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-13436

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 22 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 12 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will lay regulations to amend Council Tax (Variation for Unoccupied Dwellings) (Scotland) Regulations 2013 to give effect to the motion S6M-05106 that was agreed, as amended, by the Parliament on 22 June 2022, in advance of the date prescribed in the Local Government Finance Act 1992 of when local authorities are required to set council tax rates for 2023-24.

Work is underway to consider options for changes to Council Tax, reflecting the current circumstances created by the cost crisis. Central to this, the Programme for Government 2022-23 committed to establishing a working group to oversee deliberative engagement on local government funding, including Council Tax.

The Joint Working Group has commenced its work and within its remit has begun to consider the provision of powers to allow local authorities to increase the rate of Council Tax on second and empty homes to support best use of existing housing stock. We will take account of the Group’s conclusions in developing proposals for public engagement and consultation on the matter.

Question reference: S6W-13252

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 12 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether any new legislation is being considered to help address Scotland-specific cladding issues, and, if this is the case, whether it will (a) incorporate elements from the Building Safety Act 2022 passed by the UK Parliament and (b) be primary or secondary legislation.

Question reference: S6W-12769

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 10 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether the scoping work to assess future housing skills needs and associated provision, that was due to commence in July 2022, has been completed.

Question reference: S6W-13095

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 12 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 10 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-10597 by Shona Robison 20 September 2022, what information it does record about the house builder or construction company once a project is tendered, and how it engages with those SME house builders.

The Scottish Government does not mandate the recording of contractor or housebuilder details within a tender application. If supplied, the information we collect relates solely to the name of the contractor. The Scottish Government has no direct engagement with the contractor as the contractual relationship is between the grant applicant and the housebuilders/contractors. Scottish Government More Homes Division engagement at a strategic level is through industry bodies such as Homes for Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-13094

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 12 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 10 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many SME housebuilders have been engaged in the delivery of the affordable housing supply programme in each year since 2016-17, and how it analyses the involvement of SME housebuilders in the supply chain on the basis of (a) geography, (b) project type and size and (c) grant recipient.

Question reference: S6W-13093

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 12 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 10 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-10596 by Shona Robison 20 September 2022, how this information compares with insolvencies since 2007-08.

Question reference: S6W-13347

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 19 December 2022
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 10 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how much of the proposed £31.3 million allocated to Building Standards in 2023-24 does it plan to spend on (a) the cladding remediation programme (b) a programme of research and professional advice on the building standards system in Scotland and (c) other sources.

Question reference: S6W-13394

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 5 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-13021 by Tom Arthur on 20 December 2022, what the inflation rate was for new construction work in the public sector on the tone date.

Question reference: S6W-13395

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 23 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what the cost to the Scottish Courts and Tribunal Service has been of non-attendance at court hearings by all parties, in each year since 2016-17.

Question reference: S6O-01750

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 December 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what the average cost to the Scottish Courts and Tribunal Service is of non-attendance at court hearings by all parties.