Parliamentary questions
Kevin Stewart
579 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
9 Nov 2014 · Topical Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to introduce legislation to ban circuses from using wild animals.
21 Oct 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government to ensure that customers in the north and north east of Scotland are not charged disproportionately higher amounts for their energy than customers elsewhere.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: A number of underlying factors influence regional price variations including the different transmission and distribution costs associated with delivering electricity in remote areas. Network related costs make up around 23 per cent of the average electricity …
21 Oct 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the findings of the report by the Western Isles Poverty Action Group that customers in the north and north east of Scotland are being charged higher rates for their electricity and what action it will take to address these.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government is aware that customers in the Highlands and Islands face some of the highest electricity prices in the country. This is due to a combination of factors including higher costs associated with delivering electricity in remote areas. Th…
30 Sep 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many people aged 16 to 21 in Scotland claim housing benefit.
Answer · Margaret Burgess: The Scottish Government has no functions in relation to housing benefit and this information is not held centrally. Statistics on housing benefit are published by the Department for Work and Pensions and are publicly available at the following website: https…
30 Sep 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many people aged 16 to 21 have been out of work for more than six months and what that figure was in (a) 2011-12, (b) 2012-13 and (c) 2013-14.
Answer · Angela Constance: The Annual Population Survey provides the preferred measure for detailed labour market information for subsets of the population in Scotland. The latest data covers the period July 2013 to June 2014. ‘Out of work’ has been categorised as those who are ‘unemp…
30 Sep 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many people aged 18 to 21 claim jobseekers allowance in Scotland, the amount claimed and the average award.
Answer · Angela Constance: The information requested for the 18 to 21-year-old age group is not held centrally. From the information published by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP), the closest age group is for those aged 18-24. Based on the DWP Work and Pensions Longitudinal S…
29 Sep 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it can take to ensure that local authorities use the electoral roll for electoral purposes only.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government believes tighter restrictions should be placed on the use of the electoral registers, including on the sale of the registers to private debt collectors. The Minister for Local Government and Planning wrote to the UK Government on 6 …
29 Sep 2014 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it last discussed education issues with Aberdeen City Council.
29 Sep 2014 · First Minister's Question
To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to support people affected by UK Government welfare reforms.
22 Sep 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will make a submission to the Law Society of Scotland’s independent review of consumer protections for clients buying and selling property.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government do not plan to make a submission to the review. We will however, provide the society with any help or information it may require while carrying out the review. In addition, we will consider very carefully any recommendations made by th…
22 Sep 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with the Law Society of Scotland about fraudulent disposition of deeds.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Law Society of Scotland announced on 16 May 2014 the setting up of an independent review of the consumer protections which are in place for individuals buying and selling property in Scotland. This review will be carried out by former Sheriff Principal Bo…
22 Sep 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to amend conveyancing law to ensure that purchasers are offered greater protection.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Registers of Scotland have recently completed a comprehensive overhaul of registration law in the form of the Land Registration etc. (Scotland) Act 2012. Three of the changes brought about by that Act, which is due to be implemented later this year, will enha…
22 Sep 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many householders have lost their homes because of fraudulent disposition of deeds in each year since 1999.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government does not hold this information. The Scottish Government and the Keeper of the Registers do not know how many frauds there might be in total and how many frauds have led to an action of reduction in the courts. Even when a deed is redu…
22 Sep 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many compensatory awards the Law Society of Scotland has made to victims of fraudulent disposition of deeds from its Guarantee Fund and master policy in each year since 1999.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The society have advised us that their information from October 2008 to date shows there have been no such awards during that period from the Guarantee Fund. The society have also advised us that information on awards from the Guarantee Fund is not held in a …
22 Sep 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many cases of fraudulent disposition of deeds have been recorded in each year since 1999.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: We do not hold this information. Registers of Scotland are responsible for the registering of dispositions. However, Registers of Scotland would only know if a fraudulent deed had been registered if the fraud comes to light. Some deeds are registered in the …
17 Sep 2014 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many consultants work in NHS Scotland.
11 Aug 2014 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to recent reports that the North Sea could hold more than £40 billion worth of unforeseen oil reserves.
4 Aug 2014 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken of the potential effect of the UK Government’s bareboat charter tax on the oil and gas industry.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government shares the view and analysis expressed by industry figures that the loss of just one field could outweigh the notional additional revenue that the UK Treasury expect the bareboat charter tax changes to generate. This tax change is th…
17 Jul 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-22030 by Nicola Sturgeon on 15 July 2014, whether it has information regarding the length of sanction imposed for people in each category in each year.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: As mentioned in response to question S4W-22030, the Scottish Government does not collect information on the number of individuals who have been sanctioned as benefits are reserved to the UK Government. The Scottish Government does not have any further informa…
2 Jul 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government which projects have been funded by the Welfare Reform Resilience Fund in 2014-15.
Answer · Margaret Burgess: The Welfare Reform Resilience Fund is supporting 11 projects across Scotland which will assist in mitigating the worst impacts of the UK Government’s welfare reform policies and build resilience into Scottish public services regardless of any future changes t…
2 Jul 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on the number of (a) disabled people, (b) lone parents, (c) women and (d) young people who received a jobseekers allowance sanction in Scotland in each year from 2009 to 2013.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: As benefits are reserved to the UK Government the Scottish Government does not collect information on the number of individuals who have been sanctioned. However, the Department for Work and Pensions publishes data on the number of individuals in receipt of a…
25 Jun 2014 · Inspired Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update of the action it is taking to implement the Renewable Heat Action Plan in order to deliver its target to meet 11% of heat demand from renewable sources by 2020.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: I am pleased to announce that I laid a report in Parliament on 26 June 2014 which updates the actions the Scottish Government is taking to implement the Renewable Heat Action Plan. Copies of the report are available on the Scottish Government website at: htt…
16 Jun 2014 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it monitors the application in schools of Getting it Right for Every Child for children who require additional support.
22 Apr 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is taking to increase the provision of adult changing places in premises that it owns or operates.
Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government does not have any facilities that comply with the requirements of adult changing places in the premises that it owns or operates. The need for this type of facility across the Scottish Government estate will be kept under review and a…
22 Apr 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many of its agencies provide adult changing places.
Answer · John Swinney: No Scottish Government agencies provide changing places. The aim is to develop a network of changing places in buildings which the public have routine access to. There is little benefit of changing places being located in office buildings where the public hav…
22 Apr 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has given consideration to making provision of adult changing places a requirement of large developments or transport hubs.
Answer · John Swinney: There is a need for a national spread of changing places in public places in Scotland. Focusing on large developments is not the best way to achieve this. In the amended October 2013 Building Standards Technical Handbook – Non Domestic – Section 3.12, it ackn…
22 Apr 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it provides subsidies to bodies looking to install adult changing places.
Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government does not provide such support.
22 Apr 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to increase the availability of adult changing places since 2011.
Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government is committed to increasing the availability of changing places in buildings with public access. The Scottish Government’s new strategy for learning disability The keys to life recommends that 100 Changing Places be available by June 20…
31 Mar 2014 · First Minister's Question
To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's position is on the Trident nuclear weapons system being based in Scotland.
10 Mar 2014 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it last met representatives of Aberdeen City Council and what issues were discussed.
Answer · Derek Mackay: Ministers and officials frequently have discussions with all Scottish local authorities, including the City of Aberdeen Council, about a wide range of issues of importance to local communities and the people of Scotland.