Parliamentary questions
Bill Bowman
310 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
8 May 2019 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made in addressing the areas for improvement identified in the Healthcare Improvement Scotland report, Review of Adult Mental Health Services in Tayside.
7 May 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the most recent Scottish Welfare Fund statistics update, which states that Community Care Grant applications have increased by 20% or more in nine local authorities.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-23027 on 16 May 2019. 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/28…
7 May 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the most recent Scottish Welfare Fund statistics update, which states that Community Care Grant applications from families facing exceptional pressure have increased by 12% since the same quarter last year.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The Scottish Government has committed to maintaining funding at £38 million (£33 million programme spend and £5 million administration costs) for 2019-20 to help those most in need.
7 May 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the most recent Scottish Welfare Fund statistics update, for what reason there has been an 85% increase in Crisis Grant applications in Angus compared with the same quarter last year.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: Local trends in Scottish Welfare Fund applications can have a wide range of causes. The latest data for Angus shows the reason for application that has shown the highest recorded increase in this period is “unexpected expense and benefit/income spent”.
7 May 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what SEPA has done to eliminate a kerosene leak contaminating a burn near Kirkton Industrial Estate in Arbroath.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: SEPA has investigated and mitigated the oil pollution event working with Scottish Water and Angus Council, but was unable to locate its source. SEPA determined there was no impact on watercourse ecology from the oil spill.
7 May 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it measures compliance with general evaluations of strategic environmental assessments carried out by SEPA.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: It is for a Responsible Authority, which can include SEPA when assessing their own plans, to ensure compliance with the statutory requirements of the Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005.
7 May 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what it considers “significant environmental effects” to be when referring to strategic environmental assessments carried out by SEPA.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government does not usually have a role in considering what is a significant environmental effect for strategic environmental assessments carried out by other Responsible Authorities. Where SEPA is carrying out a strategic environmental assessmen…
7 May 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made on delivering the A90 upgrade between Perth, Dundee and Aberdeen, including the northern relief road for Dundee.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The recent completion of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route including the section from Balmedie to Tipperty has delivered a significant upgrade to the A90 trunk road network in the North East. In addition, the design work on improvements to the A90/A937 at…
1 May 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much will be raised by the Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT) in (a) 2019-20 and (b) 2020-21.
Answer · Kate Forbes: The latest 5-year revenue forecasts for Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT) covering the period 2019-20 to 2023-24 were published by the Scottish Fiscal Commission on 12 December 2018. A summary of their tax forecasts can be found in Table 9 of Scotland…
1 May 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by Revenue Scotland statement that “estimates of gross Additional Dwelling Settlements [are] declared due by local authority,” whether it will provide (a) a breakdown of the responsibility for and (b) th erevenue allocation of Land and Buildings Transaction Tax …
Answer · Kate Forbes: Estimates of the number of additional dwelling transactions and the gross Additional Dwelling Supplement (ADS) revenues due according to the local authority in which the relevant property is located are provided annually by Revenue Scotland in Figures 17 and …
1 May 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) residential, (b) non-residential and (c) mixed property owners in each local authority area have paid the Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT) since June 2016.
Answer · Kate Forbes: For LBTT purposes, transactions are either residential or non-residential. The numbers of LBTT returns received for residential and non-residential property transactions are published on a monthly basis by Revenue Scotland on its website at: https://www.reve…
25 Apr 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many local authorities have established Business Improvement Districts (BIDs), and what the greatest challenge has been in doing so.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: Presently there are operational Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) in 22 local authority areas. The table below lists local authorities with established BIDs. Local Authorities with Established BIDs Aberdeen City Aberdeenshire Argyll and Bute City of …
25 Apr 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made to establish a Low Emission Zone (LEZ) boundary in Dundee, and what information it has on what Dundee City Council’s LEZ Delivery Group’s next steps are.
Answer · Michael Matheson: Dundee City Council intend to publish their Low Emission Zone (LEZ) boundary plan in summer 2019. The Council’s LEZ Delivery Group is meeting regularly with their next steps focusing on objective setting, LEZ scope and size options and stakeholder engagement …
25 Apr 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to improve the average band D Energy Performance Certificate rating in the residential housing sector.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: Energy efficiency has been a long-term priority for the Scottish Government. By the end of 2021, we will have allocated over £1 billion pounds since 2009 on tackling fuel poverty and improving energy efficiency. This year alone we have allocated £145 million …
25 Apr 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many households in each local authority area are experiencing fuel poverty.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: The number of households in each local authority that are experiencing fuel poverty is published annually in the Scottish House Condition Survey local authority tables. The most recent set of these tables covered the 3-year period from 2015-2017 and were publ…
25 Apr 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how its energy efficiency measures are impacting on fuel poverty.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Scottish Government is providing energy efficiency measures to help those families living in or at risk of living in fuel poverty in Scotland through its Home Energy Efficiency Programme for Scotland (HEEPS). Launched in April 2013 the HEEPS programme is…
25 Apr 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what progress each sector is making in meeting the target set out in its document, Conserve and Save: The Energy Efficiency Action Plan for Scotland, for a 12% reduction in final energy consumption by 2020.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: This information is in the public domain and can be found at: https://www2.gov.scot/Resource/0054/00547120.xlsx in the ‘Energy consump by sector’ tab. The most recent data broken down by sector (2016) shows that industrial and commercial consumption (of el…
25 Apr 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on offering energy efficiency discounts for residential properties on a longer-term basis.
Answer · Kate Forbes: It is for each local authority to fulfil their obligation to establish their own Council Tax energy efficiency discount scheme under Section 65 of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009. The operation of each scheme and its associated discounts is a matter…
25 Apr 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many Energy Saving Trust grants have been awarded in each year since 2016, broken down by local authority area.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: Since 2016 the Scottish Government has provided loan schemes for energy efficiency measures through the Energy Saving Trust. Some of these loans included a `cash back' element worth up to 25% of the cost of selected energy efficiency measures. Details …
25 Apr 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government which local authorities have offered an energy efficiency discount in each year since 2016.
Answer · Kate Forbes: This information is not held centrally. Although the Scottish Government tables an annual report to Parliament on the operation of the energy efficiency discount schemes as required by section 66 of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009, the obligation to es…
25 Apr 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether Revenue Scotland provides external insights into its compliance activity and, if not, whether it will provide details of what oversight is provided to ensure that tax is applied correctly and fairly.
Answer · Kate Forbes: To ensure that its decisions are impartial and in line with international best practice, Revenue Scotland operates independently of the Scottish Ministers in its role and is directly accountable to the Scottish Parliament. I have asked the Chief Executive of …
25 Apr 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the statement in the Fraser of Allander Institute blog, Budget 2019-20: what next?, that “Local government was...a key tension within the budget. In the context of budget negotiations, such discussions tend to centre upon the level of funding provided to councils …
Answer · Kate Forbes: The Scottish Government routinely engages with political parties across the Scottish Parliament as part of the Scottish Budget agreement process. The 2019-20 Scottish Budget protects and invests in Scotland's public services, offering stability in the face o…
24 Apr 2019 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what policies have been put in place to tackle the reported rise in relative poverty in Scotland’s communities.
26 Mar 2019 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with fishermen in Angus regarding the impact of offshore wind developments on the fishing industry.
21 Mar 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-20977 by Derek Mackay on 29 January 2019, what its response is to the Scottish Retail Consortium's call for business improvement districts and other organisations to be eligible to bid for funding from the £50 million Town Centre Fund.
Answer · Derek Mackay: The Town Centre Fund is a ring-fenced capital fund for local authorities within the local authority capital settlement. It is for local authorities to allocate funding. They may use the grant to fund third party capital expenditure in the current year if they…
21 Mar 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-21852 by Jeane Freeman on 11 March 2019, in light of NHS boards missing care standards and its statement that “the standards are set at a level which aims to be both challenging but achievable by hospitals”, what further action it will take to suppo…
Answer · Jeane Freeman: Our Scottish Stroke Improvement Team supports Managed Clinical Networks (MCNs) to evaluate Boards and improve performance. This support includes visiting all Boards at least once a year to review stroke care, to assess performance, to highlight best practice …
21 Mar 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-21851 by Michael Matheson on 13 March 2019, which outlines several long-term economic growth investments, what action it is taking to affect short-term economic growth in Dundee.
Answer · Derek Mackay: The Scottish Government is committed to working with local and regional partners to build a more resilient economy in Dundee. This necessarily involves a range of shorter and longer term interventions. For example, the 30 year vision agreed in 1999 is transf…
14 Mar 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to its official statistics, which have recorded that the recruitment of learning support and additional support needs staff nationally has fallen from 4,703 to 4,119 since 2010.
Answer · John Swinney: All children and young people should get the support they need to reach their full potential. All teachers provide support to pupils with additional support needs, not just 'support for learning' teachers. Teacher levels are the highest in a decade, and the n…
14 Mar 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to its official statistics, which have recorded that, since 2010, Dundee has retained 97% fewer learning support and additional support needs staff compared with the overall national figure.
Answer · John Swinney: All children and young people should get the support they need to reach their full potential. While all teachers work with pupils with additional support needs, there has been an overall increase in specialist staff. The Additional Support for Learning Act p…
13 Mar 2019 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the National Audit Office's recent report, Investigation into devolved funding.
Answer · Derek Mackay: I welcome the National Audit Office’s report. It acknowledges that additional funding for Northern Ireland, including as part of the Conservative-DUP Confidence and Supply arrangement, will not result in additional consequentials for Scotland. To date, Scotl…