- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 May 2019
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 28 May 2019
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will set out a timetable for the extension of measures in the Vulnerable Witnesses (Criminal Evidence) (Scotland) Bill for people with learning disabilities.
Answer
The power in the Vulnerable Witnesses (Criminal Evidence) (Scotland) Bill to extend the new rule requiring the pre-recording of evidence, and the related draft implementation timetable, covers extension to adult deemed vulnerable witnesses (covering victims of sexual offences, domestic abuse, stalking and trafficking offences) in solemn cases.
Extending further to all vulnerable witnesses was considered during the Bill process but it was not progressed as the proposals already presented an ambitious programme of reform. The pre-recording of evidence of people to whom the new rule does not apply continues to be available and can be considered on a case by case basis.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 May 2019
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 28 May 2019
To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the draft implementation plan for the Vulnerable Witnesses (Criminal Evidence) (Scotland) Bill.
Answer
The draft implementation plan was published as part of the Scottish Government’s correspondence with the Justice Committee during the consideration of the Bill. This is available at /S5_JusticeCommittee/Inquiries/J-S5-18-VW-31A-SG.pdf .
This plan will be reviewed and updated by the Scottish Government, working closely with our justice sector partners, on a regular basis.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 May 2019
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Current Status:
Answered by Kate Forbes on 28 May 2019
To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of new properties were placed in each council tax band in each last five years (a) nationally and (b) in (i) West Dunbartonshire and (ii) Argyll and Bute.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not hold this information. Responsibility for maintaining the Council Tax valuation list in Scotland rests with individual local Scottish Assessors – in this case Dunbartonshire and Argyll & Bute Valuation Joint Board.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 16 May 2019
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 23 May 2019
To ask the Scottish Government what the passenger numbers have been for each airport in each of the last five years.
Answer
Information on passenger numbers at Scottish airports in each of the last five years is available on the Civil Aviation Authority website at: .
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 May 2019
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 29 May 2019
To ask the Scottish Government when it last met COSLA and what was discussed.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 29 May 2019
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 16 May 2019
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Current Status:
Answered by Graeme Dey on 22 May 2019
To ask the Scottish Government how many times (a) the First Minister, (b) cabinet secretaries and (c) ministers have visited London on official business by (i) aeroplane, (ii) train and (iii) car in each year since 2007.
Answer
Ministerial engagements, overseas visits and travel are proactively published on the Scottish Government website. This can be found at .
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 May 2019
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 22 May 2019
To ask the Scottish Government what correlation there is between property values and the supply and removal of water by Scottish Water from eligible properties.
Answer
In Scotland, non-domestic water and sewerage charges are made up of 6 elements: a fixed charge for water, a volumetric charge for water, a fixed charge for wastewater, a volumetric charge for wastewater, property drainage and roads drainage. Property and roads drainage charges are calculated based on the rateable value of a property.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 May 2019
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 22 May 2019
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason owner-occupiers in multi-storey properties reportedly pay more for the removal of the same volume of roof water as owners of single-storey ground properties with similar carbon footprints.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-23063 on 22 May 2019. Property drainage charges are calculated by reference to the rateable value a property, not volume of water. Properties with higher rateable values will also have a higher bill. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at .
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 May 2019
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 22 May 2019
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on asking Scottish Water to advise customers of forthcoming or ongoing consultations by enclosing information about these to water bills, in light of its paper, Investing in and paying for your water services from 2021, Summary of Responses, recording 107 responses only to that consultation, 87 of which were from members of the public.
Answer
The Scottish Government contacts key stakeholders directly to notify them of consultations and encourages them to assist in raising awareness. Scottish Water does not bill households directly as water and sewerage charges are included within the yearly council tax bill. The Scottish Government is always happy to have input into ways of raising awareness of consultations.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 May 2019
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 22 May 2019
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its paper, Investing in and paying for your water services from 2021, Summary of Responses, recording 107 responses to the consultation, what its response is to concerns that this is an inadequate level of response to determine the charging principles for 2021-27.
Answer
The consultation paper “Investing in and paying for your water services from 2021” outlined the Scottish Government’s broad charging principles for the 2021-27 regulatory period. As previously explained, any significant changes to the current principles, such as amending discounts, would be subject to additional consultation before implementation.