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: S6W-06428

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 1 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-05804 by Patrick Harvie on 1 February 2022, whether it will publish the (a) membership and (b) remit of the Green Heat Finance Taskforce.

Question reference: S6W-06430

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 1 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-05804 by Patrick Harvie on 1 February 2022, whether the Green Heat Finance Taskforce will consult off-grid householders about the cost of decarbonising heating system in off-gas-grid properties.

The purpose of the Green Heat Finance Taskforce is to develop a portfolio of innovative financial solutions for building owners in Scotland to ensure that by 2045, our homes and buildings no longer contribute to climate change, as part of the wider just transition to net zero. The Taskforce will be engaging with stakeholders covering both on-gas and off-gas grid properties during 2022. The Scottish Government's Heat in Buildings Strategy has committed to phasing out the need to install new or replacement fossil fuel boilers in off-gas grid homes from 2025, with consideration of additional trigger points and subject to technological developments and decisions by the UK Government in reserved areas. The Scottish Government will consult further on these proposals over the next year.

Question reference: S6F-00864

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 28 February 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 March 2022

To ask the First Minister whether she will provide an update on the Scottish Government's plans to replace Carer’s Allowance with a devolved benefit.

Question reference: S6W-06237

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 04 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 25 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how it is working with the Department for Work and Pensions to assess demand in Scotland for Universal Credit app-based services.

Question reference: S6W-06236

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 04 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 25 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many Universal Credit claimants in Scotland use (a) online and (b) phone-based services.

Question reference: S6W-06235

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 04 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 25 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how it is working with the Department for Work and Pensions to improve Universal Credit service delivery in order to reduce complaints from service users in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-06233

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 04 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 25 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how it works with the Department for Work and Pensions to monitor feedback and complaints from Universal Credit service users in Scotland.

Universal Credit (UC) is reserved to the UK Government. The Scotland Act 2016 enables the Scottish Parliament to legislate to allow for specific flexibilities in the way Universal Credit is delivered to clients in Scotland, with agreement from the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.

The Scottish Government works with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) in relation to those specific UC flexibilities set out in the 2016 Act. This does not cover feedback or complaints from the DWP service users in Scotland, their preference for channels used in accessing UC, or information regarding DWP staff in Scotland. The DWP does not routinely share information with the Scottish Government regarding any of these issues. They do, however, publish data on the number of overall complaints handled by their staff and the Independent Case Examiner (ICE) on a yearly basis at www.gov.uk/government/collections/complaints-about-the-department-for-work-and-pensions .

Question reference: S6W-06234

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 04 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 25 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how it works with the Department for Work and Pensions to monitor the satisfaction and employee retention levels of (a) Universal Credit staff and (b) staff supporting Universal Credit service users in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-06298

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 25 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-05488 by Ben Macpherson on 28 January 2022, whether it will provide the information requested regarding how many of these reports have been solved and how many remain unresolved, and for what reason it did not provide this information in its answer.

All reports received via the mygov.scot portal between 24 August 2020 and 30 November 2021 have been analysed, with appropriate actions identified and initiated. Social Security Scotland therefore consider that these information reports are resolved.

Information on fraud is regularly published in our Annual Report and Accounts. Social Security Scotland carefully considers the information on counter fraud activity that can be placed into the public domain to ensure that any information release does not undermine the ability of Social Security Scotland to prevent and detect crime.

Question reference: S6O-00794

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 February 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to local authorities to ensure that disabled and partially sighted people are able to participate in the 2022 local government elections.