Stephen Kerr

30 Aug 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many laptops it has purchased since 1 March 2020, broken down by the brand of laptop, and what the total cost was of these purchases.

Answer · Ivan McKee: The Scottish Government have purchased the following laptops since 1st March 2020 for use on the SCOTS network. Number of laptops Brand Total Cost (inc VAT) 7584 HP £4,845,550 55 Microsoft £78,900

30 Aug 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many times ministers have called in planning applications from planning committees in each of the last 10 years.

Answer · Tom Arthur: Information on committee processes in relation to individual planning applications which are called in by Scottish Ministers is not recorded centrally. The figures below are the collective total of applications called in by Scottish Ministers per year from 20…

30 Aug 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what performance indicators it has set HaskoningDHV UK Limited to determine whether it has successfully "identified ways to improve the competitiveness" of the Ferguson Marine yard.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government’s contract with First Marine International (FMI), a subsidiary of HaskoningDHV, sets out deliverables around timing and the quality of the work done on the report that the Scottish Government has commissioned. These are being used to d…

30 Aug 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide the gender breakdown by age grouping of Ukrainian refugees who have arrived in Scotland under its Super Sponsor scheme.

Answer · Neil Gray: The most recent published figures from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities is available at: Homes for Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme and Ukraine Family Scheme: Visa data by age and sex of applicant - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) .This provides the s…

30 Aug 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many visa applications under its Super Sponsor scheme have been rejected since the introduction of the scheme.

Answer · Neil Gray: Under the current constitutional arrangements in the UK, asylum and immigration is fully reserved to the UK Government and handled by the Home Office. The UK Government published quarterly immigration statistics here: Immigration statistics, year ending Jun…

30 Aug 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on what documentation and proof of identity are required in order to be issued a visa under its Super Sponsor scheme.

Answer · Neil Gray: Under the current constitutional arrangements in the UK, asylum and immigration is fully reserved to the UK Government and handled by the Home Office. This includes the issuing of visas for displaced people from Ukraine.

30 Aug 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many people who have been issued a visa under its Super Sponsor scheme are currently receiving free tuition to study in Scotland.

Answer · Jamie Hepburn: There have been nearly 300 applications to the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) from Ukrainian nationals, undertaking a first year of study in Higher Education (HE), for financial support (including tuition fees) in the 2022-23 Academic Year (AY). There …

19 Aug 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to ensure that teachers going through the Teacher Induction Scheme can access permanent roles.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: Local councils are responsible for the recruitment and deployment of their staff. This includes providing a complement of teachers which best meets the needs of each of their schools and its pupils within the resources available. During the pandemic, the Sco…

18 Aug 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many staff members will accompany the First Minister on her visit to Copenhagen to open the Danish office, and what the total cost of the journey is to the Scottish Government.

Answer · Angus Robertson: Details of all Ministerial engagements and expenses are proactively published by the Scottish Government, including the costs of travel and accommodation. The information can be accessed at the following below: https://www.gov.scot/collections/ministerial-en…

9 Aug 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it is giving to buying a Scotland-wide licence for ClimateView's ClimateOS tool to provide local authorities with a consistent and supported platform for the development of area-wide emission-reduction plans.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government is committed to continue working closely with local authorities in tackling the global climate emergency. Local authorities are independent corporate bodies with their own powers and responsibilities and are entirely separate from the …

5 Aug 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the projected cost is of the planned Scottish Government office in Warsaw, when it anticipates that the office will open, and what the process will be for hiring staff for the office.

Answer · Angus Robertson: The new Scottish Government Office in Warsaw will be opened within the lifetime of this Parliament. The office will be staffed by Civil Servants and Country Based Staff. Civil Servants are appointed to represent Scotland in our international offices by a rec…

5 Aug 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) set-up and (b) running costs are for the newly-opened Scottish Government Copenhagen office, how many members of staff are employed by the Scottish Government in the office, and what the salary bands are for each of those members of staff.

Answer · Angus Robertson: The new Scottish Government International Office in Copenhagen operates from within the local British Embassy and is co-located with Scottish Development International. It comprises three members of staff. Two are employed directly by the Scottish Government…

27 Jul 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what concerns have been raised regarding removing the need to demonstrate a local connection when applying for local authority social housing; by whom any concerns have been raised, and how any such concerns have been responded to.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government is modifying homelessness legislation in September 2022 to suspend the power of Scottish local authorities to refer a person who is homeless or threatened with homelessness to another local authority in Scotland on the grounds of their…

27 Jul 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what funding it made available to support the Elect Her website, and what assessment it has made of the outcomes of any funding. 

Answer · Christina McKelvie: Since 1 October 2021 the Scottish Government has funded Elect Her through the Equality and Human Rights (EHR) fund to increase the level of women’s political representation. Their annual EHR funding is approximately £106k of which £250 is used for website hos…

27 Jul 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how the amount paid to hotel operators for accommodating Ukrainian refugees is calculated, and whether the amount varies depending on how many refugees are accommodated. 

Answer · Neil Gray: The costs of temporary accommodation in hotels for displaced people from Ukraine are split into a number of components. There is a fixed rate per room, this does not vary based on occupancy. However, the cost of food and beverage will vary based on the number…

27 Jul 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what level of support it expects local authorities to provide to Ukrainian refugees housed in temporary accommodation.

Answer · Neil Gray: Local authorities play a vital role in the success of the Scottish Government’s Super Sponsor Scheme. They are uniquely placed to provide the support required to ensure those arriving are given the warmest possible welcome. This includes working with displace…

27 Jul 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what feedback it has received from local authorities regarding the reported use of “surge teams” for supporting Ukrainian refugees. 

Answer · Neil Gray: Scotland’s response to the crisis in Ukraine is a round-the-clock operation, supported by multi-agency teams, local authorities, CoSLA and the third sector to ensure individuals displaced from Ukraine are treated with care and respect and their complex needs …

27 Jul 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government which local authorities are using the reported “surge teams” for assistance in matching Ukrainian refugees into longer-term accommodation.

Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government is working in partnership with COSLA to appropriately direct the deployment of Scotland’s National Matching Services. The teams are currently active in supporting Edinburgh, West Lothian and more recently Renfrewshire. Matching activ…

26 Jul 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the five-year trends are for each type of recorded crime in Scotland.

Answer · Keith Brown: As this requires a large data table to answer, a response has been provided through the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 63543). This data is a subset of the most recent National Statistics on Police Recorded Crime 2021-22, which are avail…

20 Jul 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what long-term discussions it is having with ASLEF (Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen) regarding salary settlements.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: Discussions regarding salary settlements are a matter between the Employer, ScotRail Trains Ltd and ASLEF.

11 Jul 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to combine local authority planning and building control systems to enable a net zero approach to planning in new housing.

Answer · Tom Arthur: There are no plans to combine these systems which operate under distinct legislative requirements. Both systems, however, seek to achieve shared strategic objectives, including achieving net zero emissions. Our work on planning reform is ongoing, including t…

7 Jul 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to enable local authorities to use licensing or planning powers to manage the number of fast food outlets in their area.

Answer · Tom Arthur: Independent licensing (i.e. local) authorities already have powers under the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 to operate a variety of licensing schemes, including for example a late hours catering licence regime, if they so choose. Draft National Plannin…

7 Jul 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment, including calculations, it undertakes to understand any additional cost burden that is expected to fall on local authorities when new policy requirements that are to be delivered at local authority level are introduced.

Answer · Tom Arthur: All new policy commitments or changes to existing policy, that have a financial cost for local government, must be approved through the formal financial governance process which requires agreed recommendations from the joint Scottish Government and COSLA Offi…

7 Jul 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has undertaken to understand any additional capacity requirements of local authorities to deliver Scope 3 (procurement) emissions reductions.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government regularly engages with local authorities and the wider public sector, including through COSLA and the Sustainable Scotland Network (SSN), where current opportunities and challenges within local authority climate action are frequently d…

7 Jul 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of new policies introduced for roll-out by local authorities in the last two years have had additional local authority capacity resource attached to them to ensure delivery.

Answer · Tom Arthur: To ensure local authorities had the capacity and resources required to deliver any new policy commitments in the last two years, all new policy or changes to existing policy that had a financial cost for local government were approved through the formal finan…

7 Jul 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what additional resources it is allocating to local authorities to ensure they have the capacity that they need to effectively deliver Scope 3 (procurement) emissions reductions.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government has increased local government funding by over £1 billion in 2022-23, a real terms increase of 6.3 per cent, despite a 5.2 per cent real terms reduction in the overall Scottish Budget. Local authorities are independent corporate bodies…

29 Jun 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to ensure that the recording of incidents of domestic and sexual abuse against men in Scotland is accurate.

Answer · Keith Brown: The operational recording of information on incidents of domestic and sexual abuse against men is a matter for Police Scotland, and as with any report of criminal behaviour, will be underpinned by the Scottish Crime Recording Standard (SCRS). The Standard set…

29 Jun 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether any concerns have been raised with it about the recording of incidents of domestic and sexual abuse against men in Scotland being lower than in the rest of the UK, and, if so, whether it will confirm who raised those concerns.

Answer · Keith Brown: The Scottish Government is not aware of any concerns being raised with it on how levels of recorded domestic and sexual abuse against men compare to the rest of UK. The operational recording of information on such incidents is a matter for Police Scotland, an…

29 Jun 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Electoral Commission regarding the proposed wording of the question to be asked in its proposed independence referendum.

Answer · Angus Robertson: In early 2020, the Scottish Government asked the Electoral Commission to re-test the referendum question used in 2014. Work on this was paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We have announced our intention to hold an independence referendum on 19 October 2023…

28 Jun 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what it will do to provide local authorities with additional funding for urgent infrastructure projects (a) in general and (b) such as the Torphichen Bridge bypass.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The local road network is the responsibility of local authorities and they will allocate resources on the basis of local priorities. The vast majority of funding to local authorities from the Scottish Government is provided via a block grant and we do not sti…