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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-09503

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 May 2017
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 7 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the report by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health and the Child Poverty Action Group, Poverty and Child Health, which suggested that over 40% of doctors that it surveyed had difficulty discharging children from hospital due to concerns about housing or food insecurity.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that everyone has access to warm, safe, good quality housing and is taking this forward through a range of measures.

The tolerable standard is the minimum standard for all living accommodation in buildings in Scotland. The latest figures for compliance with the tolerable standard (Scottish House Condition Survey 2015) shows 2% (or 42,000) of all dwellings falling below the tolerable standard, an improvement of nearly 2 percentage points since 2012.

The Scottish Housing Quality Standard (SHQS) applies to all socially rented homes in Scotland. Driven by this standard social landlords have invested over £3bn since 2007 to ensure tenants live in warmer, safer, and drier homes. The most recent figures from the Scottish Housing Regulator (SHR) show that 92.8% of social housing met the SHQS in March 2016.

In the private rented sector, the repairing standard has been strengthened to improve the safety of tenants, and the powers available to local authorities to enforce housing standards on behalf of tenants have been enhanced. Since the repairing standard was introduced in 2007, there have been rising expectations of what is needed to ensure homes are safe and we are currently consulting on proposals to extend the standard across a range of elements, including the storage of food, safe kitchens and the provision of fridges and freezers.

Scotland has strong rights for homeless households with children, who may be placed in temporary accommodation while they wait for appropriate, sustainable permanent accommodation. Statutory guidance on the Best Interests of Children Facing Homelessness makes clear to local authorities the importance of ensuring that temporary accommodation for households with children is suitable for their needs. We want time in temporary accommodation to be as short as possible and are increasing housing supply to help with this with a target of 50,000 affordable new homes during this parliament.

On 5 October 2016 we published our Fairer Scotland Action Plan which sets out the actions we will take to tackle poverty and inequality in Scotland. We are investing in a range of different support measures including the Scottish Welfare Fund, which provides a safety net for vulnerable people on low incomes through the provision of Community Care Grants and Crisis Grants. We are continuing to invest in advice services projects which will help maximise household incomes, and we are also taking action in a range of areas, including investing in affordable housing, increasing childcare, demonstrating our commitment to a real Living Wage, and mitigating against the worst of UK Government welfare changes.

Question reference: S5W-09506

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 May 2017
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 7 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its recommendation in the maternity and neonatal services review, what steps it has taken toward leading a detailed review of neonatal transport services.

Question reference: S5W-09505

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 May 2017
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 6 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made toward the compulsory fortification of flour with folic acid.

The Scottish Government maintains that the introduction of mandatory fortification of bread or flour with folic acid is a worthwhile step that would be beneficial to public health.

As part of their remit, Food Standards Scotland (FSS) is currently considering the scientific and regulatory aspects of mandatory fortification of flour with folic acid. FSS will provide further advice to Ministers on this important issue later this year.

Question reference: S5W-09450

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 May 2017
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 31 May 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with trade bodies regarding its plans to update the regulations on the licensing of dog, cat and rabbit breeding and dealing.

The Scottish Government has already held a number of meetings with stakeholders regarding the ongoing review of pet welfare. Representatives from the Pet Industry Federation, Pets at Home, The Kennel Club, The Scottish Kennel Club, General Council of the Cat Fancy, the Ornamental Aquatic Trade Association and the Reptile and Exotic Pet Trade Association participated in meetings on 23 November 2015 and 3 June 2006, and have corresponded further with officials. Also participating at these meetings were representatives from animal welfare organisations, veterinarians and local authority regulators.

Proposals to update the regulations on the licensing of dog, cat and rabbit breeding and dealing will be issued for full public consultation in due course; and each of the named organisations will be able to offer additional evidence for consideration.

Question reference: S5W-09451

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 May 2017
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 31 May 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on having a centralised database of all people involved with the breeding and selling of animals.

Question reference: S5O-00981

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 May 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 May 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how it will encourage the uptake of all of the devolved benefits to which people might be entitled.

Question reference: S5W-08841

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 April 2017
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 3 May 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported concerns regarding animal welfare, what its position is on ending the sale of kittens and puppies in pet shops.

Question reference: S5W-08252

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 7 April 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how the review of general practice funding, pay and expenses is taking account of unmet need and high levels of multimorbidity in areas of high deprivation.

The Scottish Government, with the agreement of the Scottish General Practitioners’ Committee of the BMA, have commissioned a review of general practice funding, pay and expenses. The Review will gather and analyse earnings and expenses data from a range of practices, including in areas of high deprivation. It will also take advice from expert stakeholders on key considerations such as unmet need and high levels of multimorbidity. The Review is taking place in 2017 and will inform options from 2018.

Question reference: S5W-08249

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 7 April 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-04602 by Shona Robison on 21 November 2016, which of the findings of the review of the Scottish allocation formula have been implemented.

In the joint memorandum with the British Medical Association Scottish General Practitioner Committee (BMA SGPC) the Scottish Government undertook to extend the current pay stability agreement for GPs to April 2018, [http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2016/11/7258].

The Scottish Government and the SGPC agree, in principle, that we need better information and evidence to inform both accurate recompense of expenses and options for the long term overall development of GP pay in Scotland. To this end, we have commissioned a review of general practice funding, pay and expenses to provide a proper, robust evidence base for improved decision making. This review builds on and incorporates the findings of the Review of the Scottish Allocation Formula, and will inform options from 2018.

Question reference: S5W-08263

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 7 April 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-04602 by Shona Robison on 21 November 2016, how the review that it has commissioned to review general practice funding, pay and expenses will be informed by the review of the Scottish allocation formula.

The Review of the Scottish Allocation Formula highlighted that more evidence was needed to accurately inform new options for general practice funding. To this end, with the agreement of the BMA, we have commissioned a review of general practice funding, pay and expenses to provide a proper, robust evidence base for improved decision making. This is taking place in 2017, and alongside the findings of the Review of the Scottish Allocation Formula, will inform options from 2018.