- Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Submitting member has a registered interest.
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Date lodged: Thursday, 11 August 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 7 September 2022
To ask the Scottish Government when it last updated the HOSFGN/002: Property Thresholds Guidance for the Home Owners' Support Fund.
Answer
HOSFGN/002 was published in April 2017. The Home Owners Support Fund property threshold guidance is being considered as part of the current review and will be updated if required.
- Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 11 August 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 7 September 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has attempted to recoup money from any bus operators that were in receipt of
COVID-19 recovery funding but have since been unable to deliver services and,
if this is the case, whether it will provide details, broken down by bus
operator.
Answer
COVID-19 recovery funding is provided via the Network Support Grant Plus and paid as a pence per kilometre rate for each kilometre actually run. Funding is provided by advance payment on forecasts and then payment is adjusted after the scheme ends in October to ensure the final payment reflects actual services operated. This will include recovery of any funding paid to operators for services that did not operate. The scheme has not yet ended so no reconciliation or payment recovery from operators has yet taken place.
- Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 August 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 7 September 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what the total cost has been of any financial penalties issued by Transport Scotland to CalMac Ferries Ltd, in each year since 2007.
Answer
Under the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Service contract, performance deductions can be applied by in certain circumstances.
The level of performance deductions by Contract Year incurred by CalMac Ferries Ltd is detailed below:
| | CHFS1 | |
CY01 | Oct 2007 - Sept 2008 | £ 35.384 |
CY02 | Oct 2008 - Sept 20009 | £ 70,705 |
CY03 | Oct 2009 - Sept 2010 | £ 60,733 |
CY04 | Oct 2010 - Sept 2011 | £ 71,219 |
CY05 | Oct 2011 - Sept 2012 | £ 119,012 |
CY06 | Oct 2012 - Sept 2013 | £ 96,241 |
CY07 | Oct 2013 - Sept 2014 | £ 126,162 |
CY08 | Oct 2014 - Sept 2015 | £ 445,524 |
CY09 | Oct 2015 - Sept 2016 | £ 338,359 |
| | CHFS2 | |
CY01 | Oct 2016 - Sept 2017 | £ 1,127,097 |
CY02 | Oct 2017 - Sept 2018 | £ 1,101,741 |
CY03 | Oct 2018 - Sept 2019 | £ 1,033,138 |
CY04 | Oct 2019 - Sept 2020 | £ 584,255 |
CY05 | Oct 2020 - Sept 2021 | £ 2,089,383 |
CY06 (to date) | Oct 2021 - Jun 2022 | £ 2,345,940 |
- Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 August 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 7 September 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on whether CalMac Ferries Ltd awarded any performance payments to staff
at executive level in any years in which it also received any financial
penalties by Transport Scotland, broken down by year.
Answer
Pay and performance is a matter for CalMac Ferries Limited (CFL). Scottish Ministers have no role to play in any pay negotiations. The information on performance payments to senior staff is reported and available in the David MacBrayne Limited accounts.
Years where performance deductions have been made to the CHFS Contract were set out in my answer to question S6W-10178 on 7 September 2022. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers .
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 August 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 7 September 2022
To ask the Scottish Government, regarding Ukrainian refugees, whether it plans to (a) create a transportation support fund to help them attend school and seek employment, (b) expand the Job Start Payment to help with the transition to employment and (c) include them in the free bus pass scheme.
Answer
The Scottish Government has ensured that all refugees and displaced people from Ukraine have access to the same transport entitlements as other people resident in Scotland. Those who are aged over 60, under 22 or meet certain disability criteria, are able to access the national concessionary bus travel schemes which provide free bus travel across Scotland. The Improvement Service issued guidance to local authorities on processing concessionary applications of displaced people from Ukraine so that applications are fully supported and fast tracked. Local authorities can also use their own powers to provide additional travel support and a number of councils have already done so. I encourage other authorities to do the same where appropriate and Transport Scotland is actively reviewing whether further support for transport is required.
The Scottish Government has worked with the UK Government to allow immediate access to support, including the Job Start Payment, when displaced people from Ukraine meet the eligibility criteria. We will work with third sector partners and local authorities to consider how best to provide free bus travel to asylum seekers and refugees including displaced people from Ukraine.
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 15 August 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 7 September 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to pursue the recommendations of the Business Purpose Commission for Scotland's report, Now is the Time for Purpose.
Answer
The Scottish Government has made a commitment in our National Strategy for Economic Transformation to “Build on the findings from the Business Purpose Commission Report, to inform how businesses can deliver positive impacts on prosperity, wellbeing – including tackling child poverty – and environmental sustainability. ”
The Business Purpose Commission for Scotland launched its report Now is the time for purpose: Putting purpose at the heart of Scottish business on 28 June 2022. The report is comprehensive, and makes recommendations for a range of stakeholders across business, governments, and tertiary education and training organisations. We are considering the recommendations carefully, with particular focus on the two recommendations for Scottish Government to lead. This requires significant cross- government engagement and we look forward to sharing our response when complete.
- Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Submitting member has a registered interest.
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Date lodged: Monday, 15 August 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 7 September 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has published average apartment rental charges, used to calculate purchase subsidy grants under the Home Owners' Support Fund, since 2017 and, if this is not the case, what the reasons are for its position on the matter.
Answer
The average apartment rental charges have not been routinely published up to this point as we have considered this an operational matter. Figures are updated each year in line with CPI inflation figures and grant calculations are shared with social landlords before the purchase of a property is agreed. Going forward, the publication of annual rental charges will be looked at as part of the wider scheme review.
- Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Submitting member has a registered interest.
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Date lodged: Monday, 15 August 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 7 September 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many households who have applied to the Home Owners' Support Fund since it started have (a) been protected from and (b) subsequently experienced homelessness.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-10243 on 7 September 2022 which shows the number of successful applications to the Home Owners Support Fund in the last 6 years. Where a social landlord acquires a property through the scheme, the homeowner will remain in their home on Scottish Secure Tenancy terms. The Scottish Government does not collect data on homeowners’ circumstances after their application has successfully concluded.
All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers
- Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 August 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Ivan McKee on 7 September 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the (a) use and (b) control of public subsidy in Scotland.
Answer
Scottish Government has engaged regularly with UK Government at official and ministerial level on the new subsidy control regime. Officials have participated in all engagement sessions, continuing to provide feedback and raising our concerns and those of our stakeholders.
Disappointingly many of these remain unaddressed. Nevertheless, Scottish Government will continue to engage with BEIS through the introduction of the new Subsidy Control regime as it affects Scotland. We remain particularly concerned that the Act brings further erosion of devolution through the sweeping powers granted to the Secretary of State. It undermines the long-established powers of the Scottish Parliament and Scottish Ministers to act in relation to matters within devolved competence such as economic development, the environment, agriculture and fisheries.
- Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Submitting member has a registered interest.
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Date lodged: Monday, 15 August 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 7 September 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether the HOSFGN/002: Property Thresholds Guidance has been updated for 2022-23 and, if this is not the case, what it estimates (a) the updated property thresholds for the Home Owners’ Support Fund and (b) the number of households with outstanding mortgages with properties under the valuation thresholds would be, had the guidance been updated for 2022-23, broken down by local authority.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-10262 on 7 September 2022.
The Scottish Government does not hold the data requested. Property thresholds are being considered as part of the review.
All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers