- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Friday, 10 November 2023
-
Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 21 November 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what the estimated delivery date is for the new Edinburgh eye hospital to replace the Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion.
Answer
The Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion Redevelopment Project, along with a large proportion of live construction projects across the NHS Scotland Estate, is currently on a period of pause, pending a holistic review by Scottish Government of funding availability. NHS Lothian remains in continual communication with Scottish Government to establish when this review will be concluded and when it will be possible to recommence project delivery. This project remains a priority for NHS Lothian, which has a dedicated Project Team mobilised to progress at the earliest opportunity.
The Scottish Government has advised that while they remain committed to the delivery of the new eye hospital, timescales for delivery have still to be determined.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 November 2023
-
Current Status:
Answered by Tom Arthur on 16 November 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what work it has undertaken to provide for exemption schemes in the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Bill for people resident in the local authority area where a visitor levy is in place.
Answer
As set out in the Policy Memorandum, accompanying the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Bill, the policy intention is that a local authority can establish exemptions to a visitor levy scheme in its area as it believes are appropriate. The Bill therefore provides for a local authority to put such exemptions in place, which will be informed by advice in national guidance being developed by local government and business organisations in the Visitor Levy Expert Group.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 November 2023
-
Current Status:
Answered by Tom Arthur on 16 November 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what work it has undertaken to provide for exemption schemes in the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Bill for outward bound education visits.
Answer
As set out in the Policy Memorandum, accompanying the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Bill, the policy intention is that a local authority can establish exemptions to a visitor levy scheme in its area as it believes are appropriate. The Bill therefore provides for a local authority to put such exemptions in place, which will be informed by advice in national guidance being developed by local government and business organisations in the Visitor Levy Expert Group.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 November 2023
-
Current Status:
Answered by George Adam on 16 November 2023
To ask the Scottish Government how many consultations it has undertaken in each year since 1999.
Answer
There is no single central record of consultations undertaken by the Scottish Government since 1999.
This answer has therefore been compiled from data from the Scottish Government’s online consultation platform – consult.gov.scot - and from a search of archives of the Scottish Government and Scottish Executive websites since 1999.
Whilst these figures therefore only cover official consultations that had a presence on the Scottish Government or Scottish Executive websites, they represent the most accurate available figure for consultation activity during that period. They do not, however, include consultations that did not have an online presence or electronic element.
The numbers provided are based on the closing date of each consultation.
- 1999 - 18
- 2000 - 57
- 2001 - 101
- 2002 - 121
- 2003 - 157
- 2004 - 166
- 2005 - 79
- 2006 - 125
- 2007 - 119
- 2008 - 154
- 2009 - 88
- 2010 - 124
- 2011 - 91
- 2012 - 112
- 2013 - 93
- 2014 - 79
- 2015 - 91
- 2016 - 89
- 2017 - 102
- 2018 - 113
- 2019 - 126
- 2020 - 70
- 2021 - 93
- 2022 - 123
- 2023 - 61 closed and 26 currently open
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 November 2023
-
Current Status:
Answered by Paul McLennan on 16 November 2023
To ask the Scottish Government how many homes have been secured for key workers as a result of the £25 million of additional funding that it provided for housing for key workers in rural areas.
Answer
The Rural Affordable Homes for Key Workers Fund was announced in the First Minister’s Policy Prospectus in April 2023, with further details included in the Rural and Islands Housing Action Plan, published on 13 October 2023.
To date no homes have been secured through funding from the Rural Affordable Homes for Key Workers Fund. Local Authorities have been made aware of the demand-led fund and we expect those with rural communities to be considering and developing proposals to access the fund as part of their annual Strategic Housing Investment Plan process.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 November 2023
-
Current Status:
Answered by Tom Arthur on 16 November 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what work it has undertaken to provide for exemption schemes in the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Bill for children and young people.
Answer
As set out in the Policy Memorandum, accompanying the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Bill, the policy intention is that a local authority can establish exemptions to a visitor levy scheme in its area as it believes are appropriate. The Bill therefore provides for a local authority to put such exemptions in place, which will be informed by advice in national guidance being developed by local government and business organisations in the Visitor Levy Expert Group.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 November 2023
-
Current Status:
Answered by Tom Arthur on 16 November 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what work it has undertaken to provide for exemption schemes in the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Bill for military personnel working in Scotland.
Answer
As set out in the Policy Memorandum, accompanying the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Bill, the policy intention is that a local authority can establish exemptions to a visitor levy scheme in its area as it believes are appropriate. The Bill therefore provides for a local authority to put such exemptions in place, which will be informed by advice in national guidance being developed by local government and business organisations in the Visitor Levy Expert Group.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 November 2023
-
Current Status:
Answered by Tom Arthur on 16 November 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what work it has undertaken to provide for exemption schemes in the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Bill for refugees staying in temporary accommodation in Scotland.
Answer
The Visitor Levy (Scotland) Bill defines overnight accommodation as a room, space, or other accommodation at a type of premises that is provided for residential purposes other than as the individual's only or usual place of residence. Refugees who are staying in overnight accommodation as their only or main residence will therefore not be liable to pay a visitor levy, if a local authority chooses to introduce one. The Bill provides for a local authority to put such exemptions in place as it believes are appropriate, informed by advice in national guidance being developed by local government and business organisations in the Visitor Levy Expert Group.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 November 2023
-
Current Status:
Answered by Tom Arthur on 16 November 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what work it has undertaken to provide for exemption schemes in the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Bill for charities and third sector workers.
Answer
As set out in the Policy Memorandum, accompanying the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Bill, the policy intention is that a local authority can establish exemptions to a visitor levy scheme in its area as it believes are appropriate. The Bill therefore provides for a local authority to put such exemptions in place, which will be informed by advice in national guidance being developed by local government and business organisations in the Visitor Levy Expert Group.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 November 2023
-
Current Status:
Answered by Tom Arthur on 16 November 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what work it has undertaken to provide for exemption schemes in the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Bill for medical professionals working in Scotland.
Answer
As set out in the Policy Memorandum, accompanying the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Bill, the policy intention is that a local authority can establish exemptions to a visitor levy scheme in its area as it believes are appropriate. The Bill therefore provides for a local authority to put such exemptions in place, which will be informed by advice in national guidance being developed by local government and business organisations in the Visitor Levy Expert Group.
