Alison Johnstone

1 May 2019 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported concerns raised by young carer groups that the current proposals for the Young Carer Grant are unduly restrictive.

29 Apr 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reported recent incidents, including those involving pets being caught in snares, what its response is to claims that its legislation governing snaring is not fit for purpose and the calls for it to legislate to make the sale, use and manufacture of snares illegal.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: A review into snaring every 5 years is required by Section 11F of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) undertook a review in 2016 and the outcome was published in 2017. This found that snaring-related incidents have reduced f…

25 Apr 2019 · First Minister's Question

Question to be taken in Chamber.

12 Apr 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the average waiting time is for (a) an adult carer support plan and (b) a young carer statement.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: Information on the date adult carer support plans and young carer statements were offered and the date they were either completed or declined has been requested through the Carers Census. As this is the first year the Carers Census is being collected, the dat…

2 Apr 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the cost is to Police Scotland of issuing a firearms certificate.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: This is a matter for Police Scotland. The information requested is not held centrally. Under the Firearms Act 1968, processing applications for firearms certificates – and managing any associated costs and budgets – is an operational duty of the Chief Constab…

2 Apr 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when Police Scotland will publish a firearm certificates report for 2018.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: This is a matter for Police Scotland. Further information about the firearms certificates bulletin can be found on the Police Scotland main performance page at https://www.scotland.police.uk/about-us/our-performance/ .

2 Apr 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the total cost is to Police Scotland of operating the firearms licensing system.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-22482 on 24 April 2019. 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…

22 Mar 2019 · First Minister's Question

Question to be taken in Chamber.

20 Mar 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many species licenses were issued by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) in 2018, broken down by species, and how much it cost SNH to carry out this exercise.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) issued 2,890 species licences in 2018. It cost SNH around £450,000 to administer the licence scheme, which covers the cost of the service, support and management, including full staff costs. A copy of the table providing a bre…

20 Mar 2019 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what input disabled people, disabled persons' organisations and other stakeholders will have into the design of the assessment descriptors for disability assistance for working-age people.

15 Mar 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it will assist recipients of each form of disability assistance in reporting any increase in support needs.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: We are inviting views on our approach to a change of circumstances in our Consultation on Disability Assistance. Responses to the consultation will inform policy development. The consultation can be found at: https://consult.gov.scot/social-security/improvi…

15 Mar 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide support for needs related to mobility as part of disability assistance for older people.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The Scottish Government is using feedback from the Experience Panels, the Disability Assistance consultation and the 2016 Social Security Consultation to consider in what ways it could meet the mobility needs of clients who will be eligible for Disability Ass…

15 Mar 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made or will make of the reasons why a significant proportion of disability living allowance recipients who have been re-assessed for personal independence payment have reportedly had their benefit disallowed or decreased.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The Scottish Government has undertaken extensive research during the process of designing our replacement for Personal Independence Payment (PIP), including with various stakeholders, Experience Panels, and the Disability and Carers Benefits Expert Advisory G…

15 Mar 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of what the take-up will be for each form of disability assistance.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: Measuring take-up accurately is not straightforward as it requires us to estimate the number of people who have not applied but may be eligible. DWP do not publish data on take-up rates for disability benefits at GB level and it is widely acknowledged that th…

15 Mar 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what it considers constitutes "other circumstances" in which a face-to-face assessment for disability assistance for working age people is required.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: Examples of circumstances which may require a face-to-face assessment can be found in our consultation. The consultation can be found at: https://consult.gov.scot/social-security/improving-disability-assistance/

14 Mar 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-21874 by Rosanna Cunningham on 12 March 2019, on what date it expects the (a) Joint Nature Conservation Committee report to be published and (b) the UK report to be submitted to the European Commission, and, if the UK report is not submitted to the …

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government expects the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) to submit the UK report to the European Commission at the end of April 2019. Following this, it is anticipated that the report will be published by the JNCC in September 2019. We …

4 Mar 2019 · First Minister's Question

Question to be taken in Chamber.

28 Feb 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment (a) it and (b) Scottish Natural Heritage has produced regarding the conservation status of mountain hares, and whether it will publish this.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government has not carried out an assessment of the conservation status of mountain hares. Under Directive 92/43/EEC (the Habitats Directive), the UK is required to report every six years on whether species of EU interest are being maintained at…

28 Feb 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it last reported to the European Commission on the conservation status of mountain hares; when this report will be published, and on what data it was based.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government does not report directly to the European Commission on the conservation status of mountain hares as reporting is achieved at a UK level. Under Directive 92/43/EEC (the Habitats Directive), the UK is required to report every six years …

20 Feb 2019 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it will minimise erroneous underpayment of devolved social security assistance.

31 Jan 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on enhancing consumer protection by the regulation of trades in which safety is a key issue.

Answer · Jamie Hepburn: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-21363 on 21 February 2019. 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…

31 Jan 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it can take to better protect (a) households and (b) businesses from defective work carried out by unqualified or under-qualified tradespersons.

Answer · Jamie Hepburn: The Scottish Government appreciates concerns around rogue tradespersons. Although the regulation of consumer protection is the responsibility of the UK Government, we fund a consumer helpline which provides clear, practical advice on all consumer issues.

18 Dec 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made or plans to make of the cost of means-testing an income supplement.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: As the Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan states, the Scottish Government will consider a range of options to ensure that the income supplement lifts the maximum number of children out of poverty. In developing the income supplement we will take forward an…

18 Dec 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its duties under section 9 (4) of the Child Poverty (Scotland) Act 2017, what consideration it has given to topping up Child Benefit.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: The Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan , published in March 2018, commits the Scottish Government to work towards introducing a new income supplement, to provide additional financial support to low income families. In developing the income supplement we …

18 Dec 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to maximise awareness and take-up of the proposed income supplement.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: The Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018 places a duty on Scottish Ministers to promote take- to the assistance individuals are eligible to be given through the Scottish social security system, and to publish a strategy to promote take-up. This section of the…

18 Dec 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the DWP regarding the proposed income supplement.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: To date, discussions have taken place with DWP at a senior official level, to outline the commitment contained in the Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan, and how both organisations can best engage with each other in its development.

18 Dec 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many meetings ministers and/or its officials have had with external groups at which the main topic of discussion was the proposed income supplement.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: The Scottish Government has committed to working closely with stakeholders on the development of the income supplement, to consider how the income supplement can best target support where it can have the greatest impact. Since taking up post in July 2018, my…

18 Dec 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has budgeted for policy development of the proposed income supplement.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: The proposed budget for Social Security Advice, Policy & Programme within the Social Security and Older People Portfolio is £77.832 million in 2019-20. This budget includes funding for supporting the development of the income supplement.

18 Dec 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many of its staff hours each week are being used to develop policy on the proposed income supplement.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: Information on the number of staff hours per week being used to develop policy on the income supplement is not available. This will differ in teams across the organisation who contribute to the policy and is dependent on individual working patterns.

11 Dec 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to raise awareness of the Assisted Prison Visits Scheme to eligible people.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: I have asked Colin McConnell, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. His response is as follows: During the induction process, individuals admitted to SPS are given information about the Assisted Prison Visits Scheme (APVS). The SP…