Questions and answers

Question reference: S5W-35680

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 March 2021
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 18 March 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the performance of all local authorities that are delivering a building control verification service.

The national performance levels for verifiers providing a building standards service across Scotland have remained steady for building warrant applications turnaround times over 2019-20 and 2020-21, see table below. Overall performance has improved across Scotland since 2017 and looks set to continue.

Scottish Government monitors the performance of all local authorities through quarterly performance returns, and where performance issues are identified, officials offer tailored support through an engagement programme.

During the COVID-19 pandemic period, fee income levels have reduced by around one third. However, local authority verifiers remain committed to investing in their services by sustained levels of investment in staff and non-staff costs such as IT.

Key Performance Outcomes (KPO) - KPO1 Summary Scotland

KPO1	First report issued	BW granted
(Target =)	(95% within 20 days)	(90% within 10 days of compliant details)
2020-21 (Q2)	94.65%	88.53%
2020-21 (Q1)	92.77%	89.20%
2019-20 (Q4)	90.22%	85.74%
2019-20 (Q3)	88.57%	84.52%
2019-20 (Q2)	84.55%	84.78%
2019-20 (Q1)	89.58%	83.47%
2018-19 (Q4)	89.52%	81.73%
2018-19 (Q3)	85.83%	78.23%

Question reference: S5W-35675

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 March 2021
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 18 March 2021

To ask the Scottish Government when it will next review the provision of building control verification services.

Scottish Government monitors all verification services on an ongoing basis through quarterly performance data returns.

During the COVID-19 pandemic period individual verification services have been monitored weekly to assess the impacts on workforce capacity and business continuity. Verifiers have demonstrated their service resilience by responding to the needs of their customers by enhancing digital processes.

In advance of any further periods of appointment from May 2023 a full review of verification performance is planned for Autumn 2022.

Question reference: S5F-04902

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 15 March 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 March 2021

To ask the First Minister what plans the Scottish Government has to revitalise the airline sector.

Question reference: S5W-35677

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 March 2021
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 12 March 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the current system for assessing the value of road bonds for new residential housing developments.

A road bond is intended to protect prospective house purchasers from having to arrange completion of roads to adoptable standards in the event that a developer is unable to do so. It's a security that must be lodged prior to commencement of any building works.

This is in accordance with Section 17 of The Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 and The Security for Private Road Works (Scotland) Regulations 1985, as amended by The Security for Private Road Works (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 1998. This legislation clearly sets out that a 'local authority shall calculate the amount of security required' and that the security 'shall be an amount sufficient to meet the cost of constructing...the private road concerned in accordance with the construction consent'.

Given that matters are laid out in legislation I can confirm there has been no recent assessment work undertaken in relation to the value of road bonds for new residential housing developments.

Question reference: S5W-35678

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 March 2021
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 12 March 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to ensure that there is uniformity in how local authorities assess the value of road bonds.

A road bond is intended to protect prospective house purchasers from having to arrange completion of roads to adoptable standards in the event that a developer is unable to do so. It's a security that must be lodged prior to commencement of any building works.

This is in accordance with Section 17 of The Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 and The Security for Private Road Works (Scotland) Regulations 1985, as amended by The Security for Private Road Works (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 1998. This legislation clearly sets out that a 'local authority shall calculate the amount of security required' and that the security 'shall be an amount sufficient to meet the cost of constructing...the private road concerned in accordance with the construction consent'.

Given that matters are laid out in legislation I can confirm there has been no recent work undertaken to ensure there is a uniformity across local authorities given that it is a matter for them.

Question reference: S5W-35679

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 March 2021
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 12 March 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many professionally-qualified engineers have been employed by each local authority roads department in each year since 2016.

Question reference: S5W-35473

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 February 2021
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 11 March 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how (a) much funding has been provided through, (b) many applications have been made to and (c) many applicants have been granted funding since 2017 from the Low Carbon Transport Loan scheme.

Since 2016 Transport Scotland has provided funding to our delivery partner Energy Savings Trust to deliver the Low Carbon Transport Loan (LCTL) scheme, which provides an interest free electric vehicle loan with a repayment term of up to 6 years. From the 28 September 2020 the LCTL was extended to cover the purchase of used electric vehicles with a repayment term of up to 5 years.

A. Since the start of 2017 until the 07 March 2021 £102,847,696.90 of loans has been provided to customers for the purchase of electric vehicles.

B. The Energy Savings Trust have received 5128 applications since the start of 2017 until the 07 March 2021.

C. Since the start of 2017 until the 07 March 3998 applicants secured a loan for the purchase of electric vehicles.

The LCTL closed on 07 March 2021 to new applicants. The Energy Saving Trust, who administer the LCTL on behalf of Ministers, is funded annually by Transport Scotland and subject to new funding the loan is likely to reopen in April 2021.

Question reference: S5W-35468

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 February 2021
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 10 March 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how (a) much funding has been provided through, (b) many applications have been made to and (c) many applicants were granted funding from the Cycle Friendly programme.

Question reference: S5W-35472

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 February 2021
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 10 March 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how much ScotRail has paid out from its Delay Repay scheme in 2020-21.

Question reference: S5W-35469

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 February 2021
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 10 March 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how much of the £51 million for active travel infrastructure that was announced in July 2019 has been allocated to local authorities.

£33.8 million has been allocated to local authorities from the 2019-20 Places for Everyone fund. The remaining balance was allocated as follows:

£8.5 million to non-local authorities (e.g. Scottish Canals);
£3.5 million to National Cycle Network projects;
£0.3 million to Transport Scotland Roads Directorate for road safety projects; and
£4.9 for Sustrans ancillary costs (e.g. monitoring, behaviour change support, management costs).

Chamber and committees