- Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 26 May 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 14 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what concessionary schemes exist across all of Scotland’s transport networks for injured veterans.
Answer
The Veterans Railcard provides a one-third discount on rail journeys across the UK. It is available to all veterans who have served for at least one day or more in Her Majesty’s Armed Forces or Merchant Mariners who have seen duty on legally defined military operations. The terms and conditions for the railcard are set by National Rail (part of the Rail Delivery Group).
In addition, the Disabled Persons Railcard also provides one-third discount on rail journeys across the UK for a cardholder and a companion travelling with them. Veterans in receipt of War Disablement Pension Mobility Supplement or War or Service Disablement Pension for 80% or more disability are eligible to apply for this railcard.
Under the National Concessionary Bus Travel Scheme for Older and Disabled People (NCTS), veterans resident in Scotland aged 60 and over are eligible to apply for free bus travel throughout Scotland. In addition injured veterans may also qualify for free bus travel if they satisfy the disability eligibility criteria for the NCTS which can be found on the Transport Scotland website and which include being in receipt of a War Disablement Pension Mobility Supplement.
Veterans age 21 or younger can also qualify for free bus travel under the National Concessionary Bus Travel Scheme for Young People.
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 26 May 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom Arthur on 14 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown, by local authority area, of the area of green space currently being created and/or restored through projects funded by (a) the Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme and (b) the Nature Restoration Fund.
Answer
a)We do not request that each applicant provides a breakdown of green space created and/or restored by the Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme. However, 20 projects have received funding from the low carbon Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme to date and the projects listed in the following table include green space creation as their primary focus.
Project | Local Authority | Project Site Area |
Dalmarnock Riverside Park | Clyde Gateway | 3.50 ha |
Levern Water Revival | East Renfrewshire Council | 1.00 ha |
Lionthorn bing greenspace | Falkirk Council | 3.60 ha |
Belle Gro'@ The Meat Market | Glasgow City Council | 0.30 ha |
Transforming Avenue End Road Greenspace | Glasgow City Council | 3.60 ha |
Hamiltonhill Green Infrastructure Project | Glasgow City Council | 0.90 ha |
Ruchazie Greening and Growing project | Glasgow City Council | 3.70 ha |
Carwood Street Food Growing Project | Inverclyde Council | 0.22 ha |
Glenmanor Greenspace | North Lanarkshire Council | 0.49 ha |
Clyde Cycle Park | South Lanarkshire Council | 8.25 ha |
ONECarluke Community Growing | South Lanarkshire Council | 0.60 ha |
Community Food Growing – Former Bonhill PS | West Dunbartonshire Council | 0.47 ha |
Further to this the projects listed in the following table include green space creation as a part of their delivery.
Project | Local Authority | Project Site Area |
Western Villages Granton | City of Edinburgh Council | 4.50 ha |
Greendykes North Affordable Housing | City of Edinburgh Council | 2.10 ha |
Applications are currently open for Round 3 of the fund (for 2023-24 funding) and we anticipate announcing the next round of successful projects by the end of 2022.
b) We do not hold the information requested. Local Authorities were allocated £5 million from the 2021-22 Nature Restoration Fund. They have been asked to submit returns by the end of May 2022 setting out how the money has been used. Analysis of these returns has not yet started.
- Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 26 May 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 14 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to encourage more injured veterans to use public transport.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-08732 on 14 June 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: Collette Stevenson, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 26 May 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 14 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it (a) provided in each financial year from 2015-16 to 2021-22 and (b) has allocated in 2022-23 to support the delivery of affordable housing in the (i) East Kilbride constituency and (ii) South Lanarkshire Council area.
Answer
The following table shows actual funding provided between 2015-16 and 2021-22 to support the delivery of affordable housing in the South Lanarkshire Council Area.
- Asked by: Meghan Gallacher, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 26 May 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Lorna Slater on 14 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to define and promote best practice in Invasive Non-native Species (INNS) biosecurity, eradication and long-term control.
Answer
The Scottish Government and its agencies collaborate closely with their counterparts in Wales and England on the control of INNS. Scottish Government officials have played an active role with their counterparts in drafting the 2022-2030 Great Britain Invasive Non- Native Species Strategy. This key document sets out our agreed, collaborative approach to preventing invasive non-native species reaching our shores, through surveillance, early detection and rapid response provisions and long terms management and control of species already established. The provisions in the Strategy will be implemented in Scotland through the Non-native Species Action Group, and similar partnerships, which has representatives from the public and voluntary sectors.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 26 May 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 14 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what metrics it uses to decide on the geographical settlement of Ukrainian refugees under its Super Sponsor scheme.
Answer
The Super Sponsor scheme is designed to provide a quick and safe route for displaced people from Ukraine to come to a place of sanctuary by removing the need for applicants to be matched to an individual sponsor prior to being given permission to travel to the UK.
Once people have arrived, a national matching service, delivered by COSLA, will match those settling here with longer-term accommodation across Scotland.
Displaced people from Ukraine are asked to complete a short questionnaire that captures key information and preferences. This information is then used to find suitable longer-term accommodation. All 32 of our local authorities are taking part in this programme, and hosts have offered up their homes right across the country. The national matching service will ensure that people are offered settlement opportunities across Scotland, recognising that people will have different preferences and available housing is limited in some local authorities.
- Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 26 May 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 14 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government when it will review the guidance, capital and equity limits, and eligibility criteria in relation to the Home Owners' Support Fund.
Answer
My officials are currently reviewing the operational and delivery arrangements for the Home Owners Support Fund to consider what improvements can be made, including capital and equity arrangements for the scheme.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 26 May 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Clare Haughey on 14 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will include information in Scotland's Baby Box to raise awareness of local authority reusable nappy schemes and community nappy libraries.
Answer
Scotland’s Baby Box ensures that every family with a newborn has access to essential items needed in the first six months of a child’s life. From the outset we have ensured that the only written information contained within the Baby Box is tailored to its specific aims and contents.
There are currently 7 leaflets contained within Scotland’s Baby Boxes including advice and information on safe sleeping, breastfeeding, postnatal depression and Social Security child payment.
The Nappy Voucher contained within the Baby Box signposts to the Scottish Government’s ParentClub website which highlights the benefits of using reusable nappies.
- Asked by: Meghan Gallacher, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 13 June 2022
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 14 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its nursery recruitment targets.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 14 June 2022
- Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 13 June 2022
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 14 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what immediate action it will take, in light of recent reports that nearly £2 million in Pupil Equity Funding has been spent on police officers in schools since 2018.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 14 June 2022
