Parliamentary questions
Pam Duncan-Glancy
1,119 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
10 Mar 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what data it collects in relation to Child Disability Payment applications that do not progress.
Answer · Ben Macpherson: Part 1 of the Child Disability Payment application form gathers key personal details of the client and Part 2 of the application form asks for more details on the impact of the client’s disability. For applications that do not progress to complete Part 2, an …
9 Mar 2022 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the report on misogyny and criminal justice in Scotland, published on International Women’s Day, which calls for a Misogyny Bill for Scotland.
2 Mar 2022 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its plans for the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill.
28 Feb 2022 · Topical Question
To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to prepare for refugees arriving in Scotland as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
28 Feb 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it plans to take to reduce waiting times for audiologist tests to obtain NHS hearing aids.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: Excessively long waiting lists are not acceptable and we offer our sympathies to all patients waiting for treatment. Pausing of non-urgent activity has taken place across the health system and has inevitably led to a build-up of patients waiting for treatment…
23 Feb 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider the experience of asylum seekers in Glasgow hotels as being within the scope of the inquiry into the handling of COVID-19.
Answer · John Swinney: The terms of reference for the Scottish Covid-19 Public Inquiry task it with considering the strategic elements relating to 12 distinct areas of investigation. They do not name specific groups affected by the pandemic, ensuring that no groups’ experiences are…
22 Feb 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has carried out any assessment of the reasons for the majority of Job Start Payment applications reportedly being declined.
Answer · Ben Macpherson: Analysis of management information shows that the most common reason for Job Start Payment applications being denied is that the applicant did not meet one or both of the key eligibility criteria i.e. that the applicant was not out of work and in receipt of a…
18 Feb 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the timescale would be to top up (a) the Child Payment, (b) bridging payments for families with children over five, (c) child/adult disability assistance, (d) Best Start payments and (e) Winter Fuel payments, and how this could be accelerated if required urgently.
Answer · Ben Macpherson: refer the member to the answer to question S6W-06847 on 11 March 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/…
18 Feb 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the process is, including any legislative requirements, for it to top up (a) the Child Payment, (b) bridging payments for families with children over five, (c) child/adult disability assistance, (d) Best Start payments and (e) Winter Fuel payments, and how this can be accelerated if…
Answer · Ben Macpherson: The Government’s spending plans are set out in the budget. We are already investing £361 million in Scottish benefits above the level of funding to be received from the UK Government through Block Grant Adjustments. Increases to Scottish Child Payment, Adult…
18 Feb 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the process is, including any legislative requirements, for it to top up reserved benefits, and how this can be accelerated if required urgently.
Answer · Ben Macpherson: Any new benefit intended to top-up reserved benefits would have to be developed with research and testing among potential users, and close collaboration with DWP and other stakeholders. For delivery of new benefits, we need to develop and test all application…
18 Feb 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government on what date it will publish the results of its monitoring and evaluation of the Winter Support Fund.
Answer · Shona Robison: There is no single programme of monitoring and evaluation for the Winter Support Fund. Evaluations of the £25 million local authority flexible funding and £10 million Fuel Insecurity Fund will be published by summer 2022. We do not intend to publish an overar…
18 Feb 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the parameters and workstream details are for the programme of monitoring and evaluation of the Winter Support Fund.
Answer · Shona Robison: The £25 million local authority flexible funding will be evaluated on the key activities delivered and key groups supported while the funding issued through the Fuel Insecurity Fund and to third sector organisations will be evaluated against the objectives an…
17 Feb 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported global manufacturing slowdown as a result of COVID-19, what action it is taking to mitigate any delays in the construction of accessible social housing, in order to ensure that disabled and older people have access to suitable properties.
Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government continues to work closely with the construction sector, through the Construction Leadership Forum (CLF), to assess shortages of both materials and labour facing parts of the construction sector, including the manufacturing slowdown, an…
17 Feb 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any delays within the construction industry in (a) general and (b) relation to (i) workforce and (ii) material shortages, and what action it is taking to mitigate the impact of any delays on the construction of social housing.
Answer · Shona Robison: We set up a short life working group and worked at pace with industry to examine where the immediate shortages were most acute and to identify opportunities to remove barriers and build capacity within Scotland. A letter summarising the key findings from the …
10 Feb 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has plans to gather data on the number of people with no recourse to public funds (NRPF) who receive the Young Carer's Grant.
Answer · Ben Macpherson: We currently have no plans to collect information on how many applicants for Young Carer Grant have No Recourse to Public Funds.
10 Feb 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has carried out further analysis regarding its estimate of the 67,000 applications for the self-isolation support grant that are expected to be received in 2021/22 and, if so, whether its estimate has changed.
Answer · Kate Forbes: The Self-Isolation Support Grant (SISG) is designed to help workers who have to self-isolate for the required period to stop the onward spread of the virus. As a result, eligibility for the Grant aligns to the wider isolation policy. This means that forecasts…
10 Feb 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, regarding recruitment campaigns for Social Security Scotland, of those roles that are (a) being advertised and (b) at interview stage as of 18 February 2022, how many will be located in (i) Dundee and (ii) Glasgow.
Answer · Ben Macpherson: In response to the question regarding the locations of recruitment campaigns for Social Security Scotland at advertisement and interview stage as of 18 February 2022, please find below a breakdown of current campaigns and roles by location. For the purposes o…
10 Feb 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what method it is using to distribute funding between the 32 local authorities to support the implementation of the Child Disability Payment, and how much each local authority has received in 2021-22.
Answer · Ben Macpherson: The funding allocation is made on the basis of the anticipated level of need to support these processes in each Local Authority. Scottish Government Communities Analysis division have provided forecast estimates for the number of requests for supporting infor…
10 Feb 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what funding it has allocated to local authorities to support the implementation of the Child Disability Payment for (a) the remainder of 2021-22 and (b) 2022-23, broken down by local authority.
Answer · Ben Macpherson: Local Authorities have been provided with New Burdens funding to support new processes for gathering supporting information on behalf of clients applying for disability assistance. These new processes introduced a new requirement for Local Authorities to rece…
10 Feb 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government by when the process of accrediting more companies to its accessible vehicles and equipment scheme will be completed.
Answer · Ben Macpherson: Motability is currently the only provider accredited under the Accessible Vehicle and Equipment Scheme. The Scottish Government plans to begin work to re-open the Scheme to additional applicants later this year. We will announce a timetable for this in due c…
10 Feb 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many applications to the Gypsy/Traveller Accommodation Fund have been successful since it was launched.
Answer · Shona Robison: Since the Gypsy/Traveller Accommodation Fund was launched in June 2021 there have been three successful applications.
10 Feb 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on the number of hotels that are currently being used as accommodation for asylum seekers.
Answer · Shona Robison: Asylum is a matter reserved to the UK Parliament and handled by the Home Office. This includes provision of asylum accommodation to people who require it while awaiting the outcome of their asylum application. I have written to the Home Secretary and the UK…
10 Feb 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to provide further funding to local authorities in relation to support for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children arriving through the national transfer scheme.
Answer · Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-06639 on 5 March 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…
10 Feb 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to local authorities to accommodate and support unaccompanied asylum-seeking children arriving through the national transfer scheme.
Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government works closely with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities to support local authorities to accommodate and support unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) arriving in Scotland through the National Transfer Scheme (NTS). In l…
10 Feb 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when the next round of applications will open for the Gypsy/Traveller Accommodation Fund.
Answer · Shona Robison: The next round of funding for the Gypsy/Traveller Accommodation Fund will open in Spring 2022.
10 Feb 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much funding in total it has given to local authorities to support the administration of the self-isolation support grant in each month since its launch, broken down by local authority.
Answer · Kate Forbes: Local authorities have received a total of £3,056,147 in administration funding to process Self-isolation Support Grant (SISG) applications since it was launched in October 2020 until end December 2021. In addition to a fixed sum for administration start-up …
10 Feb 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what monitoring processes it has in place to ensure that money allocated via the Gypsy/Traveller Accommodation Fund is adequately and efficiently spent.
Answer · Shona Robison: It is a condition of grant under the Gypsy/Traveller Accommodation Fund that projects are developed in line with the Interim Site Design Guide, published by the Scottish Government in December 2021 to assist in the development of high quality accommodation. G…
10 Feb 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will carry out an evaluation of the impact on Gypsy/Traveller communities of the Gypsy/Traveller Accommodation Fund.
Answer · Shona Robison: Yes, the Scottish Government is currently developing plans for an evaluation of the Gypsy/Traveller Accommodation Fund, including the impact on site residents.
10 Feb 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government in which local authorities grants from the Gypsy/Traveller Accommodation Fund have been awarded since its launch.
Answer · Shona Robison: Since the Gypsy/Traveller Accommodation Fund was launched in June 2021 Aberdeen City Council, Clackmannanshire Council and Fife Council have been awarded grants.
10 Feb 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much funding Glasgow City Council received, from the £23.5 million allocated to homelessness prevention, in 2021-22.
Answer · Shona Robison: In 2021-22, Glasgow City Council received £4.826 million from the £23.5 million provided to local authorities for preventing and responding to homelessness.