Portfolio Questions

Communities, Social Security and Equalities Ross Thomson S5O-00979 1. To ask the Scottish Government how it reached its estimate of £150 million annual running costs for the new social security agency. Alison Harris S5O-00980 2. To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to review the guidance on what constitutes a dangerous building. Alison Johnstone S5O-00981 3. To ask the Scottish Government how it will encourage the uptake of all of the devolved benefits to which people might be entitled. Claudia Beamish S5O-00982 4. To ask the Scottish Government what assessment has been made of the impact that an increased carers allowance would have on disability poverty. Anas Sarwar S5O-00983 5. To ask the Scottish Government by what date the next phase of its benefit uptake campaign will begin; how long the phase will run, and who the target audience will be. Mark Ruskell 6. To ask the Scottish Government how many planning appeals determined under ministerial direction in the last year have been contrary to local development plans. (S5O-00984) Donald Cameron S5O-00985 7. To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Scottish Church Census 2016, which estimates that the number of churchgoers will have more than halved between 2000 and 2025. Kenneth Gibson S5O-00986 8. To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the impact of its welfare reforms on communities in North Ayrshire. Monica Lennon S5O-00987 9. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will withdraw the planning consent that it issued in August 2015 for an incinerator facility at Whitehill in Hamilton. Maurice Corry S5O-00988 10. [Not Lodged] Colin Beattie S5O-00989 11. To ask the Scottish Government whether there are plans for the Access to Elected Office Fund Scotland to be open to disabled people wishing to be nominated for the 2017 General Election. Gordon Lindhurst S5O-00990 12. To ask the Scottish Government what safeguards are in place to protect communities that are in close proximity to extensive building works. Gillian Martin S5O-00991 13. To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to increase the availability of affordable housing in the north east. Joan McAlpine S5O-00992 14. To ask the Scottish Government what response it has received from the third sector to the comment by the Minister for Social Security that "the private sector should not be involved in assessments for Scotland’s benefits". Linda Fabiani S5O-00993 15. To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to recent figures that suggest the Scottish Welfare Fund has supported more than 241,000 households, with awards totalling £124 million. Ruth Maguire S5O-00994 16. To ask the Scottish Government how many households in Scotland will be affected by the changes to child tax credits that were introduced on 6 April 2017. Maree Todd S5O-00995 17. To ask the Scottish Government whether it has received a response from the UK Government to its request to halt the roll-out of universal credit in Scotland following reports that the new system is pushing more people into hardship and debt. Richard Leonard S5O-00996 18. To ask the Scottish Government when its officials last met Atos Healthcare. Jackie Baillie S5O-00997 19. To ask the Scottish Government whether the transfer of UK Government staff to the new social security agency and the Cabinet Office statement of practice are on the agenda for the next meeting of the Ministerial Working Group on Welfare. John Mason S5O-00998 20. To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the outcome of the local government elections.