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Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

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Question reference: S6W-17687

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 19 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the progress being made in developing the pension age disability payment.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-17686 on 19 May 2023 which sets out the delivery timetable for Pension Age Disability Payment.

The Scottish Government continues to make progress in the development of Pension Age Disability Payment. Officials are currently drafting regulations to enable the delivery of Pension Age Disability Payment, whilst also engaging with stakeholders and those with lived experience of the current social security system to develop a benefit that delivers with dignity, fairness and respect.

The Scottish Government is also working closely with the Department for Work and Pensions to ensure a safe and secure transfer to Pension Age Disability Payment for individuals in Scotland who are currently in receipt of Attendance Allowance.

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-committees/written-questions-and-answers

Question reference: S6W-17686

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 19 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it remains committed to delivering the pilot of pension age disability payment in autumn 2024, and the national launch in 2025.

Question reference: S6W-17622

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 19 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many children leave secondary school without having received swimming lessons in the previous two years of their learning.

Question reference: S6W-17724

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 19 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how the figure of £2 billion of private investment, which is referred to by NatureScot as being available under the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding agreed between NatureScot and private financial interests, was calculated.

The £2 billion figure represents the current, combined investment appetite from the private partners. It is an indicative sum, subject to detailed negotiation of investment in specific projects. Detailed financial modelling and risk assessment will be undertaken for each investment before the investors make a firm financial commitment to each project. It is not a cap on investment through this partnership, nor an assessment of the total financing requirements of specific projects, rather it represents the current budget available.

Question reference: S6W-17727

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 19 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-16430 by Lorna Slater on 25 April 2023, whether the project board envisaged will approve investment cases; what status any such approval will have; whether any investment cases approved by the project board will confer any beneficial status on investment cases approved, and when the first investment cases are expected to be completed.

Question reference: S6W-17725

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 19 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to questions S6W-16435 and S6W-16430 by Lorna Slater on 25 April 2023, whether the ethical framework referred to as yet to be “agreed and approved” will be subject to open consultation prior to its agreement and approval; by whom the ethical framework will be approved, and how adherence to the framework will be (a) monitored and (b) reported.

Question reference: S6W-17689

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 19 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered what action can be taken to increase take-up of pension credit amongst older people who are living on a low-income in Scotland.

Pension Credit is reserved to the UK Government, therefore any take-up campaigns should be UK Government led.

However, in 2023-24 we will allocate at least £11 million to support the provision of free income maximisation, welfare and debt advice. This includes funding for the Money Talk Team Income Maximisation Service delivered by the Citizens Advice Network in Scotland, and the expansion of Welfare Advice and Health Partnerships to place Welfare Rights Advisors in up to 180 GP surgeries in Scotland’s most deprived areas.

Such Scottish Government funded services provide personalised advice on a wide range of support available to people in Scotland – including UK benefits such as Pension Credit, Scottish benefits, local authority payments, and wider support.

Question reference: S6W-17685

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 19 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-16420 by Patrick Harvie on 27 April 2023, for what reason there is no accreditation for contractors carrying out masonry repairs in Scotland.

Accreditation of contractors is a reserved matter, therefore the industry regulations rest with UK Government.

The UK government has a number of regulations in place to ensure that building contractors are accredited and meet the required standards. These regulations are designed to protect the public and ensure that buildings are safe and of a good quality.

The main regulations governing the accreditation of building contractors are:

• The Building Regulations 2010

• The Construction Products Regulation 2011

• The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015

• Health and Safety at Work Act 1974

Question reference: S6W-17715

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 May 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 19 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government (a) how many and (b) what proportion of Warmer Homes Scotland installations required the removal of asbestos.

Asbestos removal was introduced as a measure available through the Warmer Homes Scotland scheme from 1 April 2019. The following table give the total number of asbestos removal measures that have been completed and the proportion in relation to the total number of Warmer Homes Scotland applications.

	Total asbestos removal measures completed	Total completed applications	% proportion of applications
01-04-2019 – 31-03-2023	740	17,300	4.3%

Question reference: S6W-17750

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 05 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 19 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-17320 by Lorna Slater on 2 May 2023, what its response is to reports that, of the beavers culled under licences issued by NatureScot, only a small fraction of the carcasses are being submitted for an independent post-mortem.

NatureScot previously requested that carcasses from licensed control should be submitted for independent post mortem on a voluntary basis in order that aspects of beaver health and welfare could be monitored.

As set out in my previous answer to you in Parliamentary Question S6W-17320 on 2 May 2023, NatureScot now require that all carcasses from licensed control must be submitted for independent post mortem, as part of the licensing conditions, except in exceptional circumstances where a carcass cannot safely be retrieved. Compliance with these licence conditions is a legal requirement. Non-compliance may also lead to further licence applications being refused.