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-09607

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 July 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 14 July 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-01697 by Shona Robison on 16 August 2021, whether it will provide an update on how many property factors have been de-registered in each year since 2011, broken down by whether the factor was de-registered due to (a) no longer being considered to be a fit and proper person to be registered as a property factor, (b) having failed to comply with the obligation to include its registration number in correspondence sent to homeowners and (c) having failed to demonstrate compliance with (i) the property factor Code of Conduct and (ii) any property factor enforcement order made against the property factor by the First-tier Tribunal.

The updated information requested is contained in the following table:

Year (See Note 1)	Number removed from the register of property factors (See Note 2)	Removed under S4(7) as registration expired after 3 year period without an application for renewal	Removed under 8(1) (not fit and proper - failed to comply with the Code and / or a property factor enforcement order(s) (See Note 3)	Removed under 8(1) (dissolved / no longer a legal entity)
2011	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
2012	0	0	0	0
2013	0	0	0	0
2014	0	0	0	0
2015	20	19	1	0
2016	38	37	1	0
2017	19	15	0	4
2018	24	20	0	4
2019	44	42	1	1
2020	16	16	0	0
2021	22	22	0	0
2022 (to 30/06/22)	27	27	0	0

Note 1:

The register of property factors opened in October 2012 so no data is available for 2011.

Note 2:

The Property Factors (Scotland) Act 2011, allows that a property factor can be removed from the register for the following reasons:

under section 4(7) (a) - where registrations are removed as no further application is received before expiry of the previous registration.

under section 8(1) for no longer being a fit and proper person or failing to demonstrate compliance with:

o the property factor code of conduct, or

o any property factor enforcement order.

under section 8(1) for no longer being a fit and proper person as they are no longer a legal entity (technical removal).

No Property Factor has been removed for failing to comply with their obligations around use of their property factor registered number.

Note 3:

Any non-voluntary removal of registration would be expected to be on the basis of a range of issues and not related to a single issue such as not complying with the requirements around the use of a property factor registered number.

Question reference: S6W-09606

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 July 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 14 July 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-01695 by Shona Robison on 16 August 2021, whether it will provide an update on how many property factors have been registered, as required by the Property Factors (Scotland) Act 2011, in each year since 2011, broken down by (a) those remaining on the register, (b) those who have been newly admitted to the register, and (c) those who have been removed from the register.

The updated information requested is contained in the following table:

Year (See Note 1)	Number registered	Number remaining on register	Number newly admitted to register	Number removed from register (see Note 2)
2011	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
2012	242	N/A	242	0
2013	326	242	84	0
2014	365	326	39	0
2015	381	365	36	20
2016	384	381	41	38
2017	403	384	38	19
2018	404	403	25	24
2019	387	404	27	44
2020	393	387	22	16
2021	395	393	24	22
2022 (to 30/06/22)	374	395	6	27

Note 1:

The register of property factors opened in October 2012 so no registration data is available for 2011.

Note 2:

The Property Factors (Scotland) Act 2011, allows that a property factor can be removed from the register for the following reasons:

under section 4(7) (a) - where registrations are removed as no further application is received before expiry of the previous registration.

under section 8(1) - for no longer being a fit and proper person or failing to demonstrate compliance with:

o the property factor code of conduct, or

o any property factor enforcement order.

under section 8(1) - for no longer being a fit and proper person as they are no longer a legal entity (technical removal).

Property Factors are required to apply for renewal of their registration every 3 years and a register entry must be removed if the factor does not submit an application to renew.

Question reference: S6W-09051

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 10 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 23 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to (a) the Institute of Economic Affairs report, The Hangover: The cost of minimum alcohol pricing in Scotland, and (b) the report's conclusions that minimum unit pricing has cost consumers in Scotland £270 million since its introduction and “that there is little evidence of health and social benefits to offset this cost”.

The Institute of Economic Affairs report is one independent report and should not be used to draw conclusions on the effect of the policy.

Public Health Scotland are leading a comprehensive evaluation of the impact of Minimum Unit Pricing, details of which can be found on their website. The evaluation is over a five year period and a final report will be produced in 2023. The evaluation will consider a wide range of evidence and reports regarding Minimum Unit Price (MUP).

We will review the final evaluation report from Public Health Scotland before drawing overall conclusions, this will include the impact MUP has had on health and social benefits.

Question reference: S6W-08856

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 15 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government (a) how many journeys have been taken using and (b) what the cost has been of the Government Car Service in each year since 2011, including 2021, also broken down by minister, including the First Minister.

The following table details the total cost of operation and number of journeys completed by the Government Car Service since 2011.

Year	Total cost (1)	Total number of journeys completed (2)
2010 - 11	£974,678	8,159
2011 - 12	£1,074,714	9,201
2012 - 13	£1,204,864	10,389
2013 - 14	£1,156,208	9,543
2014 - 15	£1,184,851	10,039
2015 - 16	£1,145,521	10,619
2016 - 17	£1,092,375	9,527
2017 - 18	£1,177,398	10,050
2018 - 19	£1,323,131	10,755
2019 - 20	£1,344,978	8,604
2020 - 21	£903,002	1,448
2021 - 22	£1,044,967	3,353

Notes

1. Total costs include staff salaries, employer’s contributions, fuel, vehicle maintenance, private hire and travel and subsistence . Excludes Police Scotland costs associated in transporting First Minister.

2. Does not include First Ministers journeys completed by Police Scotland.

A full breakdown of journeys, excluding First Ministers journeys after April 2017, can be accessed via the following links.

Ministerial Car Journeys - 2007-2016 (webarchive.org.uk)

Ministerial engagements, travel and gifts - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Question reference: S6W-08855

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 14 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to The Promise Oversight Board’s first report into the progress that Scotland is making to implement the conclusions of the Independent Care Review and keep The Promise, and what it will do to meet the recommendations in the report.

The Scottish Government welcomes the Promise Scotland’s Oversight Board report and the continued focus and momentum across all stakeholders to Keep The Promise.

The Scottish Government remains committed to Keeping The Promise by 2030, working in partnership with Local Authorities, The Promise Scotland, third sector, health boards and importantly the care community.

On 30 March 2022 the Scottish Government published the Keeping The Promise Implementation Plan , setting out how it will Keep The Promise by 2030. The Plan contains over 80 actions which span over a range of areas including education, health, justice and child poverty.

Question reference: S6F-01214

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 June 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 June 2022

To ask the First Minister whether she will provide an update on the Scottish Government's policy regarding investment in nuclear fusion technology.

Question reference: S6O-01230

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 June 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 15 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met COSLA.

Question reference: S6O-01198

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 June 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it is supporting farmers to adapt to new technologies.

Question reference: S6O-01123

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 May 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what recent assessment it has made of delayed discharge in the NHS.

Question reference: S6W-08299

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 29 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 13 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what related meetings the First Minister undertook prior to the nationalisation of Ferguson Marine.