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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

Filter your results Hide all filters

Displaying 333 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S5W-07646

Asked by: Richard Lyle, MSP for Uddingston and Bellshill, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 13 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what the average time from the onset of symptoms to the point of diagnosis is for brain tumours in adults.

The information requested is not held centrally.

We recognise that there is a need to improve the speed of initial referrals for suspected brain cancer. To aid in this our Scottish Referral Guidelines for Suspected Cancer were updated and published in 2014. The guidelines contain a specific section on brain cancer as well as a section on cancer in children and young people. The guidelines should help GPs, the wider primary care team, other clinicians and patients and carers to identify those patients who are most likely to have cancer and who therefore require urgent assessment by a specialist.

Question reference: S5W-07216

Asked by: Richard Lyle, MSP for Uddingston and Bellshill, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Annabelle Ewing on 7 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on phase 2 of the Building Safer Communities programme, and what the next steps will be to deliver on the home safety strand of the strategy.

To better understand the causal factors and patterns of Unintentional Harm in Scotland a Strategic Assessment was commissioned as part of the national Building Safer Communities programme. This work looks at community safety across a range of areas including in the home, on the road, fire and outdoor safety - water, mountain rescue and outdoor events - and contributing factors such as deprivation, loneliness and isolation. The assessment provides a basis for further engagement with key stakeholders to help build the picture of activity already underway across the country, to help build the links across prevention programmes and to identify any areas for further activity.

The work is being overseen by an Executive Group, chaired by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service with membership from key stakeholders including CoSLA, Health, the Third Sector, the Scottish Community Safety Network, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, Police Scotland, University of Edinburgh, and ROSPA (The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents).

A programme of engagement and dissemination is presently being developed and agreed with the Steering Group. It is our aim that this work will be published in Spring 2017 and will, among other things, inform the development of Local Outcome Improvement Plans.

Question reference: S5W-07215

Asked by: Richard Lyle, MSP for Uddingston and Bellshill, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 1 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the fire safety regulations that exist to protect occupiers of flats or apartments.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service recommend that all homes should have interlinked and hardwired smoke detectors in the living room, in hallways and on landings and should also have a heat detector in the kitchen. This standard is required in all new build homes and in all private rented housing.

In addition, the Scottish Building Standards and their supporting guidance contain requirements for new buildings to provide appropriate active and passive fire safety measures to help protect occupants in the event of fire. These measures include automatic fire detection and alarm systems and fire rated construction.

As set out in the Sustainable Housing Strategy a stakeholder forum was set up to consider a range of house condition issues, including electrical safety. Discussions have helped inform proposals for a two stage public consultation on house condition. The second stage will look at wider condition issues affecting housing generally and may seek views on a statutory requirement for smoke and fire alarms for all housing that is part of a tenement.

Question reference: S5W-07214

Asked by: Richard Lyle, MSP for Uddingston and Bellshill, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 1 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether residual current devices are mandatory in all new build domestic properties and, if so, for what reason.

The mandatory electrical safety standard in building regulations requires that new electrical installations do not threaten the health and safety of people in and around buildings, nor become a source of fire. Residual current devices are required under BS 7671, which is the main method of complying with these requirements.

Residual current devices help prevent personal injury or death due to electric shock.

Question reference: S5W-07217

Asked by: Richard Lyle, MSP for Uddingston and Bellshill, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 1 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to the introduction of mandatory electrical safety checks in the owner-occupied sector.

Responsibility for maintenance of homes lies with the owner of the property. Institution of Engineering and Technology guidance advises that owner occupied homes should have an Electrical Installation Condition Report completed by a skilled person (electrically) at intervals of no more than ten years. Under the Tolerable Standard for all homes all electrical wiring and components should be adequate and safe to use. Local authorities have a duty to ensure that any homes which fall short of this standard are closed, demolished or brought up to the tolerable standard within a reasonable period.

As set out in the Sustainable Housing Strategy a stakeholder forum was set up to consider a range of house condition issues, including electrical safety. Discussions have helped inform proposals for a two stage public consultation on house condition, the first phase which will look at proposals for changes to the repairing standard (which applies to all houses in the private rented sector) will be launched soon.

The second phase will look at wider condition issues affecting housing generally and may seek views on adding new elements to the Tolerable Standard such as regular electrical checks. Any consultation will need to consider appropriate enforcement processes for owner occupied housing.

Question reference: S5W-07211

Asked by: Richard Lyle, MSP for Uddingston and Bellshill, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 28 February 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many homes in the owner-occupied sector are (a) detached, (b) semi-detached, (c) terraced and (d) flats, maisonettes or apartments, including four-in-a-blocks and conversions.

Question reference: S5W-07213

Asked by: Richard Lyle, MSP for Uddingston and Bellshill, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 28 February 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what information is collected through the Scottish House Condition Survey to assess the safety of electrical installations in homes.

As part of the Scottish House Conditions Survey, the surveyors carry out an assessment and collect information on:

(i) whether the electrical power system is dangerous,

(ii) whether the standard of the electrical lighting system is satisfactory,

(iii) whether there are smoke detectors in the dwelling,

(iv) what level of repairs are required to (a) the electrical power system or (b) to the electrical lighting system

(v) whether the electrical installation (consisting of the electrical wiring and associated components and fittings) is adequate and safe to use.

Question reference: S5W-07210

Asked by: Richard Lyle, MSP for Uddingston and Bellshill, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 28 February 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many homes in the owner-occupied sector were built (a) before 1919, (b) between (i) 1919 and 1944, (ii) 1945 and 1964 and (iii) 1965 and 1982, and (c) after 1982.

Question reference: S5W-07212

Asked by: Richard Lyle, MSP for Uddingston and Bellshill, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Annabelle Ewing on 21 February 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many accidental electrical house fires there were in each month in each of the last five years; how many of these were in homes in the owner-occupied sector, and what steps it is taking to reduce such fires.

This information is not held centrally.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) publishes statistics on accidental dwelling fires and cause, however this data is not presented on a monthly basis, nor is data on tenure given.

These statistics are available to the public on SFRS’s website, and can be found at this link http://www.firescotland.gov.uk/about-us/fire-and-rescue-statistics.aspx

The SFRS has a statutory duty to promote fire safety across Scotland. Additionally, in the Fire and Rescue Framework for Scotland 2016, Scottish Ministers require SFRS to fully contribute to improving the safety and well-being of Scotland’s communities and to ensure that there is a clear process for working with partners to identify the risks faced by communities and individuals so that the SFRS can target activity on a risk-based approach.

The SFRS itself will consider how best to reduce dwelling fires, including those caused by electricity, what the focus of its preventative action will be, and with which partner organisations it will work to achieve this.

In addition to a programme of fire safety awareness campaigns and community safety engagement events, the SFRS carried out 71,743 Home Fire Safety Visits in 2015-16. The SFRS website also carries safety information for householders on a range of issues, including home appliances and electrical safety.

Question reference: S5O-00586

Asked by: Richard Lyle, MSP for Uddingston and Bellshill, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 January 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 January 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to encourage more participation in sporting activities.