Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-08726

Asked by: Collette Stevenson, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 14 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-08428 by Ben Macpherson on 19 May 2022, whether it can provide an estimate of the number of children and young people in the East Kilbride constituency who are (a) eligible for and (b) forecast to receive payments for the (i) Scottish Child Payment and (ii) Best Start Grant.

The Scottish Fiscal Commission publish estimates and forecasts of eligibility and payments for Scottish Child Payment and Best Start Grant but only for Scotland. There are no estimates or forecasts of eligibility and take-up (the proportion of eligible children that receive payments) by area within Scotland. The following figures cannot be used to inform eligibility or take-up for East Kilbride specifically.

However, internal Scottish Government analysis suggests around 6000 children in East Kilbride are forecast to be eligible for Scottish Child Payment in each of the next 6 years and around 1000 for Best Start Grant. Also, that in 2022-23 around 4000 children are forecast to receive Scottish Child Payment, rising to 5000 from 2023-24 onwards. For Best Start Grant, around 1000 children are expected to receive payment in each of the next 6 years.

All figures have been rounded to the nearest thousand to reflect these are approximate estimates and use national level eligibility and take-up rates. See Tables 1 and 2:

Table 1: Estimated number of children in East Kilbride constituency forecast to be eligible for Scottish Child Payment and Best Start Grant.

	2022-23	2023-24	2024-25	2025-26	2026-27	2027-28
Scottish Child Payment	6000	6000	6000	6000	6000	6000
Best Start Grant	1000	1000	1000	1000	1000	1000

Source: Internal Scottish Government estimates.

Table 2: Estimated number of children in East Kilbride constituency forecast to receive payments for Scottish Child Payment and Best Start Grant.

	2022-23	2023-24	2024-25	2025-26	2026-27	2027-28
Scottish Child Payment	4000	5000	5000	5000	5000	5000
Best Start Grant	1000	1000	1000	1000	1000	1000

Source: Internal Scottish Government estimates.

Question reference: S6W-08428

Asked by: Collette Stevenson, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 19 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its most recent estimates are for how many children in the East Kilbride constituency are receiving support from (a) the Scottish Child Payment and (b) Best Start Grants.

In the South Lanarkshire Local Authority (a) 5,525 clients received one or more payments for Scottish Child Payment between April 2021 and December 2021, and (b) 3,955 clients received one or more payments for Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods between April 2021 and February 2022.

These figures are based on secondary analysis of the most recently published statistics on Scottish Child Payment and Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods, published by Social Security Scotland. Whilst these include information by local authority area, we do not currently produce information by Scottish Parliament constituency.

Question reference: S6O-01065

Asked by: Collette Stevenson, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 May 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support the economy in East Kilbride.

Question reference: S6F-01044

Asked by: Collette Stevenson, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 25 April 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 April 2022

To ask the First Minister what steps the Scottish Government can take to encourage more women to stand for elected office.

Question reference: S6O-00985

Asked by: Collette Stevenson, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 April 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with the Department for Work and Pensions, and what was discussed.

Question reference: S6W-07729

Asked by: Collette Stevenson, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 28 March 2022
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Ash Regan on 29 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how the strategic priorities and objectives for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service will be set over the next few years.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (Framework) Order 2022 will be laid in Parliament on 31 March 2022. This Order will bring the Fire and Rescue Framework for Scotland 2022, which was published on the Scottish Government’s website today, into effect from 26 May 2022.

Following a public consultation, the Fire and Rescue Framework for Scotland 2022 sets out the strategic priorities and objectives for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) going forward. The Framework is structured around protecting communities in terms of prevention and response; innovation and modernisation; the impact of climate change; partnership working and the governance and performance arrangements for the Service.

It is now for the SFRS to set out in its next Strategic Plan how it will deliver the priorities identified in the Framework.

Question reference: S6W-07342

Asked by: Collette Stevenson, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 23 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any (a) environmental, (b) financial and (c) other impact of ash dieback, and what (i) action it is taking and (ii) support it has offered to relevant stakeholders, including local authorities, to deal with ash dieback.

Ash dieback is impacting rural and urban landscapes and ecosystems. Current evidence indicates that at least 50% – 75% of Scotland’s approximately 11 million mature ash trees could be lost to this disease over the next two decades.

a) Environmental impacts: Ash trees play an important role in Scottish ecosystems, and support many other species such as invertebrates, birds and lichens. Ecosystem continuity is a key concern for the long-term recovery of affected landscapes.

b) Financial impacts: Current estimates suggest that ash dieback could potentially cost Scotland in the range of £4 million - £20 million per annum as the disease progresses.

c) Other impacts: The safety of arboricultural and forestry professionals as well as the public is a central emerging issue, as ash dieback and associated secondary pathogens can lead to tree brittleness, potential branch shedding and root weakness. Priority needs to be given to ash trees showing significant health issues in higher risk locations such as near public roads, paths, railways and utilities infrastructure.

i) Action Scottish Government is taking:

Scottish Forestry convened the Ash Dieback Risk Group in January 2020. The group, which brings together expertise from local authorities and sectors such as forestry, transport, utilities and nature conservation, was formed to provide a forum for sharing experience and coordinating actions, and to help advise the Scottish Government on policy development relating to the management of ash dieback.

ii) Support the Scottish Government has offered to relevant stakeholders, including local authorities, to deal with ash dieback:

Scottish Forestry has worked with The Tree Council to produce a Scottish Toolkit for Ash Dieback Action Plans to help Scottish local authorities, public bodies and other large-scale land owners and managers to prepare their own Ash Dieback Action Plans in response to the inevitable safety and environmental issues that affected trees will create.

Question reference: S6O-00907

Asked by: Collette Stevenson, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 March 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met representatives from the energy regulator, Ofgem, and what was discussed.

Question reference: S6W-05330

Asked by: Collette Stevenson, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 December 2021
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 23 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its discussions with the UK Government regarding the devolution of aspects of asylum support.

The Smith Commission recommended that the Scottish and UK Governments should ‘explore the possibility of different powers being in place in Scotland for asylum seekers to access accommodation and financial support and advice.’ Discussions on this recommendation took place over a period of around two years, but concluded without making progress.

The Scottish Government continues to raise issues which impact people seeking asylum living in Scotland and has consistently pressed the UK Government to ensure that people have access to the support and services they need. This includes raising concerns about use of hotels as contingency initial asylum accommodation in correspondence published in January 2022: Use of hotels to accommodate asylum seekers: correspondence with UK government - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .

I have also requested that the Home Office re-establish regular four nation meetings on asylum to support continued discussions on asylum policy and operations.

Question reference: S6O-00677

Asked by: Collette Stevenson, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 January 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many pupils in East Kilbride will be included in the roll-out of free school breakfasts and the expansion of free school lunches.

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