Parliamentary questions
Miles Briggs
4,209 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
9 Sep 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to review the personal independence payment (PIP) criteria.
Answer · Ben Macpherson: Our overriding commitment, agreed with social security clients and stakeholders, is to ensure the safe and secure transfer of clients to Adult Disability Payment. Significant changes are however being made to improve clients’ experience of accessing disabilit…
9 Sep 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what criteria are used when determining the use of well-known public figures in public information campaigns, and whether there is any application process.
Answer · John Swinney: Every public information campaign has a unique set of objectives and associated target audience. The Scottish Government carries out research to ascertain the most effective strategy and messaging for all public information campaigns. In some cases, a well-…
9 Sep 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to extend breast cancer screening for women over 80.
Answer · Maree Todd: The age ranges for each of the screening programmes, including the breast screening programme, are based on evidence about the risks and benefits of screening people at different ages. They are developed in line with advice from the UK National Screening Comm…
9 Sep 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much has been paid by each local authority to arms-length external organisations in each year since 2007.
Answer · Tom Arthur: Local authorities are independent corporate bodies with their own powers and responsibilities, separate from the Scottish Government. As such, the information requested is not held by the Scottish Government and would have to be obtained directly from individ…
9 Sep 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many carers have received support each year from the Take a Break scheme.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: Family Fund administers the Take a Break Scotland fund on behalf of the Scottish Government. Currently, it is one of four programmes which make up the annual £3 million voluntary sector Short Breaks Fund. During the period 2011-12 to 2021-22, 21,131 Take a Br…
9 Sep 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many community centres there have been in each local authority area in each year since 1999.
Answer · Ben Macpherson: Local authorities are independent corporate bodies with their own powers and responsibilities, separate from the Scottish Government. As such, the information requested is not held by the Scottish Government and would have to be obtained directly from individ…
9 Sep 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what plans it has to appoint a new National Clinical Lead for Palliative and End of Life Care for Scotland.
Answer · Maree Todd: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-01813 on? 11 August 2021. 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…
9 Sep 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact in Scotland of the Guardianship (Missing Persons) Act 2017 (Claudia’s Law).
Answer · Ash Denham: The Scottish Government has consulted on the Scottish Law Commission (SLC) report recommendations and draft Bill on Judicial factors. The provisions of the Guardianship (Missing Persons) Act 2017 (“2017 Act”) was raised in the consultation along with a questi…
9 Sep 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many planning decisions have been called in by ministers in each year since 1999.
Answer · Tom Arthur: Year 1999-2021 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Total called in cases 29 31 22 14 19 38 18 18 19 14 8 9 5 3 5 10 8 6 6 6 9 9 5
9 Sep 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to introduce a new national strategy for palliative and end of life care.
Answer · Maree Todd: The Programme for Government, published on 7 September, includes a commitment to develop and publish a new national strategy for palliative and end of life care over the coming year. Officials have commenced the planning process for developing the strategy an…
9 Sep 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much funding has been provided to carers' centres in each local authority area since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally, as local authorities and integration authorities have legal duties to provide carer support under the Carers Act. In practice they commission third sector organisations, including carer centres…
9 Sep 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many reports there have been of dementia patients being moved between wards at night (boarding) in each year since 1999.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: Information on dementia patients being moved between wards at night (boarding) in each year since 1999 is not collected or held centrally
9 Sep 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent on the Edinburgh tram inquiry.
Answer · Graeme Dey: The amount spent on the Edinburgh Tram Inquiry to date is just over £12 million.
9 Sep 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent buy it on procurement from small businesses in each year since 2007, broken down by local authority.
Answer · Ivan McKee: We recognise the massive role that SMEs and micro businesses play across public procurement in Scotland and regard their success as key to unlocking opportunities for all, through fostering apprenticeships, jobs and economic growth. £13.3 billion worth of pu…
9 Sep 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what support it offers to help protect consumers from online scams.
Answer · Tom Arthur: The Scottish Government works closely with CyberScotland Partners including Police Scotland and the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) to help protect the public from cyber threats and supports the publishing of a regular CyberScotland Bulletin which refer…
9 Sep 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address the issue of young people running away from home.
Answer · Ash Denham: The Scottish Government continues to work with partners to safeguard vulnerable people through the implementation of the National Missing Persons Framework for Scotland. Over the past three years we have developed return discussion training for professionals …
9 Sep 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many local supply chains have been developed since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answer · Ivan McKee: At the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Scottish Government and partners began rapid, ground breaking joint work with the Scottish manufacturing sector to build resilient local supply chains. The Scottish Parliament and people have been updated on the …
9 Sep 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what funding it offers to help improve online access to local authority services.
Answer · Kate Forbes: The ability to access public services offered online by local authorities and other public bodies is critical, and our experiences of the pandemic have highlighted the pressing need to close the digital divide. Since May 2020 the Scottish Government has inve…
9 Sep 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of current ambulance response times in the NHS Lothian area.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Scottish Government regularly reviews performance data from the Scottish Ambulance Service which includes data on response times across the country. This information is normally reviewed weekly, however, given the current pressures being experienced we a…
9 Sep 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to review the remuneration levels of councillors.
Answer · Ben Macpherson: Councillors' pay increased by 4.2% on 1 April 2021, taking the annual salary of ordinary councillors from £17,854 to £18,604. This reflects the arrangement introduced in 2017 which now ensures councillors’ pay is increased annually in line with the percentage…
9 Sep 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government which local authorities have indicated that they plan to introduce the workplace parking levy.
Answer · Graeme Dey: The discretionary power to set up workplace parking licensing (WPL) schemes is intended as a tool for local authorities to use among a suite of measures when developing their local transport strategies. Depending on local circumstances, WPL schemes have the p…
9 Sep 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it will abolish non-residential social care charges.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: In the Programme for Government announced on 7 September 2021 the Scottish Government committed to developing options to remove charging for non-residential social care. We are working to deliver these as soon as possible.
8 Sep 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what training has been provided to staff in its Clinical Priorities Unit in relation to engaging with people on issues such as disabilities, equality measures, fairness and human rights, including with people with long-term conditions, and when any such training was provided.
Answer · Maree Todd: The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that all our staff have the necessary training/skills to fulfil our commitments to equalities and diversity and dealing with specific groups of stakeholders. Diversity and inclusion capability building, includi…
8 Sep 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether chronic pain patient representatives and other stakeholders will be given advance sight of papers relating to the content of a proposed draft Framework for Chronic Pain Service Delivery.
Answer · Maree Todd: A public consultation on the draft Framework for Chronic Pain Service Delivery is expected to begin this Autumn. We are grateful for the input provided to date by people with lived experience, clinical, third-sector and other stakeholders in helping us to sha…
27 Aug 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what funding it will provide to NHS Lothian to maintain the Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion while a new eye hospital is being built in Edinburgh.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: As announced in our Programme for Government, we are investing £10 billion in health infrastructure over the next decade, to renew and replace health facilities across Scotland. The Scottish Government provide NHS Boards with over £140 million of capital fund…
26 Aug 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to introduce or reintroduce any empty homes grants that aim to bring properties back into the social rental sector.
Answer · Shona Robison: Funding from the Scottish Government’s Affordable Housing Supply Programme can, and already is, being used by a number of local authorities to buy-back empty homes. Our proposals for Housing to 2040 include an action to establish a new fund for local authorit…
26 Aug 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how much has been paid to each local authority through planning obligations in each year since 1999.
Answer · Tom Arthur: This information is not held centrally. As part of our ongoing review of existing land value capture mechanisms, we commissioned independent research on the value of developer contributions in Scotland. The research, which was published in July 2021, estimat…
26 Aug 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on (a) how many and (b) what percentage of homes in each local authority have had interlinked fire alarms fitted.
Answer · Shona Robison: It is not possible to determine exactly how many owner occupied homes have alarms of the prescribed type installed as this information is not currently collected as part of the Scottish House Condition Survey. In the future, when the regulations on the new fi…
26 Aug 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many social workers have been employed by each local authority in each year since 1999.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: The information requested by Mr Briggs MSP is readily available on the SSSC website, and a detailed breakdown by local authority can be obtained directly from the official source. Every year in August, the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) publishes th…
26 Aug 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) applications have been made to and (b) payments have been made from the Scottish Welfare Fund in each year since its creation, also broken down by local authority area.
Answer · Ben Macpherson: Statistics detailing a range of information on the Scottish Welfare Fund including application numbers and awards are published on the Scottish Government website monthly, quarterly and annually. The annual update for 2020-21 lists application numbers and awa…