Chamber and committees

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: S6O-02116

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 April 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many affordable homes it has delivered in the past year.

Question reference: S6O-02111

Asked by: Michelle Thomson, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 April 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to improve effective communication and collaboration between health and social care providers.

Question reference: S6O-02122

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 April 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recent report by Independent Age, which states that one in seven people in Scotland over the State Pension age live in poverty.

Question reference: S6W-16445

Asked by: Michael Marra, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 12 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the long-term funding of the Big Noise projects in Scotland.

We are proud to have supported Sistema Scotland and their Big Noise projects annually since 2012, contributing to the Government-wide priorities of tackling child poverty and raising attainment. We previously confirmed that the Scottish Government would provide the organisation with around £1.5 million of additional funding for 2023-24 and officials are working at pace to finalise this.

We are not currently in a position to make commitments beyond the next financial year. Funding for 2023-24 is designed to protect the organisational sustainability of Sistema Scotland and allow them to deliver their programmes, and we will continue to work closely with the organisation on this.

Question reference: S6W-16291

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 12 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many first-time buyers have completed house purchases in each year since 1999.

Published information on home purchases and spend across the First Home Fund, Help to Buy, Open Market Shared Equity (OMSE) and New Supply Shared Equity (NSSE) schemes can be found on the Scottish Government website at the following links:

Help to Buy (Scotland):

https://www.gov.scot/policies/homeowners/help-to-buy/

Open Market Shared Equity and New Supply Shared Equity:

https://www.gov.scot/policies/more-homes/affordable-housing-supply/

First Home Fund:

https://www.gov.scot/publications/first-home-fund-spend-and-units-monitoring-information-report-december-2019-to-march-2021/

Please be aware when reading the published statistics that all schemes were available for first-time buyers. Help to Buy was also for second steppers and priority groups eligible for OMSE and NSSE. First Home fund applicants were eligible if one of a couple were a first time buyer.

An evaluation of the Scottish Government shared equity schemes (Help to Buy, Open Market Shared Equity (OMSE) and New Supply Shared Equity (NSSE)) was published in June 2020. The evaluation can be found on the Scottish Government website at https://www.gov.scot/publications/evaluation-scottish-government-shared-equity-schemes/ .

The evaluation estimated that 64% of Help to Buy purchasers, 71% of NSSE purchasers and 95% of OMSE purchasers were first time buyers. All households supported by the First Home Fund include at least one first time buyer.

We do not hold any historical records pre 2007.

Question reference: S6W-16271

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 12 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its Scottish Public Finance Manual, and whether it has any plans to (a) update and (b) review it.

The Scottish Public Finance Manual (SPFM) is subject to a programme of regular updates. Specifically, sections are updated as and when amendments are required, due to changes in policy of Scottish Ministers, with the guide also being subject to an annual review. To achieve this SG Financial Management Directorate lead on and liaise annually with policy owners to identify any planned changes to the guide ensuring guidance is updated in real time throughout the year. Significant updates to the guide are communicated to public bodies and to SG via Finance Guidance notes published on the SPFM and provided to Public Bodies via information notices.

The SG is currently undertaking a strategic review of the SPFM during 2023-24. This review will seek to enhance existing processes and frameworks ensuring the SPFM remains up to date, aligned with best practice and accessible to key stakeholders, continuing to promote economy efficiency, effectiveness and high standards of propriety, regularity, and value for money.

Question reference: S6W-16309

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 12 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it has provided to Creative Scotland for the financial year 2023-24.

The Scottish Government’s grant-in-aid to Creative Scotland for 2023/2024 is to fulfil its statutory functions, deliver Scottish Ministers' strategic objectives and contribute to the National Outcomes and National Performance Framework , as set out in the approved Creative Scotland Corporate Plan.

The public sector reform agenda announced as part of the 2023-24 budget is to ensure public services remain sustainable and are best placed to deliver improved outcomes. Guidance has been issued to Creative Scotland and other public bodies around key themes including where savings, improved performance and improved service delivery can be achieved by working together.

Updated Fair Work First guidance was published on 24 March, that supports public sector grant managers and recipients to pay at minimum the real Living Wage and provide appropriate channels for effective workers’ voice, within the limits on devolved competence, from 1 July 2023.

Question reference: S6W-16304

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 12 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance has been issued to local authorities regarding short-term lets.

In June 2021 draft licensing guidance was published as part of our consultation on the Licensing Order. In March 2022 we published revised guidance for licensing authorities and hosts . Both iterations of guidance were produced in conjunction with our Stakeholder Working Group comprising industry bodies, local authority housing and planning forums, resident and community groups, licensing experts, Police Scotland and Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

We are currently in the process of updating both parts of the March 2022 guidance to take account of matters arising since local authority schemes opened in October 2022, including topics discussed and advice provided to the forum of local authority officers facilitated by Scotland’s Housing Network. We are continuing to take a collaborative approach seeking input from licensing authorities and industry stakeholders.

A Planning Circular on control areas and short-term lets was published in June 2021. We intend to publish an updated Planning Circular on short-term lets this month (April 2023).

Question reference: S6W-16321

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 12 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it provides to local authorities regarding the protection and promotion of local cultural heritage.

The Scottish Government recognises the crucial role local authorities play in communities across Scotland. Through various published strategies and plans, as well as sponsorship of our public bodies, we support and empower local authorities to act on behalf of the communities they serve.

Examples include our Culture Strategy, which celebrates the diversity and excellence of Scottish culture – past, present and future. National Planning Framework 4 approved by the Parliament in January 2023 recognises Scotland’s rich heritage, culture and outstanding environment as national assets that develop local economy, identity, and boosts health and wellbeing

Historic Environment Scotland has published a suite of documents on its website covering management of traditional buildings. It supports local communities through its Heritage and Place programme of area-based funding that aims to contribute to the development of vibrant and sustainable places in Scotland, through community-led regeneration of the historic environment. The Culture Collective programme, administrated by Creative Scotland with over £10m of Scottish Government funding to date, supports projects that celebrate local social history, and empowers communities to shape and share the story of their place.

Question reference: S6W-16337

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 12 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on flood defences in each year since 2016.

Local authorities are statutorily responsible for taking forward flood protection schemes and other actions to reduce flood risk. In 2016, agreement was reached between Scottish Ministers and COSLA on a new strategic funding plan for flood protection. The agreement guarantees that until 2026 the level of flooding capital grant in the local government settlement is set at a minimum of £42 million per annum. 80% of the available £42 million is allocated to prioritised flood schemes and the other 20% is allocated between all 32 councils to take forward other flood risk management actions.

The Programme for Government published in 2020 included a commitment to invest an extra £150 million in flood risk management over 5 years in addition to the £42 million per annum. This funding will also be distributed to local authorities through the general capital grant. We are working with partners on the best way of allocating this additional funding.