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-29846

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 June 2020
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 24 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, to help boost their local economies and further develop civic pride, what action it will take to encourage people to support their local hospitality providers, tourism sites and cultural attractions in the coming months as the COVID-19 lockdown restrictions are relaxed.

VisitScotland will launch a domestic marketing campaign, specifically aimed at driving local tourism and encouraging people to undertake activities and see the sights in their local area once tourism can safely reopen for business. Our date for reopening will be 15th July, subject to the health and science advice demonstrating that we have made sufficient progress in tackling the coronavirus. The Scottish Government will publish guidance on what businesses must do to prepare to reopen safely and comply with regulations.

Question reference: S5W-29869

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 June 2020
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 22 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the owners of (a) Edinburgh and (b) Five Sisters Zoo regarding the (i) impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on the zoo’s operations and finances and (ii) requirements of the zoo ahead of reopening to the public.

Officials have been in close contact with senior staff at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland throughout the pandemic and have made direct contact with all Scottish zoos on several occasions. Data on the impact of the Covid-19 lockdown was gathered via a questionnaire issued to all Scottish zoos in April.

The requirements that zoos must meet in order to be able to re-open are clearly laid out in the Scottish Governments Sector Guidance for Tourism and Hospitality, which was published on the 18 June. This guidance covers comprehensively what the Scottish Government requires zoos, along with other tourism and hospitality businesses, to consider as part of their re-opening and operational strategies. There is also specific zoo industry guidance already in place, produced by the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums, which sets out further operational considerations.

Question reference: S5W-29868

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 June 2020
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 19 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether zoos and other attractions will be eligible for bridging support following the reopening of the tourism sector to mitigate for the loss of income during the COVID-19 lockdown, and whether it will confirm when all such facilities will be able to reopen to the public.

On 10 June the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy and Tourism gave an indicative re-opening date for tourism of 15 July. The First Minister Announced on 18 June that zoos and gardens may re-open to the public, for local visitors only, from 29 June.

On 18 June the First Minister announced a £2.6m funding package for emergency support for zoos. The criteria for the scheme will be based on need and the aim is to prevent animal welfare issues

Question reference: S5O-04449

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 June 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the Food Fund is sufficient to support groups most in need over the summer, including families with children who are eligible for free school meals.

Question reference: S5O-04414

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 June 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the issues raised by the global Black Lives Matter protests, what steps it is taking to acknowledge and counter Scotland’s historic role in slavery and promote the contribution that can be made through its international development work with Commonwealth countries.

Question reference: S5F-04210

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 08 June 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 June 2020

To ask the First Minister what concerns the Scottish Government has regarding the availability of food for children and low-income families during the summer months, in light of the reported rise in food poverty caused by the COVID-19 outbreak.

Question reference: S5W-28281

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 April 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 1 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government when NHS Lothian will receive confirmation that its COVID-19 plans will be funded.

Question reference: S5O-04357

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 May 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 May 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting local authorities to maintain any increased services resulting from the COVID-19 outbreak.

Question reference: S5W-28114

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 March 2020
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 23 April 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how many registered short-term lets are (a) operating in each local authority and (b) registered to pay non-domestic rates; how many short-term lets' owners derive a benefit from the Small Business Bonus Scheme, and whether owners of short-term lets will derive a benefit from the grants that were set out in the letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Finance to MSPs of 24 March 2020.

There is no official register for short-term lets operating in Scotland. However, the Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning announced on 8 January that local authorities will be given the ability to implement licensing schemes for short-term lets from spring 2021, which will enable councils to know and understand what is happening in their area, improve safety and assist with the effective handing of complaints.

Local authorities will also be empowered to implement short-term let control areas, if they wish to do so, in order to address pressures created by secondary short-term letting. Section 17 of The Planning (Scotland) Act 2019 allows a planning authority to designate all or part of its area as a short-term let control area. In a short-term let control area, the use of a dwellinghouse for the purpose of providing short-term lets is deemed always to involve a material change of use. Section 17 of The Planning (Scotland) Act 2019 will be commenced on 18 May 2020 (The Planning (Scotland) Act 2019 (Commencement No. 4 and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2020).

The following table sets out the number of self-catering properties that are entered on the Valuation Roll and therefore liable for non-domestic rates, and the number of self-catering properties receiving Small Business Bonus Scheme relief, broken down by local authority.

Owners of self-catering properties will be eligible for the Grant Funding Schemes if receipts represent a primary source (for example, one third or more) of earnings for the ratepayer, and the property has been let out for 140 days or more in financial year 2019-20. Local Authorities may specify any additional evidence they require (for example, records of bookings, a copy of public liability insurance cover or a website) in order to confirm eligibility, as stated in https://www.gov.scot/publications/local-government-finance-circular-5-2020-covid-19-grant-funding-schemes/ .

Local Authority	Self-catering properties on the Valuation Roll	Self-catering properties receiving SBBS
Aberdeen City	30	30
Aberdeenshire	620	520
Angus	230	180
Argyll & Bute	2,040	1,610
Clackmannanshire	40	20
Dumfries & Galloway	1,320	1,160
Dundee City	70	40
East Ayrshire	30	20
East Dunbartonshire	10	10
East Lothian	230	200
East Renfrewshire	10	10
City of Edinburgh	1,700	1,180
Na h-Eileanan Siar	680	570
Falkirk	70	50
Fife	620	510
Glasgow City	200	180
Highland	4,550	3,850
Inverclyde	20	20
Midlothian	50	40
Moray	440	380
North Ayrshire	480	410
North Lanarkshire	30	30
Orkney Islands	440	400
Perth & Kinross	1,050	870
Renfrewshire	30	10
Scottish Borders	720	640
Shetland Islands	270	220
South Ayrshire	270	200
South Lanarkshire	90	70
Stirling	480	410
West Dunbartonshire	70	60
West Lothian	50	40
Scotland	16,890	13,940

Source: Scottish Assessors' Valuation Roll, Local Authority Billing Information.

Question reference: S5W-28026

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 20 March 2020
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 31 March 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the school closures, what measures it has put in place to provide (a) access to meals, (b) internet access, (c) an appropriate space to (i) study and (ii) self-isolate, if required, and (d) other additional support for children in temporary homeless accommodation during the COVID-19 outbreak.

The Scottish Government is very grateful for the work that local authorities have already done in quickly putting measures in place to provide continuing support for vulnerable children and young people.

Local authorities will be able to use funds from the £70 million Welfare Food fund to continue to support all children and young people who receive free school meals. This fund is part of a wider £350 million package being made available by the Scottish Government to support vulnerable families.

We have also issued guidance to local authorities to support them with the ongoing provision of support to vulnerable pupils, including free school meals for all children and young people who are entitled to them. We are working with our local authority partners to ensure that this provision is continued to be delivered in a way that meets local needs and circumstances, as well as the latest health protection advice.

Teaching, learning and support will continue in different ways for different groups of children and young people and, for the majority, this will be through distance learning and online learning. Where appropriate, local authorities will ensure continued care and support for vulnerable pupils during the period of school closure. This might be through attendance at childcare and learning ‘hubs’ or through other direct contact.

As part of the £50 million Community Wellbeing Fund announced by the Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Local Government, we will provide support to people experiencing homelessness to help them to self-isolate. Work is currently underway to prioritise the movement of families with children away from shared accommodation and into self-contained accommodation.

Furthermore, our emergency legislation will ensure that there can be no evictions from the private rented sector or social rented sector for six months. This is particularly important at a time where housing, health and other public services are under acute and ongoing pressure.