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: S5O-00226

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 5 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on waiting times for people to begin treatment for cancer following an urgent referral.

The Scottish Government has two set standards for cancer treatment.

A 62-day standard from' urgent referral with suspicion of cancer', until first treatment. This includes referrals from the national cancer screening programmes and

A 31-day standard from decision to treat until first treatment for all new cancers regardless of route of referral

These standards have been set to encourage NHS boards, where clinically appropriate, to adopt efficient cancer pathways and reduce avoidable delays between appointments, a 95% target is applied to both standards.

Question reference: S5W-03106

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 22 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 4 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) affordable homes and (b) homes for social rent were demolished in the last parliamentary session in (i) the Glasgow City Council area and (ii) Scotland.

The Scottish Government does not hold specific information on the number of demolitions of (a) affordable homes and (b) homes for social rent.

Information on demolitions or closure of (a) Local Authority (b) Registered Social Landlord (RSL) and (c) private housing, is requested from Local Authorities on an annual basis. However, the information provided to Scottish Government is incomplete and subject to the caveats below. In addition, not all Local Authorities provide information split by RSL and private housing, so these categories are often combined.

The table below shows the information that the Scottish Government holds on the numbers of homes demolished or closed in the Glasgow City Council and Scotland areas across the years 2011-12 to 2015-16, based on the Housing Statistics for Scotland annual data collection from local authorities.

Total demolitions (total demolished, taken out of use or closed less those previously reported as closed), by financial year

Financial Year:	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15	2015-16
Glasgow - all tenures	889 (1)	889 e	889 e	889 e	1,005 (2)
Glasgow - housing association dwellings	884 (1)	884 e	884 e	884 e	1,005
Glasgow - private dwellings	5 (1)	5 e	5 e	5 e	not available
Scotland - all tenures	2,925	3,719	2,055	2,108	1,932
Scotland - local authority dwellings	1,135	1,579	759	621	649
Scotland - other dwellings (housing association or private)	1,790	2,140	1,296	1,487	1,283

Source: Scottish Government Housing Statistics for Scotland

Notes:

e - estimated. Glasgow City Council were not able to submit any figures for the years 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2014-15. Therefore for these years the previous figure for 2011-12 has been used as an estimate.

(1) The Glasgow figures for 2011-12 provided by Glasgow City Council relate to the total number of demolition applications. However this number may not reflect the number of subsequently completed demolitions.

(2) The Glasgow figure for 2015-16 has been provided by Glasgow Housing Association, therefore data for this year relates only to demolitions or closures by this social landlord and excludes any private dwellings.

Figures on demolitions or closures of local authority housing stock are generally accurate, but authorities differ in their ability to provide information on other tenures. For some councils this only includes housing association demolitions or closures, as those for privately owned housing is not available. We advise that these data should be considered as a minimum level of demolition or closure activity in Scotland.

The Scotland figures include estimates for other local authority areas.

Question reference: S5W-03105

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 22 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 30 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how many of the 33,490 affordable houses delivered in the last parliamentary session were in the Glasgow City Council area.

Question reference: S5W-01926

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 12 August 2016
Current Status: Answered by Mark McDonald on 22 August 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-01434 by Mark McDonald on 27 July 2016, within what timeframe the internet safety plan will be (a) completed and (b) implemented.

Question reference: S5W-01434

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 July 2016
Current Status: Answered by Mark McDonald on 27 July 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made in refreshing its internet safety action plan.

We are currently working across government to update the internet safety action plan, ensuring it is linked to both our Digital Participation and Cyber Resilience strategies. We are also taking steps to ensure the refreshed action plan is linked to work being taken forward in schools. In addition to this, we are engaging with key external stakeholders who will be crucial in the development of a refreshed action plan.

Question reference: S5O-00050

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 June 2016
Current Status: Answered by Mark McDonald on 15 June 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what assistance it provides for children with additional support needs.

The Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 was put in place to ensure that all children and young people with additional support needs receive the support they require to achieve their potential.

The Act places strict duties on local authorities to meet the additional support needs for all children for whose school education they are responsible, and to tailor provision according to their individual needs.

The Supporting Children’s Learning Code of Practice explains these duties, providing guidance on the Act's provisions as well as on the supporting framework of secondary legislation.