Parliamentary questions
Jackie Baillie
9,393 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
23 Sep 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what employment support programmes were in place prior to those created as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, broken down by the (a) group that the programme targets, (b) budget for the programme in each year that it has been running, (c) number of programme participants and (d) number o…
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: We are committed to providing a mixed economy of provision to meet the needs of those seeking to move towards and into work across Scotland. Details of our existing employability programmes are as follows: 1. No One Left Behind, delivered in partnership with…
23 Sep 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what existing employment support programmes have been enhanced as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, broken down by the (a) budget increase for each programme and (b) additional number of participants that any budget increase will fund.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: The Scottish Government has allocated an additional £100 million of funding for existing employment support programmes this financial year. This includes a further £25 million for National Transitional Funding, £10 million to recruit and retrain apprenticeshi…
23 Sep 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the level of unemployment has been in each year since 2007, broken down by (a) gender, (b) disability status, (c) BAME identification and (d) the 16 to 24-year-old age group.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: Table A provides the estimated unemployment levels and rates by gender, for May - July 2007 to May – July 2020, sourced from the Labour Force Survey: Table A: Unemployment Level and Rate by Gender, May-July 2007 to May-July 2020, Scotland All Women Male…
23 Sep 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what new employment support programmes have been created to response to the COVID-19 pandemic, broken down by the (a) group that the programme targets, (b) budget for the programme and (c) anticipated number of participants.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-32029 on 5 October 2020. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness…
23 Sep 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the estimated level of (a) unemployment and (b) youth unemployment will be by the end of the current financial year.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Forecasts of unemployment for Scotland are produced by the Scottish Fiscal Commission, who are Scotland’s official forecaster. Their last published forecast, from February 2020, was prior to the full impact of COVID-19 becoming known and consequently did not …
23 Sep 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what (a) representations it has received on and (b) assessment it has made of the impact on the Scottish retail and tourism sectors of the UK Government's decision to withdraw tax-free shopping from the start of 2021.
Answer · Kate Forbes: This change was announced suddenly by the UK Government and, despite the obvious and substantial implications for the Scottish retail and tourism sectors, without prior engagement with Scottish Government officials. Accordingly, we have had no opportunity to …
21 Sep 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to S5W-30512 by Roseanna Cunningham on 10 July 2020, what role the OECD has played regarding the Water Industry Commission for Scotland’s Strategic Review of Charges (SRC) since 2018; whether it has a contractual relationship for the 2021 SRC and, if so, (a) what t…
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The OECD is conducting an independent peer review of the Strategic Review of Charges (SRC) 2021-27. The peers are a group of international experts in the regulatory field and members of the OECD’s Network of Economic Regulators (NER). A report of their findin…
21 Sep 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether Scottish Water's (a) business and (b) domestic customers are subject to any potential liability arising from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the subsidiaries offering services in England that are owned by Business Stream.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-31954 on 30 October 2020. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusines…
21 Sep 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government further to the answer to S5W-31236 by Kate Forbes on 26 August 2020, whether the accountable officers in each agency outside the Scottish Government Main (SGM) arrangements are (a) issued with guidance regarding appropriate pay and grading arrangements, (b) given any pay remit specific t…
Answer · Kate Forbes: In response to each of your points regarding Accountable Officers in agencies outside the Scottish Government Main arrangements: (a) All Accountable Officers are issued with a designation letter from the Permanent Secretary to the Scottish Government that sp…
21 Sep 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-28724 by Roseanna Cunningham on 6 May 2020, whether it will provide an update on when the Scottish Water strategic review of charges will be completed and presented to ministers.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: In accordance with section 29B(4) of the Water Industry Act 2002, the Water Industry Commission for Scotland published its draft determination of charges for consultation on 8 October 2020. Following a period of consultation, WICS will publish the final deter…
21 Sep 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether Business Stream is the provider of last resort for licenced water providers that are not able to continue to provide their services and, if so, what liability it has for arrears of payments or bad debt when acting in this capacity for providers that cease trading.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Business Stream, alongside three other retailers, is a provider of last resort (POLR) in the Scottish retail market. In the event that a retailer were to cease trading, Business Stream would, as any other POLR licensed provider, be liable towards Scottish Wat…
21 Sep 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what liability Scottish Water has for any debts of Business Stream, and whether domestic customers are insulated from any liability it might have as a result of business customer income reducing to Business Stream.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Business Stream is a subsidiary of Scottish Water and as such its financial position is consolidated into the Scottish Water accounts. Business Stream operates under a robust governance code such that it trades fully at arm’s length from the core business of …
21 Sep 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-29650 by Roseanna Cunningham on 11 June 2020, whether it will provide an update on whether, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, Scottish Water has offered to pay contractors that are unable to continue delivery of work on capital investment and maint…
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Contractors working on Scottish Water’s capital programme were unable to work from 23 March 2020 until the end of May in line with lockdown guidance. Since the end of May Scottish Water’s capital programme has been remobilised and most projects are now back u…
21 Sep 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the implications of a rise in council tax payment debt could be for Scottish Water in the current financial year, and what indications it has had of whether there will be such a rise.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: This is one of a number of financial implications arising from the Covid-19 pandemic and the position is being carefully monitored by Scottish Water and the Scottish Government.
21 Sep 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic will be on the income of Business Stream in 2020-21.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Business Stream remains an important part of the Scottish Water group and its finances are being carefully monitored. As with all licensed providers, and many other sectors, income will be affected by a number of factors including lower activity and the defer…
21 Sep 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has regarding the levels of debt that are being borne by licenced providers of water, and how much this has risen because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government does not hold this information.
21 Sep 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether any licenced provider of water has ceased trading since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: No Licensed Providers have ceased trading since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
21 Sep 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-30017 by Roseanna Cunningham on 2 July 2020, whether it expects Scottish Water to draw down all of the borrowing available to it in 2020-21.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The current expectation is that Scottish Water will draw down all available borrowing in 2020-21.
21 Sep 2020 · First Minister's Question
To ask the First Minister for what reason the Scottish Government will not meet its target of helping 38,000 people back into employment through the Fair Start Scotland programme.
21 Sep 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made in establishing the data gathering mechanisms required to enable the Scottish National Investment Bank to fulfil its statutory obligations regarding intersectional gender-sensitive sex-disaggregated data on its activities.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Scottish National Investment Bank, once established, will have responsibility for ensuring that its processes and procedures enable it to fulfil its statutory obligations. This will include developing appropriate data gathering mechanisms in relation to t…
21 Sep 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made on the development of the Scottish National Investment Bank’s statutory Gender Equality Strategy, and whether the Bank will have a gender equality strategy at its launch.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Scottish National Investment Bank is on track to launch later this year. Once established, the Bank will be able to deliver long-term, strategic investment in businesses and communities across Scotland. The Bank will be required to develop, and to periodi…
21 Sep 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how equality and non-discrimination have informed preparatory work on the Scottish National Investment Bank’s lending and investment criteria ahead of its launch.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Bank’s investment policies will take account of its legal obligations as a lender and investor, will be aligned with its investment strategy, and will incorporate the ethical investment standards that it is required to produce. Those standards will align …
21 Sep 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how equality and non-discrimination have informed the missions consulted on in the proposal to set missions for the Scottish National Investment Bank.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Equalities legislation will be amended so that the Public Sector Equality Duty applies to the Bank, requiring it to have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination and advance equality of opportunity when carrying out its activities. The Bank’s polici…
16 Sep 2020 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to provide the outdoor learning and youth work sector with the financial support required to prevent the permanent closure of outdoor residential centres.
14 Sep 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many civil servants were involved in the work preparing for the judicial review into the handling of sexual harassment complaints, broken down by (a) the hours that they were involved and (b) salary band.
Answer · John Swinney: Staff working on responding to the judicial review are civil servants who receive a salary rather than being separately remunerated for dealing with particular matters. In addition, they do not record the proportion of their time that they spend working on pa…
14 Sep 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it can calculate the cost of staff time to answer FOI requests but is unable to provide information to a parliamentary committee regarding the cost of staff time in the work of preparing for the judicial review into the handling of sexual harassment complaints.
Answer · John Swinney: As the Minister for Parliamentary Business & Veterans reported to the Public Audit and Post-legislative Scrutiny Committee on 19 December 2019, we have a rough number for the cost to the Scottish Government of dealing with FOI. In 2012, the Scottish Governme…
14 Sep 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to provide the outdoor learning and youth work sector with the financial support required to prevent the permanent closure of outdoor residential centres.
14 Sep 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether parents can be considered part of the care team for people with learning disabilities living in supported accommodation to enable them to visit and be subject to the same restrictions that apply to care home staff.
Answer · Clare Haughey: Scottish Government is actively considering ways to open up further visiting options for people living in care homes and hopes to publish plans in the near future. These actions will need to support a balancing of risks from infection being brought into care …
14 Sep 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether individual risk assessments are being carried out for people with learning disabilities living in supported accommodation or care homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, or whether it is blanket guidance that is being applied.
Answer · Clare Haughey: Guidance issued by the Scottish Government recommends that care homes and supported accommodation carry out individual risk assessments to ensure all residents, including those with learning disabilities, are safe. The guidance also outlines that potential ap…
14 Sep 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will produce specific guidance for people with learning disabilities living in supported accommodation or care homes during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answer · Clare Haughey: On the 21 August, Health Protection Scotland published COVID-19 - information and guidance for social, community and residential care settings. This guidance covers supported accommodation settings and can be found at https://www.hps.scot.nhs.uk/web-resource…