Parliamentary questions
Pauline McNeill
2,367 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
31 Aug 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government which local authorities have implemented rent caps in areas of their responsibility since the Private Housing (Tenancies) (Scotland) Act 2016 came into force.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Private Housing (Tenancies) (Scotland) Act 2016 is not yet in force. It is expected to commence in December 2017.
31 Aug 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made with its plans to require public authorities to publish their gender pay gap every two years.
Answer · Angela Constance: The Scottish Government introduced mandatory gender pay gap reporting for listed public authorities with more than 150 employees in 2012. The Equality Act 2010 (Specific Duties) (Scotland) Regulations 2012 requires listed public authorities to publish informa…
31 Aug 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of recent reports of a gender pay gap in Scotland of 29.9%, what steps it is taking to reduce this.
Answer · Keith Brown: We do not recognise the figures quoted. The long-term trends in relation to the gender pay gap in Scotland are positive. The official source of UK earnings estimates is the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), 2015. ASHE provides evidence to support po…
31 Aug 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to tackle gender inequality of opportunity in the workplace.
Answer · Keith Brown: Creating a fairer workplace is essential to a sustained, long-term prosperous economy. Scotland’s labour market strategy launched on 26 August 2016, sets out a vision for a strong labour market where fair work drives inclusive, sustainable economic growth and…
31 Aug 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it can take to ensure that people without internet access are empowered to be active consumers and use online tools, such as comparison websites, to ensure that they are finding the best deals for essential goods and services.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: Since measurement began in 2007, the percentage of people in Scotland using the internet has steadily increased by over 19%. 82% of citizens are now online and reaping the economic, social and cultural benefits that the internet can bring them. Recent resea…
31 Aug 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it is working with the UK Government, regulators, consumer organisations, charities and other stakeholders to reduce the impact of the poverty premium on low income consumers.
Answer · Angela Constance: The poverty premium was raised as an issue of particular concern by many people during our Fairer Scotland discussions last year. We will shortly be publishing our Fairer Scotland Action Plan which will respond to this and other key issues that were raised du…
31 Aug 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it can take to encourage alternative finance provision, including the promotion of community development finance initiatives, credit unions and peer-to-peer lending, for low income consumers.
Answer · Angela Constance: The Scottish Government is keen to encourage alternative finance provision, with a range of models designed to suit the circumstances of individuals as part of our wider approach to tackling financial exclusion and creating a fairer Scotland. We welcome the…
27 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it offers guidance on the private tutoring of 14 to 18-year-olds and, if so, whether this includes its position on how much tutors should charge.
Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government does not offer guidance on the use of private tutors.
27 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the private tutoring of 14 to 18-year-olds, including how this impacts on equalities.
Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government does not advocate the use of private tutors. This is matter for parents and local authorities. We recognise that children affected by poverty can face barriers to accessing education. That is why the Scottish Government has prioritised…
27 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it allocates funding to allow 14 to 18-year-olds from poorer backgrounds access to private tutoring and, if so, how much.
Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government does not offer funding for the purposes of accessing private tutors.
27 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has regarding the number of private tutors of 14 to 18-year-olds there are in each local authority area.
Answer · John Swinney: This information is not held centrally.
26 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it takes to support people affected by in-work poverty.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: The Scottish Government is fully committed to tackling poverty and inequality, including in-work poverty. The First Minister's Independent Advisor on Poverty and Inequality, Naomi Eisenstadt, raised in-work poverty as a priority in her report, Shifting the Cu…
26 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many households are in fuel poverty.
Answer · Angela Constance: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-01389 on 27 July 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.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28…
26 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what impact fuel poverty has on children’s academic attainment and what action it is taking to address this.
Answer · Angela Constance: The Scottish Government does not collect statistics on the impact of fuel poverty on children’s academic attainment. This Government remains committed to tackling both fuel poverty and child poverty and ensuring that children from low income households live…
26 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what impact reductions in local government budget settlements have had on poverty rates, broken down by local authority.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: Despite the significant cuts that Westminster has imposed on the Scottish Budget, local government funding has been given a degree of protection with core funding protected and new money provided for additional responsibilities in each of the four years (2012…
26 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much support it has provided to Glasgow City Council in addition to the annual local government settlement in each of the last five years, and what information it has on how much of this the council subsequently allocated to (a) employment schemes, (b) welfare reform measures, (c) re…
Answer · Kevin Stewart: The vast majority of the funding the Scottish Government provides to Glasgow City Council is through the annual local government settlement, including all of the funding for most of the services requested. All of Scotland's 32 local authorities, including Gl…
26 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what impact the local authority funding settlement for 2016-17 will have on homelessness in Glasgow.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: In 2016-17 Glasgow City Council is receiving its fair share of total funding which this year will amount to almost £1,344 million. The vast majority of this funding is provided by way of a block grant and it is the responsibility of each local authority to m…
26 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many children have been (a) placed in (i) foster and (ii) kinship care and (b) classified as homeless as a result of parental imprisonment in each of the last five years.
Answer · Mark McDonald: The Scottish Government does not collect data on the sub-reasons for children becoming looked after, so it is not possible to provide specific data on the numbers of children being placed in kinship and foster care due to parental imprisonment.The annual tota…
26 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to (a) prevent and (b) tackle youth homelessness.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Scottish Government recognises that young people can be at particular risk of homelessness and that preventing and tackling the reasons for this are a priority. Recorded homelessness amongst young people aged 16 to 24 has been falling in Scotland since 2…
26 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to (a) prevent and (b) tackle homelessness among ex-prisoners and their families.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Scottish Government is committed to addressing homelessness amongst ex-prisoners and their families. All those assessed as unintentionally homeless by local authorities, including prisoners who face homelessness upon liberation, are entitled to settled ac…
6 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its policy is on (a) temporary accommodation and (b) hostels.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Housing (Scotland) Act 1987, as amended, gives all those assessed as homeless the right to temporary accommodation. Scottish Government policy is that temporary accommodation should be of a good standard and the stay there should be as short as possible.…
6 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the current improvements to Glasgow Queen Street rail station will be completed to allow the station to reopen to the public in early August 2016.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: Network Rail advise us that the work in Queen Street Tunnel is making good progress. The tunnel remains on schedule to re-open as planned on 8 August 2016.
6 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish the reasons for the delay of the electrification of the Glasgow to Edinburgh rail line.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: At my instruction, Transport Scotland are undertaking an intensive review of the Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement Programme. This work is expected to conclude in September 2016. In my statement of 5 July 2016, I made clear my intention to bring the review findin…
6 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the delays to electrification of the Glasgow to Edinburgh rail line are a result of financial considerations.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: Financial considerations are not the reason for the delays to the electrification of the Edinburgh Glasgow line now being reported by Network Rail. The reasons will be set out in full following the conclusion of the Transport Scotland led review.
5 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with Creative Scotland regarding funding to support contemporary musicians.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Scottish Government has regular discussions on a wide range of subjects with Creative Scotland but has not recently discussed specific support for contemporary musicians. Occasionally musicians write to the Scottish Government about opportunities for supp…
5 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how children are selected for the Big Noise programme.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Each of the Big Noise centres deliver an intensive, immersive and inclusive programme with Sistema Scotland working with the relevant local authorities and identified schools and nurseries in the areas that Big Noise centres operate in Raploch, Govanhill and …
5 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what funding it provides to (a) El Sistema and (b) the Big Noise programme in Glasgow.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Based on the methods of Venezuela’s ‘El Sistema’ movement, Sistema Scotland develop orchestra centres which are known in the community as ‘Big Noise’. The Scottish Government is supporting Sistema Scotland over the next four years with £2.5million investment …
5 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many children are admitted to the El Sistema orchestra in each area.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: There are nearly 1,800 children and young people engaging regularly with the three established Sistema Scotland Big Noise centres. Big Noise Raploch works with almost 500 children and young people on a regular basis, Big Noise Govanhill works with almost 800 …
5 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether there is guidance for local authorities on charging for music tuition.
Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government does not provide guidance to local authorities on charging for music tuition. Local authorities determine their own polices on, for example, tuition costs, concession rates, selection procedures, available instruments and hire and a…
5 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what priority it will give to the provision of free music tuition for children.
Answer · John Swinney: Decisions about the provision of instrumental music tuition, including policies for access, concessions and charging, are for each local authority according to local priorities, demands, circumstances and traditions. Information on the government’s work o…