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-15776

Asked by: Andy Wightman, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 April 2018
Current Status: Answered by Maureen Watt on 18 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what funding it is providing to implement the autism strategy.

The Scottish Government remains committed to improving the lives of autistic people in Scotland. In partnership with COSLA we have published the updated priorities for the next phase of the Scottish Strategy for Autism.

This publication can be accessed at http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2018/03/1405 . These new priorities were developed following an engagement exercise with autistic people, their families and carers and professionals in the field.

The Scottish Government has committed £2.346,000 in 2018-19, this funding will be used to deliver national priorities set out in the above publication.

Future investment is subject to the outcome of any Spending Reviews and the approval of draft budgets by The Scottish Parliament.

Question reference: S5W-15384

Asked by: Andy Wightman, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by James Wolffe QC on 17 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many proceedings have been raised by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service against Scotland-registered businesses in each of the last 10 years for failure to comply with the statutory provisions under which a company must file accounts and returns with Companies House, and how many convictions there were.

Section 451 of the Companies Act 2006 includes the offence of failing to comply with the requirement to file accounts and returns with Companies House. There is a high rate of compliance with the requirement to file such accounts and returns. Where necessary, Companies House seeks to secure compliance with the requirements of the section by means of warning letters and permitting late filing subject to payment of a late filing penalty. The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) has not commenced any proceedings against any Scotland-registered businesses under this section in the last ten years. COPFS has recognised Companies House as a Specialist Reporting Agency; and COPFS is working with Companies House to facilitate the reporting of alleged offences by Companies House to COPFS.

Question reference: S5W-15385

Asked by: Andy Wightman, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by James Wolffe QC on 17 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many proceedings have been raised by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service against Scotland-based limited partnerships businesses in each of the last 10 years for failure to comply with the statutory provisions under which such partnerships are required to file details of persons of significant control with Companies House, and how many convictions there were.

The statutory provisions requiring Scotland-based limited partnerships to file details of persons with significant control at Companies House came into force on 24 July 2017. To date the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service has not commenced any proceedings under those statutory provisions for failure to file details of persons with significant control. COPFS has recognised Companies House as a Specialist Reporting Agency; and COPFS is working with Companies House to facilitate the reporting of alleged offences by Companies House to COPFS.

Question reference: S5W-15378

Asked by: Andy Wightman, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 28 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the figures suggesting that 46% of people in the Scottish Borders and Dumfries and Galloway areas live in communities of less than 3,000, what its response is to the Affordable Housing Supply Programme for 2016-17 data, which records that one eight-home rural community development was built that year in the South Scotland region.

In 2016-17, 43 homes were completed in rural areas in the South Scotland constituency region. Local authorities have a statutory requirement to produce a local housing strategy which sets out the priorities and plans for the delivery of housing and housing related services within the local authority’s area, required now and into the future. The Scottish Government supports the delivery of these priorities through the resources allocated through the Affordable Housing Supply Programme.

In addition, we introduced the £30 million Rural and Islands Housing Funds which will run until 2021, in recognition of the particular issues associated with delivering homes in rural areas.

Question reference: S5W-15373

Asked by: Andy Wightman, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 28 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of its spending on the Affordable Housing Supply Programme for 2016-17.

Question reference: S5W-15375

Asked by: Andy Wightman, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 28 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the data regarding the Affordable Housing Supply Programme for 2016-17, which records that the number of affordable homes in rural areas that were built with the support of the programme was 299, compared with 715 in 2010-11.

Local authorities have a statutory requirement to produce a local housing strategy which sets out the priorities and plans for the delivery of housing and housing related services within the local authority’s area, required now and into the future. The Scottish Government supports the delivery of these priorities through the resources allocated through the Affordable Housing Supply Programme.

In addition, we introduced the £30 million Rural and Islands Housing Funds which will run until 2021, in recognition of the particular issues associated with delivering homes in rural areas.

Question reference: S5W-15377

Asked by: Andy Wightman, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 28 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the data regarding the Affordable Housing Supply Programme for 2016-17, which records that the number of affordable homes in accessible rural areas that were built with the support of the programme was 141, compared with 297 in 2010-11.

In 2016-17, 141 homes were completed in accessible rural areas compared with 250 in 2010-11. Local authorities have a statutory requirement to produce a local housing strategy which sets out the priorities and plans for the delivery of housing and housing related services within the local authority’s area, required now and into the future. The Scottish Government supports the delivery of these priorities through the resources allocated through the Affordable Housing Supply Programme.

In addition, we introduced the £30 million Rural and Islands Housing Funds which will run until 2021, in recognition of the particular issues associated with delivering homes in rural areas.

Question reference: S5W-15374

Asked by: Andy Wightman, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 28 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason its data regarding the Affordable Housing Supply Programme for 2016-17 records that 72% of the completed homes that were classified as "rural" were built in towns and urban areas.

Question reference: S5W-15376

Asked by: Andy Wightman, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 28 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the data regarding the Affordable Housing Supply Programme for 2016-17, which records that the number of affordable homes in remote rural areas that were built with the support of the programme was 158, compared with 418 in 2010-11.

In 2016-17, 368 homes were completed in remote rural areas compared with 548 in 2010-11. Local authorities have a statutory requirement to produce a local housing strategy which sets out the priorities and plans for the delivery of housing and housing related services within the local authority’s area, required now and into the future. The Scottish Government supports the delivery of these priorities through the resources allocated through the Affordable Housing Supply Programme.

In addition, we introduced the £30 million Rural and Islands Housing Funds which will run until 2021, in recognition of the particular issues associated with delivering homes in rural areas.

Question reference: S5O-01954

Asked by: Andy Wightman, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 March 2018
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 28 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to make land information and data more freely available and accessible to the public.