- Asked by: Gillian Mackay, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Green Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 May 2022
-
Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 14 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider standardising testing for coeliac disease by encouraging local audits of blood tests against endoscopies and biopsies.
Answer
The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that all people living in Scotland with long term conditions such as coeliac disease are able to access the best possible care and support.
The provision of healthcare services, such as audits of blood tests, is the responsibility of NHS Boards, taking into account national guidance, local service needs and priorities for investment.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 May 2022
-
Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 14 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government how many Ukrainian refugees have been resettled to date specifically through its Super Sponsor scheme.
Answer
Data relating to visas and arrivals under the Homes for Ukraine scheme, including the Scottish super sponsor scheme, is published regularly by the UK Government;
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/ukraine-sponsorship-scheme-visa-data-by-country-upper-and-lower-tier-local-authority
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 May 2022
-
Current Status:
Answered by Tom Arthur on 14 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown, by local authority area, of the area of green space currently being created and/or restored through projects funded by (a) the Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme and (b) the Nature Restoration Fund.
Answer
a)We do not request that each applicant provides a breakdown of green space created and/or restored by the Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme. However, 20 projects have received funding from the low carbon Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme to date and the projects listed in the following table include green space creation as their primary focus.
Project | Local Authority | Project Site Area |
Dalmarnock Riverside Park | Clyde Gateway | 3.50 ha |
Levern Water Revival | East Renfrewshire Council | 1.00 ha |
Lionthorn bing greenspace | Falkirk Council | 3.60 ha |
Belle Gro'@ The Meat Market | Glasgow City Council | 0.30 ha |
Transforming Avenue End Road Greenspace | Glasgow City Council | 3.60 ha |
Hamiltonhill Green Infrastructure Project | Glasgow City Council | 0.90 ha |
Ruchazie Greening and Growing project | Glasgow City Council | 3.70 ha |
Carwood Street Food Growing Project | Inverclyde Council | 0.22 ha |
Glenmanor Greenspace | North Lanarkshire Council | 0.49 ha |
Clyde Cycle Park | South Lanarkshire Council | 8.25 ha |
ONECarluke Community Growing | South Lanarkshire Council | 0.60 ha |
Community Food Growing – Former Bonhill PS | West Dunbartonshire Council | 0.47 ha |
Further to this the projects listed in the following table include green space creation as a part of their delivery.
Project | Local Authority | Project Site Area |
Western Villages Granton | City of Edinburgh Council | 4.50 ha |
Greendykes North Affordable Housing | City of Edinburgh Council | 2.10 ha |
Applications are currently open for Round 3 of the fund (for 2023-24 funding) and we anticipate announcing the next round of successful projects by the end of 2022.
b) We do not hold the information requested. Local Authorities were allocated £5 million from the 2021-22 Nature Restoration Fund. They have been asked to submit returns by the end of May 2022 setting out how the money has been used. Analysis of these returns has not yet started.
- Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 May 2022
-
Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 14 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will review the Home Owners' Support Fund rules in light of rising interest rates and the cost of living crisis.
Answer
At present, there is no marked increase in applications to the Home Owners Support Fund (HOSF). However, to ensure the scheme has maximum impact as part of our response to the current economic situation, I can confirm my officials are currently reviewing HOSF to consider what more can be done through the scheme to support homeowners struggling with mortgage repayments as a result of rising interest rates and the cost of living crisis.
- Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 May 2022
-
Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 14 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government when it will review the guidance, capital and equity limits, and eligibility criteria in relation to the Home Owners' Support Fund.
Answer
My officials are currently reviewing the operational and delivery arrangements for the Home Owners Support Fund to consider what improvements can be made, including capital and equity arrangements for the scheme.
- Asked by: Collette Stevenson, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 May 2022
-
Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 14 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it (a) provided in each financial year from 2015-16 to 2021-22 and (b) has allocated in 2022-23 to support the delivery of affordable housing in the (i) East Kilbride constituency and (ii) South Lanarkshire Council area.
Answer
The following table shows actual funding provided between 2015-16 and 2021-22 to support the delivery of affordable housing in the South Lanarkshire Council Area.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 May 2022
-
Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 14 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what metrics it uses to decide on the geographical settlement of Ukrainian refugees under its Super Sponsor scheme.
Answer
The Super Sponsor scheme is designed to provide a quick and safe route for displaced people from Ukraine to come to a place of sanctuary by removing the need for applicants to be matched to an individual sponsor prior to being given permission to travel to the UK.
Once people have arrived, a national matching service, delivered by COSLA, will match those settling here with longer-term accommodation across Scotland.
Displaced people from Ukraine are asked to complete a short questionnaire that captures key information and preferences. This information is then used to find suitable longer-term accommodation. All 32 of our local authorities are taking part in this programme, and hosts have offered up their homes right across the country. The national matching service will ensure that people are offered settlement opportunities across Scotland, recognising that people will have different preferences and available housing is limited in some local authorities.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 May 2022
-
Current Status:
Answered by Clare Haughey on 14 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the cost to (a) individuals and (b) the economy of using single-use nappies compared with reusable nappies.
Answer
We have not undertaken any recent assessment of the costs to individuals or the economy of using reusable nappies compared to single-use nappies. However, in line with the waste hierarchy, the Scottish Government’s focus is on measures to promote reusable alternatives, like the reusable nappy vouchers in the Baby Box.
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 May 2022
-
Current Status:
Answered by Lorna Slater on 14 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown, by local authority area, showing the progress of work in establishing a nature network, and what support is being provided for that work by the Scottish Government and its agencies.
Answer
In our Programme for Government the Scottish Government has committed to developing nature networks across Scotland, as we recognise the key role they can play in protecting and enhancing biodiversity. We are working closely with NatureScot and key stakeholders to develop a national framework and guidance which will help us support Local Authorities and others in developing new, and expanding existing, nature networks. A key part of this work will also be encouraging co-operation and knowledge exchange across local authorities.
- Asked by: Kaukab Stewart, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 May 2022
-
Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 14 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what the timescale is for holding the abortion centre buffer zones summit, which the First Minister said, on 12 May 2022, that she would convene and chair.
Answer
The First Minister will hold a summit on abortion on 27 June 2022. The summit will focus primarily on buffer zones, and organisations such as MSPs, CoSLA, Police Scotland and women’s rights organisations will be invited to attend.