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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: S5W-15887

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 April 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 26 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-12806 by Humza Yousaf on 19 December 2017, whether it plans to provide a train station in Plains, North Lanarkshire.

As promoters of the scheme for a new rail station for Plains, North Lanarkshire Council instructed consultants SWECO to undertake an appraisal in line with Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG). North Lanarkshire Council recommendation was to take forward more detailed work on options for a Bus Statutory Quality Partnership and not to progress a railway option.

We understand that North Lanarkshire Council met Strathclyde Partnership for Transport, during the week 23 April, to discuss progression of the Bus recommendation.

Question reference: S5W-16015

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 April 2018
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 25 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-14295 by Kevin Stewart on 8 February 2018, when the monitoring and evaluation of the pilot scheme for the equity loan scheme will be published; whether current data is available and, if so, where, and, on the assumption that the answer is referring to the Home Energy Efficiency Programmes (HEEPS) equity loan pilot, which stipulates that 55% of the loan must be for energy efficiency improvements, what considerations have been given to pilot or provide lending that covers essential maintenance repairs that do not include an energy efficiency element.

The equity loan pilot was initially due to run until the end of June 2018, with an option to extend the pilot to March 2019. Evaluation of the pilot will be prepared and published between December 2018 and January 2019.

Current data to the end of March 2018 on the pilot scheme is as follows: Total requests for application forms 288, Completed application forms returned 44 of these 13 loans have been offered and the remaining 31 applications are progressing through applicant’s solicitors prior to loan offers being made. The average equity loan value is £13,000 per property.

While the energy efficiency element includes a range of repair measures which contribute to energy efficiency, consideration will be given to providing funding for repairs which do not include an energy efficiency element as part of the evaluation of the pilot. To date only two enquiries at referral stage have been looking for repair and maintenance work only. It is also worth noting that as part of the initial referral applicants are given advice on all means of assistance from Care and Repair and the Home Energy Scotland network.

Question reference: S5W-16016

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 April 2018
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 24 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-13289 by Kevin Stewart on 21 December 2017, when the refreshed housing strategy for older people will be published.

Question reference: S5W-16017

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 April 2018
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 24 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-13039 by Kevin Stewart on 12 December 2017, whether it will undertake a review of U-values and, if so, whether it will publish details, including a timescale.

Question reference: S5W-15777

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 April 2018
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 19 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether any Regional Land Use Partnerships have been established and, if so, where.

Question reference: S5W-15891

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 April 2018
Current Status: Answered by Annabelle Ewing on 18 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many applications the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland (Housing and Property Chamber) has received relating to evictions and civil proceedings since 1 December 2017; how many of these are awaiting a hearing, and what the average waiting time is between an application being submitted and its hearing.

Question reference: S5W-15589

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 23 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 17 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how it monitors the effectiveness of home reports.

The Scottish Government carried out a full policy review of the Home Report after five years of operation, which found that on the whole the reports were working well.

The review also recommended areas for improvement. The Scottish Government is considering how best to take forward work to respond to these recommendations, within the wider context of the development of Scotland’s Energy Efficiency Programme.

Question reference: S5O-01850

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 February 2018
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 8 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that homeless people spend as little time as possible in temporary accommodation.

We want time in temporary accommodation to be as short as possible and we are increasing housing supply to help with this.

Temporary accommodation ensures families have a place to stay if made homeless and while settled accommodation is found which meets their needs. The majority of accommodation is of good quality and in the social rented sector and we are working with local authorities to ensure that all temporary accommodation is the same standard as permanent accommodation.

We have also changed the length of time that families with children and pregnant women are in unsuitable temporary accommodation, from 14 days to 7 days, except in exceptional circumstances.

The Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Action Group is working on its recommendations to end rough sleeping for good and to transform temporary accommodation services. The Action Group will draw on evidence of what works best to support homeless people and I look forward to receiving its recommendations later this year.

Question reference: S5W-14775

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 February 2018
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 28 February 2018

To ask the Scottish Government when it will next publish its HL3 Return, which provides data on local authorities' use of temporary accommodation, including the length of stay for households and individuals in B&Bs.

The Scottish Government has been working with local authorities to develop and quality assure the new HL3 statistical data return, which contains case level information on temporary accommodation placements for homeless applicants.

The progress of the HL3 data was discussed at the recent Annual Homelessness Statistics User Group meeting on 20th February 2018. Whilst some authorities are still to provide a fully complete and usable set of data, it was considered that the overall quality of the latest set of data received is looking much improved compared to six months ago. Subject to these levels of data quality and coverage continuing to improve further in the coming months, the Scottish Government plans to publish information from the HL3 return in the ‘Homelessness in Scotland 2017-18’ publication that is planned for release in June 2018. The scope and detail of the information published may depend on any remaining data issues outstanding, for example there may be some local authorities for which information on some aspects of temporary accommodation cannot be produced, however it is intended that the publication content will include information on lengths of stay by type of accommodation, including B&Bs.

Question reference: S5O-01824

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 February 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 February 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how it promotes tourism in the Central Scotland region.