Parliamentary questions
Miles Briggs
4,209 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
19 Jan 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) projects and (b) people have been supported through the Digital Inclusion Fund.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: The Digital Inclusion Fund was initiated in 2020 to enable students who, owing to low incomes, struggled to access online learning during the pandemic. To date the fund has supported almost 11,000 learners across colleges, universities and within community l…
18 Jan 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how many buildings, assessed through the Single Building Assessment pilot, have had dangerous cladding removed, and how many are currently in the process of having any such removal work carried out.
Answer · Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-14122 on 9 February 2023. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committ…
18 Jan 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S6W-11964 and S6W-12695 by Shona Robison on 24 November and 12 December 2022 respectively, how many of the buildings referred to have had cladding removed.
Answer · Shona Robison: Removal of cladding is not always necessary or appropriate. The Scottish Government fully funded Single Building Assessment is designed to identify any potential issues which have an adverse impact on the safety and security of residents. We expect the vast m…
18 Jan 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much of the £97.1 million provided by the UK Government to fund cladding remediation work has been spent.
Answer · Shona Robison: Information on expenditure on the programme is published quarterly: https://www.gov.scot/publications/single-building-assessment-spending-information/ The recently published figures have additional information that show committed spend on remediation of £1…
17 Jan 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-35516 by Jeane Freeman on 11 March 2021, when a full thrombectomy service will be provided by NHS Lothian.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Scottish Government remains committed to introducing a high quality and clinically safe thrombectomy service in Scotland. The thrombectomy service at NHS Lothian continues to complete cases, with 55 thrombectomies completed there as of 1 January 2023. Wo…
16 Jan 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with (a) SP Energy Networks and (b) Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks in relation to Network Rail infrastructure to ensure the timely delivery of renewable energy development infrastructure.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: Electricity networks are a reserved matter and the Scottish Government has no role in determining how network infrastructure is delivered. Scottish Government officials meet with Scottish Power Energy Networks and Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks …
16 Jan 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Network Rail about ensuring that its infrastructure does not curtail or hold back renewable energy development infrastructure.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: Interaction of utility and rail infrastructure is a commercial issue that is managed through contracts between those parties involved. The Scottish Government has no role in those commercial discussions, although if concerns are brought to our attention Scott…
12 Jan 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many buildings in Scotland have been included on Historic Environment Scotland’s Buildings at Risk register in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority area.
Answer · Neil Gray: Questions regarding day-to-day operational matters, including how many buildings in Scotland have been included on Historic Environment Scotland’s Buildings at Risk Register in each year since 1999, are best answered by Historic Environment Scotland. I have …
12 Jan 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many compulsory purchases of a building or land under the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 have taken place in each year since 2003, broken down by local authority area.
Answer · Mairi McAllan: There have been no compulsory purchases of a building or land under the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 since 2003. The Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 originally contained two rights to buy. The Community Right to Buy (Part 2) which is a right for a compli…
12 Jan 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what policy review it has undertaken in relation to children with autism and their assessment for other conditions and co-morbidities, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Answer · Kevin Stewart: Significant policy review in relation to neurodevelopmental disorders including autism and attention deficit disorder (ADHD) was undertaken through the Children and Young People’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Taskforce which reported in 2019. The Taskforce rec…
12 Jan 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many dangerous buildings notices have been issued under the Building (Scotland) Act 2003 in each year since 2003, broken down by local authority area.
Answer · Patrick Harvie: The Scottish Government has collated Scotland level data on the number of enforcement notices since 2010. Information about notices should be available from individual local authorities via their online building standards registers on their websites. These ha…
12 Jan 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to provide access to cancer screening for firefighters and other public sector workers with higher cancer risks.
Answer · Elena Whitham: The wellbeing of firefighters is a priority set out in the Scottish Government’s Fire and Rescue Framework 2022. The Scottish Government is willing to consider and discuss any emerging issues and proposals from research on this issue with both SFRS and the FB…
12 Jan 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many public electric vehicle (EV) charging points have been installed in each year for which records exist, broken down by local authority area.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The Charge Place Scotland (CPS) network currently hosts 2445 publicly available electric vehicle charge points. Historical data relating to CPS’ development is not available broken down by Local Authority area. The following table shows the total number of i…
12 Jan 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the recent study by the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) and its finding of significant overall excess cancer mortality for Scottish firefighters compared with the general population.
Answer · Elena Whitham: The safety and wellbeing of all fire and rescue officers is of upmost importance to the Scottish Government. We will continue to support SFRS as they continue to work in partnership with the FBU and Professor Anna Stec to build on the existing work of their …
12 Jan 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many buildings have had works undertaken by the relevant local authority under the Town and Country (Planning) (Scotland) Act 1997 in each year since 1997, broken down by the local authority and cost of the project.
Answer · Tom Arthur: The Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally.
12 Jan 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made to promote Scotland’s Fair Trade Nation status.
Answer · Neil Gray: The achievement of Fair Trade Nation status for Scotland, first in February 2013 and once more in March 2017, signals to the world that Scotland takes an active leadership role in challenging global poverty and recognising the dignity and rights of producers,…
12 Jan 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-13133 by Tom Arthur on 22 December 2022, whether it will provide an update on how much unspent COVID-19 funding has been recovered from each local authority.
Answer · Tom Arthur: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-13803 on 25 January 2023. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committ…
12 Jan 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many waste land notices have been issued in each year for which records exist, broken down by local authority area.
Answer · Tom Arthur: Planning authorities are required to maintain a Register of Enforcement containing details of any enforcement action taken by that authority, including notices issued under s.179 of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997. The Register of Enforcemen…
12 Jan 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any plans it has to change the value of the rent cap in relation to private sector properties beyond 31 March 2023.
Answer · Patrick Harvie: The Cost of Living (Tenant Protection) (Scotland) Act 2022 is a key part of the Scottish Government’s help for tenants facing the impact of the cost crisis. The Act introduced a temporary rent cap and moratorium on the enforcement of evictions, along with inc…
12 Jan 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the amount of foreign investment in Scottish universities.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: The Scottish Government does not hold data on the level and nature of foreign investment in universities in Scotland as universities are autonomous bodies.
12 Jan 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has made an assessment of the amount of spending on tuition fees in Scottish universities in relation to the enrolment of Chinese students.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: The Scottish Government does not hold the required level of information to assess levels of income that Scottish Universities derive from the enrolment of Chinese students. In 2021-2022 Academic Year, the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) paid a total of…
12 Jan 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that Scottish universities have an alternative investment option in the event that funding from international sources ends.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: Universities are autonomous institutions and are responsible for managing their own financial positions appropriately. As independent institutions, it is vital universities continue to develop their own mitigating strategies to minimise negative impacts on th…
12 Jan 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any overexposure of Scottish universities to investment and enrolment by Chinese students.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: As independent institutions, it is vital universities continue to develop their own mitigating strategies to minimise negative impacts on their short, medium and long-term financial sustainability. The Scottish Government along with the Scottish Funding Coun…
12 Jan 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any reliance on international students by Scottish universities.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: Scottish universities are autonomous institutions and as such are responsible for their own entry requirements and admissions policies. As independent institutions, it is vital universities continue to develop their own mitigating strategies to minimise negat…
11 Jan 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many people with “no fixed adobe” have died while receiving treatment in NHS Scotland since 2012.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: The exact information requested is not held centrally or by Public Health Scotland. Detailed below are published information that are available and relevant: 1. Estimates of the number of homeless deaths registered in Scotland during 2021 are published by th…
11 Jan 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much of the COVID-19 funding that it allocated to local authorities it has reclaimed, broken down by local authority area.
Answer · Tom Arthur: Whilst the Scottish Government continue to reconcile COVID-19 funding allocations in order to ensure transparency in the use of public funds and compliance with the audit framework, the Scottish Government has not recovered and has no plans to recover any COV…
11 Jan 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many families, in the period since 2012, have lived in temporary accommodation for at least three years.
Answer · Shona Robison: For this response families have been interpreted as households with children. There have been 447 households with children included in the homelessness application that have spent three years or more in temporary accommodation. This is based on available tem…
6 Jan 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to include bereavement issues as part of the school curriculum.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The health and wellbeing of children and young people is a top priority for the Scottish Government. We do not take a prescriptive approach to the education curriculum in Scotland. The curriculum is not statutory and therefore it is for individual schools an…
6 Jan 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to include suicide prevention as part of the school curriculum.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The mental health and wellbeing of children and young people is a top priority for the Scottish Government. We are committed to improving support for children and young people’s mental health, in order to ensure early intervention and prevention of suicide. …
6 Jan 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many houses have been completed for the social rent sector in each year since 2016.
Answer · Shona Robison: Statistics relating to the progress of the Affordable Housing Supply Programme are published quarterly on the Scottish Government website. These figures relate to the number of approvals, site starts, and completions of social and affordable homes, and can be…