Pauline McNeill

18 May 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the monitoring and evaluation process is for monies allocated to support community projects from the Supporting Communities Fund.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: The Supporting Communities Fund has, as of 27 May 2020, approved funding for over 325 community anchor organisations (CAOs) across Scotland, who in turn can distribute funds to a wider network of community groups. The CAOs are required to provide a proportio…

18 May 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what criteria were used to allocate the first tranche of funding from the Supporting Communities Fund, and what criteria it will use to allocate the second tranche.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: I announced the Supporting Communities Fund (SCF) on 18 March 2020 as part of a package of £350 million investment to support local communities and households in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. This overall investment has comprised of a range of funds t…

18 May 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many community organisations made applications to the Supporting Communities Fund, and when the application process will open for the next £10 million available.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: The Supporting Communities Fund has, as of 27 May 2020, approved funding for 325 organisations. A list of those organisations is available on the SCVO Coronavirus Third Sector Information Hub at: https://scvo.org.uk/support/coronavirus/funding/scottish-gover…

18 May 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish equality monitoring information on the grants allocated to date by the Supporting Communities Fund.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: We are considering equalities issues through the approval process and through work to identify gaps in funding. We are also considering how best to make equalities information available as part of our overall monitoring of the fund.  

18 May 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what role SCVO has in allocating grants from the Supporting Communities Fund.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: SCVO has not been involved in allocating grants from the Supporting Communities Fund. SCVO has, however, included information on the Fund within its online Coronavirus Third Sector Information Hub: https://scvo.org.uk/support/coronavirus/funding/scottish-gov…

18 May 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what involvement COSLA had in allocating the first tranche of funding, and will have in allocating the second tranche of funding, from the Supporting Communities Fund.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: The £40m Supporting Communities Fund is a Scottish Government fund aimed at local community groups supporting people in their communities impacted by COVID-19. The fund is being targeted through community anchor organisations, utilising and building upon the …

18 May 2020 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister what analysis the Scottish Government has made regarding the potential impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on women's position in the labour market.

12 May 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether there are plans to extend 100% rates relief to estate agents, to match that given to letting agents in March 2020.

Answer · Kate Forbes: The Scottish Government has introduced a package of support measures to limit the impact of COVID-19 on the business community, this includes a 100 per cent rate relief for non-domestic properties in the Retail, Hospitality, Leisure and Airport (RHLA) sectors…

7 Apr 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of public concerns regarding the COVID-19 outbreak, and to keep the public informed, what action it will take to prioritise and expedite responses to parliamentary questions on this issue, and whether it will consider introducing a shorter expected answer date procedure.

Answer · Graeme Dey: The Government endeavours to ensure that all parliamentary questions are answered as soon as possible and within relevant guidelines as reflected in Standing Orders. Scottish Ministers recognise that members' may receive a significant number of queries from …

30 Mar 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) assessments will be suspended due to COVID-19.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) is a working age benefit which remains remain reserved to the UK Government. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) announced that face-to-face assessments for ESA will be suspended for three months, with effect from…

23 Mar 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government where each COVID-19 test centre is located.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: Laboratory testing for COVID-19 currently takes place in the following health boards; - Ayrshire and Arran - Fife - Forth Valley - Grampian - Greater Glasgow and Clyde - Highland - Lothian - Tayside

23 Mar 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government who is being tested for COVID-19.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: In order to make best use of available testing capacity we identified three priorities for testing: to direct our testing capacity effectively to save lives and protect the vulnerable; to ensure that critical staff can return to work as soon as possible and t…

18 Mar 2020 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to increase the number of apprenticeships for heat pump and hydrogen engineers.

Answer · Jamie Hepburn: Apprenticeship opportunities are promoted by Skills Development Scotland through a variety of activities, including advertising, regional and sectoral engagement, and their Careers and Information Guidance service. Engineering apprenticeships have benefited …

11 Mar 2020 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported concerns that the suspension of grants by Scottish Enterprise is because of organisational mismanagement and not success in stimulating demand for strategic investment.

9 Mar 2020 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to comments by Scottish Women's Aid that victims of domestic violence face being put on waiting lists of up to six months before they can access services.

5 Mar 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has carried out of the impact that subsidised public transport would have on reducing carbon emissions.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government is committed to transitioning to a net-zero society by 2045. Our National Transport Strategy sets out our strategic vision for the future of transport in Scotland. It identifies taking climate action as a key priority and embeds the su…

5 Mar 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Glasgow City Council regarding the city's carbon reduction targets.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government welcomes that Glasgow City Council has committed to very strong targets to tackle climate change. The Scottish Government is working with the city on a range of partnerships. For example, Glasgow hosting this year’s crucial United Nati…

5 Mar 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has carried out of the increase in public transport infrastructure and availability that is necessary in order to achieve the reduction in the number of car journeys that is required to meet its climate change targets.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government spends over £1 billion per annum supporting Scotland’s public transport system. The recently published National Transport Strategy, sets out the future direction for transport and reflects the declaration of the global climate emergenc…

5 Mar 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to providing a universal public transport subsidy in order to meet its climate change targets.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government already subsidises all public transport through a variety of mechanisms. Bus operators in Scotland received £314 million in 2018-19 from central and local government through the Bus Service Operators Grant, concessionary travel reimbur…

5 Mar 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to support small home builders to deliver carbon neutral/negative housing in order to meet its climate change targets.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that, from 2024, new build homes must use renewable or low carbon heat. We are working with the construction sector to support good practice to inform the development of regulations to achieve this, and will co…

5 Mar 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to support homeowners and landlords to replace gas central heating with low- or zero-carbon alternatives in order to meet its climate change targets.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: In the Draft 2020-21 Budget we announced an ambitious and broad package of capital investment aimed at making demonstrable progress towards decarbonising our homes and buildings. This included a £120 million Heat Transition Deal, which will support the move t…

4 Mar 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what support it plans to provide to low-income workers with underlying health conditions who are unable to financially afford to self-isolate to guard against the coronavirus, COVID-19. 

Answer · Jamie Hepburn: The Scottish Government strongly encourages all employers to adopt Fair Work principles and apply a flexible approach to planning for and dealing with the potential impacts of COVID-19 on workers and workplaces. Employment legislation, including for statutor…

3 Mar 2020 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported concerns regarding morale at the Glasgow School of Art.

20 Feb 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recommendation by the Royal College of Physicians that all patients should receive copies of letters about them that have been sent from consultants to their GP.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government supports clinicians writing directly to patients where they are able and willing to do so. The Chief Medical Officer’s annual report, ‘Practising Realistic Medicine’, shares examples of good practice to encourage others to consider ado…

17 Feb 2020 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it will grow the live music industry in Scotland, given the closure of the O2 ABC.

17 Feb 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what support is available to tenants in private-rented accommodation who are required to vacate their homes while energy-efficiency measures are installed.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: Sitting tenants should not generally be required to vacate their homes for the installation of energy efficiency measures. The landlord must initially meet the standard when there is a change of tenancy – so for the first two years there will be no need for …

17 Feb 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has carried out with local authorities about their new enforcement responsibilities regarding the energy efficiency of private-rented properties.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Scottish Government regularly met with local authorities, individually or as part of a group before and during the 2019 consultation and continues to have discussions with local authorities. The Scottish Government set up a short life working group on en…

17 Feb 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has carried out with landlords regarding the changes that they might be required to make to their properties to ensure that these achieve an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of at least E by 1 October 2020.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: The draft regulations require that new tenancies in the private rented sector (PRS) must meet an EPC rating of E from 1 October 2020. The Scottish Government set up a working group to develop these proposals, and membership included the Scottish Association …

17 Feb 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what support is available to tenants who, for a legitimate reason, refuse access to their homes for energy-efficiency improvements to be carried out and subsequently face the risk of eviction.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: As stated in the answer to S5W-27472 on 27 February 2020, if, in advance of the backstop date, the tenant has not changed, and has legitimate reasons to refuse access for installing measures, the regulations allow the landlord to seek an exemption based on th…

17 Feb 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that the sector has a high recorded level of fuel poverty based on tenure, what its response it to concerns that its Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating targets for the private-rented sector are not sufficiently ambitious.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: Addressing fuel poverty, climate change and tackling energy efficiency have been long term priorities for the Scottish Government. Improving the energy efficiency of homes in the PRS sector is part of an overall framework of standards and support across all …