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-16349

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 May 2018
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 11 May 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) private sector landlords and (b) owner-occupier households have used the Home Energy Scotland loan scheme each year.

The Home Energy Scotland (HES) Loan scheme launched in May 2017 offering interest free loans of up to £32,500 per home to owner occupiers and eligible registered private sector landlords in Scotland to install energy efficiency measures, renewable systems or connection to approved district heating schemes. At the close of the scheme on 31 March 2018:

(a) 128 registered private sector landlords had been offered loans

(b) 1276 owner occupier had been offered loans

The Home Energy Scotland Loan scheme re-launched on 24 April 2018 and now offers householders up to £38,500 with additional funding now available for energy storage systems, to date no loans have been offered.

Further statistical and funding information on the HES loan scheme 2017/18 can be found at the following published Freedom of Information requests:

9 March 2018 -
21 March 2018 -

The Home Energy Scotland loan replaced two separate existing loan schemes: the Home Energy Efficiency Programme for Scotland (HEEPS) loan and the Home Energy Scotland Renewable loan.

Further information on the HEEPS loan scheme can be found at the following links:

12 December 2017 -
31 August 2017 -

Question reference: S5W-16304

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 May 2018
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 10 May 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-16012 by Alasdair Allan on 26 April 2018, whether any of the people who identified their ethnic group as "Caribbean or Black" or "African" have approached it to (a) discuss concerns regarding the threat of possible deportation and (b) advise that they have been refused access to health care or services in Scotland and, if so, how many and what action it took.

The Scottish Government remains in contact with stakeholders and partner organisations to ascertain whether anyone in Scotland may be at risk. At the moment, no one has come forward indicating that they risk being removed from Scotland or that they have been refused access to services here as a result of this scandal.

The UK Government has announced a review of the decisions which led to the Windrush crisis. However, the Scottish Government does not believe this will fully address the root causes of the Windrush scandal – the hostile environment policy, driven by a target to reduce net migration to the tens of thousands. The Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs wrote to the new Home Secretary on 1 May setting out the Scottish Government concerns about UK immigration policy and seeking an early meeting.

Question reference: S5W-15987

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 April 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 1 May 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on not using the mobility test 20-metre threshold as an assessment tool for Personal Independence Payments when this benefit is devolved.

Question reference: S5W-15845

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 09 April 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 26 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the police searching mobile phones without (a) a warrant and (b) having the power to do so under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers (Scotland) Act 2000.

When the police seize a phone or another electronic device under the authority of a judicial warrant, statutory power or following a suspect’s arrest, it is lawful for them to examine that device for evidence. A person may also voluntarily provide their electronic device in the knowledge that it will be examined for evidence in relation to the particular crime under investigation.

The powers under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers (Scotland) Act 2000 are not relevant to searches of phones for evidential purposes.

Question reference: S5W-15846

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 09 April 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 26 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had had with Police Scotland regarding the force using mobile phone data that has not been collected (a) through a warrant and (b) under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers (Scotland) Act 2000.

Question reference: S5W-15801

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 April 2018
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 18 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many social houses have been refurbished in each year since 2000.

Question reference: S5W-15793

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 April 2018
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 17 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of people using the Help to Buy scheme are first-time buyers.

Question reference: S5W-15477

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 5 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what action it takes to ensure that the (a) legal system and (b) legislation regarding repossession ensures that the rights of asylum seekers are protected, and that this group is not subject to arbitrary (i) intrusion, (ii) eviction or (iii) homelessness.

Provision of support for asylum seekers - including delivery and management of asylum accommodation - is a reserved matter, for which the Home Office is responsible.

The Home Office is currently tendering the next asylum accommodation contract for the period 1 September 2019 to 31 August 2029. The Scottish Government has made clear to the Home Office that whoever provides asylum accommodation in Scotland under that contract must comply with Scottish legislation on letting agents and housing standards.

Question reference: S5W-14626

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 February 2018
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 20 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has made of the potential impact on households in Scotland of the proposals in the Domestic Gas and Electricity (Tariff Cap) Bill, including the plan to remove the right of interested parties to appeal to the Competition and Markets Authority, and whether it has made or plans to make representations to the UK Government regarding this.

The Scottish Government have commissioned research looking at Scottish considerations for a price cap and this has shown that a cap can be beneficial for households which are struggling to afford their energy bills.

I am concerned however that there are numerous areas where the price cap could have impacts on competition and consumers or create perverse incentives and so it is of utmost importance that the legislation is drafted properly, and there is proper recourse where issues are identified with the cap.

I note that Ofgem are of the opinion that a Judicial Review process will allow adequate appeal for suppliers and interested parties and I am sympathetic to their aim to implement the cap as soon as possible, but I urge the UK Government to carefully assess whether they are comfortable with the limited appeal route and whether the legislation as it stands meets their stated aims for a cap. I wrote to Secretary of State, Greg Clark, earlier in the week to make my position on this clear.

I understand that Ofgem will be consulting on the design of the cap and the Scottish Government will engage closely with this process to champion the needs of Scottish consumers and the Scottish energy market.

Question reference: S5W-15119

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 16 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers Justices of the Peace to be part of the Justiciary.

Justices of the Peace are lay magistrates who sit with a legally qualified adviser to deal with summary criminal cases. They sit either alone or on a treble bench and deal with many driving offences, less serious assaults, breach of the peace, theft and other less serious crimes in the local courts. Justices of the Peace are part of the Scottish judiciary, falling under the Lord President's statutory headship of the Scottish judiciary under the Judiciary and Courts (Scotland) Act 2008.