- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 07 February 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Ivan McKee on 21 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what the total cost has been of installing solar panels on government-owned buildings in each of the last five years.
Answer
The total cost of installing solar panels on core Scottish Government buildings in the last five years is £49,787, all delivered in 2021. There was no spend in the other 5 years.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 06 February 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Paul McLennan on 21 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what support is available for residents who are in dispute with park home site owners.
Answer
Disputes with a site owner about agreements under the Mobile Homes Act 1983 are decided in the Sheriff Court in Scotland. Residents would usually be advised to seek independent legal advice if they believe a site owner is not meeting their legal obligations.
The Scottish Government funds a consumer service, Advice Direct Scotland (ADS), that provides clear, practical advice on all consumer issues to people in Scotland and can refer cases to a local Trading Standards team. Shelter Scotland also has information about Mobile Homes on its website.
In addition to the formal processes for resolving any dispute, if the site operator is a member of the British Holiday & Home Parks Association a resident can approach them. They cannot make a decision in a dispute between a site owner and a resident but they do offer a conciliation service which aims to assist the parties to reach agreement.
The Scottish Confederation of Park Home Residents Associations also provides useful information and support to help residents.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 06 February 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Paul McLennan on 21 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how it will support residents in cases where park home sites are sold or transferred to new owners.
Answer
Scottish Government does not have a role in the sale or transfer of sites between owners. Under the terms of residential mobile home site licencing, anyone who applies for a site licence as the result of the sale or transfer of a site will need to meet the license conditions set by the local authority. This includes completing a 'fit and proper person test' to make sure the person holding the site licence (and the person who manages the site, if it's someone else) is an appropriate person to have one.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 06 February 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Paul McLennan on 21 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how it monitors and enforces compliance with existing regulations for park home sites.
Answer
Local authorities are the licensing authority for permanent residential mobile home sites in their area and are responsible for setting the licence conditions and enforcing them if breached.
To ensure a degree of consistency, under section 5(6) of the Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960, the Scottish Government publishes guidance (https://www.gov.scot/publications/guidance-local-authorities-licensing-system-mobile-homes-sites-permanent-residents/) to local authorities on how to operate the licencing system effectively. This includes a set of model standards (https://www.gov.scot/publications/model-standards-residential-mobile-home-site-licences/) for sites which covers issues such as site safety and maintenance, supply of utilities, roads, gateways and traffic routes as well as pedestrian routes. Different organisations have responsibility for enforcing the range of regulations for different services on sites.
Pitch agreements for permanent residential mobile home sites are regulated by the Mobile Homes Act 1983 which sets out the rights and responsibilities of site owners and mobile home owners. Disputes under the Mobile Homes Act 1983 are heard by the Sheriff Court.
- Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 February 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 21 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31037 by Jenny Gilruth on 15 November 2024, whether it will provide an update on what progress it is making in taking forward its work to update the School Premises (General Requirements and Standards) (Scotland) Regulations 1967, and by what date it plans to re-consult on the regulations.
Answer
The Scottish Government intends to refresh and modernise the School Premises Regulations (General Requirements and Standards) (Scotland) to ensure that they meet the needs of pupils and schools in Scotland. The Scottish Government still intends to re-consult this year on the Regulations.
Scottish Government officials are taking steps to engage with relevant stakeholders and will be reaching out to further interested parties.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 06 February 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Paul McLennan on 21 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that park home site owners comply with safety and maintenance standards.
Answer
Local authorities are the licensing authority for permanent residential mobile home sites in their area and are responsible for setting the licence conditions and enforcing them if breached.
To ensure a degree of consistency, under section 5(6) of the Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960, the Scottish Government publishes guidance (https://www.gov.scot/publications/guidance-local-authorities-licensing-system-mobile-homes-sites-permanent-residents/) to local authorities on how to operate the licencing system effectively. This includes a set of model standards (https://www.gov.scot/publications/model-standards-residential-mobile-home-site-licences/) for sites which covers issues such as site safety and maintenance, supply of utilities, roads, gateways and traffic routes as well as pedestrian routes. Different organisations have responsibility for enforcing safety standards, depending on the service provided.
- Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 31 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Dorothy Bain on 21 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how many reports in each of the five calendar years prior to the Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles (Scotland) Act 2022 coming into force were made to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) under the (a) Explosives Act 1875, (b) Environmental Protection Act 1990, (c) Fireworks Act 2003, (d) Fireworks (Scotland) Regulations 2004, (e) Antisocial Behaviour (Scotland) Act 2004, for the inappropriate use of fireworks and pyrotechnic articles, (f) Manufacture and Storage of Explosives Regulations 2005 and (g) Pyrotechnic Articles (Safety) Regulations 2010, and how many subsequent (i) prosecutions and (ii) convictions there were.
Answer
The following tables have been produced in answer to the question above. It should be noted that cases which are reported in any given year may not result in prosecutions or convictions until subsequent years.
Explosives Act 1985
Year | Charges reported | Charges prosecuted | Charges resulting in a conviction |
2017 | 21 | 7 | 5 |
2018 | 10 | 2 | 2 |
2019 | 10 | 7 | 5 |
2020 | 13 | 1 | 0 |
2021 | 7 | 3 | 0 |
Environmental Protection Act 1990
Year | Charges reported | Charges prosecuted | Charges resulting in a conviction |
2017 | 355 | 28 | 13 |
2018 | 268 | 30 | 13 |
2019 | 185 | 35 | 15 |
2020 | 158 | 17 | 7 |
2021 | 74 | 21 | 11 |
Fireworks Act 2003
Year | Charges reported | Charges prosecuted | Charges resulting in a conviction |
2017 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2018 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
2019 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2020 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2021 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fireworks (Scotland) Regulations 2004
Year | Charges reported | Charges prosecuted | Charges resulting in a conviction |
2017 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2018 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2019 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2020 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2021 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Antisocial Behaviour (Scotland) Act 2004 [1](where fireworks and/or pyrotechnics were mentioned in the charge).
Year | Charges reported | Charges prosecuted | Charges resulting in a conviction |
2017 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2018 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
2019 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
2020 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2021 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Manufacture and Storage of Explosives Regulations 2005
Year | Charges reported | Charges prosecuted | Charges resulting in a conviction |
2017 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2018 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2019 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2020 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2021 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Pyrotechnics Articles (Safety) Regulations 2010
Year | Charges reported | Charges prosecuted | Charges resulting in a conviction |
2017 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2018 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2019 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2020 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2021 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
[1] These figures are based on a key word search on the relevant database. This is the only viable method by which the figures could be collated. These figures may be imperfect due to the possibility of human error at the reporting stage.
- Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 07 February 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 21 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-32232 by Gillian Martin on 19 December 2024, which states that fisheries management measures are not a national or regional planning matter, how it will ensure that the views of environmental, recreational and commercial representatives are adequately reflected in inshore fisheries management and governance.
Answer
Our Fisheries Management and Conservation group, including its subgroups, already includes representation covering environmental, recreational and commercial interests. In addition, we currently have an open Call for Evidence to inform the development of the Inshore Fisheries Management Improvement Programme. This asks a range of questions about our current and future framework for inshore fisheries management in Scotland, including on Governance and co-management. Responses to the Call for Evidence will help to inform the development of this framework.
- Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 07 February 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Kate Forbes on 21 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether the First Minister’s stated priorities are currently considered as superseding the National Performance Framework where and whether they conflict.
Answer
The Government's four priorities, eradicating child poverty, building prosperity, improving our public services, and protecting the planet, are aligned with the current National Outcomes in the National Performance Framework (NPF). The recent decision, in response to the Parliamentary inquiry, to reform the NPF aims to improve and further strengthen its role in policy, budget and decision making.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 06 February 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 21 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether schools have a statutory requirement to have some staff trained as first-aiders and, if so, what (a) minimum level of first-aider coverage is required per school and (b) information it has regarding how many teachers in post in each local authority area have completed first aid training provided by (i) that local authority and (ii) another source, and what proportion of the teaching workforce this represents.
Answer
The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 requires employers to provide adequate and appropriate equipment, facilities and personnel to ensure their employees receive immediate attention if they are injured or taken ill at work. This includes for staff who are employed within schools and other educational establishments.
Whilst the 1981 Regulations do not require employers to provide first aid for anyone other than their own employees, it is strongly recommended that, in the case of schools, they should also consider the needs of non-employees such as pupils and other visitors when making provisions for first aid.
Under the provisions of the 1981 Regulations, the minimum level of first aid coverage for schools is to have an appointed person or designated first aider to take charge of first aid arrangements. In addition, they should have a suitable first aid container stocked in accordance with at least the minimum requirements set out by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). This information is available on the HSE website through the following link: First aid at work - your questions answered.
Local authorities have the statutory responsibility for delivering education so the Scottish Government does not hold information about the numbers of teachers or school staff that have completed first aid training.