Questions and answers

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 ��˿�� 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-23178

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 May 2019
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 22 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how much debt arising from past capital spending Scottish Water has, and how much it has repaid in each of the last 10 years.

Question reference: S5W-23184

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 May 2019
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 22 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, further to answers to questions S5W-22038 and S5W-22039 by Roseanna Cunningham on 20 March 2019, what data it has on water charge affordability, broken down by council tax band, and at what bands affordability issues mainly occur.

This information is provided on page 12 of the Citizens Advice Scotland report “Charting a new course: a study in developing affordability policy for water and sewerage charges”. Most households spending more than 3% of their weekly income on their water and sewerage charges are in in Council Tax bands A (17%) and B (18%). This reflects that there are greater numbers of households within these bands than in any other band in Scotland.

Question reference: S5W-23181

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 May 2019
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 22 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government from which bodies Scottish Water borrows to finance capital spending.

Question reference: S5W-23182

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 May 2019
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 22 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government when the Water Industry Commission for Scotland will confirm its decision in its 2018 Decision Paper 8: Prospects for prices, that water charges will rise above the inflation rate over a transition period of up to 15 years; how the increases being considered compare with the range set out in Initial Decision Paper 2: Prospects for prices, and what the impact of these increases will be on charges by 2036-37, including the number of people that year paying more than 3% of their income on these after housing costs.

Question reference: S5W-23177

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 May 2019
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 22 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what the debt arising from past capital spending it estimates Scottish Water will have in 2036-37.

Question reference: S5W-23179

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 May 2019
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 22 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how much Scottish Water has repaid in interest on the money that it has borrowed in each of the last 10 years, and to which bodies.

Interest repaid by Scottish Water is detailed in the following table.

Year	Scottish Consolidated Fund (£m)	National Loans Fund (£m)	Public Works Loan Board (£m)	European Investment Bank (£m)	Mortgage (£m)	Total Repaid (£m)
2009-10	79.6	51.6	22.7	0.7	0.1	154.71
2010-11	84.8	50.5	20.9	0.5	0.1	156.76
2011-12	91.1	50.0	17.5	0.5	0.1	159.13
2012-13	89.9	48.8	16.3	0.2	0.1	155.30
2013-14	93.6	46.3	15.6	0.1	0.1	155.74
2014-15	99.3	45.8	13.2	0.0	0.1	158.42
2015-16	98.0	45.3	10.1	0.0	0.1	153.43
2016-17	97.5	44.5	9.7	0.0	0.1	151.78
2017-18	100.5	43.3	5.5	0.0	0.1	149.28
2018-19	102.9	41.1	4.0	0.0	0.1	148.08

Question reference: S5W-23180

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 May 2019
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 22 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of Scottish Water’s spending on capital investment has been financed by borrowing in each of the last 10 years.

Question reference: S5W-23176

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 May 2019
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 22 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, further to answers to questions S5W-22038 and S5W-22039 by Roseanna Cunningham on 20 March 2019, how many water charge payers in each local authority area it estimates are paying more than 3% of their income on water charges, after housing costs, and how (a) West Dunbartonshire and (b) Argyll and Bute Council compares with the national average.

Question reference: S5O-03270

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 May 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what support it will provide to help the Waverley paddle steamer return to sailing on the Clyde.

Question reference: S5W-22981

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 03 May 2019
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 10 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether funding allocated for town centre regeneration can be used for the repair and refurbishment of a pier, where it is integral to the economic viability of the town.

The Town Centre Fund is a ring-fenced capital fund for local authorities. An overarching aim of the fund is to contribute to transformative investments which drive local economic activities and re-purpose town centres to become more diverse, successful and sustainable. Capital expenditure can be used for physical infrastructure changes which diversify, regenerate or contribute to the economic development of the town centre.

It is for local authorities to allocate funding, and supporting guidance indicates that it is expected that they make investment decisions in the context of national and local commitments to town centres including the Town Centre First Principle and Town Centre Action Plan; and, more recently, the Place Principle. These decisions should be based on an understanding of town centre performance and ownership, shared visions and plans with local communities, partners and stakeholders fully engaged; and, identification of physical infrastructure changes that will contribute to achieving those visions. In this context, in some towns this could therefore include the repair or refurbishment of a pier.

Year	Lending (£m)	Investment (£m)	Proportion
2009-10	218.8	648.3	34%
2010-11	106	443	24%
2011-12	50	491	10%
2012-13	100	487	21%
2013-14	26.5	475	6%
2014-15	70	470	15%
2015-16	0	479	0%
2016-17	0	626	0%
2017-18	120	628	19%
2018-19	210	700	30%

Year	Repaid (£m)
2009-10	72.42
2010-11	72.95
2011-12	95.96
2012-13	107.61
2013-14	110.36
2014-15	115.47
2015-16	119.52
2016-17	118.90
2017-18	122.65
2018-19	122.95