Parliamentary questions
Miles Briggs
4,209 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
4 Jul 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider increasing the single person's council tax discount to help households with the rising cost of living.
Answer · Tom Arthur: The Scottish Government currently has no plans to increase the single person’s council tax discount. We are committed to reforming the Council Tax to make it fairer and is establishing a working group with representation from the Scottish Green Party, and eng…
4 Jul 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to review the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Scottish Mental Health Law Review, chaired by Lord John Scott QC, is ongoing. The principal aim of the Review is to improve the rights and protections of those who may be subject to the existing provisions of mental health, incapacity or adult support and…
4 Jul 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to extend free travel for under-22s and over-60s to include the Glasgow Subway.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: We currently have no plans to extend the statutory free bus schemes to include the Glasgow Subway. We are, however, undertaking a Fair Fares Review that will look at look at the range of discounts and concessionary schemes which are available on all modes in…
4 Jul 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the provisions relating to people with a learning disability and autism have not been removed from the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Independent review of the Mental Health Act for those with learning disability or autism (Rome Review) recommended that those with learning disability and autism should no longer be included within the definition of ‘mental disorder’ under the Mental Heal…
4 Jul 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to extend free travel for under-22s and over-60s to include the Edinburgh Trams.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: We currently have no plans to extend the statutory free bus schemes to include Edinburgh Trams. We are, however, undertaking a Fair Fares Review that will look at look at the range of discounts and concessionary schemes which are available on all modes inclu…
4 Jul 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how much has been allocated from the Fuel Insecurity Fund.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government will provide the allocated £10 million budget across 2022-23 to continue the Fuel Insecurity Fund, which will be delivered through third sector partner organisations, specifically the Fuel Bank Foundation, Scottish Federation of Housin…
4 Jul 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many people busking have been charged by the police under the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 following a complaint of noise, in each year since the relevant provisions came into force.
Answer · Keith Brown: This information is not held centrally.
4 Jul 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many people busking have been charged by the police with a breach of the peace following a complaint of noise, in each year since 1982.
Answer · Keith Brown: This information is not held centrally.
4 Jul 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many local police stations have closed in each local authority area in each year since 1999.
Answer · Keith Brown: Responsibility for the management of the police estate sits with the Scottish Police Authority and the Chief Constable.and as such are the holders of this information. The SPA’s Chief Executive, Lynn Brown, can be contacted at The Scottish Police Authority, 1…
4 Jul 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many incidents of fly-tipping have been reported in each local authority area in each year since 1999.
Answer · Lorna Slater: Scottish Government does not hold information on flytipping incidents in each local authority. This detailed information can be obtained by contacting local authorities directly. There is no single dataset of all flytipping incidents in Scotland, as there is…
4 Jul 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what data is held on the number of people who died alone in hospital in each year since 1999.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: This information is not held centrally.
4 Jul 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent on Council Tax Reduction and council tax rebate schemes in each year since 1999.
Answer · Tom Arthur: This information has been placed in the Parliament’s reference centre (BIB number 63508 ).
27 Jun 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to meet with chronic pain patients, ahead of the publication of its final framework implementation plan for chronic pain services, in light of a meeting arranged with key stakeholders for 20 June 2022 reportedly having been cancelled.
Answer · Maree Todd: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-09303 on 5 July 2022. 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-committees/…
20 Jun 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when any review of the accessibility standard in its strategy, Housing to 2040, will be published.
Answer · Shona Robison: Fulfilling the commitment made within the Housing to 2040 route map, we are currently in the process of reviewing the Housing for Varying Needs design guide. The guide offers good practice in the design of homes in order to help them achieve a good standard o…
20 Jun 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has allocated to each NHS board, given as the funding per head of population in each board area, in each of the last five years.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: NHS Board’s baseline revenue allocations are set out annually in the Scottish Budget, as published on the Scottish Government’s website. In addition, resource and capital spending limits are reported in Board’s annual accounts, which are published on their we…
20 Jun 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with energy providers regarding the reported higher costs associated with pre-payment meters and the impact of this on vulnerable households in Scotland.
Answer · Michael Matheson: I know that the energy price increases we have seen recently will be concerning to many Scottish consumers, not least of all those in vulnerable circumstances. I also know that consumers using prepayment meters pay a higher tariff for their energy. Unfortuna…
20 Jun 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to devolve further powers to local authorities.
Answer · Shona Robison: The Investing in Scotland’s Future: Resource Spending Review confirmed that the Scottish Government will work closely with COSLA to agree a New Deal for Local Government, in advance of the next financial year. This will be based on the twin pillars of a new F…
20 Jun 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care and his deputies have reportedly cancelled meetings with chronic pain patients, and what its position is on whether this has removed a chance, before publication, for patients who use pain services to discuss a new framewor…
Answer · Maree Todd: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-09303 on 5 July 2022. 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-committees/…
20 Jun 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many complaints have been made regarding the use of restraint of children and young people in (a) schools and (b) care settings in each year since 1999.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: Information on the number of complaints regarding the use of restraint in schools and care settings is not collected at a national level by the Scottish Government. Under existing guidance, any use of physical intervention in schools, including restraint, mus…
20 Jun 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what scheme is in place to limit any NHS fee that is paid by EU nationals volunteering in Scotland.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) scheme allows EU citizens visiting Scotland, including volunteers, to access immediately necessary NHS healthcare at no charge, other than for certain dental and ophthalmic treatments in common with the general popula…
20 Jun 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to establish a national definition of accessible housing.
Answer · Shona Robison: The Housing for Varying Needs design guide offers good practice in the design of homes in order to help them achieve a degree of flexibility, suit people of varying needs, be convenient to use, and be fit for purpose. Where possible, all new affordable homes …
20 Jun 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much has been allocated to the Scotland Reserve in each year since 1999.
Answer · Tom Arthur: The Scotland Reserve was established following the 2016 Scotland Act and was effective from 1 April 2017. Amounts allocated annually to the Scotland Reserve since 1 April 2017 are included on the table below as well as details of all other movements within th…
20 Jun 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will outline its work to promote hydrogen activity; when it will publish the Hydrogen Action Plan, and whether it will detail its Emerging Energy Technologies Fund (EETF) proposals.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government is fully committed to helping the Scottish hydrogen sector develop. Following publication of the draft Hydrogen Action Plan in November 2021, a 10 week consultation was conducted to allow stakeholders adequate time to provide their vi…
20 Jun 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many strategies (a) it and (b) local authorities have produced in each year since 1999.
Answer · John Swinney: Scottish Government Strategies are published and can be found at Publications - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) . Information about strategies produced by local authorities is not held by Scottish Government.
20 Jun 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on when (a) work on the next review of Scottish Parliament boundaries will take place and (b) the first recommendations of the review will be published.
Answer · George Adam: In line with the requirements of the Scotland Act 1998, Boundaries Scotland must report its recommendations to Scottish Ministers by 1 May 2025. The timing of the review is otherwise a matter for Boundaries Scotland but it is likely that it will start the rev…
20 Jun 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its Budget underspend has been in each year since 1999.
Answer · Tom Arthur: The underspend against HM Treasury Scottish budgets for each financial year since 1999 is provided in the following table: Financial year Net fiscal underspend (£m) 2021-22* 650 2020-21 426 2019-20 256 2018-19 339 2017-18 453 2016-17 199 20…
20 Jun 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the updated draft fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4), and whether it will consult on the updated draft NPF4 once it is published.
Answer · Tom Arthur: On 22 June I wrote to the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee, confirming that I now intend to lay a revised NPF4 in the Scottish Parliament in the autumn. This is in order to ensure there is sufficient time to give full consideration to the deta…
20 Jun 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when the recommendations of the Ventilation Short-Life Working Group (a) were submitted to the Scottish Government and (b) will be published, and what the reasons are for any delay.
Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-09259 on 4 July 2022. 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-committees/…
14 Jun 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what support it will provide to NHS boards in relation to increased energy prices.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Scottish Government continues to prioritise investment in health and social care and to work with health boards to address financial pressures across the system. Investment of over £73 billion over the Resource Spending Review period, and a further £1.3 b…
7 Jun 2022 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to allocate any funding specifically for alcohol services, in addition to that allocated to Alcohol and Drug Partnerships for drugs services.