Parliamentary questions

Miles Briggs

4,209 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

18 Feb 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the new cancer strategy.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The current cancer plan, “Recovery and Redesign: An Action Plan for Cancer Services”, comes to completion in March 2023. Early discussions are commencing on what shape a future strategy will take. We anticipate this work will occur over the 2022-23 financial …

18 Feb 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has provided to care and repair schemes.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government has provided £1.23 million to Care and Repair Scotland during 2021-22. This includes £1.1 million to support compliance with the new fire alarms legislation and £130,000 for its role as national coordinating body for Care and Repair se…

18 Feb 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many care and repair schemes are in operation in each local authority.

Answer · Shona Robison: Care and Repair services operate throughout Scotland to offer independent advice and assistance to help homeowners repair, improve or adapt their homes so that they can live in comfort and safety in their own community. As of 1 March there were 27 care and re…

18 Feb 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many libraries have closed in each year since 1999.

Answer · Neil Gray: Public library services in Scotland are devolved to local authorities which have a statutory duty to secure the provision of adequate library facilities for all persons resident in their area. The Scottish Library and Information Council has provided data on…

18 Feb 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government which local authorities have introduced additional payment for the uplift of garden waste.

Answer · Lorna Slater: That information is not held centrally. There is no statutory requirement for local authorities to separately collect garden waste and charging for its collection is not a new option available to councils. Garden waste is included in Schedule 2 of the Contro…

18 Feb 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has regarding how many new-build houses have been built by each local authority in each year since 1992, broken down by council tax band.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government publishes figures relating to Local Authority New Build Completions in the ‘Local Authority Starts and Completions’ table found on our website here; https://www.gov.scot/publications/housing-statistics-for-scotland-new-house-building/…

18 Feb 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to reform the children’s hearing system, in light of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Answer · Clare Haughey: The Scottish Government is committed to keeping The Promise. As outlined in the 2021-22 Programme for Government, we are working with The Promise and other partners to redesign the Children’s Hearings System. Sheriff David Mackie has been appointed as Chair o…

18 Feb 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many children’s hearing meetings have been held in each year since 1999.

Answer · Clare Haughey: In 2002, the Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration (SCRA) adopted a new system for the management of Children’s Hearings data. Prior to 2002, information on Children’s Hearings was not recorded in the same way – only substantive decisions were recorded,…

18 Feb 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many children were on foster home waiting lists in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Clare Haughey: The Scottish Government does not hold information on the number of children on foster home waiting lists.

18 Feb 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants' Rights and the Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity have had with other ministers regarding the single person’s council tax discount.

Answer · Tom Arthur: I have frequent discussions with Ministerial colleagues on a range of matters. We are committed to reforming council tax to make it fairer, working with the Scottish Green Party and COSLA to oversee the development of effective deliberative engagement on sour…

18 Feb 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions have taken place regarding (a) its and (b) its agencies' adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government formally adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) definition of antisemitism in June 2017. As such, the Scottish Government and its agencies have been expected to adhere to the definition since June 2017. The …

18 Feb 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many housing associations have yet to meet the new fire and smoke alarm standard.

Answer · Shona Robison: Social Landlords will be submitting their Annual Return on the Social Housing Charter to the Scottish Housing Regulator, which will set out their compliance with all statutory requirements. Data on landlords stock meeting the new interlinked fire alarm standa…

18 Feb 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to review the legislation that governs the appointment of Lord Provosts and Bailies.

Answer · Ben Macpherson: The Scottish Government has no plans to review the legislation governing the election of civic heads.

18 Feb 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many registered foster carers there were in each local authority area, in each year since 1999.

Answer · Clare Haughey: The Scottish Government does not collect information on the number of foster carers registered with each local authority or voluntary provider.

18 Feb 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many households have received the single person’s council tax discount in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority.

Answer · Tom Arthur: The Scottish Government does not hold data on how many households have received the single person’s council tax discount in each year between 1999 and 2003, broken down by local authority. The Scottish Government does hold data on how many households have re…

18 Feb 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to compensate businesses for water charges that are based on a rateable value and exceed the cost to counterpart businesses whose water charges are calculated using a meter.

Answer · Michael Matheson: Non-domestic properties are charged for water and sewerage services by reference to a meter unless it is inappropriate or impractical to install one. Where a meter cannot be installed, a non-domestic property’s charges will be assessed using its rateable valu…

18 Feb 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many non-disclosure agreements have been signed by (a) NHS boards, (b) local authorities and (c) its agencies in each year since 1999.

Answer · Kate Forbes: Conjoined answer for S6W-06820, S6W-06831, S6W-06832Severance arrangements and the scrutiny of severance cases follow the process set out in SPFM . This includes arrangements around voluntary exits and settlement agreements and use of confidentiality clause…

18 Feb 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many international consultants that commuted to Scotland have been employed in NHS Scotland in each year since 1999.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The information requested on how many international consultants that commuted to Scotland have been employed in NHS Scotland in each year since 1999 is not centrally available.

18 Feb 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many requests from tenants for repair services have been made to each (a) local authority and (b) housing association in each year since 1999.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Housing Regulator collects information from social landlords on performance against the standards and outcomes of the Scottish Social Housing Charter. This includes information on the total number of emergency and non-emergency repairs completed …

18 Feb 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the average waiting time has been for repair services following requests from tenants to each (a) local authority and (b) housing association in each year since 1999.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Housing Regulator collects information from all social landlords on performance against the standards and outcomes of the Scottish Social Housing Charter. This includes the average length of time taken to complete emergency and non-emergency repa…

18 Feb 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many housing officers have been employed by each local authority in each year since 1999.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government does not collect or hold this information.

18 Feb 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many reports have been made to Police Scotland of individual households experiencing a cyber-attack in each year since 1999.

Answer · Keith Brown: The Scottish Government does not hold information on the number of reports made to Police Scotland of households experiencing a cyber-attack. Information is held on crimes recorded under Sections 1 to 3 of the Computer Misuse Act 1990. Sections 1 and 2 relate…

18 Feb 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding (a) local authorities and (b) integration joint boards have received to tackle homelessness in each year since 1999.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government’s policy towards local authorities’ spending is to allow local authorities the financial freedom to operate independently. As such, the vast majority of homelessness funding provided to local authorities in the annual local government …

18 Feb 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many non-disclosure agreements have been signed by it and its agencies in each year since 1999.

Answer · Kate Forbes: Severance arrangements and the scrutiny of severance cases follow the process set out in SPFM . This includes arrangements around voluntary exits and settlement agreements and use of confidentiality clauses.Data in relation to settlement and the number of c…

18 Feb 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many reports have been made to Police Scotland of third sector or charity organisations experiencing a cyber-attack in each year since 1999.

Answer · Keith Brown: The Scottish Government does not hold information on the number of reports made to Police Scotland of third sector or charity organisations experiencing a cyber-attack. Information is held on crimes recorded under Sections 1 to 3 of the Computer Misuse Act 19…

18 Feb 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government from what date will all early diagnosis cancer centres be operational.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: We currently have three Early Cancer Diagnostic Centres (EDCD) live in NHS Ayrshire and Arran, NHS Dumfries and Galloway and NHS Fife. The Centre in NHS Dumfries and Galloway has been operational since 17 th May, NHS Fife since 6 th June, and NHS Ayrshire and…

10 Feb 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when the Flood Risk Management Plans for the period 2022-27 will be published.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: The Flood Risk Management Plans for the period 2022 to 2028 were published by SEPA on 17 January 2022. The plans are accessible from SEPA's website. Flood Risk Management Plans | SEPA

8 Feb 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assurances it can provide to off-gas-grid householders regarding whether all options for decarbonising heat have been assessed in full in order to give consumers maximum choice.

Answer · Patrick Harvie: The Heat in Buildings Strategy sets out the Scottish Government’s approach to different zero emissions heat technologies, drawing on a wide range of evidence, including modelling of the suitability of different technologies across the whole Scottish housing s…

8 Feb 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-05804 by Patrick Harvie on 1 February 2022, whether the Green Heat Finance Taskforce will consult off-grid householders about the cost of decarbonising heating system in off-gas-grid properties.

Answer · Patrick Harvie: The purpose of the Green Heat Finance Taskforce is to develop a portfolio of innovative financial solutions for building owners in Scotland to ensure that by 2045, our homes and buildings no longer contribute to climate change, as part of the wider just trans…

8 Feb 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-05804 by Patrick Harvie on 1 February 2022, whether the Green Heat Finance Taskforce will consult the LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) and bioLPG sector about decarbonising heating systems in off-gas-grid properties.