Portfolio Questions

Jeremy Balfour S5O-00429 1. To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to support a national campaign to raise awareness of disability and reduce stigma, in light of the recent report by Disability Agenda Scotland. Maurice Corry S5O-00430 2. To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the Audit Scotland report, Local government in Scotland: Financial overview 2015/16. Edward Mountain S5O-00431 3. To ask the Scottish Government when it last met COSLA. Mary Fee S5O-00432 4. To ask the Scottish Government when it last received an update from COSLA or the Association of Local Authority Chief Housing Officers regarding the enforcement of minimum standards for Gypsy/Traveller sites. Richard Lyle S5O-00433 5. To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to amending the descriptors for the activity, moving around, which are used to assess personal independence payments. John Mason S5O-00434 6. To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with Glasgow City Council regarding the hostel for homeless men, the Bellgrove Hotel. Jackie Baillie S5O-00435 7. To ask the Scottish Government when it will set a new target to eradicate fuel poverty. Finlay Carson S5O-00436 8. To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the money raised by local authorities should be kept in their areas. Ben Macpherson S5O-00437 9. To ask the Scottish Government how many people in Scotland it estimates would be impacted by the UK Government reducing employment and support allowance to claimants placed in the work-related activity group. Alison Harris S5O-00438 10. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking in response to the findings of the Independent Review of the Scottish Planning System. James Dornan S5O-00439 11. To ask the Scottish Government what impact the reduction in the benefit cap will have on disabled people and households in Scotland. Fulton MacGregor S5O-00440 12. To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that benefit claimants in Scotland with mental health issues will be fully supported. Bob Doris S5O-00441 13. To ask the Scottish Government what impact the proposed changes to the local housing allowance will have on vulnerable groups. Neil Bibby S5O-00442 14. To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the report by Disability Agenda Scotland, Equal? Still not, why not? Mark Ruskell S5O-00443 15. To ask the Scottish Government whether it has access to the information and systems that are needed to exercise its powers to top-up reserved benefits. Kenneth Gibson S5O-00444 16. To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on reports that the UK Government has informed local authorities that, from 1 December 2016, people who apply for, or renew, a taxi driver licence must provide proof of their right to work in the UK, even if they were born here. Johann Lamont S5O-00445 17. To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has with local authorities regarding equalities issues. Donald Cameron S5O-00446 18. To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support town centre regeneration projects in the Highlands and Islands region. Monica Lennon S5O-00447 19. To ask the Scottish Government how its public information campaign to maximise incomes and benefit take-up will target the estimated 53,000 carers who do not claim carer's allowance. Lewis Macdonald S5O-00448 20. To ask the Scottish Government what role the regional equality councils will play in taking forward its racial equality framework.