Graham Simpson

16 May 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of ScotRail's performance in meeting the improvement targets set out out in its Cycling Innovation Plan, and how this was carried out.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: Transport Scotland meet ScotRail every four weeks to review, monitor and challenge the franchise obligations related to cycling, and this includes the proposals contained in the Cycle Innovation Plan.

16 May 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how often the ScotRail-chaired cycle forum meets.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: ScotRail’s Cycle Forum meets three times a year with the frequency approved by the members.

16 May 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when ScotRail will next update its Cycling Innovation Plan.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Cycle Innovation Plan is updated annually. The document is currently with the members who attend the ScotRail Cycle Forum for comment before being published in June.

9 May 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has regarding how many tenement buildings have been demolished as a result of falling into disrepair in each year since 2007.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: Information on the number of tenement buildings that have been demolished as a result of falling in to disrepair is not held centrally by the Scottish Government. Estimates of the total number of demolitions in Scotland are published each year by the Scottis…

9 May 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it takes to help maintain tenement buildings.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: Responsibility for maintaining tenements is principally the responsibility of the owners. The management and maintenance of tenements is usually governed by rules and conditions set out in the title deeds for the flats within the block. The Tenements (Scotlan…

26 Apr 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it measures the success of its Housing Options Approach.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: Statistical information on the operation of housing options approaches is collected by local authorities (Prevent 1) and published by the Scottish Government. This and the HL1 statistics on homelessness applications provide ways that the operation of the appr…

26 Apr 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what standards local authorities have to follow regarding homelessness applications.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: Homelessness legislation sets out the steps local authorities must take on receiving a homelessness application. This includes the applicant’s right to a review of any decision by the local authority. The statutory Code of Guidance on Homelessness, to which …

26 Apr 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-07226 by Kevin Stewart on 1 March 2017, what actions it has taken following such recommendations.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Scottish Government has taken a number of actions as a result of delivering the workplan and recommendations of the Homelessness Prevention and Strategy Group: We are working with local authorities to identify models of temporary accommodation which can …

26 Apr 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many homeless people have used temporary accommodation in each year since 2012.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: Data on the number of homeless people using temporary accommodation in each year is not currently available. The HL2 data collection provides a snapshot of the number of households in temporary accommodation at the end of each quarter. This is published on …

26 Apr 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of its affordable housing target will be homes for homeless people.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: The responsibility for the allocation of housing in the social rented sector lies with the local authority or housing association concerned. In law social housing landlords are required to give reasonable preference, or priority, to people who are homeless or…

26 Apr 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what requirements there are on local authorities to ensure that a homeless person is secured accommodation in a timely manner.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: Homelessness legislation sets out the requirements on local authorities to ensure a homeless person can access accommodation in a timely matter. The local authority has a legal duty to provide a minimum of temporary accommodation and advice and assistance to…

26 Apr 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding homeless hubs set up prior to 2012, how many hub meetings there have been since 2012, and what the outcomes of these meetings were.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Scottish Government does not keep this level of information. It is for the local authority-led Housing Options hubs to plan and facilitate their own meetings and develop and implement their own workplans. Scottish Government officials attend where require…

26 Apr 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how local authorities manage homeless applications from people who are from outside their area.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: Homelessness legislation sets out the steps local authorities must take in investigating homelessness and this includes the ‘local connection’ test. The local authority has a power, but not a duty, to refer an applicant to another local authority if it thinks…

26 Apr 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many homeless people have been housed by a local authority in accommodation outside of its area in each of the last three years, also broken down by local authority.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Scottish Government do not collect data on the geographical location of where homeless people have been housed by a local authority.

26 Apr 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the average time spent in temporary accommodation is for a homeless person/household in each local authority.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: Data on average time spent in temporary accommodation is not currently available. From 1 April 2016, Local Authorities began submitting household level data on temporary accommodation via the HL3 return to the Scottish Government. This data gives placemen…

26 Apr 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the average time taken to close a homeless case is in each local authority.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: The following table shows the average (mean) time in weeks from date of application to date of duty discharge/case closure, for homeless applications assessed as homeless or threatened with homelessness and closed in 2015-16, by local authority. 2015-16 …

26 Apr 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on what should happen to rental deposits held in secure schemes that are unclaimed after the cessation of the let.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: Scheme administrators must hold a tenant's deposit in a designated account until it falls to be repaid at the end of the tenancy. If it is unclaimed, they must hold it indefinitely in case it is claimed at a later date. I have decided that a review of tenanc…

30 Mar 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will include a question in its next Household Survey questionnaire, which asks whether someone would consider downsizing to a home designed to meet their needs as they become older.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Scottish Household Survey (SHS) team is currently assessing all the bids received for the SHS 2018 and 2019 questionnaires. This includes a bid for a question on the willingness for older people to downsize their home. The SHS steering group will consider…

22 Mar 2017 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the report to the UK Government, Each Home Counts.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Scottish Government has long held the view that the UK Government should look to strengthen their consumer protection frameworks and industry standards in the energy efficiency market and therefore we welcomed the review when first announced. Now that i…

20 Mar 2017 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to reports that, in 2015, around one-in-five referrals to child and adolescent mental health services were rejected and, over the last three years, approximately 17,000 children and young people have been affected.

15 Mar 2017 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the comments by the divisional commander of British Transport Police in Scotland that its proposed merger with Police Scotland risks reducing the effectiveness of railway policing.

28 Feb 2017 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that children receive quality early learning and childcare.

14 Feb 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what policy recommendations its Homelessness Prevention and Strategy Group has made in the last year.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Homelessness Prevention and Strategy Group, attended by the Minister for Local Government and Housing, agrees an annual workplan. Its current priorities include addressing the future role of temporary accommodation for homeless households and establishin…

14 Feb 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many B&Bs in each local authority have been used as emergency accommodation for homeless people in the last year.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Scottish Government do not collect data on the number of B&Bs in each local authority which have been used as emergency accommodation for homeless people in the last year.

14 Feb 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many families are in temporary accommodation in each local authority as a result of homelessness.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Scottish Government collect data on the number of households with dependent children and pregnant women in temporary accommodation, this is published on a bi-annual basis. The most recent published data is from 30 September 2016. Households with depende…

31 Jan 2017 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making in achieving its target for 10% of journeys to be taken by bike.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: The proportion of everyday journeys made by bike has risen since 2011 but there is still a long way to go in achieving our vision. The vision is important as it focusses minds and that is why we have reaffirmed it in our 3rd Cycling Action Plan for Scotland, …

22 Dec 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when the conclusions of its consultation on building warrant fees will be published.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: It is intended that the conclusions of the consultation on building warrant fees will be published in early Spring 2017.

22 Dec 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what criteria it will use when reviewing the appointment process for building control verifiers from May 2017 onward.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: I refer the Member to the answers to questions S5W-05274 and S5W-05275 on 13 December 2016. In assessing the appointment of verifiers from May 2017 I intend to use the criteria set out in the Operational Framework and underpinned by the revised Performance Fr…

7 Dec 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government (a) how many and (b) where vacant and derelict town centre buildings have been brought back into use as affordable housing through the Town Centre Housing Fund.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: Through the Town Centre Housing Fund, £2.55 million was awarded to six projects, bringing vacant and derelict town centre buildings back into use and providing 75 units for affordable housing across six local authority areas – Angus, East Dunbartonshire, East…

7 Dec 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many local authorities have taken advantage of the opportunity under the Community Empowerment Act 2015 to reduce business rates.

Answer · Derek Mackay: The Scottish Government is aware of one local authority applying the power stemming from the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 to reduce non-domestic rates in its area.