Parliamentary questions
Kevin Stewart
579 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
2 Jul 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government which local authorities issue planning guidance on gullproofing, and whether the effectiveness is monitored.
Answer · Alex Neil: The information requested is not held centrally.
2 Jul 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether any local authorities use management rules under the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 to discourage the feeding of gulls on public land.
Answer · Aileen McLeod: The Scottish Government does not hold this information.
2 Jul 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what data it holds on the control of urban gull populations across Scotland.
Answer · Aileen McLeod: The Scottish Government does not hold any data on the control of urban gull populations across Scotland. The Urban Gull Task Force in Dumfries, managed by Dumfries and Galloway Council, does submit an annual report to the Scottish Government which contains …
24 Jun 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many of (a) its and (b) its agencies' staff are non-EU citizens and how many earn under £35,000 per year.
Answer · John Swinney: Under the Civil Service Nationality Rules, only nationals from the following countries are eligible to be employed by the Scottish Government: UK Republic of Ireland Commonwealth and Dependent Territories European Economic Area Switzerland Turkey - onl…
24 Jun 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many local authority (a) teaching and (b) other staff are non-EU citizens and how many earn under £35,000 per year.
Answer · Angela Constance: This information is not held centrally.
24 Jun 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many NHS (a) nursing and (b) other staff are non-EU citizens and how many earn under £35,000 per year.
Answer · Shona Robison: Information on how many NHS (a) nursing and (b) other staff are non EU citizens, and how many earn under £35,000 per year is not held centrally. Each individual NHS board may hold this level of information.
1 Jun 2015 · First Minister's Question
To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to Inclusion Scotland's research suggesting that disabled people are experiencing stress, fear and isolation because of welfare reform.
26 May 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much it has cost (a) Police Scotland and (b) the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service to deal with the recent incidents of fire raising and vandalism that have taken place at Broadford Works, Aberdeen.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: This is a matter for Police Scotland and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. The information requested is not held centrally.
26 May 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what powers local authorities have to protect A-listed buildings that owners have let fall into disrepair.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The existing legislation enables local authorities to deal with defective or dangerous buildings. This includes A-listed buildings that owners have let fall into disrepair. If a local authority considers a building to be defective or dangerous they are empowe…
26 May 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has received communication from Aberdeen City Council regarding the A-listed buildings at Broadford Works in Aberdeen, which are believed to be under threat from fire-raising incidents.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Yes. Historic Scotland, who act on behalf of Scottish Ministers, have received communications from Aberdeen City Council in response to Historic Scotland’s request to be kept informed on the current situation and next steps. The Council is maintaining close c…
26 May 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action (a) it and (b) Historic Scotland can take to protect the A-listed buildings at Broadford Works in Aberdeen, which are believed to be under threat from fire-raising incidents.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Historic Scotland acts on behalf of Scottish Ministers and so represents the Scottish Government. Historic Scotland has no formal role concerning fire prevention. These are matters for owners and local authorities to address, and this is also the case concer…
26 May 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether (a) Police Scotland and (b) the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service can charge the owners of insecure private properties that have numerous call outs.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: Police Scotland has no power to charge the owners of insecure private properties for the impact caused to the emergency services by numerous call outs. Similarly, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service also has no power to charge the owners of insecure private …
21 May 2015 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government what strategy it has in place to ensure that listed buildings are preserved.
18 May 2015 · First Minister's Question
To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to allow more disabled people to access modern apprenticeships.
18 May 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many disabled people's access panels are not recognised by the local authority in which they operate.
Answer · Alex Neil: This information is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.
18 May 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it provides to local authorities regarding consulting and recognising disabled people's access panels.
Answer · Alex Neil: The Scottish Government does not provide such guidance to local authorities, but has allocated funding of over £305,000 (2015-16) to the Scottish Disability Equality Forum to work with and support access panels across Scotland to strengthen the voice of disab…
18 May 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many disabled people's access panels there are, also broken down by local authority area.
Answer · Alex Neil: This information is not held centrally by the Scottish Government. The Scottish Disability Equality Forum, which has been allocated funding of over £305,000 (2015-16) by the Scottish Government, works with and supports access panels across Scotland and publis…
14 May 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how changes to the welfare system are affecting people with hepatitis C.
Answer · Maureen Watt: There has been significant reform to the welfare system by the UK Government since the publication of the first Sexual Health and Blood Borne Virus Framework document. HIV Scotland and Hepatitis Scotland published a joint report in 2014 on the impact of welfa…
14 May 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on holding an information campaign in disadvantaged and marginalised communities regarding hepatitis C.
Answer · Maureen Watt: Under the auspices of the Hepatitis C Action Plan the Scottish Government delivered a national hepatitis C awareness raising campaign in 2010. Through the investment in the action plan we have seen a significant increase in testing, diagnosis and treatment of…
14 May 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on each NHS board having a champion to deal with hepatitis C.
Answer · Maureen Watt: As a result of the Hepatitis C Action Plan every NHS board was provided with funding to establish a number of leadership posts for hepatitis C. These posts still remain and every NHS board currently has a clinical lead, a prevention lead, an executive lead wh…
14 May 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information and training is provided to GPs to help identify people with undiagnosed hepatitis C.
Answer · Maureen Watt: Through the Hepatitis C Action Plan the Scottish Government invested in the training of NHS staff around hepatitis C. In response to action point 3 of the action plan, NHS Education Scotland (NES) developed Hepatitis C Workforce Education Development: An Outl…
14 May 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to involve patients in the development of the updated (a) Hepatitis C Action Plan and (b) Sexual Health and Blood Borne Virus Framework.
Answer · Maureen Watt: In 2011 the Hepatitis C Action Plan was superseded by the Sexual Heath and Blood Borne Virus Framework (2011-15). This framework is currently being updated and the new document will be published in summer 2015. This document will be an update to the existing …
14 May 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on screening pregnant women for hepatitis C.
Answer · Maureen Watt: The Scottish Government takes its advice on screening policy from the National Screening Committee, the body of independent experts appointed to provide advice on all screening matters to ministers and the NHS in the four UK nations. The National Screening Co…
14 May 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it takes to ensure that people with hepatitis C have prompt access to treatment.
Answer · Maureen Watt: Through the Hepatitis C Action Plan the Scottish Government invested significantly in treatment and care services for hepatitis C in Scotland. This has led to a more than doubling of the number of people being treated for hepatitis C each year – from around 4…
12 May 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what impact setting a cap on the Access to Work fund would have on disabled people in Scotland.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government has asked the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) for reassurances regarding what the impact on people with disabilities in Scotland will be as a result of capping the support available through the Access to Work scheme. Based on p…
12 May 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to review HMO licence legislation and guidance in the near future.
Answer · Margaret Burgess: The Scottish Government published statutory guidance in 2011 on the exercise of a local authority’s functions in relation to HMO licensing and local authorities must have regard to this. It has no plans at present to review guidance or the legislation.
12 May 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether HMO licence holders are responsible for ensuring that their tenants dispose of waste responsibly.
Answer · Margaret Burgess: It is for local authorities in granting HMO licences to set the standards required in their area in respect of HMOs. Failure by the HMO owner or agent to comply with obligations to owners of neighbouring properties may result in action being taken against the…
12 May 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many HMO licence holders have had their licences revoked in each local authority area and in each year since the implementation of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006.
Answer · Margaret Burgess: The Scottish Government publishes annual statistics relating to HMOs in Scotland, including information on licences revoked or suspended each year. This can be found on the Scottish Government webpages at: http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Housing…
12 May 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many local authorities have made substantive representations regarding HMO licence legislation and guidance in each year since the implementation of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006.
Answer · Margaret Burgess: The Scottish Government published statutory guidance in August 2011 and since then Glasgow City Council and Fife Council have made substantive representations regarding HMO licence legislation and guidance.
12 May 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many local authorities have expressed concerns about the guidance relating to the overprovision of HMO licences.
Answer · Margaret Burgess: Glasgow City Council and Fife Council have expressed concerns about the guidance relating to the overprovision of HMO licences.