Questions and answers

Question reference: S4W-30090

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 February 2016
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Burgess on 10 March 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether Scottish Gas has responsibility for repairing central heating systems that were installed when it managed the Energy Assistance Package that are (a) damaged or (b) considered to have been poorly installed.

Question reference: S4W-30089

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 February 2016
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Burgess on 10 March 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what action can be taken by people who had central heating installed under its Energy Assistance Package that has become damaged.

Question reference: S4W-30100

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 February 2016
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Burgess on 10 March 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what action can be taken by people who had central heating installed under its Energy Assistance Package that they consider was poorly installed.

Question reference: S4W-30091

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 February 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 7 March 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has regarding whether VAT is payable on fees paid by owners of non-residential mobile homes to site owners.

VAT is reserved and not a matter for which Scottish Ministers have responsibility.

Information related to the payment of VAT on fees at VAT-registered sites is set out in the UK HMRC VAT Notice 701/20: caravans and houseboats, from 27 December 2013, which is available using the following url:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vat-notice-70120-caravans-and-houseboats/vat-notice-70120-caravans-and-houseboats#supplies-associated-with-caravan-pitches

Question reference: S4O-05553

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 February 2016
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 11 February 2016

To ask the Scottish Government which local authorities have responded to its funding settlement offer and what their response has been.

I am delighted to say that all 32 local authorities have now confirmed that they have agreed the full package of measures as set out in my letter of 27 January 2016. This means that we will have protected the council tax freeze for a ninth year; invested £250 million in integrating health and social care services which will also facilitate a living wage for every social care worker in Scotland; and maintained the pupil/teacher ratio in Scotland’s schools.

Question reference: S4W-29351

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 18 January 2016
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 29 January 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what advice is provided to cyclists and walkers regarding safety when cycling or walking on rural roads.

The Scottish Government recognises that pedestrians and cyclists are some of our most vulnerable road users, and works with partners to provide education, advice and publicity campaigns promoting safe practices on all road types, including those in rural settings.

Scotland’s Road Safety Framework to 2020 contains a range of measures to reduce the risks to vulnerable road users and our life-long learning approach means this begins with our young people, such as through Road Safety Scotland’s education materials available to every school, and funding for on-road cycling training through the Bikeability Scotland programme for school pupils.

Question reference: S4O-05511

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 January 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 February 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how many homes for social rent and how many for mid-market rent will have been built in Dumfries and Galloway between May 2011 and March 2016.

Question reference: S4W-29252

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 January 2016
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 22 January 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether there will be a minimum age for a person to be held responsible for ensuring that a dog is microchipped after April 2016.

The Microchipping of Dogs (Scotland) Regulations 2016 have been considered by both the Delegated and Law Reform Committee, on 15 December 2015, and the Rural Affairs, Climate Change Committee, on 20 January 2015. They will be considered by the Scottish Parliament in due course. There is no minimum age for a person to be held responsible for ensuring that a dog is microchipped specified in these regulations. However, the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006, under which these Regulations are made, provides that where the keeper of an animal is less than 16 year old, the person caring for the keeper is also considered responsible for the animal in their care.

Question reference: S4W-29251

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 January 2016
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 22 January 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what penalties will be available if a dog owner (a) fails or (b) refuses to have their dog microchipped after April 2016.

The Microchipping of Dogs (Scotland) Regulations 2016 have been considered by both the Delegated and Law Reform Committee, on 15 December 2015, and the Rural Affairs, Climate Change Committee, on 20 January 2015. They will be considered by the Scottish Parliament in due course. If approved, from 6 April 2016 any keeper whose dog is found to be without a microchip may be served with a notice requiring them to have that dog microchipped within 21 days. Failure to comply with such a notice will be an offence, punishable on summary conviction by a fine of up to £500 (level 2 on the standard scale).

Question reference: S4W-29253

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 January 2016
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 22 January 2016

To ask the Scottish Government which local authority will be responsible for enforcing the regulations regarding the microchipping of dogs after April 2016 in cases where the ownership of the animal changes without it being microchipped and the new and old owners live in different council areas.

The Microchipping of Dogs (Scotland) Regulations 2016 have been considered by both the Delegated and Law Reform Committee, on 15 December 2015, and the Rural Affairs, Climate Change Committee, on 20 January 2015. They will be considered by the Scottish Parliament in due course. How enforcement is undertaken across territories will be a matter for local authorities.

However, if the regulations are approved, from 6 April 2016 if a dog without a microchip is passed on to a new keeper, the previous keeper will have committed an offence; the local authority in whose territory the previous keeper lives may take forward any action required in this respect. The new keeper would then become responsible for ensuring that the dog is microchipped, including registering it on a compliant database. If this is not undertaken, any local authority finding the dog without a microchip may serve a notice on the new keeper to resolve this.

Chamber and committees