Nanette Milne

Answer · Aileen McLeod · 15 Mar 2016

The Scottish Government does not currently hold the requested information. Local authorities are administering the grant scheme and are in the process of considering claims and making payments. At the end of the financial year we will be asking local authorities to provide information on the number of applications they have received and the number of payments they have made.

Answer · Marco Biagi · 17 Feb 2016

The Scottish Government will bring forward proposals for reform to the council tax that will reflect the principles of the Commission on Local Tax Reform’s report before the end of the parliamentary term. We therefore have no such plans.

Answer · Marco Biagi · 17 Feb 2016

This information does not exist. The Commission on Local Tax Reform did not make such a proposal.

Answer · Alasdair Allan · 11 Feb 2016

Since the Chief Scientific Adviser (CSA) post was vacated the remaining chief scientists, covering health and rural affairs, food and the environment, continue to carry out key tasks that would usually be done by the CSA for Scotland.
The Scottish Government remains committed to drawing on the very best science advice and expertise. Ministers and officials continue to draw upon a range of science advice and expertise across all policy areas including, but not confined to, the Chief Medical Officer, the Chief Scientist (health), the Chief Scientific Adviser (Rural Affairs, Food and Environment), and the Chief Veterinary Officer. Advice is also routinely available from Marine Scotland and Science Advice for Scottish Agriculture. Such advice covers developments and issues that affect a range of policy areas.
New members of the Scottish Science Advisory Council, appointed as of 1 February 2016, will also provide scientific advice to Scottish Government and their first meeting will be on 4 March 2016.

Answer · Alasdair Allan · 11 Feb 2016

The post of Chief Scientific Adviser for Scotland has been advertised since 22 December 2015. The deadline for applications is 29 February 2016. Interviews will be held in April 2016, and we expect that the successful candidate will be announced as soon as possible after that.

Answer · Aileen McLeod · 4 Feb 2016

Although the impacts of the recent flooding are still being felt and will continue to be assessed over the coming weeks, we have not received any indication that any of Scotland’s flood defences were overwhelmed in the way that has happened during the extreme flooding events in England, and which has prompted the UK Government’s review.
In any case, all the existing flood defences in Scotland were assessed in 2007 as part of the establishment of the Scottish Government’s Flood Defence Asset Database.
Since then, a new National Flood Risk Assessment has been undertaken by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, and the resulting flood risk management strategies were published in December 2015. For the first time ever, we have a national picture of flood risk across Scotland. This is a major step forward in our understanding of flood risk, and will make sure that Scotland is as prepared as we can be, to deal with any such future events which may become more frequent with the onset of climate change.

Answer · Aileen McLeod · 26 Jan 2016

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-29332 on 22 January 2016. 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/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.