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: S4W-17457

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Independent
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 3 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Network Rail regarding weight restrictions on bridges that would require tilting trains to reduce their speed; which bridges it has identified as requiring tilting trains to reduce their speed, and what remedial work will be undertaken as a result.

No specific discussions have been held with Network Rail regarding weight restrictions on bridges that would require tilting trains to reduce their speed.

It will be for bidders for the next ScotRail franchise to propose a rolling stock, timetable and service pattern solution to address the Scottish Government’s output requirements. To do this we expect them to engage with Network Rail to ensure that the rail industry works together to deliver the best value solution.

Question reference: S4W-17314

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Independent
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 3 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) informal and (b) formal kinship care placements it estimates there will be in 2015.

The Scottish Government estimates the figure for informal kinship care is around 15,668. This is based on the most recent evidence collected and trend assumptions. The rationale behind this estimate can be found at page 69, paragraph 125 of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Bill Financial Memorandum.

The estimated number of children in formal kinship care placements in 2015 is 5,039. This estimate can be found in table 28, page 72 of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Bill Financial Memorandum.

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/Bills/62233.aspx.

Question reference: S4W-17317

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Independent
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 3 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether psychological and therapeutic services are available as a priority to children in kinship care subject to (a) a residence order under section 11 of the Children Scotland Act 1995 and (b) looked-after child status.

Access to specialist psychological and therapeutic services is based on need and is the same for all children whether they have looked after status or not. The Named Person proposal in the Children and Young People (Scotland) Bill will ensure a single point of contact for services that children and families use and will further assist families in accessing the services they need.

Under the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2009 a child or young person looked after by a local authority (within the meaning of section 17(6) of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 (c.36) including those in kinship care arrangements is automatically deemed as having additional support needs until they are assessed otherwise, however all children with Additional Support for Learning needs should be able to access support.

Question reference: S4W-17312

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Independent
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 3 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how many children in kinship care are living in (a) formal arrangements, (b) under section 11 orders of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 and (c) other informal arrangements, also expressed as a percentage of all children in the country.

At 31 July 2013 there were 4,076 (0.39%) children living in formal kinship care arrangements. Information on the numbers of children living in kinship care arrangements under a section 11 of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 order and other informal arrangements is not centrally held but we estimate that the figure is approximately 15,668 (1.5%). This is based on the most recent evidence collected and trend assumptions. The rationale behind this estimate can be found at page 69, paragraph 125 of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Bill financial memorandum.

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/Bills/62233.aspx.

Question reference: S4W-17315

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Independent
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 3 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether children in formal kinship care have comparable needs to those in informal kinship care.

Children in formal kinship care arrangements are deemed by the Children’s Hearings System to have needs which require them to be placed under a compulsory supervision order.

Children in informal kinship care arrangements are not deemed to require formal supervision but may have other support needs.

The Kinship Care Order proposed through the Children and Young People (Scotland) Bill aims to provide additional support, that will offer a more stable environment for children living in kinship families, who do not require regular supervision from the Children’s Hearings System or Social Work.

Question reference: S4W-17316

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Independent
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 3 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the finding in the report, Spotlight on Kinship Care, that (a) in 2001, one in every 71 children in Scotland was being brought up by grandparents or other relatives and (b) informal kinship carers save the taxpayer between £23,500 and £56,000 a year, despite many of these carers finding themselves in poverty.

The Scottish Government is aware of the report and its findings. The figures given for savings reflect a view that these children would otherwise be looked after in foster care or residential care. This does not reflect the reality that in general, families recognise their responsibility to look after children of the wider family when this is needed, but they are looking for more support in doing so.

We believe that kinship carers of non-looked after children should be supported, as any parents would, through the welfare system. The UK government needs to ensure the benefits system matches the needs of kinship carers.

The Kinship Care Order, which we propose to put in place through the Children and Young People Bill, provides an alternative option in terms of securing permanence for children who cannot live with their birth parents and for the first time, makes statutory provision in relation to support. It will provide further support for eligible kinship carers, in recognition of their parenting role.

Question reference: S4W-17313

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Independent
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 3 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how much it estimates that (a) it and (b) local authorities will spend annually for each (i) formal, and (ii) informal kinship care placement, following the introduction of the proposed kinship care order.

The Scottish Government does not pay for care placements directly but supports local authorities through block grant funding.

Table 28 of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Bill Financial Memorandum sets out what the Scottish Government estimates that local authorities will spend on formal care following the introduction of the proposed kinship care order.

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/Bills/62233.aspx.

Local authorities are not currently obliged to provide specific support to those in informal kinship care arrangements, except under their general duties set out in section 22 of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995. The estimated cost of specific new support to informal kinship carers in possession of a Kinship Care Order from 2015-16 is set out in table 32 of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Bill Financial Memorandum.

Question reference: S4W-17383

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Independent
Date lodged: Monday, 23 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 3 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will include a requirement for a carriage or carriages to carry motor vehicles in the Caledonian Sleeper Service franchise.

Question reference: S4W-17318

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Independent
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 2 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what sanctions can result from a failure to comply with a Notice Requiring the Proper Maintenance of Land.

Where a Notice Requiring the Proper Maintenance of Land is not complied with within the period allowed for such compliance, the planning authority which issued the Notice has the power to enter the land and carry out any works required by the Notice. It is an offence for any person to wilfully obstruct the planning authority from exercising this power.

Any expenses incurred in taking this action are recoverable from the owner or lessee of the land.

Question reference: S4O-02468

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Independent
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 September 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to expand community ownership of Scotland's natural assets.