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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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

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Question reference: S6W-05412

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 24 December 2021
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 21 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it did not remove bed and breakfasts from regulations for short-term lets when these were introduced.

Question reference: S6W-05413

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 24 December 2021
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 21 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many meetings its ministers have had with bed and breakfast operators regarding plans to regulate their sector alongside short-term lets.

Question reference: S6W-05401

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 24 December 2021
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 21 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether there will be any penalties for local authorities that fail to enforce planned regulations on short-term lets, and, if so, what these penalties will be.

Question reference: S6O-00675

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 January 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding for local authorities it has allocated in its draft Budget to help tackle homelessness.

Question reference: S6W-05280

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 December 2021
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 18 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many homes have been taken out of the social rent sector as a result of building safety issues in each of the last five years, broken down by local authority area.

Question reference: S6W-05288

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 December 2021
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 17 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many case transfers have been (a) lost and (b) compromised by Social Security Scotland since its establishment.

Since we commenced Case Transfer, there have been a) zero cases lost and b) zero cases compromised.

We work in partnership with the Department for Work and Pensions and Social Security Scotland to design and deliver a safe and secure case transfer process for the benefits transferring to Social Security Scotland as part of Scottish Devolution. With the client at the heart of the design, each process is tailored around;

1. How the benefits are administered by the Department for Work and Pensions to ensure that cases are transferred at the optimal time and in line with ministerial agreements; for instance, clients with ongoing awards do not need to apply, will not be reassessed, fall out of payment or go through a face to face assessment with the Department for Work and Pensions after the Scottish benefit launches. The ongoing award will be transferred automatically; the transfer of data and supporting evidence to enable Social Security Scotland to set up the new benefit award.

2. To safeguard Social Security Scotland’s ability to deliver and manage the case transfers. The case transfer processes are automated and the case transfer period is between 13 and 17 weeks to allow time to resolve any exceptions or manual invention required. Social Security Scotland and the Department for Work and Pensions work together during the transfer process to ensure the correct awards are transferred at the correct time and we work together to monitor the transfer of awards to ensure none are lost or compromised.

The first cases to be selected for transfer to Social Security Scotland were Disability Living Allowance for children awards in October 2021; to date the number of awards expected and received is correct and the first cohort of cases will commence the new award on 19 January. The aim is to complete these transfers for all clients by spring 2023. We will begin transferring awards of Personal Independence Payment and Disability Living Allowance for working age people in the summer of 2022.

Question reference: S6W-05275

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 December 2021
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 17 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what impact assessment has been undertaken in relation to the decision to halt all installations of energy-efficient oil and liquefied petroleum gas heating systems.

From 6 September 2021, the Scottish Government funded support schemes Warmer Homes Scotland, Area Based Schemes or Home Energy Scotland Loans have no longer been accepting new applications for oil and LPG boilers. All committed offers for these schemes signed prior to 6 September 2021 will be honoured and receive their installations/loans. Households eligible for assistance under Warmer Homes Scotland will be offered low-carbon alternatives, where these are technically appropriate for the property. These include High Heat Retention Heating Systems, Air Source Heat Pumps, Ground Source Heat Pumps, Micro-hydro and Micro-wind systems. Since April 2021 our Area Based Schemes have included additional funding to provide low carbon and micro-generation measures as part of a whole house approach.

The Scottish Government is committed to phasing out the need to install new or replacement fossil fuel boilers, in off gas areas from 2025 and in on gas areas from 2030, subject to technological developments and decisions by the UK Government in reserved areas. We will introduce primary legislation, subject to consultation and to limits on devolved competence, that will provide the regulatory framework for the zero emissions heating systems which will replace fossil fuel boilers, with all buildings needing to meet this standard no later than 2045. That proposed legislation will be accompanied by required impact assessments and allow for proper parliamentary scrutiny of these impacts.

The Heat in Buildings Strategy was accompanied by a series of impact assessments. As we take forward the actions within the Heat in Buildings Strategy, we will ensure the issues highlighted through impact assessments are considered in the design of delivery programmes and development of further policy and regulation.

In line with Scottish Government guidance, any legislation or further policy development required to fulfil the actions within the Strategy will be subject to a range of further impact assessments. We will consult on our proposals to regulate for zero emissions heat later in 2022.

Question reference: S6W-05284

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 December 2021
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 17 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to review how maternity wards can be made more family-friendly.

Family-centred care is at the heart of our maternity and neonatal strategy, the Best Start: A Five Year Forward Plan for Maternity and Neonatal Care in Scotland . We expect all maternity units to take a flexible approach to the presence of partners, to provide a relaxed and supportive environment for care that promotes natural, person-centred childbirth, and to ensure that suitable accommodation and facilities are provided to enable families to stay together.

Question reference: S6W-05278

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 December 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 17 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the reported shortage of bus drivers.

Bus service providers and passenger representatives regularly inform us about the additional pressures placed on the bus industry by the COVID-19 pandemic which are compounded by the ongoing consequences of EU EXIT.

We also receive data on driver shortages in Scotland from ongoing Department for Transport bus operator surveys and Transport Scotland is conducting its own monitoring exercise to gather information specifically on COVID-related absences.

Question reference: S6W-05277

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 December 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 17 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to deliver free rail travel across Scotland for those with a National (Scotland) Concessionary Travel for Blind Persons card and their companions.