- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 15 November 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 29 November 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had regarding the development of an Edinburgh-specific rate of pay, to help address the reported high cost of living in the city.
Answer
The Scottish Government has not been involved in any discussions regarding the development of an Edinburgh specific rate of pay.
Employment law remains reserved to the UK Government therefore, the Scottish Government cannot currently legislate on this matter. We continue to promote payment of at least the real Living Wage and welcome the increase to £9.90 per hour for workers over 18 announced on 15 November.
I was pleased to note that City of Edinburgh Council has achieved Living Wage City recognition and is promoting payment of the real Living Wage in the region.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 15 November 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 29 November 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what the community alarm charge is in each local authority area.
Answer
The community alarm/telecare charging amounts are set out below by Local Authority. The rate of charging varies depending on a range of factors including what technology offering they receive. This can be a standard community alarm package to more advanced technologies such as sensors to prevent a fall and other adaptations depending on individual circumstances. Figures are regularly collated by COSLA but charging rates do change in some areas quite regularly and are often means tested. Some Local Authorities will charge more than the figures stated based on any additional offering provided.
LOCAL AUTHORITY | From Local Government return, Feb 2021 |
ABERDEEN CITY | £3.65 |
ABERDEENSHIRE | £3.50 |
ANGUS | £5.05 |
ARGYLL & BUTE | £5.46 |
BORDERS | £4.80 |
CLACKMANNANSHIRE | £3.50 |
DUMFRIES & GALLOWAY | £3.60 |
DUNDEE | £3.60 |
EAST AYRSHIRE | £4.31 |
EAST DUNBARTONSHIRE | Flat Yearly Rate £241.45 |
EAST LOTHIAN | £4.05 |
EAST RENFREWSHIRE | £2.60 |
EDINBURGH | £5.80 |
FALKIRK | £3.65 |
FIFE | £2.80 |
GLASGOW | £3.53 |
INVERCLYDE | £2.80 |
MIDLOTHIAN | £4.00 |
MORAY | £18.50 per quarter |
NHS HIGHLAND | £6.35 |
NORTH AYRSHIRE | £4.83 per week (mainland) £2.36 per weeks (islands - limited service). |
NORTH LANARKSHIRE | £3.40 |
ORKNEY | £0 |
PERTH & KINROSS | £4.62* |
RENFREWSHIRE | £3.55 |
SHETLAND | £1.55 |
SOUTH AYRSHIRE | £4.41 |
SOUTH LANARKSHIRE | £1.63 |
STIRLING | £3.70 * |
WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE | £5.40 |
WEST LOTHIAN | £3.02 |
WESTERN ISLES | £1.50 |
* Shows latest known figure provided, prior to the aforementioned Feb 2021 date
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 15 November 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Ben Macpherson on 25 November 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what information it can provide on the levels of financial fraud that have been detected since the establishment of Social Security Scotland.
Answer
Social Security Scotland regularly publishes information on levels of detected fraud in its Annual Report and Accounts. The most recent document covering the period 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021 was laid before the Scottish Parliament on 3 November 2021.
From 3 September 22018 until 17 November 2021, Social Security Scotland has detected internal fraud with an estimated value of £17,400. Throughout the same period, no overpayments of benefit have been classified as being due to client fraud. Benefit fraud cases are only recorded as such following conviction.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 15 November 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 25 November 2021
To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been declared homeless in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority area.
Answer
The Scottish Government publishes information on “Homelessness assessment decisions” which provides data on the number of homeless applications which are assessed as homeless or threatened with homelessness. Information has been collected and is available by local authority for the years 2002-03 to 2020-21.
The data can be found in Table 11 of the Main Tables (June 2021) associated with the latest Homelessness in Scotland: 2020-21 publication.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 15 November 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Kevin Stewart on 25 November 2021
To ask the Scottish Government how many young people have been removed from Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) waiting lists under the Choice and Partnership Approach (CAPA) model, broken down by NHS Board.
Answer
The information requested is not held centrally. Whilst the Scottish Government supports the use of Choice and Partnership Approach (CAPA), there is no requirement for NHS Boards to use it.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 15 November 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 25 November 2021
To ask the Scottish Government how many first-time buyers it has offered financial support to in each year since 2007, broken down by local authority area.
Answer
An evaluation of the Scottish Government shared equity schemes (Help to Buy, Open Market Shared Equity (OMSE) and New Supply Shared Equity (NSSE)) was published in June 2020. The evaluation can be found on the Scottish Government website at https://www.gov.scot/publications/evaluation-scottish-government-shared-equity-schemes/
The evaluation estimated that 64% of Help to Buy purchasers, 71% of NSSE purchasers and 95% of OMSE purchasers were first time buyers. All households supported by the First Home Fund include at least one first time buyer.
The annual number of households supported by the shared equity schemes since 2007, broken down by local authority, can be found on the Scottish Government website at:
OMSE and NSSE
Affordable Housing Supply Programme out-turn reports
https://www.gov.scot/policies/more-homes/affordable-housing-supply/
Help to Buy
Help to Buy (Scotland) monitoring information 2013-2016: report - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)
Help to buy (Scotland) Spend and Units Monitoring Information Report 2020-2021 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)
First Home Fund
First Home Fund Spend and Units Monitoring Information Report: December 2019 to March 2021 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 15 November 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 24 November 2021
To ask the Scottish Government by what date it will deliver on The Promise that it made to care experienced young people.
Answer
On 5 February 2020 the Independent Care Review published its conclusions which became ‘The Promise’ . On the same day the Scottish Government and the Scottish Parliament agreed to implement all the findings of the Independent Care Review by 2030. The Scottish Government continues to work closely with The Promise Scotland to progress the actions set out in Plan 21-24 and Change Programme ONE .
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 15 November 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Ben Macpherson on 24 November 2021
To ask the Scottish Government how many Best Start Grant Pregnancy and Baby Payments have been made in each year since the scheme was established.
Answer
Social Security Scotland routinely publish information as part of the quarterly Official Statistics release ‘Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods’. This includes information on the value of payments issued for Best Start Grant Pregnancy and Baby Payments each month.
Number and value of Best Start Grant Pregnancy and Baby Payments issued, by year
| | Number of payments issued | Value of payments issued |
2018-19 (10 th December to 31 st March) | 10,675 | £4,072,200 |
2019-20 | 15,875 | £6,638,100 |
2020-21 | 16,315 | £6,942,600 |
2021-22 (1 st April to 31 st August) | 7,755 | £3,238,914 |
*NOTE: The Pregnancy and Baby Payment provides eligible families with £606 for a first child and £303 for any subsequent children. Prior to 1 April 2021, the value of the payment was £600 for a first child and £300 for a subsequent child.
The latest Official Statistics, covering the period from 10 December 2018 to
31 August 2021, were last published on the 26 October 2021 and are available from:
https://www.socialsecurity.gov.scot/reporting/publications/best-start-grant-and-best-start-foods-high-level-statistics-to-31-august-2021
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 15 November 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Ben Macpherson on 24 November 2021
To ask the Scottish Government how many applications for benefits have been rejected by Social Security Scotland, broken down by the type of benefit that was applied for.
Answer
Social Security Scotland routinely publish official statistics publications on each of the devolved benefits at:https://www.socialsecurity.gov.scot/publications
For benefits where clients can apply to Social Security Scotland, published statistics include information on the number of applications received and the outcomes of applications, including the number that have been rejected. The latest publication for each benefit can be found at:
Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods statistics to 31 August 2021
https://www.socialsecurity.gov.scot/reporting/publications/best-start-grant-and-best-start-foods-high-level-statistics-to-31-august-2021
Funeral Support Payment statistics to 30 September 2021
https://www.socialsecurity.gov.scot/reporting/publications/funeral-support-payment-high-level-statistics-to-30-september-2021
Young Carer Grant statistics to 31 July 2021
https://www.socialsecurity.gov.scot/reporting/publications/young-carer-grant-high-level-statistics-to-31-july-2021
Job Start Payment statistics to 30 September 2021
https://www.socialsecurity.gov.scot/reporting/publications/job-start-payment-high-level-statistics-to-30-september-2021
Scottish Child Payment statistics to 30 June 2021
https://www.socialsecurity.gov.scot/reporting/publications/scottish-child-payment-high-level-statistics-to-30-june-2021
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 15 November 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 22 November 2021
To ask the Scottish Government how many deaths have been attributed to alcohol-related liver damage in each year since 1999.
Answer
Information about alcohol specific deaths, which includes deaths by latest cause, is published annually by National Records of Scotland. The latest data was published on 17 August.
There have been 16,917 deaths attributed to alcohol liver disease since 2000. Records prior to the year of 2000 do not include latest cause of death, so it is not possible to report the number of deaths attributed to alcohol-related liver damage for 1999 year.
More information is available on Alcohol-specific deaths | National Records of Scotland (nrscotland.gov.uk)
