Parliamentary questions
Adam Tomkins
214 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
20 Apr 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to develop a new national homelessness strategy.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Scottish Government takes a strategic approach to addressing homelessness in Scotland. At a national level, the Scottish Government and COSLA’s Homelessness Prevention and Strategy Group’s membership involves a range of stakeholders, including health, who…
20 Apr 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that temporary accommodation is suitable for families with children.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: Households with children are placed in temporary accommodation while they wait for appropriate, sustainable permanent accommodation. We want time in temporary accommodation to be as short as possible. As most temporary accommodation is in social housing it sh…
18 Apr 2017 · First Minister's Question
To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's position is on Reform Scotland's view that local authorities should be responsible for all matters that are not specifically reserved to the Scottish Parliament.
11 Apr 2017 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update regarding Glasgow Kelvin College’s request to retain £3 million from the sale of the Stow College building.
14 Mar 2017 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to concerns that the Child Poverty (Scotland) Bill does not contain sufficient measures to lift children out of poverty.
6 Mar 2017 · First Minister's Question
To ask the First Minister for what reason life expectancy is no longer increasing in Scotland.
20 Feb 2017 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that 30% of sheriff courts are failing to reach the 26-week target from caution and charge to verdict.
9 Feb 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the comments by the Minister for Transport and the Islands at the meeting of the Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee on 1 February 2017 that "there could be a risk of slippage in the end stages of development" (Official Report, c. 13), what assessment it has made of the …
Answer · Humza Yousaf: The redevelopment of Queen Street station continues to make progress, some advanced works are already underway and Transport Scotland authorised a further package of enabling works in December 2016 which should commence March 2017. The remaining works packag…
9 Feb 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to figures published by the British Heart Foundation, which show that the premature death rate from cardiovascular disease in Glasgow is 127 per 100,000, compared with the Scottish average of 91 per 100,000.
Answer · Shona Robison: National statistics published on 21 February 2017 indicate that the coronary heart disease mortality rate in Scotland has decreased by 38% in the last ten years; mortality rates in all deprivation quintiles also reduced over the decade. However, we are not co…
9 Feb 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure early (a) diagnosis and (b) treatment for people with cardiovascular disease.
Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government's Heart Disease Improvement Plan (2014) affirmed heart disease as a clinical priority for NHS Scotland, including the prevention, detection, treatment and aftercare of heart disease and patients with heart disease. Two of the improveme…
9 Feb 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether Network Rail’s Transport and Works Scotland Order application to the Scottish Ministers regarding the proposed redevelopment of Glasgow Queen Street railway station has been delayed and, if so, for what reason.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: Network Rail intimated their intention was to submit their TAWS application in June 2015 but did not do so until September 2015. Scottish Ministers processed the application timeously upon receipt and immediately commenced a Public Local Inquiry (PLI). The re…
9 Feb 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the performance of the Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement Programme (EGIP) in delivering the package of improvements to Scotland’s railway infrastructure on schedule.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement Programme (EGIP) has already delivered a number of infrastructure improvements on time and within budget. Examples of these are the redevelopment of Haymarket Station opened in December 2013, the electrification of the Cumber…
9 Feb 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement Programme (EGIP) will be delivered within the proposed budget of £742 million.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: The EY report published in October 2016 highlighted cost increases across the rail major projects including the Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement Programme (EGIP). The report highlighted a revised Anticipated Final Cost for EGIP of £795million.
9 Feb 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Glasgow City Council regarding delays to the redevelopment of Glasgow Queen Street station.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: Glasgow City Council and Transport Scotland are standing attendees at the six weekly Queen Street Stakeholder Forum where updates are provided on the current status of the station redevelopment.
9 Feb 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Glasgow City Council regarding the redevelopment of the Buchanan Galleries.
Answer · Keith Brown: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-07089 on 20 February 2017. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877…
9 Feb 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with stakeholders in Glasgow regarding delays to the redevelopment of the Buchanan Galleries.
Answer · Keith Brown: Discussions on the delivery timetable for the redevelopment of the Buchanan Galleries, and its economic impact, are being taken forward as part of the governance arrangements for the Glasgow Buchanan Quarter Tax Incremental Financing (TIF) pilot. This is ach…
9 Feb 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the economic and financial impact of delays to the redevelopment of Glasgow Queen Street station.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Transport and Works Scotland Order application is taking longer than allowed for in the Network Rail delivery programme. Officials are working closely with Network Rail to understand the resulting impact on the construction programme. The introduction of …
9 Feb 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the economic impact of delays to the redevelopment of the Buchanan Galleries on Glasgow city centre as a retail destination.
Answer · Keith Brown: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-07089 on 20 February 2017. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877…
9 Feb 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it expects the Scottish Ministers to make Network Rail's Transport and Works Scotland Order regarding the proposed redevelopment of Glasgow Queen Street railway station, which was originally expected in the summer of 2016.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: Following the Public Local Inquiry into the proposed redevelopment of Glasgow Queen Street railway station, the Reporters submitted their report and recommendations to the Scottish Government on 5 October 2016. This is under active consideration as part of th…
26 Jan 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to allocate additional funding in the 2017-18 budget to Skills Development Scotland to help it to integrate its services with Work First Scotland and Work Able Scotland.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: SDS will receive up to £5 million via their block grant to resource the delivery of Work Able Scotland. The Scottish Government will continue to engage SDS in both the on-going development of Scotland’s employment services, including the alignment and integra…
26 Jan 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers that its approach to national procurement for devolved employability programmes is consistent with local level delivery in light of the comment in the written submission to the Social Security Committee by the Scottish Local Authorities Economic Development Group (SL…
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: The Scottish Government believes that Local Government is a key strategic partner in the delivery of employability programmes. Local Authorities have been a consistent strategic partner in the service and policy development stages of our new devolved programm…
26 Jan 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in light of the figures published by the Office for National Statistics, which record Glasgow as having the poorest life expectancy in the UK, with 1,448 deaths per 100,000 people in 2015.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: Life expectancy in Scotland is increasing. The gap between life expectancy for men and for women is Scotland is continuing to narrow. Reducing health inequalities is one of the biggest challenges we face. To tackle this we recognise that the root of health i…
26 Jan 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that Work First Scotland and Work Able Scotland work in partnership with locally-run health care, occupational therapy and addiction services.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: Through both Work First Scotland and Work Able Scotland customers will be able to access integrated support including provision of personal and vocational skills development, work related experience, and health support to manage specific barriers to work. D…
26 Jan 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what opportunities there are for a greater alignment of the support offered to people through devolved employability services, further education and skills training, and what action it is taking realise these opportunities.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: Devolution of employment services is a clear opportunity to build on the strengths of existing national and local services and set out our longer-term vision for achieving greater alignment and integration. My officials have engaged with a broad spectrum of o…
26 Jan 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether Skills Development Scotland will be able to deliver its current level of services in light of its proposed budget reduction of £6.8 million.
Answer · John Swinney: In the draft budget, published on 15 December 2016, SDS was allocated Grant in Aid of £179.6 million which will be used to meet its commitments in 2017-18. This is an increase from the previous years initial budget of £176.1m. The figure quoted, also taken f…
26 Jan 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of how the 30/70% split in the payment to Work First Scotland and Work Able Scotland between the service fee and job outcome and sustainment payments will impact on their ability to provide pre-employment support.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: The Scottish Government are committed to delivering value for money within both the Work First Scotland and Work Able Scotland programmes. Balancing the need for investment in individuals while continuing to emphasise the importance of sustained job outcomes…
26 Jan 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what transitional arrangements will be put in place for jobseekers referred to the Work First programme between April and December 2017.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: The Work First Scotland (WFS) programme will deliver high quality employment support to those with a disability in Scotland from April 2017, who want and need help to enter and remain in the labour market. Further detail of how WFS will operate are availabl…
26 Jan 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response it to the comment in the written submission to the Social Security Committee by the Scottish Local Authorities Economic Development Group (SLAED) in January 2017 that “weaknesses … in the UK managed work programme are at risk of being repeated” in the new devolved emplo…
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: Scottish Ministers agree with SLAED on the risks with large CPAs. That is why, in comparison to the UK Work Programme’s six CPAs for all of England and Wales, there will be nine in Scotland. The CPAs were determined following a series of market engagement m…
26 Jan 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it will continue to involve local authorities in the provision of employability support services when the Work First Scotland and Work Able Scotland contracts begin in April 2017.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: The Scottish Government is committed to providing continuity of service for those who need it in 2017-2018, in advance of a full programme of support beginning in April 2018. We are working collaboratively with our partners, including local authorities, on th…
26 Jan 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that Skills Development Scotland works in partnership with devolved employability programmes.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: As Scotland’s national skills body, Skills Development Scotland (SDS) will continue to play an important role in supporting individuals towards and into work. SDS is a key partner in delivery of the 2017 transitional employment services, managing Work Able Sc…