Parliamentary questions
Alex Rowley
554 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
26 Jan 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many roll-on, roll-off freight units were (a) imported and (b) exported on the Rosyth to Zeebrugge route in each year since 2009-10.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: Data on the volume of freight transported on the Rosyth to Zeebrugge ferry is not retained in the format you request. The figures we receive from DfT Maritime Statistics are published in the Scottish Transport Statistics. The latest figures are at Table 9.13(…
26 Jan 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether freight capacity of the Finlandia Seaways, operated by DFDS between Rosyth and Zeebrugge, has increased since August 2015, and what discussions it has had with (a) DFDS and (b) Forth Ports regarding future increases in freight capacity on the route.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Scottish Government does not hold details of the freight capacity of the vessel used on the route. There have not been any specific discussions with DFDS or Forth Ports regarding potential future increases in capacity although we continue encourage them t…
26 Jan 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what grants it has paid to (a) DFDS and (b) Forth Ports since January 2015 in order to maintain the Rosyth to Zeebrugge freight route.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Scottish Government paid 200,000 in January 2015 to DFDS, in support of the company’s operation of the Rosyth to Zeebrugge freight ferry service. The Scottish Government has not provided Forth Ports with funding for the route since January 2015. The Sco…
26 Jan 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will list the (a) capacity and (b) environmental improvements on the Rosyth to Zeebrugge freight route made by (i) Forth Ports and (ii) DFDS since August 2015, and how much was invested in each improvement.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: The information requested is not held by the Scottish Government as Rosyth to Zeebrugge is a commercial freight ferry route operated by DFDS. Improvements to the port facility or vessel to increase the capacity and improve the environmental performance have …
26 Jan 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many international freight passengers moved through Rosyth Port in each year since 2009-10.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: Data on the number of freight passengers travelling on the Rosyth to Zeebrugge ferry is published in the Scottish Transport Statistics. The latest figures are at Table 9.13(b) in the report at: http://www.transport.gov.scot/report/j415388-12.htm It should b…
26 Jan 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, when it last raised the issue of enforcement of the national minimum wage for seafarers working on the Rosyth to Zeebrugge freight route with (a) the UK Government and (b) DFDS.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-06601 on 8 February 2017. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness…
5 Sep 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-01610 by Kevin Stewart on 8 August 2016, whether the Joint Housing Policy and Delivery Group advises it on the borrowing commitments of the industry.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: The remit of the Joint Housing Policy and Delivery group is to promote collaboration and joint working across the sector with a specific focus on the Joint Housing Delivery Plan for Scotland, and to advise Ministers on new and existing housing policy and legi…
5 Sep 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-01610 by Kevin Stewart on 8 August 2016, what the date of its last meeting was with the Joint Housing Policy and Delivery Group when the availability of credit was (a) on the agenda or (b) discussed.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: ‘Risk and capital lending – delivery challenges for affordable housing providers’ was an agenda item at the most recent Joint Housing Policy and Delivery Group meeting (22 June 2016). The minutes of this meeting will be available on the Scottish Government we…
5 Sep 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Wheatley Group since the UK voted to leave the EU regarding its credit downgrade by Standard & Poor's on 6 July 2016.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: I attended a meeting with the Wheatley Housing Group (WHG) on 13 July 2016. At this meeting, the Chief Executive of WHG emphasised that, despite recent changes, the WHG still has a strong credit rating and had enough liquidity to borrow significant sums in fu…
5 Sep 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether acquisitions made by registered social landlords are subject to Land and Building Transaction Tax if those acquisitions are made without the assistance of grants or other financial assistance.
Answer · Derek Mackay: Schedule six of the Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (Scotland) Act 2013, as amended by The Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (Addition and Modification of Reliefs) (Scotland) Order 2015, provides relief for certain acquisitions by registered social landlo…
5 Sep 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many of its 33,490 affordable homes were delivered by the Wheatley Group in the fourth parliamentary session.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: During the last parliamentary term, a total of 1362 affordable homes were delivered by the Wheatley Housing Group.
5 Sep 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-01610 by Kevin Stewart on 8 August 2016, whether it and the Joint Housing Policy and Delivery Group have determined the level of credit required to increase the pace and momentum of housing delivery in order to meet the 50,000 new homes target.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: Minutes from previous meetings of the Joint Housing Policy and Delivery Group can be viewed on the Scottish Government website: http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Built-Environment/Housing/reform/jhpdg/jhpdg-meetings
5 Sep 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-01610 by Kevin Stewart on 8 August 2016, whether the Joint Housing Policy and Delivery Group has raised concerns about the availability of credit (a) to increase the pace and momentum of housing delivery to meet the 50,000 new homes target, and (b) …
Answer · Kevin Stewart: Minutes from previous meetings of the Joint Housing Policy and Delivery Group can be viewed on the Scottish Government website: http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Built-Environment/Housing/reform/jhpdg/jhpdg-meetings The most recent meeting of the Joint Housing Poli…
5 Sep 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much Land and Buildings Transaction Tax was paid by (a) registered social landlords, (b) local authorities and (c) the Scottish Ministers since April 2015.
Answer · Derek Mackay: This is a matter for Revenue Scotland, a non-ministerial department and officeholder in the Scottish Administration, which is responsible for the collection and management of the devolved taxes and publication of related statistics. Statistics on residential…
5 Sep 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-01610 by Kevin Stewart on 8 August 2016, whether the Joint Housing Policy and Delivery Group plans to consider the Wheatley Group's credit downgrade by Standard & Poor's on 6 July 2016.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: The agenda for the next meeting of the Joint Housing Policy and Delivery Group in November has not yet been finalised. The agenda for this meeting will be published on the Scottish Government website in November 2016, after the meeting has taken place.
5 Sep 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-01595 by Kevin Stewart on 8 August 2016, whether strategic housing investment plans require local authorities to advise how many (a) sites of allocated land there are and (b) housing unit consents remain outstanding where development has not been br…
Answer · Kevin Stewart: Scottish Planning Policy (2014) sets out the Scottish Government's policy on enabling the delivery of new homes. It sets out that local authorities, through their development plans, should address the supply of land for all housing, maintaining at least a fiv…
15 Aug 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-29352 by Annabelle Ewing on 29 January 2016, whether it will provide an update on how the scheme will apply in Scotland.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: While we have yet to receive final details of the financial settlement that the Scottish Government will receive from the introduction of the Apprenticeship Levy in 2017, we are aware of the importance of engaging with employers in Scotland in shaping our res…
22 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what mechanism will be used to allocate financial assistance to local authorities to strengthen their skills and capacity in housing delivery.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Scottish Government has committed over £3 billion of grant funding to support the delivery of 50,000 affordable homes in Scotland (35,000 for social rent), during this parliamentary session. As part of its on-going engagement with local authorities in the…
22 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many planning practitioners have been employed in each local authority in each year since 2011.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: Data on planning authority staffing have only been collected since 31 March 2013 as part of Planning Performance Frameworks. The information collected is staffing at all levels across planning authorities including planning staff, planning technicians and adm…
22 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to deliver a national infrastructure agency with statutory powers to support development.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: The independent planning review panel recommended that a national infrastructure agency or working group with statutory powers should be established. In our response to the review, which we published on 11 July 2016, we committed to looking at the detail of t…
22 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the Housing Infrastructure Fund can be used to establish (a) renewable electricity and (b) district heating solutions in off-grid locations.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: We are working closely with local authorities as part of the Strategic Housing Investment Plan process to identify strategically important projects that could be supported by the fund. The definition of what infrastructure can be supported is intentionally wi…
22 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) sites of allocated land there are and (b) housing unit consents remain outstanding where development has not been brought forward in each local authority.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: Scottish Planning Policy (2014) sets out the Scottish Government's policy on enabling the delivery of new homes. It sets out that local authorities, through their development plans, should address the supply of land for all housing, maintaining at least a fiv…
22 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what level of financial assistance (a) it has provided since 2011 and (b) will be provided to each local authority to strengthen their skills and capacity for housing delivery.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: (a) None. (b) I refer the member to the answer to his previous question S5W-01600 on 16 August 2016. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.parliame…
22 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to (a) bring forward proposals to strengthen and (b) review the Scottish Historic Environment Policy and, if so, when.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Scottish Historic Environment Policy 2011 (SHEP 2011) was replaced by a new policy statement from Historic Environment Scotland (HES) on 01 June 2016. The Historic Environment Scotland Policy Statement updates the operational policy that was set out in SHEP 2…
22 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will prioritise development of brownfield land through its Housing Infrastructure Fund.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: It is for local authorities to put forward sites they consider to be a priority for support in line with the eligibility criteria for the fund:http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Built-Environment/Housing/supply-demand/housing-infrastructure-fund.
22 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the level of (a) capital and (b) other expenditure has been in each local authority planning department in each year since 2011.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: All of Scotland's 32 local authorities make annual service level expenditure and income statistical returns, which include planning, to the Scottish Government and these are published on the Scottish Government's website and are available via the following li…
22 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether its proposed Planning Bill will include fundamental reform of the system.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: The planning review covered a wide range of complex issues. Over the coming months, we will investigate the detail and implications of the review recommendations and will identify which improvements require legislative change. We will publish a White Paper in…
22 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what (a) estimated and (b) maximum level of support will be provided each year through Housing Infrastructure Fund loans, broken down by (i) unit, (ii) development and (iii) developer, and how many it estimates will receive support.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: We are working with local authorities to finalise this information. Up to £50 million is available in 2016-17 for the Housing Infrastructure Fund for both loans and grant and we are working closely with local authorities as part of the Strategic Housing Inves…
22 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will commit to a statutory duty to include young people in the preparation of local development plans.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: On 11 July 2016, the Scottish Ministers issued our response to the independent review of planning. The response states that we agree with many of the panel’s recommendations and outlines both the immediate and longer term actions we will take to bring about p…
22 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what (a) discussions it has had with and (b) reassurances it has given to registered social landlords regarding the availability of credit to support its 50,000 homes target.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: We have listened to what registered social landlords need to increase the pace and momentum of housing delivery and are continuing to work closely with them and with all of our partners from across the housing sector to ensure the stable supply of more afford…