- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Monday, 23 August 2021
-
Current Status:
Answered by Lorna Slater on 8 September 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what risk assessment it has carried out regarding whether the Household Recycling Charter can deliver increased recycling rates in line with the targets set.
Answer
No specific risk assessment has been carried out for the impact of the Household Recycling Charter on recycling rates.
The Scottish Government has committed to evaluate the Household Recycling Charter. This work has been delayed temporarily due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but we are working with COSLA and local authorities to take forward this evaluation.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 September 2021
-
Current Status:
Answered by Ben Macpherson on 8 September 2021
To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) applications have been made to and (b) payments have been made from the Scottish Welfare Fund in each year since its creation, also broken down by local authority area.
Answer
Statistics detailing a range of information on the Scottish Welfare Fund including application numbers and awards are published on the Scottish Government website monthly, quarterly and annually. The annual update for 2020-21 lists application numbers and awards by local authority area for each year since the Fund began in 2013. These statistics can be found here: https://www.gov.scot/collections/sg-social-security-scotland-stats-publications/
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Monday, 16 August 2021
-
Current Status:
Answered by Kevin Stewart on 8 September 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of recent studies into whether there is a link between heading footballs and the development of dementia.
Answer
A University of Glasgow study on lifelong health outcomes in former professional footballers, especially in relation to dementia, was published in 2019 containing evidence of possible increased risk of dementia for this group. Further work is underway to establish why footballers may be at greater risk and we will give full consideration to the report published into this subject in August 2021 led by Dr Willie Stewart.
We remain in close contact on these issues with experts at the sportscotland Institute of Sport and the Chief Medical Officer at the Scottish FA and will work with partners, including PFA Scotland, to carefully consider emerging evidence on former footballers developing dementia.
We are funding a new body, Brain Health Scotland, for five years , to embed brain health within clinical services and across public health. As part of this, we are exploring links between pilot brain health clinics from next year and the feasibility of additional national work focussing specifically on brain injury.
- Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 August 2021
-
Current Status:
Answered by Keith Brown on 8 September 2021
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the review being conducted by the Scottish Prison Service regarding its transgender prison policy.
Answer
I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Interim Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:
The SPS is currently undertaking a policy review of its ‘ Gender Identity and Gender Reassignment Policy for those in our Custody’. The review is comprised of two main stages.
The first stage is underway and consists of an in-depth analysis of evidence that has emerged since the SPS’ current policy was introduced in 2014.
The second stage will consist of a series of discussions with key stakeholders. The SPS will also publish the current policy and underpinning legal framework on its website, inviting comment and feedback.
It is anticipated that the review will conclude in spring 2022 and a refreshed, evidence based policy position will be published by the SPS.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 August 2021
-
Current Status:
Answered by Kevin Stewart on 8 September 2021
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported pressures faced by (a) health and social care partnerships and (b) the third and independent sectors, what plans it has to introduce additional measures to ensure that the needs of (i) people who require care and (ii) unpaid carers are met.
Answer
We are in daily contact with Health and Social Care Partnerships (HSCPs) facing the greatest challenges and are monitoring the situation closely. Health Boards and HSCPs have provided assurances that people in need of the most urgent care will continue receiving care during this challenging period.
We are working with local partners to address these pressures at a local and national level, including putting in place measures to support recruitment and multi-disciplinary working. Some of the immediate actions we have taken include: funding support to advertise vacant posts on a dedicated social care webpage; and targeted communication with Further and Higher Education nursing students and Social Work students, to encourage applications to join the workforce.
We have allocated an additional £380 million to Health Boards to help with costs arising from the pandemic. This comes on top of the £1.7 billion already provided to Health Boards and Health and Social Care Partnerships last year.
For unpaid carers, we have invested an additional £28.5m for local carer support in this year’s budget, bringing total investment in the Carers Act to £68m per year. The previous Cabinet Secretary wrote to authorities in March to highlight the importance of using this additional funding to expand carer support. We also added a further £1.1m last year to the annual £3m voluntary sector Short Breaks Fund and have committed an additional £570,000 this year, enabling more families/carers and young carers to take a break from caring.
- Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Monday, 09 August 2021
Submitting member has a registered interest.
-
Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 7 September 2021
As at 6 September, against a total of 1051 applications there have been 481 unsuccessful applications[1], representing 46% of total applications.
Within the unsuccessful applications there were 158 social rented sector tenants and 323 private rented sector tenants.
We do not hold a breakdown of unsuccessful applications by local authority although this information is gathered at initial application level in the following table.
| Number of applications per local authority |
| Local authority | Total | Social | PRS |
| #N/A | 13 | 2 | 11 |
| Aberdeen City | 52 | 18 | 34 |
| Aberdeenshire | 28 | 14 | 14 |
| Angus | 10 | 1 | 9 |
| Argyll & Bute | 6 | 4 | 2 |
| Clackmannanshire | 11 | 8 | 3 |
| Dumfries & Galloway | 19 | 6 | 13 |
| Dundee City | 57 | 19 | 38 |
| East Ayrshire | 46 | 22 | 24 |
| East Dunbartonshire | 5 | 2 | 3 |
| East Lothian | 12 | 3 | 9 |
| East Renfrewshire | 5 | 1 | 4 |
| Edinburgh, City of | 132 | 23 | 109 |
| Falkirk | 28 | 8 | 20 |
| Fife | 54 | 17 | 37 |
| Glasgow City | 179 | 74 | 105 |
| Highland | 23 | 4 | 19 |
| Inverclyde | 16 | 7 | 9 |
| Midlothian | 10 | 3 | 7 |
| Moray | 13 | 5 | 8 |
| North Ayrshire | 31 | 11 | 20 |
| North Ayshire | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| North Lanarkshire | 52 | 22 | 30 |
| Orkney Islands | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Perth & Kinross | 43 | 21 | 22 |
| Renfrewshire | 34 | 5 | 29 |
| Scottish Borders | 10 | 2 | 8 |
| Shetland Islands | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| South Ayrshire | 30 | 7 | 23 |
| South Lanarkshire | 51 | 17 | 34 |
| Stirling | 10 | 5 | 5 |
| West Dunbartonshire | 27 | 12 | 15 |
| West Lothian | 39 | 22 | 17 |
| Total | 1051 | 368 | 683 |
[1] Includes 19 applications rejected because of non-eligibility for funding.
Answer
As at 3 August, against a total of 1009 applications there have been 458 unsuccessful applications, representing 45% of total applications.
Within the unsuccessful applications there were 153 social rented sector tenants and 305 private rented sector tenants.
We do not hold a breakdown of unsuccessful applications by local authority although this information is gathered at initial application level and is as follows:
Number of applications per local authority |
Local authority | Total | Social | PRS |
#N/A | 10 | 2 | 8 |
Aberdeen City | 52 | 18 | 34 |
Aberdeenshire | 27 | 14 | 13 |
Angus | 10 | 1 | 9 |
Argyll & Bute | 5 | 3 | 2 |
Clackmannanshire | 11 | 8 | 3 |
Dumfries & Galloway | 18 | 5 | 13 |
Dundee City | 53 | 18 | 35 |
East Ayrshire | 44 | 21 | 23 |
East Dunbartonshire | 3 | 1 | 2 |
East Lothian | 12 | 3 | 9 |
East Renfrewshire | 5 | 1 | 4 |
Edinburgh, City of | 127 | 23 | 104 |
Falkirk | 27 | 8 | 19 |
Fife | 52 | 15 | 37 |
Glasgow City | 171 | 71 | 100 |
Highland | 23 | 4 | 19 |
Inverclyde | 15 | 7 | 8 |
Midlothian | 10 | 3 | 7 |
Moray | 13 | 5 | 8 |
North Ayrshire | 31 | 11 | 20 |
North Ayshire | 1 | 1 | 0 |
North Lanarkshire | 46 | 17 | 29 |
Orkney Islands | 2 | 2 | 0 |
Perth & Kinross | 42 | 21 | 21 |
Renfrewshire | 32 | 4 | 28 |
Scottish Borders | 10 | 2 | 8 |
Shetland Islands | 2 | 0 | 2 |
South Ayrshire | 30 | 7 | 23 |
South Lanarkshire | 51 | 17 | 34 |
Stirling | 10 | 5 | 5 |
West Dunbartonshire | 25 | 12 | 13 |
West Lothian | 39 | 22 | 17 |
Total | 1009 | 352 | 657 |
- Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Monday, 09 August 2021
Submitting member has a registered interest.
-
Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 7 September 2021
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will review unsuccessful Tenant Hardship Loan Fund applications for suitability to apply to the grant fund announced in June 2021 to support tenants struggling to pay their rent as a direct result of COVID-19.
Answer
No. The Tenant Hardship Loan Fund is administered separately on behalf of the Scottish Government. Where an applicant is unsuccessful they are provided with information on where they can get further advice and on alternative support available. The loan and the grant are not interchangeable.
The tenant grant funding cannot be paid in advance of need and is based on a needs assessment by the local authority taking into account all the circumstances of an individual.
- Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Monday, 09 August 2021
Submitting member has a registered interest.
-
Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 7 September 2021
To ask the Scottish Government whether Tenant Hardship Loan Fund debtors will have a right to convert their loan to a grant.
Answer
No, there is no right to convert a loan to a grant. The Tenant Hardship Loan Fund is an interest free loan paid to remove the risk of eviction. Debtors have demonstrated their ability to make loan repayments during the application process.
The tenant grant funding cannot be paid in advance of need and is based on a needs assessment by the local authority taking into account all the circumstances of an individual.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Monday, 09 August 2021
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 7 September 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what funding it has allocated to Historic Environment Scotland to enable historic sites to be made safe for reopening to members of the public, and what the timescales are for the reopening of these sites.
Answer
Historic Environment Scotland has responded to address the precautionary closures within the funding already available. The Scottish Government provided Historic Environment Scotland with £72.9m in 2020-21 and are providing £55.9m to support Historic Environment Scotland in 2021-22. We are also providing this financial year a further £20m in covid consequentials, taking our total support in 2021-22 to £75.9m, an increase of £3m from 2020-21.
The Scottish Government will continue to discuss the closures with Historic Environment Scotland, whose programme of prioritised inspections will inform a timescale for reopening.
- Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 August 2021
-
Current Status:
Answered by Kevin Stewart on 7 September 2021
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide support to Fife Health and Social Care Partnership, in light of reports of rising waiting times for the provision of home care packages to people assessed with such a need.
Answer
We are in daily contact with Health and Social Care Partnerships (HSCPs), and are monitoring the situation closely, including in Fife HSCP. Health Boards and HSCPs have provided assurances that people in need of the most urgent care will continue receiving care during this challenging period.
We are working with local partners to address these pressures at a local and national level, including putting in place measures to support recruitment and multi-disciplinary working. Some of the immediate actions we have taken include: funding support to advertise vacant posts on a dedicated social care webpage; and targeted communication with Further and Higher Education nursing students and Social Work students, to encourage applications to join the workforce.
Further, we have allocated an additional £380 million to Health Boards to help with costs arising from the pandemic. This comes on top of the £1.7 billion already provided to Health Boards and Health and Social Care Partnerships last year.
