Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-27613

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 23 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the prior approval mechanism in the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (Scotland) Amendment Order 2024 could cause permanent damage to the nation's built heritage.

Phase 3 of Scottish Government’s Permitted Development Rights (PDR) review has focussed on new and extended PDR for domestic and non-domestic renewable energy equipment. The measures streamline the planning process for various low carbon technologies and for altering/replacing windows by removing the need to apply for planning permission. The purpose is to support households and businesses, including those in conservation areas, seeking to adapt their properties in the face of the cost and climate crises.

The new PDR allow windows on buildings located in a conservation area to be altered or replaced. However, where windows are located on a building’s front elevation or side elevation fronting a road, prior approval arrangements will apply in certain circumstances. This process allows the planning authority to consider the design and external appearance of the proposal. Furthermore, the new PDR do not apply in World Heritage Sites – and listed building consent will still be required for listed buildings. In this sense, planning controls will still apply in the most valuable heritage assets.

We consider that the measures achieve an appropriate balance which supports owners/occupiers improving the environmental performance of their properties while safeguarding the overall character and appearance of the historic environment.

New guidance to accompany the regulations will be published on 28 May.

Question reference: S6W-27614

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 23 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will urgently seek to revise the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (Scotland) Amendment Order 2024, which was laid before the Parliament on 28 March 2024 and is due to come into effect on 24 May 2024, in light of reported concerns that it will lead to irreversible heritage loss in conservation areas as a result of it designating uPVC windows as a permitted development where they are defined as "substantially the same" as existing windows, and such a definition being too vague.

Question reference: S6W-27103

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Kaukab Stewart on 22 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides to people seeking asylum who are resident in Scotland, including anyone who may be impacted by the Illegal Migration Act 2023.

The Scottish Government is strongly opposed to the Illegal Migration Act that will push vulnerable people further into destitution and increase the risk of exploitation and we have raised our serious concerns with the Home Secretary.

We continue to deliver a range of interventions to support people seeking asylum living in Scotland including providing £3.6m of grant funding to Scottish Refugee Council this year for a comprehensive, nationwide Refugee Support Service.

The Service will support refugees and people seeking asylum to settle into communities through providing advice, information and resources, improving access to support services and facilitating social connections and will support the implementation of the third New Scots refugee integration strategy.

Many of the essential services which support people seeking asylum are devolved and are delivered inclusively for everyone living in Scotland, as far as possible within UK immigration legislation and rules. For example, people seeking asylum can access NHS healthcare and asylum-seeking children are entitled to school education.

Question reference: S6W-27709

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 May 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 6 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will request that the Scottish Prison Service ensures that all Samaritans envelopes distributed in prisons with out-of-date return addresses are destroyed and that only envelopes with the current up-to-date freepost address, "Freepost Samaritans Letters", are distributed to inmates.

Question reference: S6W-27707

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 May 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 6 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what role safer drug consumption facilities will play in its work to end new transmission of HIV in Scotland by 2030.

Question reference: S6W-27708

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 May 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 6 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to piloting opt-out HIV and blood borne virus testing in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

Question reference: S6W-27710

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 May 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 6 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will ensure that all mental health hospitals and the State Hospital, Carstairs, have supplies of Samaritans freepost envelopes available to patients.

Question reference: S6W-27302

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 21 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported long-term costs involved in maintaining the M8 inner ring road section through Glasgow, as well as reported negative environmental and social impacts on the urban neighbourhoods of inner city Glasgow, whether Transport Scotland is considering taking any action on a long-term sustainable plan for declassifying the M8 through Glasgow that could save money and improve the quality of life in Glasgow.

Question reference: S6W-27688

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 May 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 5 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what penalties there are for any window installation firms that knowingly fit inappropriate windows on (a) listed and (b) historic buildings in conservation areas without the correct planning consent.

Question reference: S6W-27690

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 May 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 5 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will make a high-level summary available of the benchmarking report that was undertaken by First Marine International on Ferguson Marine's shipbuilding facilities and its recommendations for improvement.

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