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-05912

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 22 December 2016
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 10 January 2017

To ask the Scottish Government when the conclusions of its consultation on building warrant fees will be published.

Question reference: S5W-05911

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 22 December 2016
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 10 January 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what criteria it will use when reviewing the appointment process for building control verifiers from May 2017 onward.

I refer the Member to the answers to questions S5W-05274 and S5W-05275 on 13 December 2016. In assessing the appointment of verifiers from May 2017 I intend to use the criteria set out in the Operational Framework and underpinned by the revised Performance Framework.

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.

Question reference: S5W-05393

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 December 2016
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 20 December 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how many local authorities have taken advantage of the opportunity under the Community Empowerment Act 2015 to reduce business rates.

Question reference: S5W-05392

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 December 2016
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 20 December 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether its decision to double the large business rates supplement considered "the vibrancy of town centres as a starting point", as set out in its Town Centre First Principle.

Question reference: S5O-00467

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 December 2016
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 14 December 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to assist local authorities in overcoming forecasted funding gaps.

Question reference: S5W-05274

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 December 2016
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 13 December 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to improve the overall timeliness performance of local authorities in granting building warrants.

Scottish Government is aware that delays may be due to local authority processing, the quality of the submitted plans, or delays in applicants submitting revised details. A revised Performance Framework with agreed measurable targets will be introduced as part of the future appointment of verifiers. These targets will be regularly monitored and verifiers will be subject to periodic inspection and will be required to address any areas of concern.

Question reference: S5W-05286

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 December 2016
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 13 December 2016

To ask the Scottish Government was assessment it has made of budget pressures impacting building standards services.

The Scottish Government has commissioned a number of research projects to consider the building standards fees structure and cost of verification by local authorities and has published the reports on the Scottish Government website.

1. Review the current Building Standards Fee Structure and Future Requirements (2011-12) Phase 1 report (March 2012); Phase 2 report (April 2012)

2. Review the current Building Standards Fee Structure and Future Requirements (2014-15) Final Report (March 2015)

3. Consider Proposed Changes to the Building Standards Fees Regulations and their Impacts (2015-16)Final Report (March 2016)

4. Model Changes to the Building Standards Fees Final Report (September 2016)

Each of the 32 local authorities is responsible for resourcing their building standards services appropriately. They are subject to regular monitoring by Scottish Government which includes local authorities reporting the relationship between verification fee income and verification staff costs through KPO6 of the verification performance framework.

The Scottish Government is currently consulting on Building Warrant Fees which includes a proposal to increase fees to provide additional funding to local authorities.

Question reference: S5W-05275

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 December 2016
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 13 December 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to implement national criteria or minimum standards relating to the appointment of building standards verifiers.

The Building (Scotland) Act 2003 allows Scottish Ministers to appoint verifiers on such terms or limitations as they feel appropriate. They must have regard to qualifications; competency; accountability to the public; and impartiality before making an appointment.

I am currently reviewing the appointment process of verifiers from May 2017 onwards and propose to introduce an operating framework for verifiers. This will set out the key verification functions and cover integrity and operational resilience; building warrant and completion certificate processing; and maintaining records.

Question reference: S5W-05283

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 December 2016
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 13 December 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the uptake by local authorities of e-building standards.

Question reference: S5W-05281

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 December 2016
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 13 December 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how much weight will be given to current customer satisfaction levels of each independent local authority when consulting on the appointment of building standards verifiers.