- Asked by: Keith Brown, MSP for Clackmannanshire and Dunblane, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 08 March 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Kate Forbes on 22 March 2021
To ask the Scottish Government how many applications have been made to the Creative, Tourism and Hospitality Hardship Fund, also broken down by how many have (a) been approved, (b) been rejected and (c) yet to be processed.
Answer
The Creative, Tourism and Hospitality Enterprises Hardship Fund (CTHEHF), was administered by the enterprise agencies in Scotland. Each enterprise agency administered funds in its respective area and performance data was compiled by Scottish Enterprise on behalf of all three agencies. This data was published on 4 August on the Scottish Government website. Coronavirus (COVID-19): hardship and resilience funds statistics - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)
A table summarising the number of applications made, how many were approved, how many were rejected, and if there are any applications yet to be processed is set out below.
Applications received | Applications approved | Applications rejected | Applications still to be processed |
3412* | 1908** | 1504 | 0 |
*excluding duplicates, entries created but never submitted, withdrawn applications, etc.
**excluding failing the bank check, did not provide sufficient information, or failing on basic eligibility
The Scottish Government continues to support businesses during these challenging times. Our approach is tailored to Scotland’s economic needs by providing support, including the CTHEHF, which was unavailable elsewhere in the UK.
- Asked by: Keith Brown, MSP for Clackmannanshire and Dunblane, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 March 2021
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 17 March 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the justice secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding offering routine COVID-19 testing to police officers.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 17 March 2021
- Asked by: Keith Brown, MSP for Clackmannanshire and Dunblane, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 March 2021
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 10 March 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to boost the tourism sector in the Clackmannanshire and Dunblane constituency.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 10 March 2021
- Asked by: Keith Brown, MSP for Clackmannanshire and Dunblane, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 28 January 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 11 February 2021
To ask the Scottish Government how many families in the Clackmannanshire local authority area received a Baby Box since they were introduced.
Answer
Registration opened on 15 June 2017, and delivery of Baby Boxes nationwide began on 15 August 2017 for all babies born and resident in Scotland.
We are unable to give the number of Baby Boxes delivered in the Clackmannanshire local authority area as we only record numbers of Baby Boxes distributed by Health Board area. We can provide the number of boxes delivered in Forth Valley Health Board.
The total number issued in Forth Valley up to 22 January 2021 is 8571 Baby Boxes.
The total breakdown is provided below:
2017(15 August – 31 December) | 1132 Baby Boxes |
2018 | 2525 Baby Boxes |
2019 | 2449 Baby Boxes |
2020 | 2311 Baby Boxes |
2021(up to 22 January) | 154 Baby Boxes |
- Asked by: Keith Brown, MSP for Clackmannanshire and Dunblane, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 28 January 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 11 February 2021
To ask the Scottish Government (a) how many and (b) what percentage of (i) households and (ii) business premises have had access to superfast broadband since 2016.
Answer
Ofcom has provided the following figures for numbers of properties in Scotland able to access superfast broadband - of 30 Megabits per second (30Mbps) and above - by year.
Unfortunately, the figures provided do not break down between residential and business properties, and, on a directly comparable basis, only go as far back as 2017:
Year | Properties with superfast coverage (30Mbps+) |
2020 | 2,581,836 |
2019 | 2,573,289 |
2018 | 2,563,554 |
2017 | 2,276,309 |
However, Ofcom’s Connected Nations annual reports for 2019 and 2020 provide information on coverage percentages across residential and commercial properties in Scotland, as set out in the following table:
Year | Superfast coverage in residential properties (%) | Superfast coverage in commercial properties (%) |
2020 | 94 | 83 |
2019 | 92 | 83 |
Prior to 2019, these reports outline coverage percentages by non-SME properties and SME properties:
Year | Superfast coverage in non-SME properties (%) | Superfast coverage in SME properties (%) |
2018 | 92 | 86 |
2017 | 87 | 78 |
2016 | 83 | 72 |
More information can be found on Ofcom’s website at:
https://www.ofcom.org.uk/research-and-data/multi-sector-research/infrastructure-research/connected-nations-2020 .
The Scottish Government, alongside our partners in the Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband (DSSB) programme has played a key role in extending the reach of fibre broadband. Independent broadband analysis site, thinkbroadband (the same site the UK Government quotes in its own figures), states that 94.6% of premises across Scotland are now able to access superfast broadband speeds of 30Mbps and above – up from just 59.3% in 2014, when DSSB deployment began.
I am pleased to report that 10,655 premises in the constituency of Clackmannanshire and Dunblane now have access to fibre broadband, thanks to the DSSB roll-out, with over 10,398 of those being provided with access to superfast speeds at the UK definition of 24Mbps and above.
- Asked by: Keith Brown, MSP for Clackmannanshire and Dunblane, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 28 January 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Kate Forbes on 11 February 2021
To ask the Scottish Government how many businesses (a) are eligible for the Small Business Bonus Scheme and (b) have been exempt from paying non-domestic rates in the financial year 2020-21 in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, in the Clackmannanshire local authority area.
Answer
Official statistics show that, at the snapshot date of 1 July 2020, there were:
850 recipients of the Small Business Bonus Scheme in Clackmannanshire Council, saving ratepayers around £2 million in 2020-21; and
170 recipients of the 100% Retail, Hospitality and Leisure (RHL) relief, in Clackmannanshire Council, saving ratepayers £3.79 million in 2020-21.
- Asked by: Keith Brown, MSP for Clackmannanshire and Dunblane, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 28 January 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 9 February 2021
To ask the Scottish Government how much funding Clackmannanshire Council has received each year in respect of the (a) Attainment Challenge and (b) Pupil Equity Fund, and how many (i) schools and (ii) pupils have been beneficiaries of this funding.
Answer
The Scottish Government has provided funding in the Clackmannanshire Council area through three of the workstreams in the Scottish Attainment Challenge. They are the Challenge Authorities programme, the Care Experienced Children and Young People Fund and Pupil Equity Funding.
Overall, a total of £14,987,629 has been allocated to Clackmannanshire Council and schools in Clackmannanshire, with 22 schools supported by this funding through Pupil Equity Funding. The Scottish Government does not hold details on the number of pupils who have benefitted from this funding. The table below illustrates year by year allocations and spending.
| | Challenge Authorities | PEF | CECYP Fund [1] | TOTAL ALLOCATION | TOTAL SPEND | SCHOOLS SUPPORTED |
15-16 Allocation | £718,000 | - | - | £718,000 | | - |
15-16 Spend | £482,208 | - | - | | £482,208 | |
16-17 Allocation | £1,253,999 | - | - | £1,253,999 | | - |
16-17 Spend | £1,242,457 | - | - | | £1,242,457 | |
17-18 Allocation | £1,548,000 | £1,560,000 | - | £3,108,000 | | 22 |
17-18 Spend | £1,548,000 | £797,855 | - | | £2,345,855 | |
18-19 Allocation | £1,576,091 | £1,575,120 | £114,400 | £3,265,211 | | 22 |
18-19 Spend | £1,576,090 | £1,656,979 [2] | £114,400 | | £3,347,469 | |
19-20 Allocation | £1,576,091 | £1,629,240 | £177,600 | £3,382,931 | | 22 |
19-20 Spend | £1,565,125 | TBC | £177,600 | | £1,742,725 [3] | |
20-21 Allocation | £1,571,821 | £1,527,827 | £159,840 | £3,259,488 | | 22 |
20-21 Spend | TBC | TBC | TBC | | TBC | |
| | | | TOTAL | £14,987,629 | £9,160,714 | 22 |
[1] The CECYP fund is allocated over the academic year as opposed to financial year
[2] 18-19 PEF spend includes carry over from 17-18
[3] 19-20 PEF spend is still to be confirmed
- Asked by: Keith Brown, MSP for Clackmannanshire and Dunblane, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 28 January 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 9 February 2021
To ask the Scottish Government how many households in the Clackmannanshire local authority area it anticipates will receive the £10 Child Supplement.
Answer
Using the latest available forecasts published by the Scottish Fiscal Commission in January 2021, Scottish Government analysis estimates that that there could be around 1,200 families receiving the Scottish Child Payment in Clackmannanshire in 2021-22.
- Asked by: Keith Brown, MSP for Clackmannanshire and Dunblane, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 28 January 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 8 February 2021
To ask the Scottish Government how many Modern Apprenticeship places have been created in the Clackmannanshire local authority area for each year since 2015.
Answer
Since 2014-15 to 2019-20 a total of 1,887 Modern Apprentices (MA) have started in the Clackmannanshire local authority area. Official statistics for 2020-21 will be published later this year.
Please see the following table for the yearly breakdown from 2014-15 to 2019-20:
Clackmannanshire Local Authority Area | 2014-15 | 2015-16 | 2016-17 | 2017-18 | 2018-19 | 2019-20 |
Number of MA Starts | 297 | 289 | 346 | 319 | 327 | 309 |
- Asked by: Keith Brown, MSP for Clackmannanshire and Dunblane, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 28 January 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 5 February 2021
To ask the Scottish Government how many families in the Clackmannanshire local authority area have received the (a) Best Start Grant and (b) Best Start Foods.
Answer
Social Security Scotland routinely publish information as part of the quarterly Official Statistics release ‘Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods’. This includes information at Local Authority level.
The latest Official Statistics, covering the period from 10 December 2018 to 30 November 2020, show that 1,725 Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods applications were authorised for payment in the Clackmannanshire local authority area.
The value of these payments, by 30 November, was over £429,000 for Best Start Grant, and over £119,000 for Best Start Foods.
Information on Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods was last published on the 26 January 2021 and provided information up to the 30 November 2020. This publication is available from:
https://www.gov.scot/publications/best-start-grant-and-best-start-foods-high-level-statistics-to-30-november-2020/
