- Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 23 December 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom Arthur on 10 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on building new houses from the Investing in Communities Fund Programme in each year since 2021.
Answer
The Scottish Government’s Investing in Communities Fund (ICF) is a revenue fund which aims to empower communities by supporting them to deliver activity that helps tackle poverty, inequality and rural disadvantage on their own terms.
The ICF is not intended to deliver capital projects, such as housing.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 20 December 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 10 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of e-bikes that have been seized in each year since 2020 were found to exceed the legal speed limit of 15.5 mph.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not hold this information. I have asked Police Scotland to write to you on this matter.
- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Falkirk West, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 19 December 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 10 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve coordination and information sharing between the justice, social services and education sectors, other statutory agencies and the third sector to address the criminal exploitation of children.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to the question S6W-32496 on 10 January 2025. 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.
- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Falkirk West, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 19 December 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 10 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what funding it has allocated to services and programmes over the last five years aimed at (a) early intervention in response to and (b) the prevention of criminal exploitation of children.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to the question S6W-32496 on 10 January 2025. 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.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 23 December 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 10 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the written evidence provided by the Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport to the Citizen Participation and Public Petition Committee on 21 October 2024 regarding petition PE1871 (Full review of mental health services), whether it can provide an update on the work of the Partnership Delivery Group in producing a framework for collaboration and a cross sector-owned action plan.
Answer
The Partnership Delivery Group (PDG) continues to work across organisational boundaries to identify and deliver support to individuals that can be delivered in a person centred and trauma informed way.
The PDG has worked together to support the Scottish Government to develop a Framework for Collaboration (FfC). Subject to publishing timescales, this Framework along with the PDG’s cross-sector Collaborative Commitment Action Plan will be published imminently.
- Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 19 December 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 10 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how it has been working with Police Scotland to tackle the modification of vehicles for the concealment of illicit drugs.
Answer
We had previously promoted a Legislative Consent Memorandum in the Scottish Parliament in relation to the provisions in the previous UK Government’s Criminal Justice Bill creating an offence for importing, making, adapting, supplying or offering to supply a relevant article for use in serious crime. This offence would have included vehicle concealments as an article of serious crime but the legislation fell due to the change of administration.
My officials are continuing to engage with the Home Office on its legislative proposals. I hope that this offence will be taken forward in one of the bills that will be introduced in early 2025.
Police Scotland will be also be kept informed as soon as any legislation is developed.
- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Falkirk West, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 19 December 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 10 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with representatives of (a) the justice, (b) the social work, (c) the education, (d) the health sector and (d) other professional sectors regarding dealing with the criminal exploitation of children, also broken down by what training it provides.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to the question S6W-32496 on 10 January 2025. 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.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 December 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 10 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what mechanisms are in place to allow the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission to investigate evidence provided to it during a previously reviewed case.
Answer
The powers of the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission (SCCRC) to review alleged miscarriages of justice are provided for in the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 (1995 Act).
There is no limitation within the 1995 Act on the SCCRC investigating evidence provided to it during a previously reviewed case with any decision to investigate evidence provided to it during a previously reviewed case being an independent matter for the SCCRC.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 13 December 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 10 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government when it last reviewed the £40,000 threshold for the additional dwelling supplement.
Answer
No review has been undertaken of the threshold for the Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT) Additional Dwelling Supplement (ADS) threshold since its introduction. The setting of the threshold for the ADS reflects that The Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (Scotland) Act 2013 provides that land transactions with a chargeable consideration of less than £40,000 are not notifiable and that no tax return is thus required.
- Asked by: Michelle Thomson, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 December 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Alasdair Allan on 9 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, regarding any potential impact on households experiencing fuel poverty in Scotland, particularly in rural and off-gas grid areas, what communication it has had with relevant third parties regarding the ending of the Radio Teleswitch Service.
Answer
The Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS) is reserved, however the Scottish Government engages regularly with consumer organisations and fuel poverty charities on issues expected to arise from the upcoming switch-off.
I recently visited the Western Isles Citizens Advice Bureau to discuss the potentially devastating consequences on fuel poverty and access to energy if RTS meters are not upgraded on time, there and in many other communities. Consumers must not receive extortionately high or inaccurate bills or experience any interruption of supply.
To that end, I have written to the UK Government, and will seek further urgent engagement to ensure that Scottish communities are protected.