Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-22948

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 29 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how much each local authority has spent on people living in temporary accommodation, in each year since 1999.

The vast majority of homelessness funding provided to Scottish local authorities since 1999 has been included in the block grant of annual local government finance settlements [1] .

In February 2017, the ‘temporary accommodation management fee’ funding from the UK Government was devolved to the Scottish Government. In 2017-18, the Scottish Government allocated the full amount of £22.5 million provided through this arrangement to Scottish local authorities. Since 2018-19, Scottish local authorities have received an annual share of £23.5 million.

In 2023-24, this budget was augmented by a £7 million former Hostels Grant to create the new £30.5 million Homelessness Prevention Fund. Each local authority receives their annual share of this settlement through an in-year transfer.

It is the responsibility of each local authority to allocate the financial resources available to it on the basis of local needs and priorities having first fulfilled its statutory obligations and the jointly agreed set of national and local priorities. It is therefore not possible for the Scottish Government to ascertain how much each local authority spends each year on temporary accommodation.

[1] Local government finance circulars - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Question reference: S6W-22940

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 29 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what audit of public land has been undertaken to identify potential sites that are currently available for affordable housing development.

There has been no audit carried out of public land to identify sites to deliver affordable homes. The Scottish Public Finance Manual and the NHS Scotland Property Transactions Handbook provide guidance on the procedures and safeguards required when handling the disposal of surplus land, buildings and other rights in property. Prior to advertising on the open market, bodies must notify the Scottish Government in order that the surplus asset can be advertised internally via the trawl process. While most surplus assets advertised through the trawl are not deemed suitable for affordable housing, some have been purchased for this purpose.

Question reference: S6W-23077

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 28 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what (a) capital and (b) recurrent funding it has committed as part of the UK’s bid dossier for the 2028 UEFA European Football Championships, and what the business case is for the return on any such investments.

The Scottish Government is continuing to work in partnership with governments and football associations across the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland following confirmation of the successful EURO 2028 bid on 10 October.

Funding contributions of all partners are commercially sensitive as the next phases of planning take place. The Scottish Government will undertake to notify the Scottish Parliament on developments in due course.

The bid was carefully considered by all partners and the event is predicted to generate cumulative socio-economic benefits of up to £2.6 billion across the UK and Ireland.

Question reference: S6W-22938

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 28 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what work it has undertaken to provide for exemption schemes in the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Bill for passengers stranded on islands due to ferry cancellations.

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.

Question reference: S6W-22937

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 28 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 working in agriculture and aquaculture.

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.

Question reference: S6W-22939

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 28 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what work it has undertaken to provide for exemption schemes in the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Bill for NHS and other healthcare workers.

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.

Question reference: S6W-22841

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 10 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 27 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the expression of political views by teachers in schools.

Teachers employed in Scottish schools are required to be registered with the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) by law. They are expected to conduct themselves in accordance with the GTCS Professional Standards which include having knowledge and understanding of the ways in which natural, social, cultural, political and economic systems function and of how they are interconnected to professional practice. Teachers must also take account of the Code of Professionalism and Conduct which sets out key principles and values for all teachers to uphold standards of personal and professional conduct, honesty and integrity.

Question reference: S6W-22843

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 10 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 24 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what funding it is providing for college courses in the traditional crafts, particularly stonemasonry, at colleges in Edinburgh.

Question reference: S6W-22949

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 24 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many fines have been issued for pavement parking in each year since the legislation on pavement parking prohibition came into force.

The Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 prohibits pavement parking, double parking and parking at dropped kerbs, and gives local authorities the relevant powers to enforce these new provisions. To support these provisions, a suite of regulations is required to bring the new legislation into force.

The first of these regulations regarding the Exemption Order Procedures that local authorities must follow, was laid in Parliament in December 2022. The second set of regulations which will help define how a local authority can issue a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) to someone found to be in contravention of the new national prohibitions are currently laying in Parliament and are due to come into force on 11 December 2023, if approved.

As such no PCNs for the new parking prohibitions have as yet been issued as the regulatory procedures have not been in place.

Question reference: S6W-22791

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 10 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 24 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many people have been charged up to double the normal council tax rate for homes that have been empty for 12 months or more, or 24 months where the property is being actively marketed for sale, in each year since 1999, also broken down by local authority.

Local authorities have had the power to charge an empty homes council tax premium of up to 100% since 1 April 2013. The Scottish Government’s statistics show that at September 2022 42,865 homes had been empty for more than 6 months. Of these 27,692 had been empty for over 12 months and of those 20,279 had a council tax discount below 10% or a council tax premium applied.

A further breakdown by local authority for homes empty for more than 12 months is available on the Scottish Government website from 2014 onwards: https://www.gov.scot/publications/housing-statistics-empty-properties-and-second-homes/ .

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