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 9071 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S4W-24880

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 13 March 2015
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Burgess on 27 March 2015

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason there is a reduction of £8.972 million in the discretionary housing payments budget for 2015-16.

The budget for funding local authorities for discretionary housing payments (DHPs) in both 2014-15 and 2015-16 is £35 million. The Scottish Government has provided local authorities with £26,028,194 for DHPs from 1 April 2015 and has retained £8,971,806 to be paid out at the end of 2015-16, according to local authorities’ housing benefit caseload data and actual levels of DHP expenditure.

This approach was agreed with COSLA to ensure each local authority receives sufficient funding to fully mitigate the bedroom tax in 2015-16.

Question reference: S4W-24881

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 13 March 2015
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Burgess on 27 March 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the reduction in discretionary housing payments from the UK Government to local authorities for 2015-16.

The UK Government has reduced funding to Scottish local authorities for discretionary housing payments (DHPs) by £1.9 million, from £15.2 million in 2014-15 to £13.3 million in 2015-16.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) provides DHP funding based on housing benefit caseload and the impact of certain aspects of welfare reform on local authorities. The DWP has reduced the total core funding, as well as the funding linked to the benefit cap and changes to local housing allowance. The total funding available in Scotland linked to the bedroom tax has increased by £118,000 for 2015-16 compared to 2014-15.

The DWP publishes details of the UK Government’s contribution to local authorities for DHPs. Details of funding for 2015-16 are contained in the housing benefit circular S1/2015 which is available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hb-subsidy-circular-s12015-discretionary-housing-payments-government-contribution-for-tax-year-2015-to-2016

Question reference: S4W-24882

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 13 March 2015
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Burgess on 27 March 2015

To ask the Scottish Government how much of the £35 million discretionary housing payments budget allocated to local authorities in 2014-15 has been spent, broken down by local authority.

Question reference: S4W-24974

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 March 2015
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 27 March 2015

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-24666 by Derek Mackay on 10 March 2015, when it will agree the final account and outturn costs with contractors involved in the A898 Erskine Bridge Vehicle Barrier Replacement project.

Question reference: S4W-25019

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 March 2015
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 25 March 2015

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish the fiscal assumptions that underpin the assertions in both publications entitled Benefits of Improved Public Performance.

The assumptions underpinning the modelling scenarios are outlined on page 1 of the report published on 9 March 2015 and are quoted below:

“The first scenario reflects the situation under the Smith Commission powers where the majority of additional tax revenue generated by increased economic activity are retained by the UK Government and cannot be directly reinvested back into the Scottish economy.

Under the second scenario, all additional tax revenue generated by the expansion in the economy are assumed to be retained in Scotland and reinvested back into Scotland’s public finances and public services. This scenario is referred to in the paper as ‘Full Revenue Retention’.”

The full report can be accessed via the following link:

http://news.scotland.gov.uk/imagelibrary/downloadmedia.ashx?MediaDetailsID=3417&SizeId=-1

Question reference: S4W-25000

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 March 2015
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 25 March 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what Barnett consequentials arise from the 2015 UK Budget announcements and how these will be allocated.

Barnett consequentials arising from the UK Budget announcement amounted to £31.5 million, £29.9 million of resource DEL and £1.6 million of capital DEL. The consequentials arising from health expenditure in the rest of the UK will be passed on in full to health in Scotland. Other decisions on deployment of the consequentials will be taken in due course as part of our budget management processes.

Question reference: S4W-24876

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2015
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 23 March 2015

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will detail the £150 million underspend in 2014-15, broken down by portfolio.

Question reference: S4W-24853

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2015
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 20 March 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what its estimate is of how much will be required to capitalise the Scottish business development bank and what the set-up costs will be.

Question reference: S4O-04154

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 March 2015
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 March 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to tackle low pay.

Question reference: S4W-24763

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 March 2015
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 17 March 2015

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the responses to its consultation on an interim constitution for Scotland.