- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 September 2020
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 30 October 2020
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-28724 by Roseanna Cunningham on 6 May 2020, whether it will provide an update on when the Scottish Water strategic review of charges will be completed and presented to ministers.
Answer
In accordance with section 29B(4) of the Water Industry Act 2002, the Water Industry Commission for Scotland published its draft determination of charges for consultation on 8 October 2020. Following a period of consultation, WICS will publish the final determination of charges in December 2020.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 September 2020
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 30 October 2020
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to S5W-30512 by Roseanna Cunningham on 10 July 2020, what role the OECD has played regarding the Water Industry Commission for Scotland’s Strategic Review of Charges (SRC) since 2018; whether it has a contractual relationship for the 2021 SRC and, if so, (a) what the (i) nature and (ii) value is of this relationship and (b) how it was procured.
Answer
The OECD is conducting an independent peer review of the Strategic Review of Charges (SRC) 2021-27. The peers are a group of international experts in the regulatory field and members of the OECD’s Network of Economic Regulators (NER). A report of their findings and recommendations will be produced following the publication of the Final Determination and conclusion of the SRC process.
As an independent body, the OECD’s approach to this type of work is to request a contribution to their annual budget, consistent with the extent of work being carried out and only to cover its costs. The Commission engaged the OECD through its internal authorisation process on the basis of the OECD’s international reputation for independent economic analysis and previous experience of the value of the peer review exercise. Along with the review of the Strategic Review process, the OECD has provided assistance to the Commission on applying behavioural insights to the process and input on worldwide approaches to asset renewal. The total value of the contribution made to the OECD in connection with this work over the course of 4 years is £1,003,143 Euros.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 September 2020
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 30 October 2020
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-29650 by Roseanna Cunningham on 11 June 2020, whether it will provide an update on whether, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, Scottish Water has offered to pay contractors that are unable to continue delivery of work on capital investment and maintenance programmes.
Answer
Contractors working on Scottish Water’s capital programme were unable to work from 23 March 2020 until the end of May in line with lockdown guidance. Since the end of May Scottish Water’s capital programme has been remobilised and most projects are now back underway. Payments to contractors have been made in line with the entitlement set out within Scottish Water’s contracts. It uses the construction industry standard Engineering and Construct Contract (NEC) suite of contracts. This includes appropriate mechanisms to pay for allowable costs incurred during the period of lockdown - for example the retention of site security, accommodation, etc… It should be noted that a significant element of Scottish Water’s supply chain staff were put onto the UK Government’s Job Retention Scheme which mitigated staff and labour costs being a cost to Scottish Water during lockdown. Scottish Water’s contract mechanisms allow for appropriate payments to be made for remobilisation and to cover the additional costs of new safe ways of working adopted in line with COVID-19 guidance.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 September 2020
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 30 October 2020
To ask the Scottish Government whether Scottish Water's (a) business and (b) domestic customers are subject to any potential liability arising from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the subsidiaries offering services in England that are owned by Business Stream.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-31954 on 30 October 2020. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 September 2020
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 30 October 2020
To ask the Scottish Government what liability Scottish Water has for any debts of Business Stream, and whether domestic customers are insulated from any liability it might have as a result of business customer income reducing to Business Stream.
Answer
Business Stream is a subsidiary of Scottish Water and as such its financial position is consolidated into the Scottish Water accounts. Business Stream operates under a robust governance code such that it trades fully at arm’s length from the core business of Scottish Water. Household customers are not exposed to any liability that may result from Business Stream’s retail operations.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 05 October 2020
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Current Status:
Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 29 October 2020
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recommendation in the Glasgow Disability Alliance report, Supercharged: A Human Catastrophe - Inequalities, Participation and Human Rights before, during and beyond COVID-19, that the Independent Living Fund (ILF) in Scotland should be reopened to new applicants immediately in order to strengthen protections for disabled people’s social care support, particularly in light of COVID-19.
Answer
Following the closure of ILF UK scheme in 2015, Scottish Ministers have protected the independent living fund in Scotland. In contrast this resource was transferred to local authorities in England and Wales whilst the public body ILF Scotland was created to administer and assess payments to Scottish recipients. The Scottish Government has continued to make additional improvements to ILF Scotland’s policies with reductions to the inherited charging policy. Furthermore significant investment has been provided to set up the Transition Fund, which is unique to Scotland and supports young disabled people to live a more fulfilling and independent life.
We have established an independent review of adult social care with a human-rights based approach to consider what changes are required to achieve the highest standards of support for the independence and wellbeing of people who receive adult social care support. The review will take account of all aspects of adult social care and is due to report by January 2021.
ILF Scotland colleagues are meeting with the Chair of the Review on 30 October to share their learning from and experience of working with disabled people and thoughts on how the ILF model could be further improved in the future.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 October 2020
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 4 November 2020
To ask the Scottish Government when NHS boards will be in a position to provide clinics that will specifically treat the long-term effects of COVID-19.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 4 November 2020
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 October 2020
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Current Status:
Answered by Kevin Stewart on 27 October 2020
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will meet representatives from the housebuilding, construction and renewable energy sectors regarding their reported concerns about the impact that the proposals set out in its technical consultation on amendments to housing planning policy could have on jobs in housebuilding and onshore renewable energy.
Answer
Planning officials have met with a cross-section of representative bodies regarding the consultation on amendments to housing planning policy, including representatives of the housebuilding, construction and renewables sectors.
This is a formal written consultation and so it would not be appropriate to meet with selected stakeholders for them to reiterate and expand on their detailed written response.
We received 244 responses to the consultation and will give careful consideration to all of them. We will take into account the views and evidence provided before deciding the next steps.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 05 October 2020
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Current Status:
Answered by Graeme Dey on 27 October 2020
To ask the Scottish Government whether it monitors productivity in its directorates and agencies and, if so, what approach it takes to doing so.
Answer
The Scottish Government continuously assesses the value for money of its operations and programmes of delivery. This is done through the monitoring of the allocation of resources (both human and financial) and the delivery of its core functions and services. This is demonstrated through: its organisational governance arrangements 1 ; publications of its consolidated accounts 2 ; the monitoring of the impact of the work of Government in terms of the core functions it delivers; and monitoring the achievement of the National Outcomes set out in the National Performance Framework 3 . The governance arrangements apply for Executive Agencies as well as Directorates in their requirement to demonstrate the value for money of their operations.
1 Link to organisational governance arrangements - https://www.gov.scot/publications/good-governance-scottish-government/#:~:text=Good%20Governance%20in%20the%20Scottish%20Government%20Governance%20is,goods%20or%20services%2C%20manage%20people%2C%20or%20control%20budgets. )
2 Link to Scottish Government consolidated accounts - https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-government-consolidated-accounts-year-ended-31-march-2019/
3 Link to Measuring Progress Against National Outcomes - https://nationalperformance.gov.scot/measuring-progress
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 05 October 2020
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Current Status:
Answered by Jeane Freeman on 23 October 2020
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to open clinics for people who are experiencing long-term effects from COVID-19.
Answer
We are closely monitoring the emerging evidence about the longer-term physical and mental health impacts of COVID-19 and recognise that rehabilitation, clinical input and research are all critical to understanding and supporting recovery.
That is why on 5 October the Chief Scientist Office launched a further call for Scottish-led research into this important issue. This is in addition to the £5m we recently awarded to 15 Scottish research institutions to better understand the effects of COVID-19 and inform treatment and management of the virus. We have published a Framework for supporting people through Recovery and Rehabilitation during and after the COVID-19 Pandemic, which puts in place clear principles, priorities and objectives to support planning to meet increasing demand and to provide high quality person-centred rehabilitation in different settings.
Our NHS is following best practice for treatment options to support the management of COVID-19, which suggests using the knowledge and expertise already within our NHS to deliver care tailored to individual need across a wide range of specialisms.
