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-22271

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Independent
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 August 2014
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Burgess on 21 August 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how it assesses the accommodation needs of the Gypsy/Traveller community.

Accommodation needs for Gypsy/Travellers are assessed at a local level. A local authority has to consider the accommodation needs of Gypsy/Travellers as part of its Housing Need and Demand Assessment and when developing its local housing strategy and development plan. Each local housing strategy goes through a review process, with input from Scottish Government officials, and comments are provided. These comments would cover Gypsy/Traveller site provision, as necessary.

Question reference: S4W-22302

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Independent
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 August 2014
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 21 August 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how it will report on progress with the starter farm at Balrobert in Inverness throughout the duration of the scheme.

Question reference: S4W-22272

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Independent
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 August 2014
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 19 August 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with (a) The Highland, (b) Argyll and Bute, (c) Moray and (d) Perth and Kinross Council about the needs of the Gypsy/Traveller community.

Question reference: S4W-22273

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Independent
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 August 2014
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 19 August 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how it encourages collaborative working across local authorities regarding the facilities required to maintain the Gypsy/Traveller lifestyle.

We are aware of some local authority collaboration on site provision. We are working with key stakeholders, including representatives of local authorities, to develop an overarching strategy and action plan for Gypsy/Travellers. Through this work, we will consider other areas where collaboration would be helpful.

We also engage regularly with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities on a range of race equality issues, including those relating to Gypsy/Travellers.

Question reference: S4W-22276

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Independent
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 August 2014
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 19 August 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how it consults with the Gypsy/Traveller community.

Question reference: S4W-22277

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Independent
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 August 2014
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 19 August 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with EU member states about supporting the Gypsy/Traveller lifestyle.

Question reference: S4W-22204

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Independent
Date lodged: Monday, 28 July 2014
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 19 August 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it will take to ensure that funding for domestic violence services reflects the need for such services.

The Scottish Government is absolutely committed to tackling domestic violence. In spite of unprecedented pressure on the Scottish budget, record funding of £34.5 million has been allocated for 2012-15 (an increase of 62% on the amount committed over the period 2004–07) to support work to tackle all forms of violence against women (including domestic violence). This includes funding for projects which deliver frontline services, or build capacity in local partnerships to strengthen responses to violence against women.

In the coming period funding for services will be aligned to the priorities set out in Equally Safe Scotland’s strategy for preventing and eradicating violence against women and girls.

Question reference: S4O-03482

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Independent
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 August 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 August 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what methods of consultation it uses to gauge the views of cyclists regarding major trunk road works.

Question reference: S4O-03427

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Independent
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 July 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 August 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what representations it has made to the UK Government about equalising the minimum wage regardless of age, given the impact on youth employment.

Question reference: S4W-22019

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Independent
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 July 2014
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Burgess on 28 July 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to report to the Parliament on the Highlands Empty Homes Initiative.

The Highlands Empty Homes Initiative brings together £400,000 from the Scottish Government Empty Homes Loan Fund with match funding from the council to allow flexible grant and loan funding to help bring empty homes back into use as affordable housing. It is a 10 year programme prioritising areas of housing need in both urban and rural areas.

I am pleased to report that the initiative moved into its second year in 2014-15 with the first year focussing on set-up and targeting. In June the fund assisted in converting a vacant bank into three residential units for those who find themselves homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. Three further projects have been approved to date and when complete will provide a further nine residential units with further projects in the pipeline stage.