- Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 September 2022
-
Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 22 September 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking to improve the reliability and resilience of Scotland’s ferry network.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 22 September 2022
- Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 August 2022
-
Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 7 September 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what the terms of reference are for its Women in Enterprise Review, and when the review is scheduled to be published.
Answer
Responding to a recognised gender gap in business participation, Kate Forbes, Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Economy commissioned Ana Stewart, entrepreneur and investor, to deliver an independent Review on widening access to entrepreneurship for women.
The Stewart Review, due to publish later in the year, will identify the root causes of the continuing under-representation of women in enterprise and propose specific actions required to address the needs of female-led businesses in Scotland.
The expected themes of the review are to include, but not be limited to:
- Access to Finance
- Networks, mentoring and role models
- Advice and Support
- Education
The response of the Scottish Government to the Review will be mindful of existing activity and align with NSET recommendations on transforming the Scottish economy through widening business participation under the Entrepreneurial People and Culture programme.
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 August 2022
-
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: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 August 2022
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 7 September 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what (a) plans it has and (b) additional funding it has allocated to ensure that Ukrainian refugees living in rural areas are able to access affordable travel in order to attend, for example, medical appointments, religious services and job interviews.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-10148 on 7 September 2022 as to the travel support available to displaced people from Ukraine.
I am aware of the importance of bus services to everyone living in rural areas and am committed, in conjunction with operators and local authorities, to looking at ways of improving services to ensure that everyone has accessible public transport regardless of location. The Scottish Government has brought forward a wide toolkit within the Transport Act to enable local authorities to improve bus services in their local area.
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: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
-
Submitting member has a registered interest.
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 August 2022
-
Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 7 September 2022
To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Home Owners’ Support Fund, what the average processing time has been for (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful applications in each of the last six years, and how many applications in each of the last six years took (i) less than one year (ii) one to two years (iii) two to three years and (iv) more than three years to process.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not collect data in relation to the turnaround of unsuccessful applications. The following table shows the average processing time in months for successful applications during each of the last six years.
Year | Average Processing Time (Months) |
2016-17 | 5 |
2017-18 | 6 |
2018-19 | 9 |
2019-20 | 11 |
2020-21 | 15 |
2021-22 | 20 |
The Home Owners Support Fund is a voluntary scheme and the full co-operation and participation of applicants, social landlords, lenders, solicitors and surveyors is necessary for the smooth and efficient delivery of the scheme. The pandemic made it more difficult to progress cases, particularly as social landlords were unable to visit properties for repairs assessments.
The following table shows the number of successful applications and the timescales, during each of the last six years.
| | Number of Successful Applications Processed in |
Year | < 1 Year | 1-2 years | 2-3 | > 3 years |
2016-17 | 65 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2017-18 | 39 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2018-19 | 29 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
2019-20 | 21 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
2020-21 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
2021-22 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 0 |
- Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 August 2022
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 7 September 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on what the total amount has been of any performance payments given to
executive level staff at CalMac Ferries Ltd, broken down by each year since
2007.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-10177 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: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
-
Submitting member has a registered interest.
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 August 2022
-
Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 7 September 2022
To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) enquiries about and (b) applications for the Home Owners' Support Fund it has received in each of the last six years, broken down by the (i) Mortgage to Rent and (ii) Mortgage to Shared Equity schemes, and, of those applications that were received, how many were (A) successful and (B) ineligible.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not collect information on enquiries relating to the Home Owners Support Fund (HOSF). The Mortgage to Rent (MTR) and Mortgage to Shared Equity (MTSE) schemes are delivered as part of the HOSF programme. Each application is assessed on a case by case basis to determine which scheme best meets the applicant’s needs. During the last six years there have been no cases eligible for MTSE, due to the circumstances of applicants not meeting the eligibility criteria, in particular applicants with complex debts.
The following table shows the number of applications received during each of the last six years, the number of applications successfully completed and the number of cases closed due to ineligibility. Mortgage to Rent is a voluntary scheme and participation from applicants, lenders, trustees and social landlords is required for a case to succeed.
Mortgage to Rent Applications* |
Year | Received | Successful | Ineligible |
2016-17 | 113 | 65 | 20 |
2017-18 | 91 | 39 | 17 |
2018-19 | 106 | 32 | 30 |
2019-20 | 79 | 28 | 16 |
2020-21 | 20 | 8 | 7 |
2021-22 | 36 | 9 | 10 |
*Figures for received, successful and ineligible do not necessarily refer to the same cases.
We have received significantly fewer applications during the last two financial years. Regulations were introduced by the Scottish Government that protected homeowners in financial difficulty from repossession at the height of the pandemic. n addition, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and mortgage lenders also put in place temporary measures to assist homeowners facing difficulties in managing their mortgage repayments. From March 2020 to March 2021, mortgage lenders offered payment deferrals of up to six months and whilst those temporary measures have now expired, the FCA continues to work with lenders to help improve and strengthen arrears management and mortgage lenders must demonstrate that they have done everything required to make repossession a matter of last resort.
- Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
-
Submitting member has a registered interest.
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 August 2022
-
Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 7 September 2022
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-08749 by Shona Robison on 14 June 2022, what modelling
it is undertaking to establish (a) the likely number of future applications to the
fund and (b) any risk of homelessness among mortgage payers, in light of the
Bank of England increasing the base rate to 1.75% and reports that inflation could
reach 13% by October 2022.
Answer
The Scottish Government monitors trends in arrears and repossessions data published by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and UK Finance which is collated in the quarterly Scottish Housing Market Review Scottish housing market reviews - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .
The Home Owners Support Fund is a last resort scheme aimed at properties at the lowest 20% of the housing market. Applicants must have either mortgage arrears or have an interest only mortgage that has reached the end of its term and have no appropriate option to either repay the loan or to re-mortgage. There are a range of protections, advice and support services already in place for homeowners and not all of those affected by the current cost of living crisis will apply to the scheme.
- Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 August 2022
-
Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 7 September 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what the projected resource requirements are for delivering a 24/7 thrombectomy service, including numbers of physicians, nurses and other required staff.
Answer
Through the Thrombectomy Advisory Group (TAG), work is currently underway to establish the optimal approach to increasing the out-of-hours availability of thrombectomies, the resources required to do so and the appropriate timescales for safely increasing access.
The Scottish Government continues to work with stakeholders to better understand what resources will be required for the development of a high quality and clinically safe thrombectomy service.
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 August 2022
-
Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 7 September 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what plans there are to encourage staff retention in renewable energy, in light of the reported absence of trade union recognition in some parts of this sector.
Answer
Trade unions are key partners in delivering our economic and social aspirations. We will continue to promote strong trade unions and collective bargaining arrangements in all sectors, including the renewable energy sector. We have made a clear commitment to promote collective bargaining through the inclusion of an employee voice indicator, measured by collective bargaining coverage, within the National Performance Framework.
We also work closely with Scottish Renewables, the trade body for Scotland’s renewable energy industry.
Scottish Renewables played an active role in the development of the Climate Emergency Skills Action Plan (CESAP) which explores issues such as skills development and staff retention in many industries including Energy. Through CESAP’s Implementation Steering Group we engage with both employers and their workforce as they move through the just transition to net zero. We will continue to engage with partners to deliver the Climate Emergency Skills Action Plan (CESAP) and will move forward with improvements to the Green Jobs Workforce Academy.
