- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 November 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom Arthur on 14 November 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to whether the
introduction of a Building Safety Levy would be an obstacle to investment in
the construction sector.
Answer
The primary objective of a devolved Building Safety Levy is to raise revenue to support the funding of cladding remediation for multi residential properties where cladding may present a risk to life. This will also ensure that homeowners and residents do not have to meet those significant costs themselves, directly.
The Scottish Government will balance this objective with minimising the impact on housing supply. We will also work with stakeholders and across the public sector to understand the cumulative impact of existing costs and regulations on the residential property and construction sectors.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 November 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 14 November 2023
To ask the Scottish Government how many people are diagnosed with blood cancer, on average, each year.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not hold this information. It is publicly available from Public Health Scotland on the incidence publication page for blood cancers: Leukaemias, Hodgkin lymphoma, Non-hodgkin lymphoma and multiple myeloma.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 November 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom Arthur on 14 November 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what modelling it has undertaken of any wider economic impact of the introduction of a Building Safety Levy.
Answer
Revenues from the UK Government’s Building Safety Levy in England will be small in relation to UK GDP and so the Levy is not expected to have any significant macroeconomic impact. As set out in the 2023-24 Programme for Government, the Scottish Government intends for a devolved Building Safety Levy to apply in equivalence to the Levy that is being introduced in England and so it does not expect the macroeconomic impact to be materially different in Scotland.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 October 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Paul McLennan on 10 November 2023
To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to undertake a review of legislation relating to the Home Report.
Answer
The Scottish Government’s Home Report Review is expected later in the current parliamentary term. The review will take account of the recommendations outlined in the five-year review published in 2015 and be informed by work on wider housing considerations including Housing Standards.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 November 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 9 November 2023
To ask the Scottish Government how many payments have been made from the Fuel
Insecurity Fund in each financial year since it was established, broken down by
local authority area.
Answer
Since being established in the winter of 2020 as part of the wider Winter Support Fund, the Scottish Government has made available a total of £48.47 million to date, to our third sector partners to deliver the Fuel Insecurity Fund. We have agreed a flexible approach to the delivery of support which ensures the Fund can be distributed quickly to those households who are at risk of self-rationing or self-disconnecting their energy use.
The Scottish Government does not hold the breakdown by local authority area, of individual fuel vouchers or household support payments made through our partners.
Our Fund partners work with their network of Scotland-wide referral partners to carefully assess eligible households for crisis support based on their individual circumstances and actual need.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 October 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom Arthur on 8 November 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Bill, what work has been undertaken to provide for exemption schemes for people visiting family members in prison.
Answer
As set out in the Policy Memorandum, accompanying the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Bill, the policy intention is that a local authority can establish exemptions to a visitor levy scheme in its area as it believes are appropriate. The Bill therefore provides for a local authority to put such exemptions in place, which will be informed by advice in national guidance being developed by local government and business organisations in the Visitor Levy Expert Group.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 October 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom Arthur on 8 November 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Bill, what work has been undertaken to provide for exemption schemes for artists and technicians working at festivals.
Answer
As set out in the Policy Memorandum, accompanying the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Bill, the policy intention is that a local authority can establish exemptions to a visitor levy scheme in its area as it believes are appropriate. The Bill therefore provides for a local authority to put such exemptions in place, which will be informed by advice in national guidance being developed by local government and business organisations in the Visitor Levy Expert Group.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 October 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom Arthur on 8 November 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Bill, what work has been undertaken to provide for exemption schemes for people attending a funeral.
Answer
As set out in the Policy Memorandum, accompanying the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Bill, the policy intention is that a local authority can establish exemptions to a visitor levy scheme in its area as it believes are appropriate. The Bill therefore provides for a local authority to put such exemptions in place, which will be informed by advice in national guidance being developed by local government and business organisations in the Visitor Levy Expert Group.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 October 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom Arthur on 8 November 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Bill, what work has been undertaken to provide for exemption schemes for people providing personal care for a family member.
Answer
As set out in the Policy Memorandum, accompanying the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Bill, the policy intention is that a local authority can establish exemptions to a visitor levy scheme in its area as it believes are appropriate. The Bill therefore provides for a local authority to put such exemptions in place, which will be informed by advice in national guidance being developed by local government and business organisations in the Visitor Levy Expert Group.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 October 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom Arthur on 8 November 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Bill, what work has been undertaken to provide for exemption schemes for people visiting family members in hospital.
Answer
As set out in the Policy Memorandum, accompanying the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Bill, the policy intention is that a local authority can establish exemptions to a visitor levy scheme in its area as it believes are appropriate. The Bill therefore provides for a local authority to put such exemptions in place, which will be informed by advice in national guidance being developed by local government and business organisations in the Visitor Levy Expert Group.