Question ref. S5W-15726
Asked by: McKelvie, Christina, Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse, Date lodged: 28 March 2018
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the progress that has been made in relation to the International Development Small Grants Programme funding round 2018-19.
Current Status:
Initiated by the Scottish Government.
Answered by Alasdair Allan on 29 March 2018
I am pleased to announce that funding amounting to a total of £354,860 will be provided to 12 organisations (see following link), from our Small Grants Programme 2018-2019, for work to commence in April 2018.
Total amount of Recommended funding - Programme Year 2018-2019
Type of Grant | Number | Total Recommendation |
Project Implementation | 5 | £286,763 |
Feasibility Study | 2 | £19,517 |
Capacity Building | 5 | £48,580 |
TOTAL | 12 | £354,860 |
Recommendations for funding after assessment by country and grant type - Programme Year 2018-2019
Country | Project | Feasibility | Capacity Building | Total |
Malawi | 3 | - | 2 | 5 |
Malawi/Zambia | - | - | - | 1 |
Rwanda | 1 | - | - | 1 |
Zambia | 1 | - | 1 | 2 |
Kenya | - | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Tanzania | - | 1 | - | 1 |
Mozambique | - | - | 1 | 1 |
Total | 5 | 2 | 5 | 12 |
The Small Grants Programme 2018-2019 attracted 17 applications before the deadline of noon , on 28 November 2017. Three applications were rejected as outwith our eligibility criteria, and therefore were not part of the full assessment process. The remaining 14 applications were fully assessed. Two did not meet our assessment criteria and were therefore not awarded funding.
The full list of the projects to be funded is available on the following web link: https://beta.gov.scot/publications/small-grants-programme-2018-2019/
Question ref. S5O-01926
Asked by: McKelvie, Christina, Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse, Date lodged: 14 March 2018
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its housing policy as it relates to homeless non-UK EU nationals in Scotland.
Current Status:
Answered by Kevin Stewart on 21 March 2018
Immigration, including determining the status and capacity of homeless non UK EU nationals to access housing or receive homelessness assistance, is a matter reserved to the UK Government.
Certain non-UK nationals have the same access to housing and homelessness assistance as UK nationals. Under UK Government immigration laws – some non UK EU nationals have no recourse to public funds (NRPF) and as a result are not able to access social housing or homelessness assistance and cannot claim most benefits or tax credits that are paid by the state.
Question ref. S5W-15017
Asked by: McKelvie, Christina, Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse, Date lodged: 1 March 2018
To ask the Scottish Government which NHS Boards have guidance in place to support clinicians in routinely offering bisphosphonates to post-menopausal women with primary breast cancer to help reduce the risk of breast cancer spreading.
Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 12 March 2018
I am pleased to confirm that Scotland’s three Cancer Network areas (North of Scotland, South East Scotland and West of Scotland) have advised that all their NHS Boards routinely offer bisphosphonates to post-menopausal women with primary breast cancer who are deemed to be at high risk of recurrence, in order to help reduce the risk of breast cancer spreading.
Question ref. S5O-01821
Asked by: McKelvie, Christina, Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse, Date lodged: 21 February 2018
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce fuel poverty.
Current Status:
Answered by Kevin Stewart on 1 March 2018
This Government has always prioritised tackling fuel poverty, and is committed to ensuring that everyone in Scotland lives in a warm home that is affordable to heat.
We have recently consulted on a new, long-term fuel poverty strategy, with a definition of fuel poverty that is more focussed on those vulnerable to cold-related health impacts and those most in need. Responses to the consultation are being analysed and will inform the Warm Homes Bill that we plan to introduce to Parliament later this year.
We are on track to deliver our 2016 Programme for Government commitment to make half a billion pounds available for fuel poverty and energy efficiency over the 4 years to 2021, and by this date we will have allocated over £1 billion since 2009 to support these issues.
Question ref. S5O-01730
Asked by: McKelvie, Christina, Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse, Date lodged: 24 January 2018
To ask the Scottish Government how many businesses in the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse constituency received support from the Small Business Bonus Scheme in 2017.
Current Status:
Answered by Derek Mackay on 1 February 2018
In South Lanarkshire, almost 4,500 premises pay zero or substantially reduced rates under the Small Business Bonus Scheme and have collectively saved over £73 million since the Scheme was introduced by this Government.
Question ref. S5W-12652
Asked by: McKelvie, Christina, Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse, Date lodged: 10 November 2017
To ask the Scottish Government how many Syrian refugees to the UK have been settled in Scotland.
Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 21 November 2017
Scotland has welcomed over 1,900 people under the UK Government's Syrian Resettlement Programme since October 2015.
Official statistics for the Syrian Resettlement programme are published quarterly by the Home Office. The latest set of statistics was published on 24 August 2017 and covered the period to 30 June 2017. Those statistics show that 1,807 Syrian refugees arrived in Scotland under the Programme up to 30 June 2017.
Question ref. S5W-10427
Asked by: McKelvie, Christina, Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse, Date lodged: 21 July 2017
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of recent reports from Barnardo’s, Victim Support, Liberty and Rape Crisis, which state that the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) has not compensated nearly 700 child victims of sexual abuse, what its position is on the impact on victims in Scotland, and what action it can take to review CICA's guidelines for Scotland.
Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 10 August 2017
Compensation for victims of crime in Scotland is provided through the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) in accordance with the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme (CICS), which is set by the UK Government and approved by the UK Parliament. There are no separate CICS guidelines for Scotland.
CICA and the UK Government are aware of the concerns raised by these charities. CICA are reviewing their guidelines to ensure they are robust enough to deal with cases of child sexual abuse, where grooming may be a factor.
Question ref. S5W-10426
Asked by: McKelvie, Christina, Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse, Date lodged: 21 July 2017
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on someone under the age of 16 being able to give consent to sexual activity.
Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 10 August 2017
There are a range of criminal offences relating to sexual activity with a child under the age of 16. These are contained in the Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act 2009 ("the 2009 Act"). The offences contained within this legislation are based on a Scottish Law Commission report into sexual offences with the offences acknowledging and informed by the generally accepted understanding that a child's capacity to consent to sexual activity differs depending on their specific age.
Under the 2009 Act, children under the age of 13 are deemed to have no capacity to consent to sexual activity. Under section 18 of the 2009 Act, it is an offence of rape of a young child where an adult undertakes sexual activity with a child under the age of 13.
Under the 2009 Act, children aged between 13 and 15 are deemed to have only limited capacity to consent to sexual activity. So, for example, where an adult has non-consensual sexual intercourse with a 13-15 year old child, this can be prosecuted as rape under section 1 of the 2009 Act. Where it cannot be proven that the child did not consent, this is still an offence which can be prosecuted using the offence of 'sexual intercourse with an older child' under section 28 of the 2009 Act.
As can be seen, the 2009 Act provides that it is always a criminal offence for an adult to knowingly engage in sexual activity with a child under the age of 16.
Question ref. S5W-10428
Asked by: McKelvie, Christina, Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse, Date lodged: 21 July 2017
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the impact on victims in Scotland, what action it can take with the UK Government to review the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority guidelines regarding compensation for victims of sexual abuse under the age of 16.
Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 10 August 2017
I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-10427 on 10 August 2017. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx
Question ref. S5O-00809
Asked by: McKelvie, Christina, Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse, Date lodged: 15 March 2017
To ask the Scottish Government what communication it has had with the UK Government regarding the Syrian refugee resettlement scheme.
Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 22 March 2017
I met the Immigration Minister, Robert Goodwill MP on 11 October 2016 to discuss the Syrian Resettlement Programme and other issues relating to refugees and asylum seekers. I also wrote jointly with the President of COSLA, Councillor David O'Neill to the Immigration Minister on 5 October 2016 about the issues of family reunion and travel documents for refugees arriving under the Programme.
The Home Office and Department for Work and Pensions were represented at official level on the Refugee Taskforce, and Scottish Government and Home Office officials continue to have regular contact in relation to the Syrian Resettlement Programme.
The Member will be pleased to know Scotland remains committed to welcoming Syrian refugees, and that 30 local authorities have now received refugees into their communities.