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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.

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Question reference: S6W-15613

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Monday, 06 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 20 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish an overview of the outcomes achieved for 2022-23 of the work set out in its Housing 2040 strategy, and whether it will consider publishing an annual report on progress made.

Housing to 2040 is Scotland’s first long-term housing strategy. It sets out a vision for what housing in Scotland will look like in 2040 and includes a set of principles to guide policy-making. It is supported by a route map for achieving the vision.

We are working with the sector to confirm a new governance process and a monitoring framework, so we and others across the sector can assess progress towards the vision set out in the strategy. A new Strategic Board has been established which will provide accountability on progress as well as advice on a suitable monitoring framework and reporting arrangements will be agreed as part of this process.

Further information about the Board and its membership will be made available when it meets later this month. Alongside this, we will continue to publish an annual update on the 30 indicators included in the broader Housing and Regeneration Outcomes Framework and review the alignment of this framework with Housing to 2040. The latest update was published on 18 November 2022.

Question reference: S6W-15551

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 06 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 20 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many households are currently living in fuel poverty, broken down by local authority area, and, of those, what information it holds on how many households previously received the DWP-administered Cold Weather Payment.

The number of households in each local authority that are experiencing fuel poverty is published annually (based on a three-year average) from the Scottish House Condition Survey (SHCS).

The latest published set of tables for 2017-2019 are available at:

Scottish House Condition Survey: Local Authority Analysis 2017-2019 .

As the 2020 SHCS was suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic and results from the 2021 External+ SHCS are not yet published and unlikely to be consistent with previous years, the 2017-2019 results are the latest available at Local Authority level.

More recent estimates of fuel poverty at a national level based on scenario modelling have been produced. These reflect the Energy Price Guarantee of £2,500 from April to June 2023 and the end of the £400 Energy Bill Support Scheme with differing levels of additional support for various households. These estimates show fuel poverty increasing from 613,000 households (24.6%) in 2019 to 920,000 households (37%) by April 2023. This 50% increase in the number of fuel poor households will also be reflected across all local authorities in Scotland, albeit with some variation based on the characteristics of dwellings and households in each local authority.

The SHCS recorded households who reported receiving CWP in 2018 and 2019. As three years of data are needed to provide analysis at local authority level, this is not currently available.

At a national level, the SHCS estimates that about 10% of fuel poor households received CWP in 2018 and 2019, as shown in the following table. 2019 is the most recent year for which SHCS data is available.

Fuel poor households self-reporting receipt of CWP

Year	Total Fuel poor households 000's	Of which received CWP 000’s	Percentage receiving CWP
2018	619	62	10.1%
2019	613	63	10.2%

Question reference: S6W-15928

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 20 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the UK Government’s legislation to introduce compulsory pet cat microchipping in England to help reunite lost cats with their owners, whether it plans to introduce similar legislation in Scotland.

The Scottish Government’s Code of Practice for the Welfare of Cats recommends that all cat owners should consider neutering and microchipping their pets as the best way of being reunited with their rightful owners, should they be separated.

The Scottish Animal Welfare Commission has established a working group to consider the microchipping of cats and the UK Government’s recently published draft legislation. Scottish Ministers will carefully consider their findings once published.

The Scottish Government remains willing to consider areas where consistent changes to legislation in all GB administrations will improve the welfare of kept animals and strengthen the prospects of separated animals being returned to their families.

Question reference: S6W-15955

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 20 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Scottish Animal Welfare Commission’s Final Report of the Exotic Pet Working Group, including its recommendations to (a) introduce a "positive list" of species that are legally permitted to be kept as pets and (b) ban the importation of wild-caught animals for the pet trade.

Question reference: S6W-15577

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 20 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when the award announcements will be made for Zero Waste Scotland’s Circular Textiles Fund.

Question reference: S6W-15497

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 20 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with NHS Golden Jubilee regarding the use of the hotel to generate income.

Question reference: S6W-15825

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 10 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 20 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-15443 by John Swinney on 8 March 2023, whether it will name the law firms that have received a share of the £100,244, broken down by how much each firm received.

Since the response to question S6W-15443 on 8 March 20232, further legal fee claims have been paid. As of 15 March 2023, £124,650 has been paid to 10 firms.

It is not appropriate to name the firms as to do so could be interpreted as guiding applicants to particular firms. Applicants are directed to the Law Society of Scotland for support in finding a solicitor. In addition, as some firms have a claim in respect of only one application there is a small risk of applicant identification if the full list is provided.

Table 1 : Breakdown of Legal Fees paid up to 15 March 2023

Firm	Fees Paid (up to 15 March 2023)	Number of associated applications
A	£2,400	1
B	£2,400	1
C	£76,440	33
D	£19,200	8
E	£5,340	3
F	£540	1
G	£2400	1
H	£13,080	7
I	£2,400	1
J	£450	1
Total Paid	£124,650	57

While applications can be made without the need for a solicitor, applicants are strongly encouraged to take up the offer of funded legal advice, particularly before signing a waiver and accepting a redress payment.

All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

Question reference: S6W-15768

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 20 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS), also known as drones, have been available for use by Police Scotland officers in each year since 2019, and how many officers have received RPAS training.

Question reference: S6W-15713

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 20 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what the administration cost has been to date of delivering the (a) Social Security Scotland agency and (b) Scottish Child Payment.

Social Security Scotland’s administration costs are published in our Annual Report and Accounts . This document is laid before the Scottish Parliament annually.

Since 2018 our Annual Report and Accounts have recorded administration costs of:

2018-2019 - £12.8 million (part year)

2019-2020 - £36.0 million

2020-2021 - £130.3 million

2021-2022 - £194.9 million

These figures are the total cost of the organisation, which includes the cost of administering the Scottish Child Payment.

As Social Security Scotland staff and systems are organised to provide more than one form of assistance, it is not possible to separately identify the cost of Scottish Child Payment administration.

Question reference: S6W-15692

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 20 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it will announce the tender awards for the Climate Just Communities programme, and what percentage of the £36 million Climate Justice Fund will go towards this initiative.

The Scottish Government thanks all those who submitted proposals in response to the Climate Just Communities invitation to tender. The Scottish Government anticipates announcing the contract winner early into next financial year.

Up to £24 million will be awarded from the Climate Justice Fund (CJF) to the Climate Just Communities programme, making it the largest programme launched under the CJF. This will be split across the three countries of Malawi, Rwanda and Zambia through three separate contracts equalling up to £8 million each over 3 years.