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.

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Question reference: S6W-11697

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 October 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 10 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions have taken place with stakeholders to ensure that the values and principles of community wealth building are enshrined in the Land Reform Bill.

Following the opening of the consultation published on 4 July 2022, setting out the measures proposed for the next Land Reform Bill, a programme of six public meetings took place. In addition, an online event was held on Thursday 22 July, which was open to all and which attracted participants from across Scotland.

At each of these events I, and my officials, made presentations setting out what the SG aims to achieve with the next Land Reform Bill. One of our key objectives is to ensure that communities benefit from investment in Scotland's natural capital, whether directly through ownership of land, or through engagement and co-operation with landowners.

Those attending the meetings included individuals, businesses, owners of farms and estates and their land managers and legal representatives, charity and third sector organisations, local authorities, and academic and research organisations/institutions.

One of the five ‘pillars’ of the Community Wealth Building framework is “Land and Property: Growing social, ecological, financial and economic value that local communities gain from land and property assets”. This objective is reflected not only in the measures we put forward in the Bill, but will also be realised through our commitment to double the funding available through the Scottish Land Fund for communities to acquire land and land assets.

Question reference: S6W-11626

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 October 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 10 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to respond to recent research into Local Child Poverty Action Reports by the Coalition for Racial Equality and Rights published in its report Black and Minority Ethnic Chid Poverty in Scotland: a review of the Local Child Poverty Action Reports 2020/21, which found that issues with ethnicity and poverty data availability at a national level are reflected and exacerbated at the local level, even though Black and minority ethnic people across Scotland are at a higher risk of poverty.

Evidence and data play an important part in efficient policy delivery. Our commitment to continue to improve on our data and evaluation efforts is highlighted as part of the revised evaluation strategy to tackle child poverty. The Scottish Government publish child poverty estimates by detailed ethnic group and since March 2022, time series for ethnicity breakdowns have also been published, including for child poverty estimates by detailed ethnic group. The Scottish Government is happy to support CRER – and any stakeholders – with finding our published data and producing ad-hoc analysis.

Whilst recognising the important role of detailed statistical data, our tackling child poverty delivery plan is clear that an intersectional approach is needed to support priority families. Beyond statistical analysis, our action to tackle child poverty is based on a strong evidence base identifying the main drivers of poverty, as the CRER report acknowledges. To design policies that specifically help minority ethnic families, further evidence has been published to widen our understanding. This includes a detailed focus report on minority ethnic families, a summary update on drivers of poverty for all priority family types which fed into the development of ‘Best Start, Bright Futures’ and detailed understanding of what works to tackle child poverty.

Question reference: S6W-11606

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 October 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 10 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will commit to a higher target than 50% for conditionality of agricultural subsidies in any future Agriculture Bill.

I refer the member to the Parliamentary Statement I made on Tues 8 November 2022, which set out the Scottish Government's pathway for the future of agricultural support including the conditionality of that support. This is in line with our Vision for Scottish Agriculture, published in March 2022, in which we committed to integrate enhanced conditionality of at least half of all funding for farming and crofting by 2025. We are seeking views on that conditionality in the public consultation “Delivering our Vision for Scottish Agriculture”, which closes on 21 Nov 2022.

Question reference: S6W-11607

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 October 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 10 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will introduce some conditional agriculture subsidies before 2025 in areas where there is widespread agreement between key stakeholders on policy.

Agriculture support is already conditional, the current Basic Payment Scheme requires Farmers, Crofters, etc to meet Cross Compliance and Greening measures, to qualify for that payment. I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-11606 on 10 November 2022 in relation to future conditionality of agricultural support. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers .

Question reference: S6W-11527

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 October 2022
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 10 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-10687 by Shona Robison on 20 September 2022, and in light of the lack of updated data sources for some of the indicators, whether it requires (a) local authorities and (b) housing market partnership areas to procure primary data to support the housing need and demand assessment process, and if this is the case, how any such primary data is used in the housing need and demand assessment tool.

Local authorities or housing market partnerships are not required to procure primary data in order to meet the requirements of a Housing Need and Demand Assessment (HNDA). The HNDA process provides flexibility to incorporate a variety of types of housing need where there is robust local information and evidenced policy drivers. It is for each local authority or housing market partnership to consider relevant sources of information and whether procuring primary data is appropriate to their circumstances.

Question reference: S6W-11526

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 October 2022
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 10 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-10687 by Shona Robison on 20 September 2022, and in light of the lack of updated data sources for some of the indicators, when the housing need and demand assessment process tool and its methodology were last reviewed, and when they were last subject to independent assurance.

10 November 2022

Mark Griffin (Central Scotland) (Scottish Labour Party): To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-10687 by Shona Robison on 20 September 2022, and in

Housing Need and Demand Assessments (HNDA) were introduced in 2008 as part of the broader Local Housing Strategy process. The process was reviewed in 2014 and updated with revised guidance and an Excel-based Tool. The Guidance and Tool are kept under review and are refreshed regularly in line with the release of updated Household Projections by National Records of Scotland.

In 2020, the UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence undertook ‘An illustrative pilot of the HNDA Tool in the context of Northern Ireland’ the report from this exercise concluded that “the Scottish Government’s HNDA tool is an analytical model that is underpinned by a clear rationale. Its potential as a means to facilitate scenario planning and promote inter-organisational collaboration means its application in the context of Northern Ireland has much to commend it”.

Question reference: S6W-11531

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 October 2022
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 10 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many adult children living with their parents would currently be counted as part of the parental household, under the housing need and demand assessment methodology.

Existing need within the Housing Need and Demand Assessment process (HNDA) can be informed by a number of factors. As local authorities are responsible for undertaking the HNDA, they are responsible for selecting what they consider to be the most appropriate count of existing need for their area.

Households where adult children live with parents are captured in the household projections prepared by National Records of Scotland (NRS). Household projections are based on past trends and any trend, upwards or downwards, in the incidence of adult children living with parents, will, along with many other factors that drive change in household numbers, be captured and projected forwards.

Question reference: S6W-11535

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 October 2022
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 10 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Centre for Housing Market Analysis conducted an Equality Impact Assessment as part of its 2019 refresh of the housing needs and demand assessment process.

It is the responsibility of local authorities through their Local Housing Strategy (LHS) to determine the appropriate housing required in their area, informed by a Housing Need and Demand Assessment (HNDA).The HNDA is a policy neutral evidence-base which helps inform LHS outcomes and priorities for future housing and related service delivery, including specialist provision, to meet the needs of a range of equalities groups. All local authorities are required to carry out an Equalities Impact Assessment when developing a LHS.

Question reference: S6W-12044

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S6O-01551

Asked by: Evelyn Tweed, MSP for Stirling, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 November 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to highlight the risks of drink spiking as the Christmas party season approaches.