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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: S5O-01780

Asked by: Bob Doris, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 January 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 8 February 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what resilience plans are in place to help mitigate the effects of severe weather conditions.

The Scottish Government’s dedicated Resilience operation actively monitors all weather and flood alerts and can be activated at any time, any day of the year to support the national response to an emergency.

The Scottish Government also works closely with Scotland’s network of Resilience Partnerships, which bring together emergency services, local authorities, health boards, power companies and other relevant partners, to ensure that there is a full understanding of any challenges happening on the ground across Scotland and that organisations can respond and co-ordinate appropriately at a local level when any kind of emergency occurs.

Transport Scotland also has detailed plans and arrangements to ensure the transport network remains open so far as possible during severe weather, and recovers as quickly as possible when disruption is unavoidable. It has also recently brought in additional equipment, greater use of technology and more ways of getting information to more people on the move wherever they are.

Energy companies also recognise that rural and remote areas can be cut off during severe weather and so routinely deploy their staff to these areas in advance of a storm to ensure they can respond quickly to any outages.

Question reference: S5O-01701

Asked by: Bob Doris, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 January 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 25 January 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress with the proposed Transport Bill.

The Transport Bill was announced as part of the Year 2 legislative programme in September’s Programme for Government and the intention remains to introduce the Bill before summer recess 2018. The consultations associated with our proposals are now closed and we are carefully considering responses whilst we continue to engage with stakeholders, including local transport authorities, operators and business, to inform the Bill development.

Question reference: S5W-12721

Asked by: Bob Doris, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 November 2017
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Maree Todd on 14 November 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making toward providing a national kinship care advice service.

I am pleased to advise Parliament that the contract for the new National Kinship Care Advice Service has been awarded following a tender process to Citizens Advice Scotland. The new national service will be delivered across Scotland, with advice and information available from every Citizens Advice Bureau, supported by four Regional Officers delivering specialist advice, to address more complex circumstances. Advice and information will also be available from the Kinship Care Helpline, the Citizens Advice Scotland website and the dedicated Kinship Care Service website.

Citizens Advice Scotland will work in partnership with Mentor UK in the delivery of the service, supporting the Mentor UK Kinship Care Guide and Website, and with Child Poverty Action Group Scotland which will continue to provide expert help, training and reference materials.

Question reference: S5O-01459

Asked by: Bob Doris, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 November 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 15 November 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what support it offers communities in the Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn constituency to celebrate the area's cultural history.

Question reference: S5O-01421

Asked by: Bob Doris, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 November 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 November 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its discussions with the UK Government regarding a fair funding deal for Scotland for railway improvements.

Question reference: S5O-01266

Asked by: Bob Doris, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 September 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 September 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how it can support people to repatriate the bodies of family members who have died abroad.

Question reference: S5W-09973

Asked by: Bob Doris, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 June 2017
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Aileen Campbell on 28 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government when the analysis of the Consultation on Increasing Organ and Tissue Donation will be published and what the next steps will be.

Question reference: S5O-01163

Asked by: Bob Doris, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 June 2017
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 22 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of UK welfare reforms on communities in the Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn constituency.

The DWP data available at a Scottish Parliamentary constituency level is limited. But we do know that as of November 2016, around 1,800 people in the Maryhill and Springburn constituency were claiming the Work Related Activity Group component of Employment Support Allowance; and, from April 2017, new claimants in this group will receive £29 per week less.

There are also around 3,000 people claiming Disability Living Allowance in the member’s constituency. DWP’s own statistics show that almost 45% of those receiving DLA in Scotland lost their entitlement to disability benefit, or received a lower level of award, when initially reassessed for Personal Independence Payments. Almost two thirds of cases at Great Britain level that go to appeal are reversed in favour of the claimant.

As of February 2017, 682 households in the Glasgow LA’s area were affected by the lower benefit cap, losing an average of around £57 per week in housing benefit.

There is no doubt that the UK Government’s welfare reforms are causing hardship in many communities across Scotland, including Springburn and Maryhill.

Question reference: S5O-01128

Asked by: Bob Doris, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 June 2017
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 15 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how it supports communities in the Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn constituency in accessing new affordable housing.

Question reference: S5O-01052

Asked by: Bob Doris, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 May 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 31 May 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how its Climate Challenge Fund supports projects in the Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn constituency.