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: S5W-08476

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 18 April 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what measures are in place to permit the compulsory purchase of vacant commercial premises in town centres for the purpose of redeveloping them for social housing.

Local authorities have powers to compulsorily purchase land or property under a number of Acts of Parliament. These include powers under sections nine and ten of the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987 for, or in connection with, the provision of housing.

We committed in our Programme for Government to support interim measures to modernise compulsory purchase orders in advance of legislation, to ensure vacant and derelict land can be brought back into use in our communities, and are currently developing proposals to deliver on this commitment.

Question reference: S5W-08478

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 18 April 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has in its forthcoming planning legislation to make it a condition of planning consents for some developments for a proportion of very sheltered social housing to be constructed as part of these.

We have no current plans to amend the requirements for developer contributions for affordable and specialist housing, the provisions for which are set out in Scottish Planning Policy (SPP 2014) and Planning Advice Note 2/2010: Affordable Housing and Housing Land Audits. Such measures could be considered when SPP is next revised.

The recent consultation on the planning system highlights the need to diversify housing delivery to provide a greater choice and range of housing, including supported homes for the elderly. Responses to the consultation, which closed on 4th April, are currently being analysed and will be taken into account in the preparation of a Planning Bill.

Question reference: S5F-01079

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 March 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 March 2017

To ask the First Minister what forward planning is in place to meet the demographic challenges of an ageing population.

Question reference: S5O-00730

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 March 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, in light of exhibition places being oversubscribed, whether it will consider having a third exhibition space in the Garden Lobby area.

Question reference: S5F-00950

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 February 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 March 2017

To ask the First Minister what measures the Scottish Government will take to ensure that there is appropriate social housing to meet the requirements of disabled, vulnerable and frail older people.

Question reference: S5W-07321

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 17 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Andy Wightman on 24 February 2017

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body how many cross party groups (a) have been approved and (b) are currently seeking approval.

Question reference: S5W-07221

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Annabelle Ewing on 21 February 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-26149 by Paul Wheelhouse on 10 July 2015, how many dog wardens there are, broken down by local authority.

Question reference: S5W-07222

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Annabelle Ewing on 21 February 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-22841 by Kenny MacAskill on 27 October 2014, how many (a) investigations have been carried out and (b) control notices have been issued by each local authority under the Control of Dogs (Scotland ) Act 2010 since 27 February 2013.

Information on the number of dog control notices issued by local authorities is contained in the following table. Information on the number of investigations is not held centrally.

USE OF THE CONTROL OF DOGS (S) ACT 2010 BY LOCAL AUTHORITIES

Local Authority

Number of DCNs Issued (February 27 to February 26)

Total for each local authority

	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15	2015-16
Aberdeen City	4	4	5	8	6	27
Aberdeenshire	3	14	10	4	11	42
Angus	0	0	2	2	2	6
Argyll & Bute	7	5	9	16	17	54
Clackmannanshire	0	0	0	0	3	3
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar	0	0	3	5	4	12
Dumfries & Galloway	2	4	14	7	28	55
Dundee City	0	0	4	15	15	34
East Ayrshire	8	9	4	0	5	26
East Dunbartonshire	10	0	5	5	0	20
East Lothian	12	4	17	11	7	51
East Renfrewshire	0	0	0	0	0	0
City of Edinburgh	0	4	5	17	14	40
Falkirk	0	4	14	4	19	41
Fife	10	37	48	57	44	196
City of Glasgow	1	1	0	1	0	3
Highland	2	8	14	23	30	77
Inverclyde	0	1	0	1	0	2
Midlothian	1	1	4	13	7	26
Moray	0	0	2	2	4	8
North Ayrshire	1	1	2	7	4	15
North Lanarkshire	0	0	0	0	1	1
Orkney	0	0	1	4	8	13
Perth & Kinross	0	1	10	9	11	31
Renfrewshire	0	9	26	21	15	71
Scottish Borders	4	8	10	11	1	34
Shetland Islands	4	2	0	0	0	6
South Ayrshire	0	0	0	0	3	3
South Lanarkshire	0	4	3	11	3	21
Stirling	1	1	6	2	8	18
West Dunbartonshire	0	7	0	1	4	12
West Lothian	22	18	26	20	16	102
Total for year (all local authorities)	92	147	244	277	290

Overall total

1050

Question reference: S5W-06979

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 21 February 2017

To ask the Scottish Government when regulations for the use of electric shock collars for dogs will be introduced.

Question reference: S5W-06171

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 13 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 26 January 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-06015 by John Swinney on 13 January 2017, whether it will review the schedule to the regulations to extend the exceptions to class size maximum to include Primary 4-7, in light of reports that the current provisions discriminate against older siblings, particularly in rural communities.