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: S5O-03089

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 March 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 April 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to tackle air pollution in Edinburgh.

Question reference: S5O-03009

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 March 2019
Current Status: Answered by Kezia Dugdale on 21 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body how it plans to recruit more disabled people.

The SPCB is committed to building a diverse and talented workforce that reflects the people of Scotland and we firmly believe in using positive action in the recruitment of disabled people.

We have taken steps to ensure our recruitment processes are fair and inclusive of disabled people. For any disabled person who wants to work at the Parliament, the experience must be positive and rewarding, and the positive experience must continue throughout their career. In order to support this we look to remove barriers in the workplace and enable our staff to fulfil their potential, utilising their skills and talent.

Question reference: S5O-03064

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 March 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government on what date it took the decision to delay the roll-out of the second wave of social security benefits.

Question reference: S5O-03035

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 March 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason Transport Scotland requires disabled people to renew their National Entitlement Card every three years, including when their disability is permanent or progressive.

Question reference: S5W-21761

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 February 2019
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 1 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, where the full funding allocation requested by local authorities is not being fulfilled, which areas of the Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan it will prioritise, or whether such decisions would be at the discretion of individual councils.

Question reference: S5W-21760

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 February 2019
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 1 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what the process is and timescales are for signing off and rolling out the Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan across Scotland.

There is no single rapid rehousing transition plan for Scotland but 32 individual rapid rehousing transition plans developed by each local authority. Officials are currently in the process of reviewing the rapid rehousing transition plans and individual tailored feedback will be provided to each local authority by the end of March 2019. Thereafter, officials will work with local authorities to develop their rapid rehousing transition plans further where necessary.

The Scottish Government expects rapid rehousing transition plans to commence from 1 April 2019 and we will be working with local authorities to support them to do this.

Question reference: S5W-21759

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 February 2019
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 1 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government by what date it plans to make a decision on the Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan.

There is no single rapid rehousing transition plan for Scotland but 32 individual rapid rehousing transition plans developed by each local authority. Officials are currently in the process of reviewing all 32 rapid rehousing transition plans. Individual tailored feedback to each local authority will be provided by the end of March 2019. Thereafter, officials will work with local authorities to develop their rapid rehousing transition plans where necessary.

Question reference: S5O-02923

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 February 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 February 2019

To ask the Scottish Government by what date it will publish its draft regulations for disability assistance.

Question reference: S5O-02860

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 January 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 February 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether the processing of applications to the PVG scheme for people working in schools will change as a result of Disclosure Scotland's new IT system, and what progress has been made on this.

Question reference: S5W-20871

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 January 2019
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 21 January 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Drinkaware campaign, Drink Free Days, and whether it will engage in the charity’s monitor insights, which examine drinking behaviours and attitudes.

The Scottish Government runs its own alcohol health campaigns, utilising partnerships with the third sector, NHS Health Scotland and Alcohol and Drug Partnerships to reach into local areas

Our new Alcohol Framework, published in November last year, sets out our commitment to a new national marketing campaign on the UK Chief Medical Officers’ lower-risk weekly drinking guideline maximum of 14 units. This is scheduled to run in Spring 2019 and aims to increase awareness of the guidelines and increase the proportion of those who can accurately relate 14 units to their drink of choice.

We welcome campaigns that support lower-risk drinking in accordance with the UK Chief Medical Officers' guidelines, and all rigorous insights into drinking behaviour, occasions and motivations.