Parliamentary questions
Drew Smith
636 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
12 Mar 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people (a) applied for and (b) obtained a Student Awards Agency for Scotland Care Leavers Grant (i) before and (ii) after the criteria changes in 2011.
Answer · Michael Russell: The number of students who received the vacation grant for care leavers is shown in the following table. The 2011-12 session is still open for applications and that figure may therefore change. It was not possible to identify the number of students who appli…
12 Mar 2012 · First Minister's Question
To ask the First Minister when the Scottish Government will announce its position on same-sex marriage.
12 Mar 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the recent report by the Information Commissioner's Office on the blacklisting of trades union members or activists and whether it has made representations to the UK Government on this.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government is totally opposed to blacklisting or the compiling of a blacklist on such a basis. Matters of employment law are reserved to the UK Government and we are aware of legal action being pursued in the UK and European Courts by some of the…
12 Mar 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on whether (a) territorial police forces or (b) its agencies have been involved in collating or passing on information that might have been used to inform any blacklists.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: We do not hold any such information centrally.
7 Mar 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4W-05862 by Michael Russell on 23 February 2012, whether it will provide a breakdown by (a) ethnicity, (b) gender and (c) disability status of the young people identified as not in employment, education or training in each year since 2007.
Answer · Angela Constance: The Annual Population Survey (APS) is the official source for data on people not in education, employment or training. The table shows the latest published estimates from the APS, covering the period January to December 2010, of the numbers of people aged 16 …
6 Mar 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the practice of selecting chief police officers from other forces, whether the post of chief police officer in the proposed single Scottish police service will be selected from another force in the UK.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The Chief Constable of the Police Service of Scotland will be appointed through open competition. The standard eligibility requirement which applies for current chief constable appointments will continue in the new service. Any candidate must therefore have a…
28 Feb 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether passengers can be refunded for a train journey in relation to which First ScotRail has failed to provide a service or has provided a poor quality of service in terms of punctuality, overcrowding or other grounds for complaint.
Answer · Keith Brown: As set out in ScotRail’s Passengers’ Charter, if the train a passenger intends to use is delayed or cancelled, and they decide not to travel, ScotRail will refund in full the cost of their ticket with no administration fee. ScotRail also provides compensation…
27 Feb 2012 · First Minister's Question
To ask the First Minister whether the timetable for reform of the children’s hearings system has been changed.
22 Feb 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it issues to local authorities on the use of compulsory purchase to bring more properties into residential use.
Answer · Derek Mackay: In October 2011 the Scottish Government published Planning Circular 6/2011 – Compulsory Purchase Orders. This sets out Scottish Government policy and guidance on using compulsory purchase orders to facilitate housing and other projects in the public interest.…
22 Feb 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on whether tenants considered to be under-occupying a socially rented home should be required to move to a smaller property.
Answer · Keith Brown: We do not support requiring social tenants to move purely on grounds of under occupancy. In any case, under the terms of the Scottish Secure Tenancy social landlords cannot require their tenants to move solely on grounds of under occupation. We are in favour …
22 Feb 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of (a) socially rented and (b) private homes it considers to be under-occupied.
Answer · Keith Brown: We estimate that, in Scotland, 43% of households in the social rented sector and 42% in the private rented sector under-occupy their property. This estimate uses information from the Family Resources Survey and is based on the Department for Work and Pension’…
22 Feb 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to bring unused commercial property into residential use.
Answer · Derek Mackay: Scottish Planning Policy (SPP) sets out the Scottish Government’s policy on nationally important land use planning matters. SPP recognises that vacant and derelict land and obsolete commercial and industrial property has an impact on the economic health of to…
22 Feb 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many homes are empty and how it (a) monitors and (b) measures the level of empty residential property.
Answer · Keith Brown: In September 2011, there were approximately 71,000 empty properties in Scotland. Of these around 25,000 were long term empty properties and around 46,000 were exempt from council tax because they were unoccupied. (a) The Scottish Government monitors the leve…
22 Feb 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of homes has been (a) local authority rented, (b) other socially rented and (c) privately rented in each year since 2007.
Answer · Keith Brown: Estimates of the dwelling stock by tenure in Scotland are published annually on the Scottish Government Housing statistics for Scotland website. The latest available estimates, covering the period 1993 to March 2010 are available at: http://www.scotland.gov…
22 Feb 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many community police officers there have been in each police force in each year since 2007.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The information requested is not held centrally.
22 Feb 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many special constables there have been in each police force in each year since 2007.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The information requested can be found in Table 2.11.1 of the Scottish Policing Performance Framework Annual Report, 2010-11, which can be found on the Scottish Government website at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2011/10/25105642/0.
22 Feb 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average number of visits by a (a) midwife or (b) health visitor is for new mothers.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Health For All Children (Hall 4) sets out the core programme of contacts with a health professional for all babies and children. It is intended to ensure that every child and family receive a consistent minimum core programme of contacts wherever they live in…
22 Feb 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether all job vacancies in the Scottish Government and its agencies are advertised in the most local job centre and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.
Answer · John Swinney: Within the Scottish Government core directorates, all permanent job vacancies, where the annual salary is less than £40,000, are advertised in the most local job centre as well as on the Jobcentre Plus website. Scottish Government agencies have delegated res…
22 Feb 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many young people have been identified as not in employment, education or training in each year since 2007.
Answer · Michael Russell: The Annual Population Survey (APS) is the official source for data on people not in education, employment or training. Table 1 shows the latest published estimates from the APS, covering the period January to December 2010, of the numbers of people aged 16 to…
22 Feb 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which formerly in-house services it has contracted out since 2007.
Answer · Alex Neil: Data on all formally in-house services contracted out since 2007 is not held centrally.
22 Feb 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which formerly contracted-out services it has brought in-house since 2007.
Answer · Alex Neil: Data on all formally contracted out services brought in house since 2007 is not held centrally.
22 Feb 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers narrowing the income gap between the most and least well off to be part of its overarching purpose and, if so, how it measures this and what progress it is making.
Answer · John Swinney: As set out in the Government Economic Strategy – to which an update was published in September 2011 – reducing levels of inequality in Scotland, as expressed in the Solidarity target, remains one of the Scottish Government’s desired characteristics of sustain…
22 Feb 2012 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to improve the skills base in the economy.
Answer · Angela Constance: We are committed to providing the support people need to find sustainable, productive employment which contributes to economic growth through: Curriculum for Excellence, where all children and young people are entitled to opportunities for developing skills …
22 Feb 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it carries out inequalities analyses of immunisation uptake.
Answer · Michael Matheson: ISD Scotland publishes statistics on Childhood Immunisation uptake. These statistic include analysis of uptake by Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD). The latest statistics are for calendar year 2010 and are available in the Publication Report publ…
22 Feb 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what vitamin distribution programmes there are for young children.
Answer · Michael Matheson: Vitamin supplementation is available to some at-risk groups through the Healthy Start scheme. This scheme was introduced in 2005, to replace the Welfare Food scheme and is a highly successful UK-wide government programme to improve the health of low-income pr…
22 Feb 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it measures the siting or availability of fast food outlets near schools or provides guidance to local authorities on dealing with applications for such outlets.
Answer · Derek Mackay: The Scottish Government does not measure the siting or availability of fast food outlets near schools. Scottish Planning Policy (2010) contains guidance on the role of development plans in retailing, though no specific guidance is provided to local authoritie…
21 Feb 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive on what date it will publish its analysis of responses to its consultation on equal marriage.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: We are aiming to publish the analysis of responses in the spring.
21 Feb 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria are used to decide on bids to the Cities Investment Fund.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: As noted in the answer to question S4W-05829 on 2 March 2012, a set of operating principles for the fund, designed to maximise its leverage and impact, will discussed at the Scottish Cities Alliance Leadership Group meeting in March. I will be happy to share …
21 Feb 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what projects have been supported by the Cities Investment Fund.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: No projects have yet been supported by the Cities Investment Fund.
21 Feb 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many bids have been received for the Cities Investment Fund.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Cities Alliance Leadership Group meeting in March will discuss a set of operating principles for the Cities Investment Fund, designed to maximise its leverage and impact. No bids have yet been received for the fund.