- Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 17 February 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 15 March 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on the number of hotels that are currently being used as accommodation for asylum seekers.
Answer
Asylum is a matter reserved to the UK Parliament and handled by the Home Office. This includes provision of asylum accommodation to people who require it while awaiting the outcome of their asylum application.
I have written to the Home Secretary and the UK Immigration Minister to express my concerns about the use of hotels to accommodate people seeking asylum. Three letters I have issued are published on the Scottish Government website: Use of hotels to accommodate asylum seekers: correspondence with UK government - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)
The Home Office procures asylum accommodation through private sector contracts. Mears Group is the current contract holder in Scotland. The Scottish Government has no control of asylum accommodation and support and do not have access to Home Office systems or to operational systems run by their contractors.
The Scottish Government is aware that the Home Office has procured hotels as contingency initial asylum accommodation in Scotland and understands that five hotels are currently in operation for this purpose in Scotland. We are also aware that Mears Group has retained use of a hotel in Glasgow as contingency accommodation to enable people who have presented in Glasgow to undertake Covid quarantine prior to moving into dispersal accommodation in the community.
- Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 17 February 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 15 March 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide an update on the development of a temporary accommodation standards framework.
Answer
Following our consultation in 2019, a short-life working group, chaired by Jim Hayton, was established in October 2021 and has met five times to date. So far, the working group has considered:
- Amendments required to the existing advisory standards and how the new standards can be incorporated into a temporary accommodation standards framework.
- What the processes are to ensure the framework is implemented by local authorities.
- Whether legislative changes are needed to implement the framework.
- What the timescales are for the framework implementation.
- The support local authorities may require to fully implement the standards framework and to ensure compliance.
- How the standards will be assessed.
- How the standards framework can be monitored and regulated.
- Whether sanctions are necessary and, if so, how they will be enforced.
The working group aims to produce a temporary accommodation standards framework later in 2022.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Linlithgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 14 March 2022
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 17 March 2022
To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to reduce the waste of unsold, durable goods in Scotland, in line with the net zero targets.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 17 March 2022
- Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 14 March 2022
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 17 March 2022
To ask the First Minister whether the Scottish Government anticipates meeting the interim targets set out in the Child Poverty (Scotland) Act 2017.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 17 March 2022
- Asked by: Edward Mountain, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 14 March 2022
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 17 March 2022
To ask the First Minister when construction of the National Treatment Centres, which are due to open this year, is completed, whether they will have sufficient staff to begin tackling the Scotland-wide patient backlog.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 17 March 2022
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 14 March 2022
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 17 March 2022
To ask the First Minister when the Cabinet will next meet.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 17 March 2022
- Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 14 March 2022
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 17 March 2022
Question to be taken in Chamber.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 17 March 2022
- Asked by: Douglas Ross, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 14 March 2022
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 17 March 2022
Question to be taken in Chamber.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 17 March 2022
- Asked by: Maggie Chapman, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 14 March 2022
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 15 March 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in light of reports of potential international food shortages and rising food prices.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 15 March 2022
- Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 14 March 2022
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 15 March 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that Ferguson Marine is competitive, in light of the reported decision to award the contract to build two new CalMac ferries to the Turkish ship builder, Cemre Marin Endustri.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 15 March 2022