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: S6W-08712

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.

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.

Actual spend

2015-16

£m

2016-17

£m

2017-18

£m

2018-19

£m

2019-20

£m

2020-21

£m

2021-22

£m

Total (£m)

South Lanarkshire

14.341

15.527

21.526

33.430

30.158

25.110

20.659

160.751

For 2022-23, £30.16 million has been allocated as a resource planning assumption to the South Lanarkshire Council area to support the delivery of affordable homes. Information on resource planning assumptions by local authority area can be found via our webpage – Affordable housing: resource planning assumptions to councils 2021-2022 to 2025-2026 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .

Information on actual out-turn by local authority area can be found in our annual out-turn reports – Affordable Housing Supply Programme - More homes - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .

We do not hold figures at a constituency level.

Question reference: S6W-08714

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 what estimates it has made of the number of (a) local authority, (b) registered social landlord and (c) other affordable homes built in the (i) East Kilbride constituency and (ii) South Lanarkshire Council area in each year since 1999.

The table below shows the actual number of local authority, registered social landlord and other affordable homes that have been delivered in the South Lanarkshire Council Area between April 1999 to end March 2022 (as per our latest published quarterly housing statistics). These include new build homes, rehabilitation projects, conversions and off-the-shelf purchases of both new and second hand homes.

We do not hold figures at a constituency level.

Financial Year	South Lanarkshire Affordable Homes Delivered
Financial Year	Council House Social Rent	RSL* Social Rent	Other Affordable Homes	Total
1999-00	0	87	46	133
2000-01	0	101	153	254
2001-02	0	138	102	240
2002-03	0	234	44	278
2003-04	0	173	39	212
2004-05	0	255	157	412
2005-06	0	194	99	293
2006-07	0	143	12	155
2007-08	0	142	23	165
2008-09	0	343	79	422
2009-10	0	274	134	408
2010-11	0	98	42	140
2011-12	61	243	31	335
2012-13	20	200	48	268
2013-14	117	136	59	312
2014-15	0	45	76	121
2015-16	37	81	36	154
2016-17	72	162	66	300
2017-18	83	171	15	269
2018-19	201	283	23	507
2019-20	78	206	13	297
2020-21	197	142	7	346
2021-22	362	189	3	554
Total Homes	1,228	4,040	1,307	6,575
* Registered Social Landlords

We also publish homes delivered by local authority broken down by social and other affordable homes and this can be accessed via our webpage - Affordable Housing Supply Programme: completions quarterly updates - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) . This information is updated quarterly following publication of official statistics.

Based on management information we currently estimate around 425 affordable homes could potentially be delivered across the South Lanarkshire council area in 2022-23, with 67 of these homes expected to be in East Kilbride.

Question reference: S6W-08428

Asked by: Collette Stevenson, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 19 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its most recent estimates are for how many children in the East Kilbride constituency are receiving support from (a) the Scottish Child Payment and (b) Best Start Grants.

In the South Lanarkshire Local Authority (a) 5,525 clients received one or more payments for Scottish Child Payment between April 2021 and December 2021, and (b) 3,955 clients received one or more payments for Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods between April 2021 and February 2022.

These figures are based on secondary analysis of the most recently published statistics on Scottish Child Payment and Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods, published by Social Security Scotland. Whilst these include information by local authority area, we do not currently produce information by Scottish Parliament constituency.

Question reference: S6O-01065

Asked by: Collette Stevenson, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 May 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support the economy in East Kilbride.

Question reference: S6F-01044

Asked by: Collette Stevenson, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 25 April 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 April 2022

To ask the First Minister what steps the Scottish Government can take to encourage more women to stand for elected office.

Question reference: S6O-00985

Asked by: Collette Stevenson, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 April 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with the Department for Work and Pensions, and what was discussed.

Question reference: S6W-07729

Asked by: Collette Stevenson, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 28 March 2022
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Ash Regan on 29 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how the strategic priorities and objectives for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service will be set over the next few years.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (Framework) Order 2022 will be laid in Parliament on 31 March 2022. This Order will bring the Fire and Rescue Framework for Scotland 2022, which was published on the Scottish Government’s website today, into effect from 26 May 2022.

Following a public consultation, the Fire and Rescue Framework for Scotland 2022 sets out the strategic priorities and objectives for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) going forward. The Framework is structured around protecting communities in terms of prevention and response; innovation and modernisation; the impact of climate change; partnership working and the governance and performance arrangements for the Service.

It is now for the SFRS to set out in its next Strategic Plan how it will deliver the priorities identified in the Framework.

Question reference: S6W-07342

Asked by: Collette Stevenson, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 March 2022
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 23 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any (a) environmental, (b) financial and (c) other impact of ash dieback, and what (i) action it is taking and (ii) support it has offered to relevant stakeholders, including local authorities, to deal with ash dieback.

Ash dieback is impacting rural and urban landscapes and ecosystems. Current evidence indicates that at least 50% – 75% of Scotland’s approximately 11 million mature ash trees could be lost to this disease over the next two decades.

a) Environmental impacts: Ash trees play an important role in Scottish ecosystems, and support many other species such as invertebrates, birds and lichens. Ecosystem continuity is a key concern for the long-term recovery of affected landscapes.

b) Financial impacts: Current estimates suggest that ash dieback could potentially cost Scotland in the range of £4 million - £20 million per annum as the disease progresses.

c) Other impacts: The safety of arboricultural and forestry professionals as well as the public is a central emerging issue, as ash dieback and associated secondary pathogens can lead to tree brittleness, potential branch shedding and root weakness. Priority needs to be given to ash trees showing significant health issues in higher risk locations such as near public roads, paths, railways and utilities infrastructure.

i) Action Scottish Government is taking:

Scottish Forestry convened the Ash Dieback Risk Group in January 2020. The group, which brings together expertise from local authorities and sectors such as forestry, transport, utilities and nature conservation, was formed to provide a forum for sharing experience and coordinating actions, and to help advise the Scottish Government on policy development relating to the management of ash dieback.

ii) Support the Scottish Government has offered to relevant stakeholders, including local authorities, to deal with ash dieback:

Scottish Forestry has worked with The Tree Council to produce a Scottish Toolkit for Ash Dieback Action Plans to help Scottish local authorities, public bodies and other large-scale land owners and managers to prepare their own Ash Dieback Action Plans in response to the inevitable safety and environmental issues that affected trees will create.

Question reference: S6O-00907

Asked by: Collette Stevenson, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 March 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met representatives from the energy regulator, Ofgem, and what was discussed.

Question reference: S6W-05330

Asked by: Collette Stevenson, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 December 2021
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 23 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its discussions with the UK Government regarding the devolution of aspects of asylum support.

The Smith Commission recommended that the Scottish and UK Governments should ‘explore the possibility of different powers being in place in Scotland for asylum seekers to access accommodation and financial support and advice.’ Discussions on this recommendation took place over a period of around two years, but concluded without making progress.

The Scottish Government continues to raise issues which impact people seeking asylum living in Scotland and has consistently pressed the UK Government to ensure that people have access to the support and services they need. This includes raising concerns about use of hotels as contingency initial asylum accommodation in correspondence published in January 2022: Use of hotels to accommodate asylum seekers: correspondence with UK government - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .

I have also requested that the Home Office re-establish regular four nation meetings on asylum to support continued discussions on asylum policy and operations.