Parliamentary questions
Richard Leonard
963 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
4 Dec 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many panel members for children’s hearings have been recruited in each of the last three calendar years.
Answer · Natalie Don-Innes: This information is not held centrally by the Scottish Government. The member should contact Children’s Hearings Scotland for this information.
4 Dec 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of children’s hearings have been conducted with at least one panel member who was from outwith the local authority area of the child or young person in each of the last three calendar years, broken down by local authority area.
Answer · Natalie Don-Innes: This information is not held centrally by the Scottish Government. The member should contact Children’s Hearings Scotland for this information.
4 Dec 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many panel members for children’s hearings there have been in each of the last three calendar years.
Answer · Natalie Don-Innes: This information is not held centrally by the Scottish Government. Some of this information may be available online in the CHS Board papers, which can be found here: CHS Board PapersIf the information contained here is not sufficient for the member’s pu…
4 Dec 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many panel members for children’s hearings have resigned before their three-year term has been completed in each of the last three calendar years.
Answer · Natalie Don-Innes: This information is not held centrally by the Scottish Government. The member should contact Children’s Hearings Scotland for this information.
4 Dec 2024 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to address the reported decrease in levels of satisfaction with local government services.
27 Nov 2024 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to maintain and grow supported businesses.
20 Nov 2024 · SPCB Oral Question
To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will provide an update on the training of MSPs and staff on duties under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998.
19 Nov 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many businesses have been investigated by the Agricultural Wages Enforcement Team following a complaint from employees in each of the last five years.
Answer · Jim Fairlie: The number of complaints the Agricultural Wages Enforcement Team have investigated to ensure compliance with the Agricultural Wages (Scotland) Order, over the past five years, is:YearComplaints20205202114202272023420249
19 Nov 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many businesses received correspondence requesting corrections to underpayments identified as part of (a) control test inspections and (b) inspections as a result of a complaint from employees, in each of the last five years.
Answer · Jim Fairlie: Number of businesses which have received correspondence requesting corrections to underpayments as part of (a) control test inspections and (b) inspections as a result of a complaint from employees, in each of the last five years: (a) CTIs(b) Complaints2…
19 Nov 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many control test inspection visits by the Agricultural Wages Enforcement Team involved the use of interpreters (a) on-site and (b) subsequent to the visit, in each of the last five years.
Answer · Jim Fairlie: The number of control test inspections the Agricultural Wages Enforcement Team have investigated that involved the use of interpreters, over the past five years, is:YearAB202000202110202200202300202400
19 Nov 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many visits by the Agricultural Wages Enforcement Team arising as a result of complaints involved the use of interpreters (a) on-site and (b) subsequent to the visit, in each of the last five years.
Answer · Jim Fairlie: The number of complaints the Agricultural Wages Enforcement Team have investigated that involved the use of interpreters, over the past five years, is:YearAB202000202150202200202310202400
13 Nov 2024 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether local authorities will receive a fair budget settlement.
4 Nov 2024 · Topical Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of any potential implications for accessibility, equality and safety for passengers and the public, whether it will permit the reduction in opening hours of ticket offices by ScotRail.
31 Oct 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what translation and interpretation support is provided to agricultural wages inspectors when they make visits to workplaces.
Answer · Jim Fairlie: The Scottish Government has contracted provision for interpretation services (face-to-face, remote video and telephone). This provision can be used by the Agricultural Wages Enforcement Team under the interpreting, translation and transcription services frame…
31 Oct 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many enforcement notices have been issued by the Agricultural Wages Enforcement Team in each of the last five years.
Answer · Jim Fairlie: Total number of Enforcement Notices issued by the Agricultural Wages Enforcement Team in each of the last 5 years:2020: 162021: 02022: 32023: 82024: 13Enforcement Notices (ENs) are issued as a result of non-compliance with AWET correspondence. If an underpaym…
31 Oct 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) employers and (b) workplaces are monitored by the Agricultural Wages Enforcement Team.
Answer · Jim Fairlie: All agricultural businesses that have employees are required to comply with the Agricultural Wages (Scotland) Order (AWO). The monitoring of compliance with the AWO takes the form of Control Test Inspection (CTIs). Each year, a selection of 120 businesses, en…
31 Oct 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many agricultural wages inspectors are (a) directly employed by it and (b) independent contractors.
Answer · Jim Fairlie: There are currently 21 Scottish Government employees working as Agricultural Wage Inspectors. This role is conducted by Agricultural Officers who work for Rural Payments & Inspections Division and are responsible for other statutory functions in addition …
31 Oct 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what housing standards (a) caravans and (b) static homes that are provided by employers to workers employed on the Seasonal Worker Visa scheme are subject to.
Answer · Paul McLennan: Caravans and static homes provided by employers through a Service Occupancy Agreement are not subject to housing standards. Where agricultural land is used for the accommodation of people involved in farming operations on a seasonal basis, a site licence for …
31 Oct 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many full-time equivalent staffed posts there have been in the Agricultural Wages Enforcement Team in each of the last five years.
Answer · Jim Fairlie: The full-time equivalent staffed posts within the Agricultural Wages Enforcement Team to ensure compliance with the Agricultural Wages (Scotland) Order, over the last five years, is:Financial YearFull Time Equivalents2020-20210.82021-20220.82022-20231.22023-2…
31 Oct 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many employers make deductions at (a) themaximum and (b) less than the maximum permitted level for accommodation otherthan a house from workers on the Seasonal Worker Visa scheme.
Answer · Jim Fairlie: The number of employers and the amount they deduct is not a statistic (figure) that the Scottish Government collects or has access to. The amount deducted is a contractual agreement between employer and employee and would only be investigated during a wages c…
21 Oct 2024 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the potential closure of the Grangemouth oil refinery and any economic impact that this may have.
21 Oct 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider seeking to amend section 51 of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 to ensure that the assessment of the safety of safe walking routes to school is undertaken by an independent body.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: As part of their statutory responsibilities in relation to home to school transport local authorities are also required by the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 to have regard to the safety of pupils.Where local authorities conclude a route used by pupils to walk…
21 Oct 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26654 by Jenny Gilruth on 10 May 2024, whether it has any plans to seek to amend section 42(4) of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 to alter the statutory walking distances of (a) two miles for children aged under eight and (b) three miles…
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: As part of their statutory responsibilities in relation to home to school transport local authorities are also required by the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 to have regard to the safety of pupils.Where local authorities conclude a route used by pupils to walk…
9 Oct 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with ScotRail regarding any changes to ticket office opening hours.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-30519 on 4 November 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-co…
9 Oct 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish the equalities impact assessment for the proposed reductions in ScotRail ticket office opening hours that were consulted on in 2021.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: It is the Scottish Government’s understanding that ScotRail has adjusted its proposals to take account of feedback from its previous consultation, including consideration of equalities impact assessments. This is an operational matter for ScotRail as th…
9 Oct 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has ruled out reducing any ScotRail ticket office opening hours in line with the proposed changes that were consulted on in 2021.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-30519 on 4 November 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-co…
9 Oct 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether any decision to reduce ScotRail ticket office hours would be compatible with its Accessible Travel Framework.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Scottish Rail Holdings (SRH) recently submitted proposals for ScotRail (SRT) to redeploy staff to more passenger focussed duties across the Scottish rail network through changes to ticket office hours, and secured approval to this proposal from Transport Scot…
9 Oct 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the data used during the 2021 ScotRail ticket office consultation is still valid and accurate.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: ScotRail has adjusted its proposals to take account of feedback from its previous consultation. It’s important to note that Ticket Office opening hours haven’t changed for 33 years while ticket office sales over that period have reduced from 78% t…
9 Oct 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether its permission has been sought by ScotRail to proceed with reducing ticket office opening hours at ScotRail stations.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-30519 on 4 November 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-co…
9 Oct 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made regarding the potential impact in Scotland of the wholesale objection by Transport Focus to plans by train operating companies to close the majority of their ticket offices in 2023.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Scottish Government welcomed Transport Focus’ objection to the Department for Transport’s proposals to close the vast majority of its tickets office. It is equally welcome that these draconian proposals were subsequently dropped by the DfT. Un…