Parliamentary questions

Kezia Dugdale

1,684 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

9 Feb 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how VisitScotland supports Pride events.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-14587 on 22 February 2018. 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/parliamentarybusine…

9 Feb 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how its tourism budget promotes Scotland as a destination for LGBT visitors from overseas.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Supported by the tourism budget, VisitScotland’s consumer website has a dedicated page which welcomes LGBTI visitors to Scotland and showcases a wide range of LGBTI community events and attractions across the country, including the Pride events. Information o…

7 Feb 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding amending the Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003 to include the carers allowance supplement in the list of social security benefits that are wholly exempt from tax.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: Carer’s Allowance is a taxable benefit and therefore Carer’s Allowance Supplement will be taxable, as the legal definition of income for tax purposes remains reserved to the UK Government. The Scottish Government does not have the power to change this as set …

7 Feb 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that the increase in the care allowance will not be absorbed by the universal credit system.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government has agreed with the UK Government, through the Fiscal Framework, that any new benefits or discretionary payments introduced by the Scottish Government must provide additional income for a recipient and not result in an automatic offset…

7 Feb 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of it closing in October 2017, by what date it will publish the outcome of the Sexual Health and Blood Borne Virus Framework Third Sector Funding Programme, and what the reason is for any delay.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: All grant applicants to the funding programme were notified of the outcome of the assessment process by 16 February 2018. Applications for funding greatly exceeded the funds available for distribution and additional time was required to fully assess applicati…

7 Feb 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what involvement patients and service users had in the tendering process for the Sexual Health and Blood Borne Virus Framework Third Sector Funding Programme.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: Third sector organisations who represent patient views were involved in shaping the design of the funding programme. The assessment panel also included representatives from the NHS and third sector.

5 Feb 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-13896 by Keith Brown on 31 January 2018, how many of its current contractors are subject to Parent Company Guarantees, and how much these represent as a percentage of the total (a) number of contractors and (b) value of contracted work.

Answer · Keith Brown: We are able to provide information on contracts awarded after March 2016 when the Scottish Government introduced a single contracts database for contracts worth more than £50,000. Gathering information on contracts awarded prior to this date could only be obt…

5 Feb 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-13896 by Keith Brown on 31 January 2018, on how many occasions it has sought Parent Group Guarantees from a private contractor after the (a) tendering process and (b) signing of the contract in instances where there has been concerns regarding a com…

2 Feb 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the "no detriment" principle applies to its income tax plans, and whether people due to receive a tax cut in the 2018-19 Budget proposals will see their incomes rise.

Answer · Derek Mackay: As set out in the Income Tax fact sheet, individuals earning less than £33,000 will pay less income tax next year than they do this year, for a given income. The income tax fact sheet can be found at: http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0053/00530863.pdf. No detrim…

2 Feb 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to IPPR Scotland's reported suggestion that those set to benefit from a tax cut in the 2018-19 Budget proposals will only see 63p in every £1 because of the tax system's relationship with universal credit.

Answer · Derek Mackay: Income tax policy is not set in isolation. We are aware of the complex interaction between Scottish income tax policy and entitlement to Universal Credit, which is reserved. This is due to the way that Universal Credit is calculated. Scottish Government offic…

1 Feb 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what monitoring it undertakes to ensure that those taking up public appointments are from as diverse a background as possible.

Answer · Angela Constance: The demographic profile of Scotland from the 2011 census is used as the basis to measure whether regulated public appointments are representative of the people of Scotland. All applicants for a regulated public appointment are asked to complete a diversity mo…

1 Feb 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it last reviewed the criteria and person specification for public appointments.

Answer · Angela Constance: The criteria and person specification for each regulated public appointment is reviewed for every appointment round in line with the Code of Practice for Ministerial Appointments to Public Bodies in Scotland. The Code requires that selection panel members wil…

1 Feb 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to increase applications and access to public appointments.

Answer · Angela Constance: The Scottish Government is undertaking a range of steps, as described in the Equality Outcomes and Mainstreaming Report 2017, to increase applications and access to regulated public appointments, such as regular, free, ‘Come on Board’ events; a programme of o…

1 Feb 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to make public appointments to the Scottish Police Authority board open and accessible.

Answer · Michael Matheson: Ministerial public appointments to the board of the Scottish Police Authority are made under a system regulated and monitored by the Commissioner for Ethical Standards in Public Life in Scotland. A key purpose of that system is to achieve a fair, open and acc…

1 Feb 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-14044 by Michael Matheson on 31 January 2018, what steps the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal is taking to ensure that the views of (a) families of victims and (b) witnesses will be heard in its review of post-mortem examination protocol.

Answer · James Wolffe QC: Post Mortem examination is a necessary step in the investigation of suspicious deaths. In law, the Defence have a right to instruct a defence post mortem examination to properly test the evidence against an accused person. Failure to recognise this right woul…