Parliamentary questions

Jackie Baillie

9,397 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

20 Sep 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will include the recommendations from the report of the Working Group on Debt Relief in the forthcoming Bankruptcy and Diligence Bill.

Answer · Hugh Henry: The working group reported back to the bill team in June 2005. Officials are considering how to take it forward. The bill currently in preparation will introduce wide ranging reforms to the legislation affecting these areas. It is necessary to consider what i…

20 Sep 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which recommendations it will take forward from the report of the Working Group on Debt Relief.

Answer · Hugh Henry: The group’s recommendations propose extensive reform of debtor access to sequestration. A bill is currently in preparation which will introduce wide ranging reforms to the legislation affecting these areas. It is necessary to consider what impact these reform…

20 Sep 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will carry out research to identify the number of people who can be categorised as having no income and no assets, in light of the report of the Working Group on Debt Relief.

Answer · Hugh Henry: The working group considered that it would be helpful to have an indication of the number of no income no assets (NINA) debtors and therefore commissioned a desk study of existing research on over-indebtedness and debt with a view to identifying any informati…

19 Sep 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware that some creditors are not consenting to the use of the Debt Arrangement Scheme and what action it will take to address this issue.

Answer · Hugh Henry: The Debt Arrangement Scheme is intended to help both debtors and creditors. I am aware that some creditors have not agreed to proposed debt payment programmes, as is their right. The scheme, however, provides for the consent of creditors to be dispensed with …

15 Sep 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any registered watercraft users of Loch Lomond have had their registration removed in each year since 1999 and, if so, for what reason.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: The registration of watercraft users on Loch Lomond is an operational matter for the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park Authority.

15 Sep 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many cases of breach of the existing bye-laws covering Loch Lomond have been reported to the Procurator Fiscal and not proceeded with in each year since 1999.

Answer · Colin Boyd: Information is not available for periods prior to 1 April 2002. In the period since 1 April 2002, a total of three cases involving charges under section 121(3) of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 have been reported to the Procurator Fiscal in relation…

15 Sep 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many prosecutions have followed a breach of the existing bye-laws covering the use of Loch Lomond in each year since 1999.

Answer · Colin Boyd: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-19260 on 29 September 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/web…

23 Aug 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to develop best value audits for NHS boards.

Answer · Tom McCabe: The Scottish Executive is currently consulting on proposals for Best Value in Public Services, which include NHS boards. The findings of this consultation will help to shape the future arrangements adopted.

12 May 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the purpose is of the ministerial powers of direction contained in the Management of Offenders etc. (Scotland) Bill and under what circumstances such powers might be applied.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The purpose of the ministerial power of direction in section 2(10)a of the Management of Offenders etc (Scotland) Bill is to ensure consistency and comparability across all Community Justice Authorities (CJAs) in the manner they carry out their administrative…

12 May 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that the victim's interests are taken into account when considering whether a home detention curfew is applied.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The Scottish Executive is keen to ensure that decisions to release prisoners on Home Detention Curfew (HDC) take account of victims’ interests as far as possible. The mechanism for taking account of these will be a robust risk assessment process, which all pr…

12 May 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to extend the victim notification scheme, specifically in relation to home detention curfews.

Answer · Hugh Henry: The victim notification scheme provides victims who have elected to join the scheme with information about the release of prisoners sentenced to four or more years, and this will include any prisoners who will, in future, be released on licence on home detent…

12 May 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it intends to complete its review of the victim notification scheme.

Answer · Hugh Henry: It is expected that an evaluation of the victim notification scheme will start towards the end of 2005 and be completed sometime during 2006. The timing of the evaluation will depend upon there being enough participants in the Scheme from which to draw a repr…

11 May 2005 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what consultation has been undertaken with the local community prior to the publication of the draft Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Plan.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The National Park Authority used a range of methods to obtain the views of local communities in the lead up to the publication of the draft National Park Plan, which I was delighted to support at Loch Katrine earlier this week. The National Park Community Fut…

25 Apr 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will encourage community care of garden schemes to assist elderly people who are unable to maintain their gardens.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: Local authorities have a duty under the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 to assess the community care needs of people who appear to be in need of support and to decide, in the light of the assessment, what services to arrange. While help with gar…

21 Mar 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what support is being provided to people who suffer from ME and what support is being provided to their carers.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: Support services for people with ME and other chronic illnesses, and for their carers, are in general for NHS boards and local authority Social Services Departments to plan, based on their assessments of individual needs. The Executive takes the view that sup…

10 Mar 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether Scottish Enterprise will continue to be the lead agency on the New Futures Fund initiative until March 2006.

Answer · Allan Wilson: Scottish Enterprise is undertaking a performance assessment of New Futures Fund projects in order to inform decisions to end March 2006.

10 Mar 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what resources will be allocated to its employability framework.

Answer · Allan Wilson: The development of an Employability Framework for Scotland is looking at better ways of using existing resources. We aim to announce conclusions in the summer.

10 Mar 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what funding arrangements are in place to ensure that early employability programmes for vulnerable adults, such as the New Futures Fund, are continued after March 2006.

Answer · Allan Wilson: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-15127 answered on 18 March 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: <ahref="http://www.scottish…

3 Mar 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the peak level of client contact was within New Futures Fund projects in the last year.

Answer · Allan Wilson: In 2004, the peak recorded level of client contact within New Futures Fund projects was 2,183.

3 Mar 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated client level is within New Futures Fund projects.

Answer · Allan Wilson: In January 2005 there were 2,048clients engaged in New Futures Fund projects.

3 Mar 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated staffing levels are for New Futures Fund projects.

Answer · Allan Wilson: Current staffing levels across New Futures Fund (NFF) projects are 142. Future staffing levels cannot be estimated until decisions about on-going funding for NFF projects are made. I refer the member to my response to question S2W-14983 on 14 March 2004. All …

3 Mar 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the peak staffing levels of New Futures Fund projects were in the last year.

Answer · Allan Wilson: In 2004 the peak recorded staffing levels of New Futures Fund projects were 165 staff.

3 Mar 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when Scottish Enterprise will inform New Futures Fund projects whether they will continue to receive funding until March 2006.

Answer · Allan Wilson: Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise will have completed a performance assessment of New Futures Fund (NFF) projects by the end of March 2005 and NFF projects will be informed thereafter.

2 Mar 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the draft Scottish Planning Policy on green belts will encourage the creation of new green belts.

Answer · Johann Lamont: A revised policy is currently in preparation. We intend to publish the draft Scottish Planning Policy for full consultation in late spring 2005.

2 Mar 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the draft Scottish Planning Policy on green belts will reflect all aspects of a green belt, including the environmental, rural and recreational potential of existing green belts.

Answer · Johann Lamont: A revised policy is currently in preparation. We intend to publish the draft Scottish Planning Policy for full consultation in late spring 2005.

2 Mar 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the draft Scottish Planning Policy on green belts will retain (a) the term "green belt" and (b) the presumption against development in green belts.

Answer · Johann Lamont: A revised policy is currently in preparation. We intend to publish the draft Scottish Planning Policy for full consultation in late spring 2005.

23 Feb 2005 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it intends to publish planning guidance on the use of green belt land.

Answer · Johann Lamont: We intend to publish a draft Scottish Planning Policy for full consultation in late spring 2005.

16 Feb 2005 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it issues to local authorities on priorities for the replacement or refurbishment of schools.

Answer · Peter Peacock: Although the Scottish Executive has published guidance on School Estate Management Plans as part of the series of School Estate Strategy publications, it remains the statutory responsibility of education authorities to assess the needs and prioritise competin…

4 Feb 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what funding has been given to (a) Argyll and Bute Council and (b) West Dunbartonshire Council to support carers in each year since 1999 to date.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: Under the Executive’s Carers Strategy £10 million a year was made available across Scotland from April 2000 onwards, specifically to expand local services supporting unpaid carers. This investment was further enhanced in April 2001 when authorities were given…

4 Feb 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what resources are given to each (a) local authority and (b) NHS board for care home provision for the elderly.

Answer · Andy Kerr: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-14118, on 28 February 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament/webapp…