Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-17500

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 12 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture's recent attendance at New York City Tartan Week, who attended in an official capacity with the Cabinet Secretary; what the full itemised cost was of the Cabinet Secretary's attendance, along with the cost of any officials and members of the Cabinet Secretary's party; what the pre-determined aims, objectives and anticipated deliverables of the attendance were; what meetings and events the Cabinet Secretary attended whilst in New York City; what the (i) minutes and (ii) speaking notes were of any events at which the Cabinet Secretary spoke or had discussions in an official capacity; what specific and identifiable outcomes were achieved from the Cabinet Secretary's attendance, and what official debrief has taken, or will take, place, to ensure that the outcomes achieved represent good value to the public purse for the spending that was incurred.

My visit aimed to cover a number of areas in the Scotland/US relationship. It had a particular focus on trade and investment, culture, higher education and – linking all of these things – Scotland’s network in the US. This visit offered an opportunity to build upon my visit to the US in April 2022, as well as other Ministerial visits over the past 12 months. It also presented an opportunity to launch our Scottish Connections Framework, Scotland’s new diaspora strategy, in perhaps the most populous (alongside Canada) diaspora location. (Link Scottish Connections Framework - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) )

I attended Tartan Week, supported by my Private Secretary, the Scottish Government Deputy Director for International, and two supporting officials. Five members of staff based in the US also supported my visit and attended events. The full costs of my visit, and those of all Ministerial travel costs, are routinely published on the Scottish Government website. I would encourage you to look there for more details (Link: Ministerial engagements, travel and gifts - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

You also requested the costs for travelling officials who accompanied me from Scotland. Please find these in the following table.

Official	Flights (£)	Hotel (£)	Nights	T&S (£)
Private Secretary	922.21	1169.26	5	161.51
Deputy Director	1,476	846.99	3	320.31
Comms Official	921.41	935.40	4	190.10
Policy Official	586.21	1169.26	5	578.27

I can confirm I met with several businesses with operations in the US and Scotland to support their continued engagement and investment in Scotland. These companies include XPO Logistics, Mirador, Catalent, Rockstar Games, AMP Energy and Aiim Partners. Details of the meetings, including summaries of each, will be published next week under Freedom of Information.

In terms of follow up, I meet senior officials regularly to discuss international engagement. There are a range of actions including follow up with specific companies, ongoing diaspora engagements and discussion with the Tartan Week Committee to ensure future viability and value for money, which will continue to be monitored in the coming year. Furthermore, there were over 50 commitments made in Scottish Connections report, which officials are now actively working on.

Question reference: S6W-17318

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 12 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to (a) the British Property Federation report, Assessment of Scotland’s Rent Freeze and Impacts, published in April 2023, and (b) its finding that its recently introduced rent controls are further restricting the supply of new homes.

We note the recent publication by the British Property Federation, assessing the impact of the emergency Cost of Living (Tenant Protection) (Scotland) Act 2022.

We recognise the importance of the private rented sector in the provision of rented housing, including homes provided through the Build-to-Rent sector, and we believe that a well-regulated private rental sector is good for both tenants and landlords.

The temporary, emergency Cost of Living (Tenant Protection) (Scotland) Act 2022 is providing additional protections for tenants during these challenging and uncertain economic times. It is important to note that there are no restrictions on a landlord setting rents at the start of a tenancy and the legislation could only ever be in place for a total of 18 months, if the circumstances demand it and with Parliamentary approval, and therefore the temporary protections should not be a deterrent to new housing development.

Scottish Ministers have a statutory duty to ensure that the emergency powers taken are proportionate in order to respond to the costs crisis and will only last as long as required. In addition, the Scottish Parliament has continued oversight of the necessity of those powers through our regular reporting on the necessity and proportionality of the measures.

In the longer term, we have committed to introducing a national system of rent control, informed by views from tenants, landlords and investors through an advisory group. We intend to introduce a rent control system which is compatible with encouraging investment and we will continue to engage with stakeholders from across the sector on our long-term commitment to develop an effective system of rent controls for Scotland.

The best way to deliver a strong rented sector is to build more affordable homes and Scotland leads the way in this area, having delivered more than 118,000 affordable homes since 2007, with 83,291 of these for social rent. We’re now working towards our target of delivering 110,000 affordable homes by 2032, of which 70% will be for social rent.

Question reference: S6W-17497

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 12 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-15519 by Kevin Stewart on 17 March 2023, whether it will provide the full-year information regarding how many (a) Electronic Power of Attorney Registration (EPOAR) and (b) postal power of attorney submissions were received by the Office of the Public Guardian in 2022-23 now that the financial year is complete.

The full-year information regarding how many (a) Electronic Power of Attorney Registration (EPOAR) and (b) postal power of attorney submissions were received by the Office of the Public Guardian in 2022-23 now that the financial year is complete is as follows (the table also indicates numbers received in previous years):

	EPOAR	Postal	Total
2018-19	46,260	32,748	79,008
2019-20	50,503	31,026	81,529
2020-21	33,334	17,397	50,731
2021-22	49,095	23,888	72,983
2022-23	54,643	23,708	78,351

Question reference: S6W-17024

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 12 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many SME house builders there have there been in Scotland in each year since 1999.

The following table shows a time series for the number of registered private sector businesses in the construction of domestic buildings sector, split into Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and large enterprises. The construction of domestic buildings sector is defined as Standard Industrial Classification (“SIC”) code 41.202 and is a sub-category within the construction sector, Section F. A SME here is defined as a business with 0 – 249 employees, whilst registered businesses are businesses that are registered for Value Added Tax (VAT) and/or Pay As You Earn (PAYE). The data covers the period from 2010 to 2022, earlier data are not readily available and, also not comparable due to changes in SIC definitions and methodology over time.

The number of registered private sector businesses by employee size band in the construction of domestic buildings (SIC 41.202) in Scotland, March 2010 – March 2022.

Calendar Year	SMEs (0-249 Employees)	250+ Employees	Total
2010	1,840	25	1,865
2011	1,740	25	1,765
2012	1,765	25	1,795
2013	1,745	30	1,775
2014	1,735	25	1,760
2015	1,780	25	1,805
2016	1,795	25	1,820
2017	1,850	30	1,880
2018	1,850	30	1,880
2019	1,885	25	1,910
2020	1,905	25	1,930
2021	1,915	30	1,945
2022	2,105	25	2,135

Source: Scottish Government analysis of the Office for National Statistics (ONS) Inter-Departmental Business Register (IDBR)

Business counts are rounded to the nearest five. Totals may not equal the sum of the constituent parts due to rounding.

Excludes central and local government.

Size band is based on the number of employees that the business employs across the UK.

Question reference: S6W-16965

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 12 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Scottish Cycling report, Developing A Nation Of Cyclists 2.0, published on 14 March 2023.

Overall, the Scottish Government thinks that this is a well-designed and helpful document which clearly outlines the approach which Scottish Cycling plans to take.

We welcome the focus on improving diversity in cycling participation as well as a pathway for all, regardless of ability.

We are pleased to see references to the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships, highlighting the significant opportunity to increase cycling participation this provides, including through initiatives such as the Cycling Facilities Fund.

Question reference: S6W-17641

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S6W-17688

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Emma Roddick on 11 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will commit to taking action to reduce the number of older people living in poverty in Scotland.

Tackling poverty and protecting people from harm is one of three critical and interdependent missions for this government. We recognise the pressure on household budgets which is why last year and this, we have allocated almost £3 billion to support policies which tackle poverty and protect people as far as possible during the ongoing cost of living crisis.

As outlined in ‘A Fairer Scotland for Older People: framework for action’ we are taking a range of actions that directly addresses the financial needs of older people.

Question reference: S6W-17612

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 11 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to set out guidance for local authorities on the implementation of community wealth building in the context of economic development.

The Scottish Government has consulted and sought views on Community Wealth Building (CWB) legislation, and as part of this, sought views on a duty and need for statutory or non-statutory guidance. Analysis of this consultation will take place over Summer 2023.

Further, a CWB Guide offering practical support for those seeking to pursue a CWB approach was published in January 2023. This guide was supported by the Scottish Government and produced by Economic Development Association Scotland (EDAS) and the Centre for Local Economic Strategies (CLES).

Question reference: S6W-17123

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 11 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to ensure alignment between the expected renewed cancer strategy, which is overseen by the Cabinet Secretary for NHS Recovery, Health and Social Care, and the extant Children and Young People's Cancer Strategy, which is overseen by the Managed Service Network for Children and Young People with Cancer.

I am accountable to parliament for both strategies. A dedicated strategy to support young people with cancer, “Collaborative and Compassionate Cancer Care, The Cancer Strategy for Children and Young People in Scotland 2021-2026”, was published in 2021 and is the first NHS Scotland strategy for this age group.

The implementation and delivery of this strategy is supported by the Managed Service Network for children and young people with cancer (MSN CYPC), which was established to support the specialist delivery of cancer care and support required by children and young people with cancer.

The MSN has representation on various national groups which impact both adult and children cancer patients. In addition, Scottish Government officials sit on the MSN Executive groups to ensure direct alignment across both strategies.

Question reference: S6W-17591

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 11 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many railway stations do not have CCTV monitoring on their premises.

Chamber and committees