Parliamentary questions
Jackie Baillie
9,397 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
8 Jun 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been invested in local authority housing stock in the (a) Argyll and Bute and (b) West Dunbartonshire local authority area in each year since 1999.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Housing Revenue Account (HRA)capital expenditure, as recorded on the councils’ HRA returns, is shown in the followingtable.</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3 width=638> <thead> <tr> <td width=146 valign=top> <p align=center>Council</p> </…
8 Jun 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been invested by Communities Scotland and its predecessor organisation in housing association stock in the (a) Argyll and Bute Council area, (b) West Dunbartonshire Council area and (c) Dumbarton parliamentary constituency in each year since 1999.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster,Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her answer is as follows:</p><p>Investment by Communities Scotland,and its predecessor organisation, in Housing Association stock in the (a) Argylland Bute Council area; (b) We…
8 Jun 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many anti-social behaviour orders have been issued in the (a) Argyll and Bute Council area, (b) West Dunbartonshire Council area and (c) Dumbarton parliamentary constituency in each year since 1999.
Answer · Hugh Henry: The number of Antisocial BehaviourOrders (ASBOs) granted in Argyll and Bute council area since 2002-03 is as follows: 2002-03 (0);2003-04 (0); 2004-05 (0).</p><p>The number of Antisocial BehaviourOrders (ASBOs) granted in West Dunbartonshire council area sinc…
8 Jun 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to ensure the availability of affordable, good quality housing for those on low incomes in the Dumbarton parliamentary constituency.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The main source of new affordable,good quality housing in the Dumbarton constituency is Communities Scotland’s AffordableHousing Investment Programme. This programme includes their Core Development Programmeand the Community Ownership Programme.</p><p>The Dum…
8 Jun 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many houses in the (a) West Dunbartonshire Council area, (b) Argyll and Bute Council area and (c) Dumbarton parliamentary constituency are now centrally heated as a result of its central heating installation programme.
Answer · Johann Lamont: I have asked Angiolina Foster,Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:</p><p>Information is not held in theform requested. For private sector dwellings, information is held by main postcodearea. In the PA postcode area, …
8 Jun 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the annual (a) regeneration and (b) social inclusion partnership (SIP) budget was allocated to SIPs in the (i) West Dunbartonshire and (ii) Argyll and Bute local authority area in each year since 1999.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster,Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:</p><p>I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-26685 on 20 June 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Par…
1 Jun 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what funding it has allocated for social work services in Argyll and Bute for each year since 1999.
Answer · Robert Brown: The GAE allocations for socialwork services in Argyll and Bute for each year since 1999 are shown in the following table.</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td valign=top> <p align=center>Year</p> </td> <td valign=top> <…
1 Jun 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to improve the delivery of care services for elderly people in Argyll and Bute.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: I refer the member to the answer to question S2O-10022, answered on 1 June 2006. Allanswers to oral parliamentary questions are available in the <i>Official Report</i>on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at:</p><a href=http:…
1 Jun 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to address delayed discharge from hospitals in Argyll and Bute.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: It is for Argyll and ButeCouncil and NHS Highland to work together as a localpartnership to reduce the number of people inappropriately delayed inhospital. The Executive’s Joint ImprovementTeam is working with the partnership on a range ofissues which are imp…
18 May 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether debt owed to a credit union will be treated in the same way as debt owed to the Student Loans Company following enactment of the Bankruptcy and Diligence etc. (Scotland) Bill.
Answer · Allan Wilson: Student loans are not made ona commercial basis, and individual risk is not assessed. They are long-term loansmade from public funds in accordance with eligibility criteria set out in legislation,and therefore the Student Loans Company administers and collect…
18 May 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will treat debt owed to credit unions as a priority debt in a protected trust deed following enactment of the Bankruptcy and Diligence etc. (Scotland) Bill.
Answer · Allan Wilson: The Executive considers thatall creditors should in general be treated equally in an insolvency processsuch as a trust deed, including credit union creditors. There is therefore noplan to treat debt due to credit unions as a priority debt.</p>
18 May 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it measures the level of satisfaction with the provision of public services.
Answer · Tom McCabe: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-26048 on 1 June 2006. A range of surveys are used to measureboth levels of satisfaction with public services and perceptions of standards. Inmany instances both topics are covered in the same surveys. In additi…
18 May 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has commissioned any surveys into the public perception of standards of public services and, if not, what plans it has to do so.
Answer · Tom McCabe: A range of surveys are used tomeasure both levels of satisfaction with public services and perceptions of standards.In many instances both topics are covered in the same surveys; these are describedin more detail as follows;</p><p>Scottish Household Survey (S…
12 May 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will amend the Bankruptcy and Diligence etc. (Scotland) Bill to exempt the main dwelling house from a land attachment.
Answer · Allan Wilson: The Executive intends that thereforms in the Bankruptcy and Diligence etc. (Scotland) Bill will strike a fairbalance between creditors and debtors.</p><p>As part of striking the rightbalance, the intended new diligence of land attachment already includes robu…
12 May 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is taking to ensure the financial inclusion of older people.
Answer · Johann Lamont: The Financial Inclusion ActionPlan, published in January 2005, identified older people as one of the vulnerablegroups which might require additional help, such as the provision of financial informationin appropriate formats. We are working with other organisa…
12 May 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will exempt debt owed to credit unions from protected trust deeds.
Answer · Allan Wilson: The Executive intends to reformprotected trust deeds so that they offer better value for all creditors, includingcredit unions. There is therefore no plan to prevent debtors with loans from creditunions obtaining debt relief through a protected trust deed.</p>
12 May 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish its analysis of the consultation on protected trust deeds and when it will bring forward any changes to the existing legislation.
Answer · Allan Wilson: The consultation on the protectedtrust deed draft regulations closed on 28 April 2006,after a two week extension over Easter.</p><p>Responses are available now onthe Scottish Executive website and an analysisof the responses will be published on the website …
12 May 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it last met the Committee of Scottish Clearing Banks to discuss bank arrestment and what issues were raised.
Answer · Allan Wilson: Scottish Executive officialslast met the Committee of Scottish Clearing Bankers on 9 January 2006.</p><p>At that meeting there was a generaldiscussion about the intended reform of bank arrestment, looking in particular atthe cost to the banks of dealing with…
12 May 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will exempt housing benefit from the proposal for bank arrestment in the Bankruptcy and Diligence etc. (Scotland) Bill.
Answer · Allan Wilson: The Executive intends that thereforms in the Bankruptcy and Diligence etc. (Scotland) Bill will strike a fairbalance between creditors and debtors. As part of striking the right balance, thediligence of arrestment and forthcoming will be reformed to offer muc…
12 May 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review the Debt Arrangement Scheme to enable more debtors to be included.
Answer · Allan Wilson: A debtor eligible for the DebtArrangement Scheme must apply for a debt payment programme through an approved moneyadviser.</p><p>A lower than expected numberof money advisers have become approved. In order to increase take up by debtorsit will be necessary to…
12 May 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will increase the number of money advisers accredited to provide advice on the use of debt arrangement schemes.
Answer · Allan Wilson: The Debt Arrangement Scheme isbeing delivered in partnership with Money Advice Scotland and Citizens Advice Scotland, throughMoney Advice Training Resources Information and Consultancy Services (MATRICS).</p><p>The Executive is therefore workingwith MATRICS t…
12 May 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many money advisers are accredited to provide advice on the use of debt arrangement schemes.
Answer · Allan Wilson: As at 19 May 2006, there are290 money advisers who have been trained on the debt arrangement scheme, and canadvise on it. Sixty-three of those advisers are fully approved and can apply fordebt payment programmes on behalf of debtors.</p>
12 May 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is considering amending the Debt Arrangement Scheme to allow (a) the interest on debts to be frozen and (b) composition of debt and, if so, when these measures will be implemented.
Answer · Allan Wilson: The Executive undertook to reviewthe Debt Arrangement Scheme one year after implementation. The information gatheringphase of the review was completed at the end of January 2006, and we are consideringvarious amendments to the scheme.</p><p>One possible amend…
12 May 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will amend the Bankruptcy and Diligence etc. (Scotland) Bill to include provisions for debtors with no income and no assets and, if so, what measures it will introduce.
Answer · Allan Wilson: The Executive is aware that thereare people who need debt relief but are unable to bankrupt themselves because arenot “apparently insolvent” under the current law, including people with no incomeand no assets.</p><p>The Executive set up a Debt ReliefWorking G…
10 May 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has had any discussions with the Big Lottery Fund Scotland about the determination of its funding programmes and, if so, what views were expressed on the proposed programme structure.
Answer · Patricia Ferguson: The Scottish Executive has keptin close touch with the Big Lottery Fund on the £257 million investment that thefund will make in Scotland’s communities over the next three years.</p><p>In partnership with the ScottishExecutive, the fund carried out an extensi…
27 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether membership of credit unions has increased since 1999.
Answer · Johann Lamont: Membership of credit unions inScotland has increased since 1999 to just under 5% of the Scottish adult population.Credit unions have become a pivotal part of the social economy and we are fullycommitted to supporting them in their work to help and serve our c…
27 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it measures the impact of its actions to tackle financial exclusion.
Answer · Johann Lamont: Financial Inclusion is part of the Executive’s wider Closing the Opportunity Gap approach to overcoming povertyand decisions on how this will be evaluated will be made in due course. Individualinitiatives currently being measured include the number of front l…
27 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to tackle financial exclusion.
Answer · Johann Lamont: The Financial InclusionAction Plan, published in January 2005 sets out what the Executive is doing nowand its plans for the future. It also outlines what we expect from localauthorities, credit unions and the money advice sector on an individual basisand thro…
27 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide financial and other support for credit unions to develop basic bank accounts.
Answer · Johann Lamont: The Scottish Executive isproviding funding of £400,000 in each of 2006-07 and 2007-08 to credit unionswhich are approved to carry out financial inclusion activities as a Service ofGeneral Economic Interest (SGEI), which can include the provision of credit uni…
27 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the number of people in Scotland who are “unbanked” has reduced since 1999.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Household Surveyhas found that, in the first three quarters of 2005, a bank or building societyaccount was held by the respondent or partner in 91.1% of households, compared to85.7% in 1999. In the most deprived 15% of areas the increase was from…