Portfolio Questions

Communities, Social Security and Equalities Liz Smith S5O-00241 1. To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with local authorities regarding equalities in their employment practices. Miles Briggs S5O-00242 2. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work of the Funeral Poverty and Funeral Payment Reference Group. Colin Smyth S5O-00243 3. To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting town centre regeneration in South Scotland. Donald Cameron S5O-00244 4. To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve the energy efficiency of Scotland’s housing stock. Iain Gray S5O-00245 5. To ask the Scottish Government what additional support from the Council Tax Reduction scheme it will provide from April 2017 for families in the Musselburgh Jobcentre area who have migrated to universal credit. Margaret Mitchell S5O-00246 6. To ask the Scottish Government when it last met local government representatives from the Central Scotland parliamentary region. Maurice Golden S5O-00247 7. To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that the implementation of the National Planning Framework protects biodiversity as well as greenspaces. Jeremy Balfour S5O-00248 8. To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to tackle claimants' abuse of the welfare powers that are being devolved Alex Johnstone S5O-00249 9. [Withdrawn] Elaine Smith S5O-00250 10. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will ring-fence funding for supported accommodation in local housing allowance when this is devolved. Neil Bibby S5O-00251 11. To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making towards the full implementation of the Town Centre Action Plan. John Scott S5O-00252 12. To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to increase the role of local authorities and communities directly in public service decision-making. Graeme Dey S5O-00253 13. To ask the Scottish Government how proposals in its new social security bill could benefit carers. Finlay Carson S5O-00254 14. To ask the Scottish Government how it empowers communities to have more of a say in matters that affect them. Jenny Marra S5O-00255 15. To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of the budget for Scotland's Energy Efficiency Programme will be committed to domestic fuel poverty and energy efficiency from 2018. Daniel Johnson S5O-00256 16. To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that there is meaningful and inclusive community engagement in the planning system. Willie Coffey S5O-00257 17. To ask the Scottish Government what level of response there has been to its consultation on social security in Scotland. Mark Ruskell S5O-00258 18. To ask the Scottish Government, in light of increased winter mortality, what action it is taking to prevent fuel poverty this winter. Liam Kerr S5O-00259 19. To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to attract visitors to Scotland’s town centres. Peter Chapman S5O-00260 20. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on town centre regeneration programmes on the Buchan coast.