Parliamentary questions
Jackie Baillie
9,397 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
25 Nov 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made with the repairs to Dumbarton Castle and when it expects the scaffolding to be removed.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Dumbarton Castle is a property in the care of the Scottish Ministers (PiC). The conservation, operation and management of the PiCs is now delegated to Historic Environment Scotland following its assumption of the functions of Historic Scotland and The Royal C…
25 Nov 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what financial support it has provided for the restoration and preservation of Dumbarton Castle in each of the last seven years.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Dumbarton Castle is a property in the care of the Scottish Ministers (PiC). The conservation, operation and management of the PiCs is now delegated to Historic Environment Scotland following its assumption of the functions of Historic Scotland and The Royal C…
24 Nov 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has provided to each (a) local authority and (b) housing association in each local authority area to pay for home adaptations to meet the accessibility requirements of disabled people in each year since 2007-08.
Answer · Margaret Burgess: a) Local authorities fund adaptations to their own stock from the Housing Revenue Account. Funding for adaptations to owner occupied and private rented properties is part of the block grant made available to local authorities by the Scottish Government. b) T…
24 Nov 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide additional financial support to people with muscle-wasting conditions to pay for home adaptations to meet their accessibility requirements.
Answer · Margaret Burgess: The Scottish Government provides a range of support for individuals who need home adaptations. Direct financial support is provided through Registered Social Landlords (RSLs), the Help to Adapt pilot and self-directed support: During the current financial ye…
24 Nov 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) unoccupied wheelchair-accessible properties there are and (b) people are on a waiting list for wheelchair-accessible property in each local authority area.
Answer · Margaret Burgess: The information is not held by the Scottish Government.
23 Nov 2015 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government when the review of the new curriculum model at Hermitage Academy will report and what measures it considers are necessary to improve it for those about to sit examinations.
Answer · Angela Constance: The review has now concluded, and a report is being prepared for Argyll and Bute Council’s Community Services Committee, which meets on 10 December 2015. Education Scotland will shortly provide all parents with a brief letter outlining its current involvemen…
19 Nov 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-28210 by John Swinney on 13 November 2015, in light of the commitment made in the code, whether it will ensure that the list of gifts received will be published on a quarterly basis.
Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government ensures the list of gifts received by ministers is published on a quarterly basis in line with the Scottish Ministerial Code.
19 Nov 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it will provide a substantive answer to question S4W-27885, which received a holding answer on 3 November 2015, and what the reason is for the delay in providing such an answer.
Answer · John Swinney: Parliamentary question S4W-27885 was answered on 25 November 2015.
18 Nov 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has regarding how much was collected in Scotland from stamp duty in each month between April 2012 and March 2015.
Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government had no responsibility for the operation of Stamp Duty Land Tax in Scotland, which was reserved to the UK Government. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) publishes annual UK stamp tax statistics, which include data on Scottish receipts. Publ…
18 Nov 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much it estimates the yield will be from the land and buildings transaction tax in each month from November 2015 to March 2016.
Answer · John Swinney: Revenues from Land and Buildings Transaction Tax remain on track and in line with the Scottish Government expectations. The Scottish Fiscal Commission submitted a monthly breakdown of the Scottish Government's 2015-16 residential revenue forecast for Land a…
16 Nov 2015 · First Minister's Question
To ask the First Minister what discussions the Scottish Government has had with the UK Government regarding using the new welfare top-up powers that are being devolved.
10 Nov 2015 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether there should be an independent review of the new curriculum model at Hermitage Academy in Helensburgh.
Answer · Angela Constance: Education Scotland is now participating in order to offer advice on the local authority’s internal review of Hermitage Academy’s curriculum model. I want to reassure the local member and indeed, parents and families with children at Hermitage Academy that I …
10 Nov 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when the funding for carer information strategies will stop.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-28360 on 19 November 2015. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentar…
10 Nov 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will put transitional financial arrangements to cover any gap between the end of the carer information strategies funding and the commencement of funding from the Carers (Scotland) Bill.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: Funding for carer information strategies is currently included in baseline funding. Our assumption is for this to continue in 2016-17, subject to the spending review process. Scottish ministers will publish the 2016-17 Draft Budget on 16 December 2015 followi…
10 Nov 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the estimated cost is for each year of waiving care charges for support provided under section 22 of the Carers (Scotland) Bill.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: The estimated cost of replacement care will be a maximum of £16 million beginning in year one of the implementation of the Carers Bill, expected to be in 2017-18. This should be regarded as a maximum estimate.
10 Nov 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the estimated cost of waiving care charges for support provided under section 22 of the Carers (Scotland) Bill applies to existing services.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: The Social Care (Self-directed Support) (Scotland) Act 2013, which came into force in April 2014, introduced a discretionary power for local authorities to support carers. Prior to April 2014, if local authorities supported carers they either did not charge c…
10 Nov 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any increased demand for services from carers, and consequent increase in cost, as a result of the Carers (Scotland) Bill.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: The assessment of demand for support for carers is set out in the Financial Memorandum for the Carers Bill.
10 Nov 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the estimated £16 million a year cost of replacement care will come from the existing financial envelope for the Carers (Scotland) Bill and, if so, how much is left in the budget for each year.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: The estimated cost of replacement care meeting the carer's identified needs is a maximum of £16 million. Our expectation is that the cost of replacement care will be significantly less than £16 million and that there should be sufficient flexibility within th…
2 Nov 2015 · First Minister's Question
To ask the First Minister whether the Scottish Government will provide assistance to families who lose tax credits as a result of the UK Government's proposals.
29 Oct 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the commitment made at point 11.22 of the Scottish Ministerial Code, when it will publish on a quarterly basis the list of gifts received by ministers.
Answer · John Swinney: All gifts received by ministers are proactively published and updated on the Scottish Government website. Gifts received for all ministers up to 30 September 2015 can be found at: http://www.gov.scot/About/People/14944/Events-Engagements/gifts/2015-2016Gift…
6 Oct 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when the Ministerial Advisory Group on Child Poverty last met, and what meetings are scheduled for the remainder of 2015-16.
Answer · Margaret Burgess: The Ministerial Advisory Group on Child Poverty met with officials on 15 September 2015, and discussed a number of issues related to child poverty in Scotland, including the future approach to tackling child poverty in Scotland in light of the changes being p…
5 Oct 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much has been in the trading fund operated by Registers of Scotland in each year since its inception; what its purpose is; what restrictions are placed on its use, and how it has been deployed.
Answer · John Swinney: Registers of Scotland (RoS) delivers customer-focussed registration and information services that create value for Scotland. Operating as a trading fund since 1996, the fees paid by its customers must be sufficient to cover its expenditure, including cyclical…
5 Oct 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether all government agencies, non-departmental public bodies and other arm's-length government bodies are expected to follow the public sector pay policy.
Answer · John Swinney: All bodies listed in the attached link are required to follow the Scottish Government’s public sector pay policy: http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Government/public-sector-pay/staff-pay/public-bodies-covered.
5 Oct 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government which (a) government agencies, (b) non-departmental public bodies and (c) other arm's-length government bodies have pay bargaining units; how many employees there are in each, and what the salary cost is.
Answer · John Swinney: Government agencies are part of the Scottish Government Main pay bargaining unit. Each non-departmental public body and other arm's length body subject to Scottish ministers' pay policy submits an individual pay remit. Three smaller bodies choose to analogue …
5 Oct 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will relax some of the restrictions in the forthcoming pay remit guidance to allow employers to update and modernise their pay systems.
Answer · John Swinney: Scottish Ministers' pay policy for 2016-17 which will be published alongside the draft budget. A range of options to provide some flexibility for employers to address local issues in their pay systems, whilst maintaining affordability, are being considered.
5 Oct 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the Scottish Ministers' pay remit guidance.
Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government will publish its pay policy alongside its draft budget, following the publication of the UK Government spending review.
5 Oct 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it will begin the next round of pay negotiations with the trade unions representing civil servants.
Answer · John Swinney: The next pay review date for Scottish Government staff is 1 August 2016. Informal scoping discussions will begin soon with the recognised trade unions representing staff in the Scottish Government main and marine pay bargaining units. The formal negotiation p…
5 Oct 2015 · Topical Question
To ask the Scottish Government when the Crown Office was first notified of the allegations of mortgage fraud against Christopher Hales.
27 Sep 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-26462 by John Swinney on 31 July 2015, what other capital projects will be subject to changes to staffing as a result of the transition to the European System of Accounts 2010 (ESA 10).
Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer given to question S4W-26462 on 31 July 2015. There will be no change to the delivery or staffing of soft services under the revised hub structure.
27 Sep 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-26463 by John Swinney on 31 July 2015, whether it has discussed the revised structure for the proposed model with the Office for National Statistics and, if so, when.
Answer · John Swinney: As I advised Parliament on 9 September 2015, the Scottish Futures Trust has submitted proposals for changing the hub model to the Office for National Statistics, which has indicated that it hopes to respond to these proposals in the course of November 2015.