Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-10406

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 20 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether any NHS board is failing to meet national stroke service standards.

Question reference: S6W-10920

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 20 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many representatives of the mortgage lending industry it has met in 2022 to discuss the implications of the cost of living crisis for homeowners with mortgages on their property.

Scottish Ministers and officials regularly meet with representatives of the financial services sector, including lenders, to discuss a range of matters including measures to support households and businesses.

The Deputy First Minister met with the financial services sector (the quarterly Financial Services Growth and Development Board (FISGAD)) on 30 August 2022. Details of the membership of the Board can be found at https://www.gov.scot/groups/financial-services-growth-and-development-board/

Officials also regularly engage with UK Finance (representative body for the banking and Finance Industry). Details of UK Finance membership can be found at https://www.ukfinance.org.uk/

Attendees at such meetings vary according to representatives' availability.

Question reference: S6W-10921

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 20 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government which mortgage lenders it has met in 2022 to discuss the implications of the cost of living crisis for homeowners with mortgages on their property.

Question reference: S6W-10800

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 02 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 20 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many individuals currently serve on the boards of two or more public bodies, and whether it will provide a list of those individuals and the positions that they hold.

The Scottish Government public appointments team in line with the Ethical Standards Commissioner Code of Practice for Ministerial Appointments to Public Bodies in Scotland publishes information on those holding board member and Chair positions on the boards of regulated public bodies. This information is published on the Public Appointments website on the Scottish Government Website. [ Full list of public appointments by public body - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) ].

Currently there are 57 individuals who serve on two or more Boards of public bodies.

An extract is attached below highlighting those individuals who currently serve on the boards of two or more public bodies.

Board Members Holding Two or More Public Appointments

Name	Board	Position
Ailsa Raeburn	Crown Estate Scotland	Member
Ailsa Raeburn	Highlands and Islands Enterprise	Member
Albert Donald	Grampian NHS Board	Member - Whistleblowing Champion
Albert Donald	Highland NHS Board	Member - Whistleblowing Champion
Amanda Bryan	Crown Estate Scotland	Chair
Amanda Bryan	Highlands and Islands Enterprise	Member
Andrew Thin	Crofting Commission	Commissioner
Andrew Thin	Scottish Land Commission	Chair
Angiolina Foster CBE	Public Health Scotland	Chair
Angiolina Foster CBE	Scottish Fire and Rescue Service	Member
Ann Allen MBE	Architecture and Design Scotland	Chair
Ann Allen MBE	National Museums of Scotland	Member
Ann Allen MBE	Scottish Futures Trust	Member
Ann Allen MBE	Water Industry Commission for Scotland	Member
Anne-Marie Monaghan	Greater Glasgow & Clyde NHS Board	Lay Member
Anne-Marie Monaghan	Independent Living Fund Scotland	Member
Bill Matthews	Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission	Chair
Bill Matthews	Scottish Futures Trust	Member
Brian Baverstock	Scottish Fire and Rescue Service	Member
Brian Baverstock	Scottish Legal Aid Board	Member
Brian Moore	Lanarkshire NHS Board	Lay Member
Brian Moore	The State Hospitals Board for Scotland	Chair
Carole Wilkinson	Care Inspectorate	Member (in capacity as Chair of HIS)
Carole Wilkinson	Healthcare Improvement Scotland	Chair
Caroline Stuart	Regional Colleges and Regional Boards (Dumfries and Galloway)	Chair
Caroline Stuart	Scottish Funding Council	Member
Caroline Stuart	Scottish Police Authority	Member
Christine Lester	Accounts Commission for Scotland	Member
Christine Lester	Healthcare Improvement Scotland	Lay Member
Douglas Moodie	Care Inspectorate	Chair
Douglas Moodie	Healthcare Improvement Scotland	Member (in capacity as Chair of Care Inspectorate)
Douglas Moodie	Scottish Social Services Council	Member (in capacity as Chair of Care Inspectorate)
Dr Carol Evans	Food Standards Scotland	Member
Dr Carol Evans	Skills Development Scotland	Member
Dr Gaener Rodger	Highland NHS Board	Lay Member
Dr Gaenor Rodger	Cairngorms National Park Authority	Member
Dr Heather Reid	Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park Authority	Member
Dr Heather Reid	NatureScot	Member
Dr Keith Nicholson	Highlands and Islands Enterprise	Member
Dr Keith Nicholson	VisitScotland	Member
Dr Kirsty Darwent	Scottish Fire and Rescue Service	Chair
Dr Kirsty Darwent	Scottish Agricultural Wages Board	Chair
Dr Mike Cantlay OBE	Scottish Funding Council	Chair
Dr Mike Cantlay OBE	NatureScot	Chair
Dr Paul Stollard	Historic Environment Scotland	Member
Dr Paul Stollard	Scottish Fire and Rescue Service	Member
Dr Poonam Malik	Scottish Enterprise	Member
Dr Poonam Malik	Skills Development Scotland	Member
Dr Susan Walker	Food Standards Scotland	Member
Dr Susan Walker	Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland	Member
Dr William Maxwell	Care Inspectorate	Lay Member
Dr William Maxwell	Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator	Member
Elizabeth Humphreys	Independent Living Fund Scotland	Member
Elizabeth Humphreys	Public Health Scotland	Member - Whistleblowing Champion
Elizabeth Humphreys	Scottish Ambulance Service	Member - Whistleblowing Champion
George Walker	Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator	Interim Chair
George Walker	Scottish Housing Regulator	Chair
Gillian Mawdsley	NHS Education for Scotland	Member - Whistleblowing Champion
Gillian Mawdsley	Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission	Legal Member
Gordon Johnston	Forth Valley NHS Board	Member - Whistleblowing Champion
Gordon Johnston	Mental Welfare Commission	Lay Member
Graham MacNeil Bell OBE	Community Justice Scotland	Member
Graham MacNeil Bell OBE	Highland NHS Board	Lay Member
Grant Macrae	David MacBrayne Ltd	Non-Executive Director
Grant Macrae	Scottish Police Authority	Member
Ian Russell CBE	National Museums of Scotland	Chair
Ian Russell CBE	Scottish Futures Trust	Chair
James Martin	Scottish Legal Complaints Commission	Chair
James Martin	Environmental Standards Scotland	Chair
Janie McCusker	Forth Valley NHS Board	Chair
Janie McCusker	Regional Colleges and Regional Boards (Glasgow)	Chair
Jean Ford	Ayrshire & Arran NHS Board	Lay Member
Jean Ford	NHS Education for Scotland	Lay Member
Jean Lindsay	Crown Estate Scotland	Member
Jean Lindsay	Revenue Scotland	Member
Katharina Kasper	Children’s Hearing Scotland	Chair
Katharina Kasper	Lothian NHS Board	Member - Whistleblowing Champion
Katharina Kasper	Scottish Police Authority	Member
Keith Redpath	Care Inspectorate	Lay Member
Keith Redpath	NHS National Services Scotland	Chair
Linda Bamford	Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland	Chair (Convener)
Linda Bamford	Poverty and Inequality Commission	Member
Linda Semple	Ayrshire & Arran NHS Board	Lay Member
Linda Semple	NHS Golden Jubilee Board	Lay Member (Vice Chair)
Lorna Jack	Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd	Chair
Lorna Jack	Scottish Funding Council	Member
Marieke Dwarshuis	NHS 24	Lay Member
Marieke Dwarshuis	Scottish Housing Regulator	Member
Marieke Dwarshuis	Scottish Legal Aid Board	Member
Martin Hill	Lanarkshire NHS Board	Chair
Martin Hill	Scottish Environment Protection Agency	Member
Michelle Miller	Scottish Children's Reporter Administration (SCRA)	Chair
Michelle Miller	Scottish Police Authority	Member
Naghat Ahmed	Care Inspectorate	Lay Member
Naghat Ahmed	Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland	Member
Peter Murray	Lothian NHS Board	Lay Member
Peter Murray	Scottish Social Services Council	Member
Prof Donald MacRae OBE	Highlands and Islands Enterprise	Member
Prof Donald MacRae OBE	Water Industry Commission for Scotland	Chair
Raymond McMenamin	Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission	Legal Member
Raymond McMenamin	Scottish Legal Aid Board	Member
Sandra Campbell	Care Inspectorate	Member (in capacity as Convener of SSSC)
Sandra Campbell	Scottish Social Services Council	Chair (Convener)
Sandy Riddell	Grampian NHS Board	Lay Member
Sandy Riddell	Mental Welfare Commission	Chair
Sharon O'Connor	Accounts Commission for Scotland	Member
Sharon O'Connor	David MacBrayne Ltd	Non-Executive Director
Siobhan White	Lanarkshire NHS Board	Lay Member
Siobhan White	Scottish Housing Regulator	Member
Stephen McAllister	Forth Valley NHS Board	Lay Member
Stephen McAllister	NHS Golden Jubilee Board	Lay Member
Stephen McAllister	Risk Management Authority	Member
Steve Barron	Public Health Scotland	Member
Steve Barron	Scottish Fire and Rescue Service	Member
Stuart Currie	The State Hospitals Board for Scotland	Lay Member
Stuart Currie	Scottish Ambulance Service	Lay Member
Susan Douglas-Scott	Independent Living Fund Scotland	Chair
Susan Douglas-Scott	NHS Golden Jubilee Board	Chair
Tim Ingram	David MacBrayne Ltd	Non-Executive Director
Tim Ingram	Western Isles NHS Board	Member
Tim McKay	Accounts Commission for Scotland	Member
Tim McKay	Scottish Legal Aid Board	Member
Willie Watt	National Galleries of Scotland	Member
Willie Watt	Scottish National Investment Bank	Chair

Question reference: S6W-10783

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 20 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many people in Scotland have died where malnutrition has been identified as a cause and is included on the death certificate, in each of the last 10 years.

The number of deaths where malnutrition was the underlying cause in any death over the past 10 years is as follows (TABLE 1):

TABLE 1 - malnutrition (E40-E46) was the underlying cause

	year
	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021
All	17	11	9	11	5	9	9	11	7	11	14

The number of deaths where malnutrition or the effects of hunger were mentioned on the death certificate in the past 10 years is as follows (TABLE 2):

TABLE 2 - malnutrition (E40-E46) or effects of hunger (T73.0) was mentioned on the death certificate

	year
	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021
All	85	83	82	95	88	100	93	108	83	89	81

Note that the figures in Table 2 include all of the deaths in Table 1. The codes referenced (E40-E46 and T73.0) are ICD-10 codes used to define malnutrition.

The source of all of the above data is the National Records of Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-10666

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 20 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what funding (a) has been provided since 2019 and (b) will be provided to local authorities in order to comply with the Burial Ground Memorial Safety Guidance for Scotland's Local Authorities it published in June 2019, in particular to support local authorities to follow the options set out under the "Methods of Making Safe" section, broken down by local authority.

Responsibility for the routine maintenance, upkeep and management of burial grounds in Scotland rests with the relevant burial authority. A burial authority may be a local authority or a private owner. Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (as amended), owners must ensure any premises they are responsible for are maintained to a safe standard for both employees and visitors. The Burial ground memorial safety: local authority guidance was produced to assist local authorities meet their obligations to inspect and make safe memorials and headstones.

At this time the Scottish Government has no plans to provide financial support to local authorities for the maintenance of burial grounds.

Question reference: S6W-10701

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 20 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how much it estimates households spent installing interlinked domestic smoke alarms in the six months before the statutory deadline in February 2022.

It is not possible to estimate how much households have spent in total on installing these alarms during the six months before the statutory deadline in February 2022 as the number of households installing alarms during that period is not known.

Estimates of the number of households with legislation-compliant alarms will only be available when the results of the 2022 Scottish House Condition Survey are published. This is expected to be in late 2023 / early 2024.

Question reference: S6W-10962

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 20 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it still plans to undertake a consultation on improving animal transport legislation, and phasing out cages for gamebirds and laying hens, and farrowing crates for pigs.

The Scottish Government is committed to maintaining high standards of animal welfare. The Scottish Government is currently working closely with the other GB administrations on potential improvements to animal transport legislation and consulting stakeholders through a series of workshops, to ensure all options are fully considered before any specific proposals are brought forward.

The Scottish Government remains committed to consulting on proposals to phase out cages for gamebirds and laying hens, as well as farrowing crates for pigs. The consultations will be prepared and brought forward in due course.

Question reference: S6W-10936

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 20 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what responsibilities community-owned housing associations have to provide their members and service users with details of proposed mergers.

There are a range of responsibilities on Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) to engage and provide information to their members and service users about proposed mergers or transfer of engagements.

RSLs are required by legislation to consult and seek the approval of tenants if it proposes to transfer its homes to another landlord. The regulator has published statutory guidance for RSLs to ensure RSLs consider and act in accordance with the views of their tenants and that tenants interests are protected.

An RSLs constitution will also set out how it should engage with its members regarding these decisions.

Standard 2 of the SHRs Regulatory Framework requires RSLs to be open and accountable and give tenants and service users information that meets their needs about the RSL, its services, performance and future plans.

Additionally, the Scottish Social Housing Charter sets the standards and outcomes all social landlords should aim to achieve when performing their housing activities, this includes that social landlords manage their business so that tenants and other customers can get the information they need about their landlord, how and why it makes decisions.

Question reference: S6W-10953

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 20 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what studies or assessments were made of the rent control system (a) previously in operation in Berlin, known as the Mietendeckel and (b) currently in operation in Ireland, ahead of its decision to include in the Programme for Government a proposal to freeze rents.

We are considering a wide range of information and evidence on rent controls, including a bespoke research briefing from experts in the field at the UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence. This research included assessment and references to previous academic work on rent controls systems in both Berlin and Ireland. In addition, I met with members of Ireland’s Residential Tenancies Board on 9 August 2022. Consideration of international comparisons will help continue to inform our thinking as we progress policy development in this important area of work.

Chamber and committees