019-20 and 2020-21, see table below. Overall performance has improved across Scotland since 2017 and looks set to continue.

Scottish Government monitors the performance of all local authorities through quarterly performance returns, and where performance issues are identified, officials offer tailored support through an engagement programme.

During the COVID-19 pandemic period, fee income levels have reduced by around one third. However, local authority verifiers remain committed to investing in their services by sustained levels of investment in staff and non-staff costs such as IT.

Key Performance Outcomes (KPO) - KPO1 Summary Scotland

KPO1	First report issued	BW granted
(Target =)	(95% within 20 days)	(90% within 10 days of compliant details)
2020-21 (Q2)	94.65%	88.53%
2020-21 (Q1)	92.77%	89.20%
2019-20 (Q4)	90.22%	85.74%
2019-20 (Q3)	88.57%	84.52%
2019-20 (Q2)	84.55%	84.78%
2019-20 (Q1)	89.58%	83.47%
2018-19 (Q4)	89.52%	81.73%
2018-19 (Q3)	85.83%	78.23%

Question reference: S5W-35676

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 March 2021
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 18 March 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many professionally-qualified building control officers have been employed by each local authority in each year since 2016.

Scottish Government launched the Building Standards Workforce Strategy on 1 October 2020, which includes an annual workforce data collection. The number of professionally qualified staff across the whole workforce has increased from 264 in 2019 to 270 in 2020. Only local authorities as employers will be able to provide this information from 2016 to 2018.

The lead officers involved in delivery of the building standards verification service are senior building standards surveyors and building standards surveyors. The data shows there were 258 lead officers in 2019 and an increase to 262 in 2020.

Officer role	2019	2020
Senior Surveyor	49	47
Building Standards Surveyor	209	215
Total	258	262

The number of professionally qualified staff is expected to rise in the short to medium term as a result of career progression and the successful recruitment of graduate surveyors into the profession. In 2020 there were 113 people in junior roles who offer potential to become professionally qualified.

Officer role	2019	2020
Assistant Building Standards Surveyor	47	46
Building Inspector	35	37
Graduate Surveyor	7	13
Building Standards Technician	20	17
Total	109	113

The number of qualified staff across the whole workforce has increased during the 2019-20 period.

Qualification level (All Workforce)	2019	2020
Degree-level (SCQF level 9 to 11)	310	316
HNC/ HND (SCQF level 7 to 8)	140	149
Total	450	465

From the total number of staff employed, the data indicates that 264 held membership of a construction sector professional body in 2019 and that figure rose to 270 in 2020.

Question reference: S5W-35675

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 March 2021
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 18 March 2021

To ask the Scottish Government when it will next review the provision of building control verification services.

Scottish Government monitors all verification services on an ongoing basis through quarterly performance data returns.

During the COVID-19 pandemic period individual verification services have been monitored weekly to assess the impacts on workforce capacity and business continuity. Verifiers have demonstrated their service resilience by responding to the needs of their customers by enhancing digital processes.

In advance of any further periods of appointment from May 2023 a full review of verification performance is planned for Autumn 2022.

Question reference: S5F-04902

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 15 March 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 March 2021

To ask the First Minister what plans the Scottish Government has to revitalise the airline sector.

Question reference: S5W-35678

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 March 2021
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 12 March 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to ensure that there is uniformity in how local authorities assess the value of road bonds.

A road bond is intended to protect prospective house purchasers from having to arrange completion of roads to adoptable standards in the event that a developer is unable to do so. It's a security that must be lodged prior to commencement of any building works.

This is in accordance with Section 17 of The Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 and The Security for Private Road Works (Scotland) Regulations 1985, as amended by The Security for Private Road Works (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 1998. This legislation clearly sets out that a 'local authority shall calculate the amount of security required' and that the security 'shall be an amount sufficient to meet the cost of constructing...the private road concerned in accordance with the construction consent'.

Given that matters are laid out in legislation I can confirm there has been no recent work undertaken to ensure there is a uniformity across local authorities given that it is a matter for them.

Question reference: S5W-35677

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 March 2021
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 12 March 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the current system for assessing the value of road bonds for new residential housing developments.

A road bond is intended to protect prospective house purchasers from having to arrange completion of roads to adoptable standards in the event that a developer is unable to do so. It's a security that must be lodged prior to commencement of any building works.

This is in accordance with Section 17 of The Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 and The Security for Private Road Works (Scotland) Regulations 1985, as amended by The Security for Private Road Works (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 1998. This legislation clearly sets out that a 'local authority shall calculate the amount of security required' and that the security 'shall be an amount sufficient to meet the cost of constructing...the private road concerned in accordance with the construction consent'.

Given that matters are laid out in legislation I can confirm there has been no recent assessment work undertaken in relation to the value of road bonds for new residential housing developments.

Question reference: S5W-35679

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 March 2021
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 12 March 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many professionally-qualified engineers have been employed by each local authority roads department in each year since 2016.

Question reference: S5W-35473

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 February 2021
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 11 March 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how (a) much funding has been provided through, (b) many applications have been made to and (c) many applicants have been granted funding since 2017 from the Low Carbon Transport Loan scheme.

Since 2016 Transport Scotland has provided funding to our delivery partner Energy Savings Trust to deliver the Low Carbon Transport Loan (LCTL) scheme, which provides an interest free electric vehicle loan with a repayment term of up to 6 years. From the 28 September 2020 the LCTL was extended to cover the purchase of used electric vehicles with a repayment term of up to 5 years.

A. Since the start of 2017 until the 07 March 2021 £102,847,696.90 of loans has been provided to customers for the purchase of electric vehicles.

B. The Energy Savings Trust have received 5128 applications since the start of 2017 until the 07 March 2021.

C. Since the start of 2017 until the 07 March 3998 applicants secured a loan for the purchase of electric vehicles.

The LCTL closed on 07 March 2021 to new applicants. The Energy Saving Trust, who administer the LCTL on behalf of Ministers, is funded annually by Transport Scotland and subject to new funding the loan is likely to reopen in April 2021.

Question reference: S5W-35466

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 February 2021
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 10 March 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what action is being taken to limit future closures of the Queensferry Crossing due to adverse weather conditions, and what the cost of any such actions will be.

In common with the vast majority of similar cable-stayed bridges world-wide, management of ice-related problems is by weather forecasting, monitoring, visual inspection, and carriageway closures when necessary to safeguard the public. Nevertheless, our long term goal is to develop a solution, which will help to prevent ice from forming on the cables. Transport Scotland has appointed experts in this field to study the problem and a considerable body of work has been undertaken in the last two years.

For the Queensferry Crossing, potential options identified as meriting further additional research and development work include: cable sheath surface modifications to retain and control the accreted ice, mechanical vibration systems, ultrasonic de-icing systems, hydrophobic coatings, de-icer systems and robotics. The most appropriate options will be considered for further investigations, testing and development. Other factors such as the associated cost, success of the Forth Road Bridge as a diversion route, frequency of ice events and safety of road users will be considered as part of the decision making process prior to any installation of a viable option for ice accretion prevention.

Question reference: S5W-35474

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 February 2021
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 10 March 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how (a) much funding has been provided through, (b) many applications have been made to and (c) many applicants have been granted funding from the Spaces for People scheme.

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