Graham Simpson

16 Jan 2019 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met NHS Lanarkshire and what was discussed.

17 Dec 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government which local authorities have applied to it under the Private Housing (Tenancies) (Scotland) Act 2016 to designate rent pressure zones in specific areas.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: There have been no applications from local authorities, under the Private Housing (Tenancies) (Scotland) Act 2016, to designate rent pressure zones.

16 Dec 2018 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister by how much councils’ core budgets will change under the draft Budget.

27 Nov 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the mandatory minimum Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) level is for new home completions.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: Whilst, under Scottish building regulations, an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) is produced for each new home, a minimum EPC rating is not set as a performance target. Instead, each new home must comply with standards which set both a maximum 'target' c…

31 Oct 2018 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on permanently linking the non-domestic rates poundage to the consumer price index.

23 Oct 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-18127 by Kevin Stewart on 30 August 2018, whether there are plans to regulate temporary accommodation to meet a minimum EPC rating.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: In May this year we set out our ambition as part of Energy Efficient Scotland that all housing will meet a minimum Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) band C by 2040 at the latest. Standards for temporary accommodation will be considered as part of the furth…

23 Oct 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it ensures that all registered letting agents correctly display their registration number.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Scottish Government writes to notify those admitted to the Scottish Letting Agent Register and in this, agents are reminded of the requirements of section 36(2) of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2014 to include their letting agent registration number in docum…

23 Oct 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it takes to identify letting agents that are not on or have been rejected for the Letting Agent Register; what enforcement action is taken to deal with these agents, and how it ensures that existing and potential clients are made aware of them.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Scottish Government has published a Monitoring Compliance and Enforcement Framework for the regulation of letting agents. This sets out the actions that the Scottish Government will take to monitor the compliance of those businesses undertaking letting ag…

23 Oct 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will ensure that letting agents that have registered on the Letting Agent Register without a dedicated client account arrange for the account to be in place, and what the timescale is for them to comply with this.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Scottish Government has not approved any applications to join the Scottish Letting Agent Register where the applicant has declared that they hold or handle client money but they do not have a dedicated client bank account. The Scottish Government does not…

23 Oct 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what support is available to assist clients that have lost money where a letting agent with no dedicated client account and/or client money protection policy has (a) used misappropriate accounting procedures or (b) gone out of business.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Letting Agent Code of Practice came into force on 31 January 2018. Section 8 of the Code of Practice sets out specific requirements on how client money must be handled and the insurance arrangements that must be in place. The Code of practice applies to u…

23 Oct 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that landlords and tenants are made aware of letting agents that are on or have been accepted for the Letting Agent Register but are operating without a dedicated client account or a client money protection policy.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: It is a requirement for letting agents to hold client money in one or more separate and dedicated client accounts and to have client money protection insurance. While agents can submit an application to join the Scottish Letting Agent Register without these e…

9 Oct 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many applications to the Register of Letting Agents were received by the 1 October 2018 deadline, and whether all those received have been processed and approved.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: 775 applications to join the Scottish Letting Agent Register were received by the 1st October 2018 deadline. All applications go through a detailed scrutiny process and this takes time; it is not a 'tick box' exercise. 127 applications have been approved.

8 Oct 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is planning to review the Matrimonial Homes (Family Protection) (Scotland) Act 1981 and, if so, what the timetable is for this.

Answer · Ash Denham: Programme for Government 2018-19 stated that the Scottish Government would consult this autumn on new protective orders to keep victims of domestic abuse safe by banning perpetrators from their homes and on whether changes are needed to the current system of …

18 Sep 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it set the time limit for landlords to make mandatory electrical inspection of rental properties at five years; who it consulted on this, and what other options it considered before reaching this decision.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: Section 23 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2014 inserted section 19A of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006, which requires private landlords to ensure that electrical safety inspections are carried out in houses that they let at intervals of no more than five year…

18 Sep 2018 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many STEM apprentices there are, and how many of these are in North and South Lanarkshire.

4 Sep 2018 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress towards its 90% carbon reduction target, and how it will ensure that households change their energy usage behaviour to reduce domestic carbon emissions in order to meet this target.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Scotland is making excellent progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The most recent statistics show that emissions have fallen by 49% since 1990 against a current target in law of 80%. The Scottish Government’s Climate Change Plan contains a package …

17 Aug 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what work it has carried out to evaluate its campaign of awareness-raising to increase the uptake of energy efficiency measures for (a) domestic and (b) residential buildings.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-18140 on 30 August 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/parliamentarybusiness…

17 Aug 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what modelling work it has carried out to analyse the costs of reaching energy performance certificate (EPC) (a) B and (b) C ratings for (i) domestic and (ii) residential buildings.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-18139 on 30 August 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/parliamentarybusines…

8 Aug 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many applications the First Tier Tribunal for Scotland (Housing and Property Chamber) has received for evictions and civil proceedings for notice to quit (rule 66) since 1 December 2017; how many of these applications have received a hearing, and how many of these hearings have been …

Answer · Ash Denham: This question relates to operational matters that are the responsibility of the Scottish Court and Tribunals Service (SCTS) corporate body. The question has been passed to the Chief Executive of the SCTS who reply in writing within 20 days.

8 Aug 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many applications the First Tier Tribunal for Scotland (Housing and Property Chamber) has received for evictions and civil proceedings for rent arrears (rule 70) since 1 December 2017; how many of these applications have received a hearing, and how many of these hearings have been su…

Answer · Ash Denham: This question relates to operational matters that are the responsibility of the Scottish Court and Tribunals Service (SCTS) corporate body. The question has been passed to the Chief Executive of the SCTS who reply in writing within 20 days.  

8 Aug 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the minimum compliance for a landlord to operate a single property, and what the average cost for each compliance is.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: Updated answer on 04/09/18: The minimum compliance for a private landlord to let a single property, is to meet the requirements of landlord registration, subject to any exemptions that may apply.   The cost of registration is the principal application fee of…

8 Aug 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much unpaid rent has been disputed through the Sheriff Court in each year since 2012.

Answer · Ash Denham: This question relates to operational matters that are the responsibility of the Scottish Court and Tribunals Service (SCTS) corporate body. The question has been passed to the Chief Executive of the SCTS who reply in writing within 20 days.  

8 Aug 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much unpaid rent has been disputed through the First Tier Tribunal for Scotland (Housing and Property Chamber) since 1 December 2017.

Answer · Ash Denham: This question relates to operational matters that are the responsibility of the Scottish Court and Tribunals Service (SCTS) corporate body. The question has been passed to the Chief Executive of the SCTS who reply in writing within 20 days.

8 Aug 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the required minimum Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) level is for temporary accommodation.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: There is no minimum EPC level required for temporary accommodation. However, where temporary accommodation is provided in properties which are usually let as social housing, the property will be required to meet the Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housi…

7 Aug 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the vetting process is for people declaring that they are fit and proper to register as a property factor; what the minimum requirements are for an individual to pass the fit and proper test, and how many people have been unable to register as a property factor due to failing to pas…

Answer · Kevin Stewart:   Section 5 of the Property Factors (Scotland) Act 2011 and section 3 of the Property Factors (Registration) (Scotland) Regulations 2012 set the information a property factor must provide and the matters which Scottish Ministers must have due regard to whe…

7 Aug 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many Property Factor Enforcements Orders have not been complied with each year under the First Tier Tribunal for Scotland (Housing and Property Chamber); how many of these have been referred to Police Scotland and/or the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, and how many of the…

Answer · Ash Denham: This question relates to operational matters that are the responsibility of the Scottish Court and Tribunals Service (SCTS) corporate body. The question has been passed to the Chief Executive of the SCTS who reply in writing within 20 days.

7 Aug 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it will support owner-occupiers who are unable to obtain a loan for funding energy efficiency measures.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: All households in Scotland are entitled to apply for an interest free loan to improve the energy efficiency of their home. Our domestic energy efficiency loans are administered by the Energy Saving Trust (EST). A small number of applicants may be refused a lo…

7 Aug 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what quality assurance measures are in place to ensure that members of the public receive the most appropriate energy efficiency measures and that they pay the smallest possible price for the work when using public funding routes.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: Home Energy Scotland provides free and impartial advice on making homes easier and cheaper to heat to all householders in Scotland including advice on schemes they may be eligible for. This includes advice tailored for an individual’s own home and personal ci…

7 Aug 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it provides an approved contractor list for energy efficiency contractors.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Scottish Government does not provide an approved contractor list for energy efficiency contractors. However, the Scottish Government funds Home Energy Scotland to provide free and impartial advice on making homes easier and cheaper to heat.  

7 Aug 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure value for money for home owners and landlords who utilise funding through public funding routes for energy efficiency measures.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Scottish Government fund Home Energy Scotland (HES) to provide free and impartial energy advice to all callers via a Freephone number and can offer face to face support where this is the best option for the householder. Our programmes use qualified assess…