Parliamentary questions
Fiona Hyslop
940 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
4 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will outline the proposed rental guarantee structure for tenants involved in stock transfer and what sanctions it proposes will be available to tenants of proposed future landlords which break guarantees on rent.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: Proposed rental regimes are a matter for each landlord(s) to decide and their proposals will be fully set out for tenants before any proposal to transfer goes to ballot. The rental policy will be set out in the tenancy agreement and provision can be made in t…
4 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which tenants' organisations have written to it expressing support for wholesale stock transfer.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: The New Housing Partnership funding framework including support for wholesale stock transfers was in place when this administration came to power. The general objectives of the policy are unchanged and so we have not canvassed further views from organisations…
4 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what reservations about the future of multi-storey flats have been expressed to them by lenders with regard to the proposed establishment of the Glasgow Housing Association.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: The framework document published on 10 April makes clear that funders will wish to see in place a financial model and cost benefit framework that allows all investment decisions, including those relating to multi-storey flats, to be appraised rigorously.…
4 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which lending organisations have expressed a view to it on extension of right to buy to housing association tenants and, of these, how many were in favour of this extension and how many expressed reservations.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: Two lending organisations have responded to the Executive's proposals and expressed a reservation over retrospection, a subsidiary matter to the main proposal and one on which we have always indicated our intention to consult.
4 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive with which lenders it has had negotiations regarding the proposed Glasgow Housing Association.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: Informal discussions were held with a number of lenders during the preparation of the framework document published on 10 April. These included Bank of Scotland, Royal Bank of Scotland, Halifax plc, Nationwide Building Society and the Council of Mortgage …
4 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what recruitment process will be used to appoint staff to the proposed Glasgow Housing Association.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: The recruitment of staff is a matter for the Interim Management Committee of the Glasgow Housing Association which has now been established.
4 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive on what date the #13 million from the national budget for New Housing Partnerships, earmarked for the development of a proposal and ballot for a Glasgow Housing Association, was released or is due to be released.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: I refer to my answer to question S1W-6562.
4 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the framework document and proposals for Glasgow stock transfer have been launched without prior approval of the New Housing Partnership Advisory Group in order to allow the proposals to be developed to the next stage.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: I refer to my answer to question S1W-6548.
4 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is proper for local authorities to launch stock transfer proposals, or new expenditure on publicity materials, prior to the proposals gaining approval by the New Housing Partnership Advisory Group.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: In response to bids from councils, the New Housing Partnerships Steering Group recommended the earmarking of resources for councils which are considering or progressing stock transfer proposals. The group's decisions were set out in the February 1999 Report o…
4 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which member of the Cabinet chaired the meeting of the New Housing Partnership Advisory Group to approve the Glasgow Stock Transfer framework document.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: Ministers receive and consider recommendations of the New Housing Partnerships Steering Group. They do not attend meetings of the group.
4 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive on what date the Glasgow stock transfer framework document was agreed by the New Housing Partnership Advisory Group.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: The Framework Document <I>Better Homes - stronger communities</I> relating to the Glasgow stock transfer, which was published on 10April, was produced and agreed by the Glasgow Steering Group. The document does not require to be agreed by the New Housing Part…
4 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any council seeking to access New Housing Partnership funding requires its proposals to be approved by the New Housing Partnership Advisory Group.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: Bids by councils for New Housing Partnership resources are approved by Ministers taking into account the recommendations of the New Housing Partnerships Steering Group.
27 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-4840 by Henry McLeish on 8 March 2000, what progress is being made in addressing the recently announced job losses at Grampian Foods.
Answer · Henry McLeish: The Executive and its agencies have remained in close contact with the company since this announcement. Local agencies are currently working on plans to help those affected but these can only be put into effect once negotiations between the company and unions…
27 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken or is intending to take in the light of the announcement of job losses at DAKS Simpson.
Answer · Henry McLeish: I met local MSPs on 30 March to discuss action following the company's announcement. The Executive and its agencies will maintain the close contact it has had with the company since Marks and Spencer's decision to terminate its contracts with the company last…
27 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many announcements involving new jobs in the Linlithgow, Livingston and Edinburgh West constituencies it has been involved in since May 1999, listed in date order; how many jobs each announcement referred to, and by what date the jobs in each announcement were expected to be filled at…
Answer · Henry McLeish: The Executive has been involved with the announcements of approximately 2,920 new jobs.<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=602><TR><TD WIDTH="28%" VALIGN="TOP"><P>Date of announcement</TD><TD WIDTH="33%" VALIGN="TOP"><P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Company</TD…
27 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many job losses have been announced in the Linlithgow, Livingston and Edinburgh West constituencies since May 1999, listed by company.
Answer · Henry McLeish: The Executive is aware that approximately 2,240 job losses have been announced as follows:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=290><TR><TD WIDTH="84%" VALIGN="TOP"><P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Levi Strauss</TD><TD WIDTH="16%" VALIGN="TOP"><P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">…
24 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive to specify its total expenditure on housing, including grants to local authorities, Scottish Homes, the rent assessment panel and voluntary housing organisations, for financial years 1999-2000 and 2000-01.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: Final budget provision for housing for 1999-2000 is £523.9 million and budget provision for 2000-01 is £579.0 million.
24 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects the report of the Homelessness Task Force due in February 2000 to be published.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: I refer Ms Hyslop to my answer to question S1W-5731.
24 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to begin training for the Community Participation Skills Development Programme.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: A contract for the design and delivery of the Community Participation Skills Development Programme will be awarded very shortly, with training due to start in the summer.
24 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to launch its Social Neighbourhoods Initiative.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: I shall be making an announcement shortly.
24 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it has made towards developing the Annual Scottish Social Justice Report and when it expects this report to be published.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: Work to collect and analyse the data necessary to measure progress towards our social justice targets and milestones is ongoing across the Executive. The first Annual Social Justice Report will be published in the autumn.
24 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish the Action Plan detailing how it proposes to achieve the social justice targets set out in Social Justice... a Scotland where everyone matters.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: The Social Justice Action Plan will be published after the Easter recess.
6 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many homes have benefited from the Healthy Homes Initiative as distinct from the Warm Deal.
Answer · Frank McAveety: The Healthy Homes Initiative covers action to tackle dampness through local authorities and housing associations and under the New Housing Partnership Initiative, which the Executive is supporting with substantial resources. The number of houses benefiting fr…
6 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the take-up of its Healthy Homes Initiative has been against target since inception.
Answer · Frank McAveety: The Healthy Homes Initiative covers action to tackle dampness through local authorities and housing associations as landlords, under the New Housing Partnership Initiative, and through the Warm Deal. The latest returns for the Warm Deal show that 31,000 house…
6 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the take-up for the Warm Deal has been against target since the scheme's inception.
Answer · Frank McAveety: The <I>Programme for Government</I> records the Executive's commitment that 25,000 homes will benefit annually from the Warm Deal. The most recent figures show that, since 1 April 1999, 31,000 homes have been insulated. The target for the year has therefore b…
6 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what it intends to do to tackle fuel poverty following the record level of "excess winter deaths" this winter.
Answer · Frank McAveety: Works to improve home insulation may well help to reduce the number of excess winter deaths. The Executive is committed to insulating 25,000 houses each year under the Warm Deal. 100,000 vulnerable households will benefit during the lifetime of this Administr…
6 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will prioritise action to end fuel poverty as one of its social justice targets in view of this winter's record level of "excess winter deaths".
Answer · Frank McAveety: We are already prioritising action through the Healthy Homes Initiative, which includes the Warm Deal, under which 100,000 vulnerable households will have their homes insulated over the lifetime of this Administration. This is in addition to the £100 Winter F…
23 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide details of the funding through Scottish Homes in the next three financial years for the building of 18,000 new homes and where these new homes will be built.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: As set out in last year's Programme for Government, the Executive is committed to ensuring that in its first three years 18,000 new and improved homes are built for affordable renting or low cost home ownership. Good progress has been made towards meeting thi…
21 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what are the target dates for ballot amongst the seven councils on track for wholesale stock transfer.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: Where Councils have set target ballot dates, these range from November 2000 to early 2002.
21 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what are the number of housing association units as a percentage of overall social housing units for rent in the following local authority areas: (a) Highland, (b) Moray, (c) Angus, (d) Aberdeenshire, (e) Eilean Siar, (f) Orkney Island, (g) Shetland Islands, (h) Scottish Borders and (i) D…
Answer · Wendy Alexander: The table below shows the number of housing association rented houses in each area as a percentage of the total number of local authority, Scottish Homes and housing association houses in that area:<P ALIGN="CENTER"><CENTER><TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPAD…