Questions and answers

Question reference: S6O-00821

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 March 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body how many members have been unable to establish a constituency or regional office.

Question reference: S6W-06841

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 25 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 3 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many libraries have closed in each year since 1999.

Public library services in Scotland are devolved to local authorities which have a statutory duty to secure the provision of adequate library facilities for all persons resident in their area.

The Scottish Library and Information Council has provided data on the number of libraries in Scotland, England and Wales, based on data compiled by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA). The data covers the period 2010 to 2020; we do not hold information on the numbers of libraries dating back to 1999. In Scotland, no libraries permanently closed in 2020-21. We do not have figures for England and Wales for this year.

FINANCIAL YEAR	SCOTLAND		ENGLAND		WALES
	Increase/ Decrease	Remaining	Increase/ Decrease	Remaining	Increase/ Decrease	Remaining
2009-10	0	627	0	3,501	0	358
2010-11	-8	619	-32	3469	+20	378
2011-12	-9	610	-149	3320	-51	327
2012-13	-4	606	-59	3261	-3	324
2013-14	0	609	-35	3226	+1	325
2014-15	-3	603	-57	3169	-36	288
2015-16	-15	588	-47	3,122	-16	272
2016-17	-30	558	-65	3,057	+2	274
2017-18	-2	556	-38	3,019	-1	273
2018-19	-13	543	-14	3,005	-1	272
2019-20	+1	544	-30	2,975	-1	273
NET CHANGE	-83		-526		-92
% change from 2010	13.2%		15%		25.7%

[source: Scottish Library and Information Council]

The data shows that Scotland has seen library closures over this period, but at a lower level than that seen in England and Wales. Between 2010 to 2020 13.2% of branches closed in Scotland compared with 16% across England and Wales. No libraries in Scotland permanently closed in 2020 or 2021; however, there were temporary closures due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Building closures in Scotland have largely bottomed out with significant investment in excess of £25 million taking place in the building and mobile infrastructure since 2015. 2016 was the exception to this, due to a reorganisation of library services in Fife.

Question reference: S6O-00837

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 March 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to help support the ending of homelessness and rough sleeping in Edinburgh.

Question reference: S6W-06429

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 1 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-05804 by Patrick Harvie on 1 February 2022, whether the Green Heat Finance Taskforce will consult the LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) and bioLPG sector about decarbonising heating systems in off-gas-grid properties.

The purpose of the Green Heat Finance Taskforce is to develop a portfolio of innovative financial solutions for building owners in Scotland to ensure that by 2045, our homes and buildings no longer contribute to climate change, as part of the wider just transition to net zero. Engagement with the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) sector on decarbonising heating systems in off gas-grid properties is taking place separately to the work of the Green Heat Finance Taskforce.

Question reference: S6W-06431

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 1 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what assurances it can provide to off-gas-grid householders regarding whether all options for decarbonising heat have been assessed in full in order to give consumers maximum choice.

The Heat in Buildings Strategy sets out the Scottish Government’s approach to different zero emissions heat technologies, drawing on a wide range of evidence, including modelling of the suitability of different technologies across the whole Scottish housing stock, and consideration of wider energy system interactions. We are also working to support households to make decisions that are right for them, through advice provided by Home Energy Scotland, reform of Energy Performance Certificates, and development of Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategies.

Research on the suitability of different technologies across the housing stock in Scotland: https://www.gov.scot/publications/technical-feasibility-low-carbon-heating-domestic-buildings-report-scottish-governments-directorate-energy-climate-change/

Question reference: S6W-06430

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 1 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-05804 by Patrick Harvie on 1 February 2022, whether the Green Heat Finance Taskforce will consult off-grid householders about the cost of decarbonising heating system in off-gas-grid properties.

The purpose of the Green Heat Finance Taskforce is to develop a portfolio of innovative financial solutions for building owners in Scotland to ensure that by 2045, our homes and buildings no longer contribute to climate change, as part of the wider just transition to net zero. The Taskforce will be engaging with stakeholders covering both on-gas and off-gas grid properties during 2022. The Scottish Government's Heat in Buildings Strategy has committed to phasing out the need to install new or replacement fossil fuel boilers in off-gas grid homes from 2025, with consideration of additional trigger points and subject to technological developments and decisions by the UK Government in reserved areas. The Scottish Government will consult further on these proposals over the next year.

Question reference: S6W-06428

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 1 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-05804 by Patrick Harvie on 1 February 2022, whether it will publish the (a) membership and (b) remit of the Green Heat Finance Taskforce.

Question reference: S6F-00864

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 28 February 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 March 2022

To ask the First Minister whether she will provide an update on the Scottish Government's plans to replace Carer’s Allowance with a devolved benefit.

Question reference: S6W-06234

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 04 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 25 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how it works with the Department for Work and Pensions to monitor the satisfaction and employee retention levels of (a) Universal Credit staff and (b) staff supporting Universal Credit service users in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-06233

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 04 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 25 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how it works with the Department for Work and Pensions to monitor feedback and complaints from Universal Credit service users in Scotland.

Universal Credit (UC) is reserved to the UK Government. The Scotland Act 2016 enables the Scottish Parliament to legislate to allow for specific flexibilities in the way Universal Credit is delivered to clients in Scotland, with agreement from the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.

The Scottish Government works with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) in relation to those specific UC flexibilities set out in the 2016 Act. This does not cover feedback or complaints from the DWP service users in Scotland, their preference for channels used in accessing UC, or information regarding DWP staff in Scotland. The DWP does not routinely share information with the Scottish Government regarding any of these issues. They do, however, publish data on the number of overall complaints handled by their staff and the Independent Case Examiner (ICE) on a yearly basis at www.gov.uk/government/collections/complaints-about-the-department-for-work-and-pensions .

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