Questions and answers

Question reference: S5W-20448

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 07 December 2018
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 18 December 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to amend the Town and Country Planning (Tree Preservation Order and Trees in Conservation Areas (Scotland) Regulations 2010 to widen the definition of an "interested person" to include community councils and to require replacement planting of trees.

The Town and Country Planning (Tree Preservation Order and Trees in Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Regulations 2010 provide that any person may make a representation with respect to a Tree Preservation Order (TPO). Where a TPO is made, the planning authority must make available a copy of the TPO for public inspection and give notice in a newspaper circulating in the locality, including, where and how representations may be made as well as the date by which they are to be received. The planning authority must then consider any representations made before confirming a TPO, and give notice of their decision. There are no plans to amend the definition of interested person at this time.

Statutory provisions concerning the replacement of trees and woodlands are set out in the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997, as amended, which places a duty on the landowner to replace a tree which is removed in contravention of a TPO, subject to the requirements of the act. Further details on both the act and the 2010 regulations are available in Circular 2011/1 ‘Tree Preservation Orders’.

Question reference: S5W-20220

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 November 2018
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 6 December 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many more people would be eligible for the Young Carer Grant if it was extended to include (a) more than one young carer per household and (b) 18- to 25-year-olds in full-time education.

Question reference: S5O-02680

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 December 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 December 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of recent figures reportedly showing that the number of doctors in training in Scotland is at a five-year low, how it plans to address GP recruitment issues.

Question reference: S5W-19438

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 October 2018
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 2 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had or plans to have with stakeholder groups on its approach to women who are perpetrators of domestic abuse.

Question reference: S5W-19439

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 October 2018
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 2 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to break down the barriers of social stigma that prevent men from seeking support from professional services for victims of domestic abuse.

Question reference: S5W-19437

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 October 2018
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 2 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the causes of domestic abuse against victims of domestic abuse who identify as male.

The particular approach we are taking through Equally Safe brings a strategic focus to the issue of men’s violence against women and girls, as underpinned by the definition we have adopted, which is in turn based on the principles of international law through the UN definition of gender based violence. A gendered analysis does not exclude men, but rather recognises that women and girls are disproportionately affected by particular forms of violence that they experience because they are women and girls.

We fully acknowledge that men and boys can be victims of violence and abuse. We know that the prevailing societal view of what constitutes masculinity makes it difficult for men to identify themselves as experiencing abuse and can prevent them from seeking help.

We condemn all forms of violence and abuse, whilst recognising that particular forms of violence are disproportionately experienced by one gender and require a strong strategic focus. Men have a critical role in challenging violence, breaking down gender norms and in helping to ensure greater gender equality in society – they are also entitled to support when they experience violence and abuse.

Domestic abuse is about power and control. The reason this disproportionately affects women and girls is because of notions of gender and which gender should have power over the other. The actions in the Equally Safe delivery plan, to raise awareness of the different forms of gender based violence, teach consent and healthy relationships, remove gender stereotypes and hold perpetrators to account, will help all victims of domestic abuse including those who identify as male.

Question reference: S5W-19435

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 October 2018
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 2 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-19038 by Christina McKelvie on 15 October 2018, what proportion of its funding for tackling domestic abuse is allocated to services that support victims who identify as male.

The Scottish Government recognises that all victims and survivors of domestic abuse deserve access to support.

Funding for domestic abuse services includes support for services who work with male victims. Over 2017 to 2020, these include nearly £85,000 to run the Respect Helpline which signposts male survivors of domestic abuse to support services, over £3 million to ASSIST who, as part of their work, provide advocacy support to male survivors of domestic abuse in the Lothians and over £180,000 to Committed to Ending Abuse which supports all victims and survivors of domestic abuse in the Falkirk area, which includes those who identify as male.

Of funding for support services of domestic abuse, 17.9% goes to services who offer support to adult victims who identify as male. The remaining 82.1% goes to services supporting women and children.

Question reference: S5W-19436

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 October 2018
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 2 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how it measures the effectiveness of its approach to supporting victims of domestic abuse who identify as male.

The focus of Equally Safe as a strategy tackling violence against women and girls means that reports against the performance indicators on survivors record data on women and children, with the option to include data on men.

We will also be publishing the Year One report on progress against the Equally Safe delivery plan in November to mark the beginning of the 16 Days of Activism against gender based violence. The report will highlight specific pieces of work and will include a tracker showing progress against every action in the delivery plan.

Question reference: S5O-02496

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 October 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 31 October 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what measures are in place to protect vulnerable older people from bogus callers and rogue traders.

Question reference: S5W-19228

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 October 2018
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 24 October 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the language used in the One Scotland campaign posters regarding religious hate crime risks undermining the campaign and alienating all faiths and could lead to people of any faith feeling hated.

Any form of hate crime or prejudice is completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated.

The campaign aims to encourage witnesses to report hate crime using a series of letters addressed to perpetrators describing the experience of victims, stating that ‘your hate has no home here’. It is not targeting those of faith.

The campaign has been developed in partnership with a range of stakeholders, including faith organisations.

Hate crime has hugely damaging effects on victims, their families and communities and we all must play our part to challenge it.

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