Parliamentary questions
Mary Fee
672 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
10 Feb 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many applications have been made to the Empty Homes Loan Fund and how many have been successful; how many homes have been brought back into use as a result, and how many are now occupied.
Answer · Margaret Burgess: A total of 20 applications were made to the Empty Homes Loan Fund; of these 17 projects were approved for funding. The majority of successful applicants are councils who will use these funds to on-lend money to individual owners to bring their properties back…
10 Feb 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many applications have been made to the Greener Homes Innovation Scheme and by which organisations, in each year since 2011; how many have been successful; how many homes there will be, and where they will be built.
Answer · Margaret Burgess: The Greener Homes Innovation Scheme was open for applications between September 2012 and January 2013. There were 31 applications and 14 were successful in achieving funding. The organisations who bid were: Orkney Islands Council, Partick Housing Associatio…
10 Feb 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many applications there have been for the (a) New Shared Equity Scheme, (b) New Shared Equity Scheme with Developers and (c) Open Market Shared Equity Scheme and how many have been successful, in each year since 2011.
Answer · Margaret Burgess: Information on the number of application forms received for the New Supply Shared Equity Scheme and New Supply Shared Equity Scheme with Developers schemes is not held centrally. These schemes are administered directly by registered social landlords who have …
10 Feb 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much of the Affordable Housing Supply Programme funding has been spent.
Answer · Margaret Burgess: From 1 April 2012 to the end of January 2014, a total of £485 million has been spent on the Affordable Housing Supply Programme (AHSP). Following the end of each financial year, actual outturn figures for the AHSP against budgets are published on the Scottis…
10 Feb 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it has allocated the Affordable Housing Supply Programme funding, broken down by (a) scheme and (b) amount.
Answer · Margaret Burgess: The three-year Affordable Housing Supply Programme for 2012-13 to 2014-15 is as summarised in the following table: Affordable Housing Supply Programme: 2012-13 to 2014-15 (£million) Strategic local programmes – 32 local authorities and Glasgow Housing A…
10 Feb 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many homes have been redeveloped as a result of the Town Centre Housing Fund.
Answer · Margaret Burgess: The Town Centre Housing Fund will see 82 new homes developed from empty or derelict properties in seven towns across Scotland.
10 Feb 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many towns submitted bids for the Town Centre Housing Fund; how much each submitted, and how many homes will be affected.
Answer · Margaret Burgess: There were 25 proposals submitted to the Town Centre Housing Fund, received from 11 local authorities, five housing associations and eight private developers. The proposals encompassed empty properties in 21 towns across Scotland.
10 Feb 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many new homes local authorities have completed since May 2011; how many are being built, and how many are planned to be completed by the end of the current parliamentary session.
Answer · Margaret Burgess: Official statistics in respect of the Affordable Housing Supply Programme are published by quarter and financial year. A total of 2,999 homes have been completed by local authorities since 1 April 2011 to the end of December 2013. A further 1,239 local author…
6 Feb 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it last met representatives of the Russian Consulate General (RCG); what issues were discussed; when it will next meet representatives of the RCG, and what issues it will discuss.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Ministers and officials last met representatives of the Russian Consulate General at the First Minister’s annual reception for the Consular Corps on 18 February 2014, which the Russian Vice Consul attended. Officials discussed with the Vice Consul the propose…
5 Feb 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what appointments the Minister for External Affairs and International Development had on 4 February 2014, broken down by (a) the time each appointment was entered into his diary, (b) location and (c) who requested each appointment, and whether the minister sought to rearrange the timings…
Answer · Humza Yousaf: Appointment Date entered in diary Location Requested by Meeting with officials 04-02-2014 Scottish Parliament Minister for External Affairs and International Development Meeting with Dr Alison Strang 07-01-2014 Scottish Parliament Dr Alison Stra…
27 Jan 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it collects information on the payment of discretionary housing payments by local authorities and, if so, what information.
Answer · Margaret Burgess: The Scottish Government began collecting information on Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) in December 2013. The first publication, covering the period 1 April to 30 November 2013, provides information for each local authority on: the number of applicatio…
20 Jan 2014 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it supports the health of young transgender people before gender recognition is granted.
16 Jan 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether savings will be made from the NHS assuming responsibility for police medical rooms and, if so, how much.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: It is not possible to confirm what, if any, savings will be made as a result of the transfer of responsibility for healthcare and the delivery of forensic services to the NHS. The NHS will be delivering a different service to that currently provided, for exam…
16 Jan 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government who will staff police medical rooms and on what basis they will operate after the NHS assumes responsibility for them.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Staffing of police medical rooms will be a matter for the NHS once it assumes responsibility for healthcare and the delivery of forensic services. Staffing arrangements will depend on the clinical model agreed by local health boards and the nature of the exam…
16 Jan 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much money has been set aside for the refurbishment of police medical rooms.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Police Scotland has budgeted for £665,700, excluding value added tax, for the phased upgrade of existing medical rooms in the transition to an NHS led service.
16 Jan 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many casualty surgeons Police Scotland employs; how much they are paid, and on what basis.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Police Scotland currently employs one forensic medical examiner (an equivalent term to a casualty or police surgeon). In accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998, it is not appropriate to disclose the salary arrangements. Services of other healthcare pra…
16 Jan 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how the closure of police medical rooms for refurbishment impacts on policing and what contingencies there are should such a closure be required.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The management by Police Scotland of any upgrade works on police medical rooms will include contingencies for the delivery of services from adjacent custody suites. This will minimise any impact on service delivery.
16 Jan 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government which public body pays for the refurbishment of police medical rooms and what impact the NHS assuming responsibility for them will have.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Police Scotland will fund any upgrades to medical rooms in the custodial estate in order to bring them up to, or maintain, national standards agreed with the NHS. The medical rooms remain part of the Police Scotland estate and will be managed as such. Common …
16 Jan 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how the NHS assuming responsibility for police medical rooms will impact on detainees.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The transfer to the NHS of responsibility for healthcare in custody and for the delivery of forensic services will ensure more effective and efficient services for some of the most vulnerable people in society including both victims and suspects. It should le…
13 Jan 2014 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many new forests have been planted using forestry grants under the Scotland Rural Development Programme 2007-13.
10 Jan 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many under-25-year-olds have (a) applied for and (b) received discretionary housing payments in each of the last three years.
Answer · Margaret Burgess: This information is not held centrally.
10 Jan 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many under-25-year-olds are affected by the so-called bedroom tax.
Answer · Margaret Burgess: During August 2013, a total of 75,662 households on housing benefit were affected by the removal of the spare room subsidy in Scotland. Of these, 3,939 were households where the main claimant was aged under 25 years. Note: As housing benefit can be claimed b…
10 Jan 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what priority local authorities give to looked after children applying for socially rented accommodation and what support they provide to ensure that they maintain their tenancies.
Answer · Margaret Burgess: The Housing (Scotland) Act 1987 sets out those groups of people that social landlords, including local authority landlords, must give reasonable preference when allocating their housing. This includes those who are homeless or threatened with homelessness. L…
10 Jan 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to report to the Parliament on how its policies and programmes will leverage private investment to supplement its funding to deliver on (a) climate change and (b) fuel poverty targets.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The Scottish Government has committed to provide investment of £200 million per annum to improve the energy efficiency of housing, tackle fuel poverty and reduce emissions through the Home Energy Efficiency Programmes for Scotland (HEEPS), which in 2013-14 co…
10 Jan 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what fiscal measures it has in place to incentivise people to implement energy efficiency measures in their homes.
Answer · Margaret Burgess: The Scottish Government provides a range of incentives to improve the energy efficiency of homes. In April 2013 we launched our Home Energy Efficiency Programmes for Scotland (HEEPS) which provides £74 million in 2013/14 to tackle fuel poverty, reduce carbon …
10 Jan 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to introduce minimum standards on energy performance for all private sector housing at point of (a) sale, (b) rental and (c) major refurbishment and whether government funding will be contingent on properties meeting such standards.
Answer · Margaret Burgess: Scottish Ministers set out their position in March 2011 that they would not regulate for minimum standards of energy efficiency in private sector housing before 2015, and would look to regulate at the point of sale or rental. As part of the implementation of…
10 Jan 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what support it gives to housing associations to mitigate the impact of the so-called bedroom tax.
Answer · Margaret Burgess: The Scottish Government has provided £7.9 million to help front line advice services support people dealing with the bedroom tax, with £2.5 million ring fenced for social landlords. In addition, £20 million has been provided this year and up to £20 million n…
10 Jan 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking against landlords who permit multiple occupancy of their accommodation by families.
Answer · Margaret Burgess: The Housing (Scotland) Act 2006 gives local authorities powers to act where landlords permit multiple occupancy by three or more persons from three or more families. In such cases of homes in multiple occupation (HMOs), local authorities are responsible for l…
10 Jan 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to tackle overcrowding in the private rented housing sector.
Answer · Margaret Burgess: Local authorities are responsible for managing issues of overcrowding in the private rented sector. The Housing (Scotland) Act 2006 gives local authorities powers to licence Houses in Multiple Occupancy (HMO). Local authorities are responsible for licensing a…
13 Dec 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the average waiting time for treatment is for adults with epispadius, broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The information requested is not available centrally. Adult patient with epispadius are likely to require inpatient and day case treatment would be covered by the 12 weeks legal treatment time guarantee set out in The Patient Rights (Scotland) Act 2011. Late…