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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: S5W-35632

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 March 2021
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 12 March 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what costs and savings might arise from the cancellation of the relocation of Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion to the BioQuarter site in Edinburgh.

Question reference: S5W-35630

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 March 2021
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 12 March 2021

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the funding for the relocation of the Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion to the BioQuarter site In Edinburgh, which it had initially approved, was cancelled; whether it will publish the timeline of the process that it used to reach this decision; what advice it has received from (a) clinicians and (b) ophthalmologists regarding the cancellation, and what consultation it carried out with (i) clinicians, (ii) ophthalmologists and (iii) service users.

Question reference: S5W-33966

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 December 2020
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 11 March 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that the work toward achieving net-zero emissions does not lead to more households facing fuel poverty.

We are committed to ensuring our approach to heat decarbonisation neither increases the fuel poverty rate nor increases the depth of fuel poverty. It is imperative that our actions help to deliver both our statutory fuel poverty and climate targets.

Over the next Parliament we will invest £1.6 billion to decarbonise the way we heat our homes and our buildings and tackle fuel poverty. In the short term we will continue to build upon our successful Energy Efficient Scotland delivery programmes helping to ensure homes are energy efficient and ready for low carbon heat. We will also continue to increase the number of zero emission heating measures funded through these programmes, targeting households who can benefit most from decarbonisation, avoiding those where there is a risk of a detrimental outcome, and providing uplifted support where necessary to secure both objectives.

Over the longer term the UK Government must take action on energy prices to better align the transition to net-zero with fuel poverty objectives. This includes rebalancing environmental and social obligations on energy bills to make gas and electric prices relatively more comparable; as well as increasing levy funding for social obligations alongside changes to how costs are charged to low income and fuel poor households with higher energy costs, to ensure that progress is maintained in reducing fuel poverty.

The draft Heat in Buildings Strategy, published 5 February, sets out the actions we will take to protect vulnerable households including those at risk of fuel poverty as we transform our homes so that they are warmer, greener and affordable to heat.

Question reference: S5W-33968

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 December 2020
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 11 March 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will introduce a support programme for rural home owners, particularly in off-gas areas, to ensure that they are not adversely affected by the costs of moving to low-carbon heat.

The Scottish Government already supports rural homeowners with the costs of reducing and eliminating emissions associated with their heating. Support is available through our existing energy efficiency and heat decarbonisation schemes including Warmer Homes Scotland, our local authority-led Area Based Schemes and our Home Energy Scotland interest-free loan and cashback scheme.

Home Energy Scotland is funded by the Scottish Government and offers free and impartial advice to all Scottish households, including those in our rural and island communities, on how to keep their homes warm, reduce bills and cut greenhouse gas emissions.

Question reference: S5O-05135

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 March 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 March 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how it will utilise its public sector procurement to ensure that companies in receipt of public sector contracts pay staff the real living wage and provide longer-term employment and training opportunities.

Question reference: S5W-35383

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 22 February 2021
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 1 March 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether BS 8414 fire tests allow flammable cladding to be used on buildings and, in light of the position taken by the other UK administrations, whether it will ban their use.

Cladding systems containing combustible materials that pass the large scale BS8414 test and meet the performance criteria in BR 135 can be used on buildings over 11m in Scotland. I announced at the Local Government and Communities Committee meeting on 4 September 2020 that an independent panel of fire experts would be convened to consider the banning of the highest risk combustible cladding materials and also the role of BS8414. Public safety is our first priority and I am satisfied that the action taken within our reviews, based upon the advice from the many independent experts involved, will continue to deliver this.

Question reference: S5F-04820

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 15 February 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 February 2021

To ask the First Minister how the consequentials from the recently announced £3.5 billion of funding to replace unsafe cladding in England will be allocated, and whether buildings under 18 metres will be included in any grant scheme.

Question reference: S5W-34475

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 January 2021
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 11 February 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many carers have (a) applied for and (b) been awarded the £500 "thank you" bonus to date.

Question reference: S5W-34653

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 January 2021
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 1 February 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the role played by unpaid carers during the COVID-19 pandemic, whether it will consider providing a "thank you" bonus through a Carer's Allowance top-up.

We have already topped up Carer’s Allowance in response to the coronavirus pandemic. In June 2020, we made a one-off Coronavirus Carer’s Allowance Supplement of £230.10 to 83,000 of Scotland’s carers, on some of the lowest incomes and with some of the most intense caring roles, to help recognise the extra pressures caused by the pandemic. Through Carer’s Allowance Supplement and this special payment, carers in Scotland received £690.30 more than carers south of the border last year.

We invested around £19.2 million through the Coronavirus Carer’s Allowance Supplement, bringing our total investment in carers through Carer’s Allowance, the Carer’s Allowance Supplement and the Coronavirus Carer’s Allowance Supplement to almost £350 million in 2020-21.

Throughout the pandemic we have also provided a range additional support to unpaid carers including establishing a £500,000 fund to help local carer services adapt to providing advice and emotional support remotely. We have recently announced a further investment of £750,000 in the voluntary sector Short Breaks Fund’s ‘Time to Live’ scheme. I refer the member to the answer to question‎ S5W-34671 on 29 January 2021 for further information.

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/28877.aspx

Question reference: S5W-34671

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 January 2021
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 29 January 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, further to its news release of 18 January 2021, Extra funding to support unpaid carers, what information it has regarding how many unpaid carers there are; how many will be able to access the £750,000 being allocated, and what the average payment will be.

The actual number of unpaid carers in Scotland is not known but is estimated to be around 700,000 to 800,000 people. The latest estimate is 690,000, of whom 29,000 are young carers (under 18). This is based on Scottish Health Survey figures from before the pandemic, so is likely to be an underestimate.

The extra £750,000 is being invested in the voluntary sector Short Breaks Fund’s ‘Time to Live’ scheme. The scheme is delivered locally by partners, usually local carer centres, which are able to use the funding to support carers take a break from caring by providing them with small grants. After engaging with delivery partners, at their request, we have also agreed that they can use this additional funding to increase vital wellbeing services for carers such as counselling or peer support groups. We believe that these local delivery partners are best placed to identify those in need and decide how to prioritise the funding within their area. Reporting on the reach and impact of the funding will be undertaken after the end of the financial year.

This is the third top up this year of the Time to Live scheme in response to carer needs for short breaks during the pandemic. We invested an extra £100,000 in June 2020 to support young carers and another £80,000 in December 2020 for all carers as part of the Winter Support Package. This brings the total 2020-21 investment in the Time to Live fund to £1,507,000.

The Time to Live fund is only one element of the annual £3 million Scottish Government funded voluntary-sector Short Breaks Fund. Another scheme, the £700,000 Take a Break fund for parents of children with disabilities, delivered by Family Fund, was also topped up with an extra £178,750 in July 2020.

We also provided an extra £200,000 to the Young Scot young carers package in June 2020 which has been invested in support for young carers such as entertainment subscriptions, gaming devices, shopping e-vouchers and pamper packs.

Alongside the opportunities through the voluntary sector, unpaid carers in Scotland also have a right to have their needs for support, including a need for a short break, considered by their local authority. Local authorities have a duty to provide support to the carer to meet any eligible needs, including to take a break on a regular basis.