Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-09327

Asked by: Elena Whitham, MSP for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 24 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 18 July 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide an update on the uptake to date of the Young Persons’ (Under 22s) Free Bus Travel, and what assessment it has made of the impact of the scheme on children in households on the lowest incomes and their ability to access opportunities.

As of close of business on 27 June 2022 a total of 426,397 cards had been issued under the Young Persons Scheme (YPS). This includes the number of cards that have collected a travel product from the Transport Scot Pass Collect mobile application held by Transport Scotland and data supplied by the National Entitlement Card Programme Office (NECPO). NECPO support the 32 local authorities by assisting with the integration of various national and local public services on the National Entitlement Card (NEC) and are the joint controller with local authorities of this data.

One of the objectives of the YPS is to reduce household outgoings to aid children, particularly those living in poverty. Transport Scotland is undertaking an evaluation of the Scheme to assess its success. As a first step, a baseline study was undertaken prior to the scheme going live and a Baseline Data Report was published on 24 June 2022.

The report stated that as incomes decreased bus use increased for most journey purposes, with those on the lowest incomes most likely to use the bus. In addition, as income reduced the proportions of income spent on a child’s travel tended to increase.

The cost of travel and transport was noted as being a key reason why some children and young people were missing out on opportunities, including social and leisure activities as well as educational, work opportunities and support/respite services. Between 51% (for health care) and 80% (for daytime social activities) of respondents felt that the YPS would allow them to travel more often to their current destinations, and/or to access new destinations.

The evaluation is ongoing and will compare conditions at intervals up to five years after project implementation to assess the outcomes and impact of the scheme on children, young people and their families.

Question reference: S6O-01251

Asked by: Elena Whitham, MSP for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Christine Grahame (on behalf of the SPCB) on 16 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether an assessment has been made of the chairs in the MSP block for use by members and staff, in relation to occupational health and the latest standards.

Our office furniture contracts require suppliers to ensure that chairs meet all relevant standards in force at the time of purchase. We inspect chairs at regular intervals to ensure that they remain in safe condition and replace them when they reach end of life. If a member or member of staff feels that they require support for a particular health concern, they can contact the people and culture office—formerly human resources—for support. If necessary, a workplace assessment can be arranged with our occupational health provider.

Question reference: S6W-08239

Asked by: Elena Whitham, MSP for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 11 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how much it (a) has spent on funding Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) in each year for which it has been responsible for doing so and (b) estimates it will spend on funding DHPs in the current financial year, all broken down by how much was in relation to (i) the removal of the spare room subsidy and (ii) other reasons, and what the (A) administrative costs for DHPs and (B) total value of DHPs made by local authorities was in each year from 2010-11 to 2021-22.

(a) Scotland has budgeted £429 million in total for Discretionary Housing Payments since DHPs were devolved in 2017 to the 2022-23 financial year. This is broken down into £349 million for mitigation of the bedroom tax and £80.4 million for mitigating the impact of other welfare reforms.

SG funding for DHPs 2017-18 to 2022-23

Year	2017-18	2018-19	2019-20	2020-21	2021-22	2022-23	Total
Bedroom Tax Budget	£47.6m	£50.1m	£52.3m	£59.7m	£71m	£68.1m	£348.8m
Other DHPs	£10.9m	£10.9m	£10.9m	£18.9m 1	£10.9m	£17.9m 2	£80.4m
Full Budget	£58.5m	£61m	£63.2m	£78.6m	£81.9m	£86m	£429.2m

1. Figure includes additional £8m of Covid-support funds

2. Figure includes £7m for additional benefit cap support

Note: These figures do not include administration funding

(b) (i) (ii) In 2022-23 it is estimated that the Scottish Government will spend £86m on DHPs. From this, £68.1 million is to mitigate the bedroom tax helping over 92,000 households in Scotland to sustain their tenancies. An additional £17.9 million mitigates against the damaging impact of other UK Government welfare cuts including the benefit cap and changes to the Local Housing Allowance rates.

From the £17.9m, £10m will be used to mitigate the benefit cap with the other £7.9m to be allocated to LHA and other non-welfare. We are unable to confirm the exact amounts allocated to each stream at present as allocations are ongoing.

(A) Since DHPs were devolved in 2017 the Scottish Government has provided local authorities with £1.2m in administration funding each year since 2017. In 2021-22 a further £256,255 was allocated to the administration funding as part of the roll-over of the ‘other’ underspend.

(B) The Scottish Government do not hold information on total value of DHPs made by local authorities each year pre 2013-14. Pre 2017 the funding was not broken down into bedroom tax or other. We do not yet have the final spending figures for 2021-22. It is, however, estimated that in 2021-22 there will be £71m for bedroom tax spend and £10.9m for DHP other spend.

Outturn (Spending) 2017-18 to 2020-21

Year	2013-14	2014-15	2015-16	2016-17	2017-18	2018-19	2019-20	2020-21	Total
Bedroom Tax Spend	-	-	-	-	£48.7m	£52.6m	£56m	£62.7m	£220m
DHP Other Spend	-	-	-	-	£10.5m	£9.9m	£10m	£13.8m	£44.2m
Total Spend	£29.2m	£50.5m	£49.1m	£51.8m	£59.2m	£62.4m	£66m	£76.5m	£264.1m

Note, some local authorities add some of their own funds for local priorities

Question reference: S6W-08184

Asked by: Elena Whitham, MSP for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 22 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 9 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to making food security impact assessments an immediate requirement for any application for largescale forestry expansion on productive agricultural land, in order to ensure that all productive land can be prioritised for food production rather than carbon offsetting by non-agricultural businesses.

The Scottish Government requires that where large scale forestry expansion is proposed, that may impact upon productive agricultural land, that consultation takes place between the applicant, Agriculture and Rural Economy (ARE) and Scottish Forestry (SF) colleagues. This ensures that potential impacts on agricultural productivity are examined and mitigated. This benefits integration with other patterns of land use and allows for the retention of agricultural enterprises. As a result of this approach, Scottish Government does not feel that additional food security impact assessments are necessary.

Question reference: S6W-08185

Asked by: Elena Whitham, MSP for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 22 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 5 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to implementing a rapid food production impact assessment of all existing and new legislation and policy affecting agricultural land use and practice, in order to avoid any undermining of the potential for, or increases to the costs of, food production.

Scottish Ministers have established a short-life Food Security and Supply Taskforce, together with industry. The Taskforce met for the first time on 18 March and again on 01 and 20 April. It will monitor, identify and respond to any current and potential disruption to the food and drink supply chain resulting from the impact of the current situation in Ukraine.

It is currently considering a range of issues and proposals submitted to it and will seek to recommend, any short, medium and longer-term actions that can be taken to mitigate impacts, resolve supply issues and strengthen food security and supply in Scotland. The taskforce will report in due course.

Question reference: S6O-01039

Asked by: Elena Whitham, MSP for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 April 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 May 2022

To ask what assessment the Scottish Government has made of the potential impact on Scotland of the outcome of the French presidential election.

Question reference: S6W-07435

Asked by: Elena Whitham, MSP for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 29 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with the UK Government regarding a lifetime commitment to thalidomide health grants and support beyond 2023.

Question reference: S6W-07436

Asked by: Elena Whitham, MSP for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 29 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on the most recent known levels of charges for (a) NHS prescriptions and (b) eye tests in Scotland, and how this compares with (i) England and (ii) Wales.

Question reference: S6W-07369

Asked by: Elena Whitham, MSP for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 11 March 2022
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 11 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what further steps it is taking to respond to the Ukrainian refugee crisis.

This is an unprecedented time and we are witnessing a humanitarian crisis in Europe not seen since World War II. The Government is actively working with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, councils and the Scottish Refugee Council to ensure that Scotland is ready and able to welcome refugees from Ukraine and give them the support and sanctuary that those fleeing from Russian aggression so desperately need. The Scottish Government will continue to press the UK Government to waive all visa requirements and introduce a comprehensive resettlement scheme.

This Government wants to do all it can to support the people of Ukraine who have been displaced by war and this will need to ensure we have a co-ordinated approach across Government and with our partners as we seek to provide sanctuary and support to people in need.

Given the grave and urgent nature of the situation, it is right that this Government has a Minister with specific responsibilities for refugees from Ukraine who will be arriving in Scotland and need support to rebuild their lives. Therefore to provide further support for the Scottish Government’s action, I have decided that, with immediate effect, Neil Gray, Minister for Culture, Europe and International Development, will also have special responsibility for Refugees from Ukraine. For the time being, he will report directly to me for these new responsibilities and will attend Cabinet as required.

Mr Gray’s new ministerial title, with immediate effect, will be Minister for Culture, Europe and International Development and Minister with special responsibility for Refugees from Ukraine.

Question reference: S6W-06476

Asked by: Elena Whitham, MSP for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 11 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 8 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether the onshore wind turbines planning advice guidance will be updated to reflect considerations for applications for turbines of 200m and over that are in close proximity to individual rural dwellings or settlements, and to require turbines of 150m and over to be illuminated.

Our Draft National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) sets out how our approach to planning and development will help achieve a net zero, sustainable Scotland by 2045, including through a suite of 35 proposed new or updated national planning policies. Draft policy 19 on green energy supports renewable energy development other than in national parks and national scenic areas, subject to an assessment of impacts on a case by case basis. Criteria for assessing proposals are also set out, including impacts on communities and individual dwellings, as well as on aviation.

We laid the Draft NPF4 in the Scottish Parliament on 10 November 2021. Alongside Parliamentary scrutiny of the draft, we are running a public consultation, supported by an extensive engagement programme, and comments are invited by 31 March 2022. Following this period, we will consider the responses received and any appropriate amendments to the draft NPF4 before presenting a final draft to the Scottish Parliament for its approval, in advance of adoption by the Scottish Ministers.

We will give consideration, once NPF4 has been finalised and adopted, to whether and where our existing suite of planning guidance may need updated or replaced to support NPF4 implementation.

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