- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 July 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 16 August 2021
To ask the Scottish Government by what date it plans to ban the use of fossil fuels in replacement heating systems in (a) off-gas grid homes and (b) homes connected to the gas grid.
Answer
The draft Heat in Buildings Strategy sets out that the Scottish Government will legislate to require the installation of zero emissions heating systems in existing buildings, subject to the Scottish Parliament having devolved competence to do so.
The draft Strategy proposes that such legislation would begin to take effect from 2025, with the intention that all building owners are regulated to meet the requirement for zero emissions heating by 2045.
The exact phasing and operation of the proposed regulations is still to be determined, but as set out in the draft Strategy, and where within competence , could include requiring certain buildings to install zero emissions heating systems earlier than 2045. This may include those buildings using high emissions fuels (which are more prevalent in off-gas grid areas), or those buildings which reach a natural trigger point (such as the replacement of an existing fossil fuel heating system).
The Scottish Government plans to consult on detailed proposals on this issue in 2022.
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 23 July 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 16 August 2021
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-00962 by Michael Matheson on 20 July 2021, whether it will provide the information that was requested regarding what analysis it has carried out concerning at which stage of their journey oil and gas workers who fly to and return directly from an overseas installation are at greatest risk of COVID-19 infection; for what reason it did not provide this information in its response; whether it will now confirm whether it has undertaken such an analysis, and whether it will provide any other information it has on this matter.
Answer
The Scottish Government has not carried out specific analysis on this issue.
There are complexities and a variety of international travel possibilities within the global international oil and gas industry. Risk of Covid infection for workers travelling to and from installations on the UK continental shelf (UKCS) cannot be attributed to any single factor, but a comprehensive range of infection control measures has been implemented to reduce this to as low as reasonably practicable.
The regulation of occupational health and safety is reserved to the UK Government. Statutory responsibilities for enforcement in the offshore oil and gas industry lies with the Health and Safety Executive.
Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 employers have a statutory duty to protect the health and safety of their employees, to undertake appropriate risk assessments and to put in place appropriate mitigations.
The Scottish Government has no statutory involvement in workplace health and safety regulation.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 23 July 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 16 August 2021
To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been supported through Housing First in each year since its introduction, broken down by local authority.
Answer
The Housing First Pathfinder programme started in August 2018 across six local authority areas with Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire working in partnership. Up until the 30 June 2021, a total of 531 people have received Housing First support through the pathfinder programme, which has been funded by the Scottish Government, The Merchants House of Glasgow and Social Bite. The following table provides a breakdown of tenancies commenced and the number of tenancies sustained across each local authority area:
| | Tenancies Commenced | Total Tenancies Commenced | Tenancies Sustained |
Local Authority | 0108/18 – 31/03/19 | 01/04/19 – 31/03/20 | 01/04/20 – 31/03/21 | 01/04/21 – 30/06/21 |
Aberdeen/shire | 4 | 21 | 62 | 10 | 97 | 89 |
Dundee | 7 | 37 | 36 | 7 | 87 | 75 |
Edinburgh | 13 | 41 | 57 | 9 | 120 | 100 |
Glasgow | 28 | 87 | 77 | 22 | 214 | 176 |
Stirling | 3 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 13 | 8 |
| | TOTAL | 531 | 448 |
The Scottish Government has developed a Housing First monitoring framework to capture progress on Housing First across all Scotland’s local authorities. The monitoring framework will collect information on Housing First tenancies commenced by local authorities from 1 April 2021 on a quarterly basis.
Scottish Government will publish the first quarterly progress update on Housing First tenancies across Scotland in September 2021.
- Asked by: Sue Webber, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 23 July 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 16 August 2021
To ask the Scottish Government how many women are currently waiting for reconstructive surgery following treatment for breast cancer, broken down by NHS board.
Answer
Statistics on the number of patients waiting for reconstructive surgery following treatment for breast cancer are not held centrally by Public Health Scotland (PHS). In the case of patients waiting for inpatient or day case treatment the national Waiting Time data collection is designed to identify the procedure that the patient is waiting for. However, not all Boards submit this information consistently and so it is incomplete. In addition, no information is collected on the diagnoses or conditions that relate to the planned procedure.
Statistics relating to the waits patients experience for inpatient or day case admissions, at specialty level are published up to 31 March 2021 using the link below.
https://publichealthscotland.scot/media/8036/ipdc_may21.xlsx
- Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 22 July 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 16 August 2021
To ask the Scottish Government how many property factors have been registered, as required by the Property Factors (Scotland) Act 2011, in each year since 2011, broken down by (a) those remaining on the register, (b) those who have been newly admitted to the register, and (c) those who have been removed from the register.
Answer
The information requested is contained in the following table:
Year (See Note 1) | Number registered | Number remaining on register | Number newly admitted to register | Number removed from register (See Note 2) |
2011 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
2012 | 242 | N/A | 242 | 0 |
2013 | 326 | 242 | 84 | 0 |
2014 | 365 | 326 | 39 | 0 |
2015 | 381 | 365 | 36 | 20 |
2016 | 384 | 381 | 41 | 38 |
2017 | 403 | 384 | 38 | 19 |
2018 | 404 | 403 | 25 | 24 |
2019 | 387 | 404 | 27 | 44 |
2020 | 393 | 387 | 22 | 16 |
Note 1:
The register of property factors opened in October 2012 so no registration data is available for 2011.
Note 2:
The Property Factors (Scotland) Act 2011, allows that a property factor can be removed from the register for the following reasons:
- under section 4(7) (a) - where registrations are removed as no further application is received before expiry of the previous registration.
- under section 8(1) - for no longer being a fit and proper person or failing to demonstrate compliance with:
o the property factor code of conduct, or
o any property factor enforcement order.
- under section 8(1) - for no longer being a fit and proper person as they are no longer a legal entity (technical removal).
Property Factors are required to apply for renewal of their registration every 3 years and a register entry must be removed if the factor does not submit an application to renew.
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 July 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Graeme Dey on 16 August 2021
To ask the Scottish Government which ScotRail-operated (a) rolling stock, (b) carriages and (c) locomotives have been sent out of Scotland for (i) maintenance, (ii) overhaul and (iii) repair works in each of the last two years, and what the value of these works was.
Answer
ScotRail led maintenance, overhaul and repair works are carried out in Scotland at their own maintenance depots in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Inverness.
Where specialist repairs are required ScotRail utilise local facilities such as Brodie Engineering in Kilmarnock and Assenta Rail in Hamilton, however ScotRail engage with the wider market to ensure a value for money procurement exercise is conducted.
Train owners may engage with the wider UK market and decide on where their heavy maintenance contracts are awarded but ScotRail does not decide this. The following train owner led workstreams have been sent out of Scotland over the last 2 years. As these works have not been led by ScotRail, the commercial value of these works is unable to be confirmed:-
- Class 156 Refurbishment. 15 units at Landore, Wales.
- Class 170 C6 Overhaul. 17 units at Crewe.
- Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 July 2021
Submitting member has a registered interest.
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Current Status:
Answered by Graeme Dey on 16 August 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it had with CalMac Ferries regarding the employment conditions applicable to the time charter of the MV Arrow.
Answer
The Scottish Government agreed with CalMac Ferries Limited (CFL) that the crew of the MV Arrow, though not covered by CFL terms and conditions or collective bargaining agreements, should receive the National Living Wage for the duration of the charter .
- Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 July 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Graeme Dey on 16 August 2021
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-00982 by Graeme Dey on 8 July 2021, for what reason the electrification of the routes referred to could not have been funded by existing funds.
Answer
Sufficient funding was available to carry out the electrification of the routes referred to. The works at Milngavie were not included in Network Rail’s delivery plans for Control Period 6 therefore no funding was previously allocated to carry out these works.
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 July 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Graeme Dey on 16 August 2021
To ask the Scottish Government by what date it expects to have electrified the East Coast Mainline between Edinburgh Haymarket and Aberdeen in full.
Answer
Network Rail is due to undertake ground investigation and survey works of the Edinburgh to Aberdeen route during autumn 2021. The outputs from this will inform the next stage of development and planning to determine the appropriate electrification programme.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 19 July 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by George Adam on 16 August 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what meetings (a) the First Minister, (b) the Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture (c) and its special advisors have had with Yes.scot campaign employees.
Answer
No meetings with Yes.scot campaign employees have taken place with the First Minister, the Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture, or Special Advisors.
