Portfolio Questions

Communities, Social Security and Equalities Maree Todd S5O-00797 1. To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in response to reports that every tenant in homeless accommodation in the Highlands is in rent arrears following the roll-out of universal credit by the Department for Work and Pensions. Colin Smyth S5O-00798 2. To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to raise the incomes of families with children living in poverty. James Kelly S5O-00799 3. To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support the provision of social housing. Edward Mountain S5O-00800 4. To ask the Scottish Government how it encourages volunteering in communities. Tavish Scott S5O-00801 5. To ask the Scottish Government when details of funding for the third sector interface model for the 2017-18 financial year will be finalised. Kate Forbes S5O-00802 6. To ask the Scottish Government what powers and responsibilities have been devolved to Highlands and Islands communities in the last 10 years. Gordon Lindhurst S5O-00803 7. To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making on improvements to the planning system, in light of the Review of the Scottish Planning System. Jackson Carlaw S5O-00804 8. To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on 72% of respondents to its consultation on social security in Scotland believing that it should aim to deliver social security through already available public sector services and organisations. Mairi Evans S5O-00805 9. To ask the Scottish Government whether it has received assurances from the UK Government that it will not impose the changes to housing benefit for 18- to 21-year-olds in Scotland while discussions regarding a possible exemption are ongoing. Fulton MacGregor S5O-00806 10. To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in light of the findings in the report, Shifting the Curve , that people in minority ethnic groups are often the most disadvantaged and can face additional barriers when trying to get out of poverty. Adam Tomkins S5O-00807 11. To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to concerns that the Child Poverty (Scotland) Bill does not contain sufficient measures to lift children out of poverty. Stuart McMillan S5O-00808 12. To ask the Scottish Government what measures it has taken to encourage regeneration in Inverclyde. Christina McKelvie S5O-00809 13. To ask the Scottish Government what communication it has had with the UK Government regarding the Syrian refugee resettlement scheme. Graeme Dey S5O-00810 14. To ask the Scottish Government what funding has been made available to Angus Council to ensure that affordable housing for social rent can be built over the next five years. Jamie Greene S5O-00811 15. To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to empower LGBTI people. Pauline McNeill S5O-00812 16. To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to mitigate the impact that welfare reforms have had on access to free school meals. Peter Chapman S5O-00813 17. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the support that it offers to coastal towns and communities. Alexander Stewart S5O-00814 18. To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that young disabled people are not subject to discrimination. Ross Greer S5O-00815 19. To ask the Scottish Government what action it can take to support local government pension funds that wish to divest from fossil fuels and reinvest in projects such as social housing. Jenny Gilruth S5O-00816 20. To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to raise awareness of how people can claim benefits that they are entitled to, in light of reports that there could be over 500,000 individuals and families that are not doing so.