Questions and answers

Question reference: S4W-07193

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 14 May 2012
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Angela Constance on 15 May 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what it is doing to support low-paid and low-skilled people in the workforce.

There is currently no public sector investment targeted exclusively at meeting the skills needs of low paid and low skilled individuals within the workforce. I can confirm that we are making changes to the Individual Learning Account (ILA) programme to focus on this issue. From 1July 2012 ILA funding will be fully focussed on low paid, low skilled and unemployed individuals.

In recognition of the investment already being made, and in order to avoid duplication of funding for a single episode of learning, individuals will no longer be eligible for ILA funding whilst participating in Secondary, Further or Higher Education, or on a National Training Programme. Also, individuals who have potentially already benefitted from a high level of public investment in their education to degree level will no longer be eligible for ILA funding.

Question reference: S4O-01006

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 May 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 May 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what recent discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding devolving air passenger duty.

Question reference: S4W-06846

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 23 April 2012
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 2 May 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people with type 1 diabetes have completed the Dose Adjustment For Normal Eating (DAFNE) course in each NHS board area since the course was introduced.

This information is not centrally held.

Information on the numbers and type of different structured education courses will be reported for the first time in the annual Scottish Diabetes Survey next year.

There are a number of structured education courses, such as DAFNE, available for people with type 1 diabetes throughout Scotland, and increasing access to these is one of the priorities of our Diabetes Action Plan which was published in 2010.

To further this aim the Scottish Diabetes Group provided direct funding of £154,450 in 2011-12 to NHS boards toward supporting provision of structured education courses for people with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

Question reference: S4W-06847

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 23 April 2012
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 2 May 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people with type 2 diabetes have completed the Diabetes Education and Self-management for Ongoing and Newly Diagnosed (DESMOND) course in each NHS board area since the course was introduced.

This information is not centrally held.

Information on the numbers and type of different structured education courses will be reported for the first time in the annual Scottish Diabetes Survey next year.

There are a number of structured education courses, such as DESMOND, available for people with type 2 diabetes throughout Scotland and increasing access to these is one of the priorities of our Diabetes Action Plan which was published in 2010.

To further this aim the Scottish Diabetes Group provided direct funding of £154,450 in 2011-12 to NHS boards toward supporting provision of structured education courses for people with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

Question reference: S4W-06439

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 26 March 2012
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 17 April 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive how much the average council tax payer in each local authority area has saved since the inception of the council tax freeze.

Over the five year period the council tax freeze will have been in place (2008-13), the average Band D household in Scotland will have benefited from cumulative savings of £487. The following table sets out how much the average Band D household within each local authority area will have saved.

Average Band D saving from the council tax freeze (£) (2008-09 to 2012-13)*

Aberdeen City	507
Aberdeenshire	490
Angus	464
Argyll and Bute	477
Clackmannanshire	493
Dumfries and Galloway	447
Dundee City	519
East Ayrshire	517
East Dunbartonshire	487
East Lothian	474
East Renfrewshire	464
Edinburgh, City of	480
Eilean Siar	442
Falkirk	464
Fife	475
Glasgow City	509
Highland	490
Inverclyde	513
Midlothian	525
Moray	490
North Ayrshire	486
North Lanarkshire	482
Orkney Islands	449
Perth and Kinross	486
Renfrewshire	496
Scottish Borders	460
Shetland Islands	459
South Ayrshire	488
South Lanarkshire	475
Stirling	499
West Dunbartonshire	503
West Lothian	490

Notes:

*Derived from CTAXBASE 2010 and CTAS 2010.

1. assume 3.0% growth in council tax each year.

2. figures show effects on bills – the figures do not take account of council tax benefit.

Question reference: S4W-06440

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 26 March 2012
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 11 April 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the UK Government about devolving powers over alcohol and tobacco duty to the Scottish Parliament in light of the health impacts in Scotland of smoking and drinking alcohol.

The Scottish Government proposed devolving alcohol excise duty in the Scotland Bill. A detailed proposition to align tax revenues with the public spending cost from alcohol consumption in Scotland was sent to the UK Government on 6 October 2011. The UK Government has not included this proposal in the bill. There have been no discussions between the Scottish Government and the UK Government on devolving tobacco duty to the Scottish Parliament.

The Scottish Government remains strongly of the view that the Scottish Parliament should be responsible for all tax raising powers in Scotland, including alcohol and tobacco duty.

Question reference: S4W-06443

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 26 March 2012
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 10 April 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the UK Government about devolving power over fuel duty to the Scottish Parliament in light of the financial impact on Scottish businesses.

Since 2007, the Scottish Government has made regular representations to the UK Government regarding fuel duty and fuel prices in Scotland.

Most recently, the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth wrote to the Chancellor on 9 March 2012, urging him to introduce a fuel duty regulator and to reconsider the fuel duty increase planned for August - which will impose an additional burden on households and businesses at this challenging time.

The UK Government’s reluctance to act on this issue highlights the urgent need for Scotland to secure greater tax and legal powers - which would allow the Scottish Parliament to respond directly to the issue of rising fuel prices.

Question reference: S4W-06441

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 26 March 2012
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 29 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider linking non-domestic rate levels for licensed premises to the amount of alcohol sold.

Question reference: S4W-05689

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 February 2012
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 15 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to issue guidance to local authorities on the allocation of social housing to veterans and those leaving the military.

A practical guide to social housing allocations was published online in March 2011. This aims to help social landlords understand the requirements and the flexibilities they have in allocating their housing. It includes revised guidance on housing ex-service personnel to help social landlords consider and address their needs and ensure they are not disadvantaged. The guide also provides practical examples of approaches being used by landlords to manage housing allocations including in relation to ex-service personnel. The guide is available on the Scottish Government’s website at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Built-Environment/Housing/16342/management/socialhousingaccess/allocations/Guide.

To further support landlords to understand and meet the needs of the armed forces community, additional practice examples of approaches being taken by social landlords to support service personnel will be developed and shared through the guide. Once additional practice examples have been identified, we will remind all social landlords of the importance of addressing the housing needs of our armed forces and veterans’ community and highlight the guidance, additional practice examples as well as the Scottish housing options leaflet for people leaving the armed forces and ex-service personnel.

Question reference: S4W-05688

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 February 2012
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 15 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the UK Government has provided funding to help house military personnel who have been made redundant.

Funding by the UK Government is a matter for the UK Government. But to support those who have served in the armed forces to find suitable housing the Scottish Government has:

Published a tailored housing options leaflet: A Scottish housing guide for people leaving the armed forces and ex-service personnel, which provides information on housing options and where to go for further advice and support. The leaflet is available online at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2010/03/24165717/0;

Issued a new practical guide to social housing allocations in March 2011, which strengthens guidance on housing ex-service personnel to help social landlords address their needs to ensure they are not disadvantaged;

Amended Scottish legislation in 2010 to allow homeless ex-service personnel to establish a “local connection” through their service in an area in the same way that others can;

Provided priority access to people in the armed forces or veterans, widows, widowers and other partners of service personnel killed in action to the Scottish Government's Low-Cost Initiative for First Time Buyers (LIFT) shared equity schemes, and

In December 2011, announced funding to Ownership Options to provide a new project to help disabled ex-servicemen and women to access suitable housing. Ownership Options will recruit and train a disabled ex-service person to provide this service helping them to engage more effectively with the veterans’ community.

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