Questions and answers

Question reference: S5O-03992

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 January 2020
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 15 January 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the outcome of the recent EU fisheries negotiations.

This year’s scientific advice was extremely challenging with significant cuts advised in 2020 for a number of important fish stocks. Despite this backdrop and the continued uncertainty around Brexit, the Scottish Government worked successfully to negotiate the best possible result for Scotland at the fisheries negotiations.

We achieved a number of outcomes that strike the best balance between opportunities for the fishing sector and ensuring sustainable fishing levels.

With quota reductions for a number of stocks there is no doubt that 2020 will be a challenging year for the fleet and dependent onshore sectors. We will continue to work with our stakeholders to manage these challenges and work towards sensible solutions.

Question reference: S5W-26359

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 November 2019
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 26 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding has been allocated to the Scheme of Assistance programme in each year since its introduction, also broken down by housing tenure.

The information requested is not held by the Scottish Government. Funding for the Scheme of Assistance is provided to local authorities through the Local Government settlement. Separate housing statistics published by the Scottish Government, based on annual statistical returns provided by local authorities, provides information by local authority on adaptations that have received grant funding through the Scheme of Assistance. The statistics collected do not include information on the housing tenure, although individual local authorities may keep records of the tenure of applications received for adaptations grant funding.

The Scheme of Assistance figures are published on the Housing Statistics section of the Scottish Government website at: https://www2.gov.scot/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Housing-Regeneration/HSfS/SoAtable

Note that the published Scheme of Assistance statistics are based on voluntary returns and in addition some of the local authority figures are based on estimated values for missing data. This includes estimates that have been made for East Lothian, for which figures for 2014-15 are based on 2013-14 data, and for Edinburgh, for which figures from 2015-16 onwards are the 2014-15 figures rolled forward.

The published Scheme of Assistance statistics on total amount of grant spent, as reported by local authorities for the financial years 2014-15 to 2018-19, are presented in following table.

Question reference: S5W-26358

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 November 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 22 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of waiting times across Scotland for people requiring occupational therapy-led home environment assessments.

The Scottish Government has not yet carried out any assessment of waiting times across Scotland for people requiring occupational therapy-led home environment assessments. Information on waits for assessment is currently collected at a local level, and Scottish Government officials are working with NHS Information Services Division to develop a national minimum dataset for Allied Health Professionals, including Occupational Therapists.

Question reference: S5O-03816

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 November 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government when the review of the BS 8414 test methodology for assessing the fire performance of external wall cladding systems will be published.

Question reference: S5W-26361

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 November 2019
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 20 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to update its policies on Housing for Varying Needs in order to improve accessibility standards for new residential properties.

The Scottish Government is committed to delivering housing that is fit for purpose now and also for the future. Recent analysis shows that 96% of new build homes delivered by housing associations and councils in 2018-19, where information was returned on Housing for Varying Needs, met that standard. Although still a very good standard, it is now 20 years old and that is why the Scottish Government has committed to reviewing the Housing for Varying Needs design guide. Work has begun on how to take forward this complex piece of work, and we will ensure that stakeholders are involved closely in the process as we move forward.

Question reference: S5W-26357

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 November 2019
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 20 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure equity of service, regardless of housing tenure, for people requiring housing adaptations.

As part of integrated health and social care services, Integrated Joint Boards (IJBs) are responsible for the planning and delivery of adaptations. IJBs have been advised to consider the learning points from the independent evaluation of the Adapting for Change pilot when reviewing and making plans to improve the adaptations process. Officials are working with stakeholders to develop practical guidance to ensure that people, regardless of housing tenure, can access adaptation services when required.

We are also developing regulations under section 37 of the Equality Act 2010 that will give disabled people the right to make necessary, reasonable adaptations to common areas. The creation of this right will be a first within the UK.

Question reference: S5W-26362

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 November 2019
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 20 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to encourage property owners of all tenures to alter their properties to achieve better accessibility standards.

While new homes in Scotland are the most accessible in the UK, the Scheme of Assistance encourages existing home owners to take more responsibility for the condition of their homes. It also requires local authorities (and now IJBs) to provide assistance to support a wide range of work to meet the needs of disabled people. We also encourage social landlords to take account of accessibility standards when undertaking programmes of refurbishment to existing properties.

We are also developing regulations under section 37 of the Equality Act 2010 that will give disabled people the right to make necessary, reasonable adaptations to common areas. The creation of this right will be a first within the UK.

Question reference: S5W-26360

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 November 2019
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 19 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to (a) meet the demand for accessible housing stock and (b) increase the use of accessible housing registers.

Local authorities are responsible for assessing the housing needs in their areas and setting out in their Local Housing Strategies how this will be met. Local Housing Strategy guidance published in September 2019 requires local authorities to set targets for wheelchair accessible housing across all tenures, including reporting annually on progress.

Increasing the supply of more wheelchair accessible housing will provide more choice and flexibility for disabled people and their families and contribute to the creation of a fairer and more equal society. The houses that we build now will support disabled people to access suitable homes in the areas they want to live now and in the future.

Through the Affordable Housing Supply Programme, we provide a range of housing including new build, off the shelf purchases and rehabilitation projects. For new build projects, wherever possible, all affordable homes are built to Housing for Varying Needs standards. And 96% of new build homes delivered by housing associations and councils in 2018-19, where information was returned on Housing for Varying Needs, met that standard.

The Scottish Government fund Glasgow Centre for Inclusive Living to provide Homes2Fit , a national online database and self-help resource to assist disabled people to find suitable housing. It also encourages social housing landlords to take account of local housing need when re-letting adapted properties.

Question reference: S5O-03802

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 November 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that city region deal projects tackle climate change.

Question reference: S5W-25975

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 25 October 2019
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 12 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to review the effectiveness of the Private Housing (Tenancies) (Scotland) Act 2016.

The Scottish Government have developed a monitoring and evaluation framework to guide our examination of the impacts and outcomes of the new tenancy. The framework includes indicators and baseline figures from existing data sources, and highlights where there will be gaps in knowledge. We are currently exploring options to address these gaps. We are also monitoring, in house, the Private Residential Tenancy eviction cases published by the First Tier Tribunal housing panel. Alongside this, we are working closely with the Nationwide Foundation whose major longitudinal, qualitative and quantitative research project on the impact of the new Private Residential Tenancy on low income tenants is now under way. We will fully consider the outputs, and any key recommendations, which emerge from the Nationwide evaluation project.

Furthermore, during the passage of the Private Housing Tenancies (Scotland) Bill through Parliament, the then Minister for Housing and Welfare – Margaret Burgess MSP – gave a commitment to review the grounds for repossession after the tenancy had been in operation for 5 years.

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