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: S5W-15740

Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 10 May 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with NHS Lothian regarding A&E waiting times at the NHS board's hospitals and, in light of recent ISD Scotland figures, which recorded that an average of 79.3% of people waiting at the departments were seen within four hours, what action (a) it and (b) the NHS board is taking to address waiting times at the hospitals, including whether it will provide funding additional to that allocated in the 2018-19 Budget.

Question reference: S5W-15743

Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 10 May 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on setting up a task force to address A&E waiting times performance across NHS Lothian.

Question reference: S5W-15739

Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 10 May 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to recent ISD Scotland figures, which recorded an average of 79.3% of people waiting at A&E at hospitals in NHS Lothian being seen within four hours, and when it expects the NHS board to reach the 95% target.

Question reference: S5W-15742

Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 10 May 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on setting up a task force to address A&E waiting times performance at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.

Question reference: S5O-02016

Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 April 2018
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 25 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to make Scotland an inclusive and welcoming environment for tourists attending UEFA Euro 2020.

The Scottish Government is always keen to welcome people to Scotland. As with all our major events, Euro 2020 provides an excellent opportunity to showcase our warm hospitality and inclusive outlook. Planning for the event will ensure that all of our visitors can enjoy both the sport and their time in Scotland in a safe and friendly environment.

Our welcoming approach is supported by Scotland Is Now, our new collaboration with VisitScotland, Scottish Development International and Universities Scotland, which I was pleased to help launch recently. Scotland Is Now will build a unified brand to market Scotland internationally, encouraging people to live, work, study, visit and invest here.

Question reference: S5W-15554

Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 22 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 20 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5O-01913 by Jeane Freeman on 21 March 2018 (Official Report, c. 23), whether it will provide the information that was requested regarding whether, under the terms of the fiscal framework, it has asked the UK Government to transfer the money to it and, if so, (a) how much it has asked for and (b) what system it will use to pass this on to the universal credit recipients.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-15424 on 18 April 2018. The Scottish Government is working with the UK Government to understand the impact on households across the income distribution of the combined income tax and UC policies before deciding what action, if any, is taken. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx .

Question reference: S5W-15619

Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 23 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 19 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-14498 by Jeane Freeman on 27 February 2018, whether the UK Government has confirmed that the supplement will be taxable and, if so, what instrument will be used to give that effect.

The UK Government has confirmed that Carer’s Allowance Supplement will be taxable.

As set out in our responses to S5W-14498 and S5W-15050 on 23 March 2018, the legal definition of income for tax purposes remains reserved to the UK Government and legislation related to this is a matter for the UK Government. This was agreed by the Smith Commission and is set out at paragraphs 75-77 of the Smith Commission report. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx .

Question reference: S5W-15430

Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 19 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-14498 by Jeanne Freeman on 27 February 2018, how many people will be liable to pay tax on a payment of Carer’s Allowance Supplement, and how much it estimates will be collected in tax receipts because of this.

HMRC are responsible for operating Scottish income tax which includes the collection of data of Scottish taxpayers. We are in discussions with HMRC regarding this data. However, work by Scottish Government analysts indicates that only a small number of people who will receive Carer’s Allowance Supplement would be taxed on their income.

This analysis, using Family Resources Survey (FRS) data, suggests it is unlikely that Carer’s Allowance recipients in employment would be subject to tax because of the earnings threshold which applies to Carer’s Allowance. With the increase through Carer’s Allowance Supplement, a carer would have to have weekly taxable income (in addition to Carer’s Allowance) of £154 before they had to begin paying income tax – and the earnings threshold for Carer’s Allowance is set at £120 per week for 2018-19.

It also indicates that individuals required to pay income tax while in receipt of Carer's Allowance may be those with non-work income, such as an occupational pension, or those who give up employment part way through a year to take on a caring role.

Question reference: S5W-15457

Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 18 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-15063 by Aileen Campbell on 15 March 2018, where it will publish the list of the grant awards.

Question reference: S5W-15715

Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 17 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how new fire alarm standards will be enforced, and what the penalties will be for failing to comply.

The proposed new standards for fire and smoke alarms extend those which currently apply in the Private Rented Sector (PRS) to housing of all tenures. In the PRS, landlords should therefore already be complying, and the standard is enforced by the right of tenants to apply to the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland (Housing and Property Chamber). Penalties for non-compliance would be determined by the Tribunal.

In the social housing sector the standard will be monitored by the Scottish Housing Regulator, who may intervene as they deem appropriate for any non-compliance.

In the owner occupied sector, as this will be a minimum standard for safe houses, local authorities will be able to use their statutory powers to require owners to carry out work on substandard housing, although we would expect any intervention to be proportionate. These powers may also be applied to housing in the social or private rented tenures.