Karen Whitefield

16 Nov 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made on Objective 2 programmes and the URBAN II Community Initiative.

Answer · Angus MacKay: URBAN II outline programmes for Inverclyde (Port Glasgow) and West Dunbartonshire (Clydebank South) form part of the UK proposals submitted to the European Commission today. Detailed programmes will now be developed as part of the negotiations with the Commis…

25 Oct 2000 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken towards the creation of a community legal service.

Answer · Iain Gray: The Minister for Justice announced on 10 October that a working group would be set up to oversee the creation of a Community Legal Service. My officials have had preliminary discussions with interested bodies such as the Citizens Advice Scotland, CoSLA and th…

10 Oct 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the timescale is for the review of the European Blue Badge Scheme for disabled people and what progress the review has made so far.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: It is expected that the UK review of the scheme will be completed by June 2001. The review involves a series of discussion groups with delegates from a wide range of national and local organisations and disabled people. The findings from all the discussions -…

5 Oct 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in taking forward the central recommendations of the Working Group on Sex Education in Scottish Schools.

Answer · Sam Galbraith: I am pleased to inform members that excellent progress has been made. Learning and Teaching Scotland were commissioned to draft the new documents recommended by the working group. The documents are: <I>Guidance for Schools and Local Authorities on effective C…

4 Oct 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has for the evaluation of Social Inclusion Partnerships.

Answer · Jackie Baillie: The Monitoring Framework for Social Inclusion Partnerships sets out the requirement for Partnerships to undergo an evaluation towards the end of their lifespan and in some cases at the mid-point of their designation.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">The immediate need for e…

20 Sep 2000 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to promote the use of public transport across Scotland.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: We are promoting public transport through a range of initiatives including:<P>(i) doubling the Public Transport Fund to £60 million per annum by 2003-04;<P>(ii) spending record sums to improve lifeline ferry and air services in the Highlands and Islands;<P>(i…

12 Sep 2000 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what new measures it is taking to tackle fuel poverty.

Answer · Frank McAveety: I would refer to my answer to question S1O-2283.

9 Aug 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a breakdown, by division, of the number of additional police officers that Strathclyde Police will be able to recruit as a result of the additional funding announced in May.

Answer · Jim Wallace: As a consequence of the additional funding for Forces which I announced on 18&nbsp;May and the extra officers being provided at Force level through the funding for the Scottish Drug Enforcement Agency, Strathclyde Police will have additional funding for the e…

6 Jul 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to fulfil the commitment in Making it Work Together: A Programme for Government to establish an index of adults deemed unsuitable to work with children.

Answer · Sam Galbraith: We are today publishing a pre-legislative consultation paper <I>Protecting Children: Securing their Safety</I>. This sets out our proposals for establishing an index of adults unsuitable to work with children and, once responses have been taken into account, …

4 Jul 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it proposes to include in the forthcoming Housing Bill.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: I am publishing today our detailed proposals for the Housing Bill. The publication of this consultation paper, <I>Better Homes for Scotland's Communities</I>, is the next stage in the process of preparing the Housing Bill. It builds on the responses from a la…

28 Jun 2000 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is taking to promote public health in Scotland.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The promotion of public health is being progressed through a wide range of measures which seek to improve life circumstances, to address lifestyles and to target priority health topics, with an overarching aim of reducing health inequalities. These measures a…

14 Jun 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what conclusions it has reached following its consultation on the papers Housing and Anti-Social Behaviour - The Way Forward and A New Single Tenancy for Scotland: Rights, Obligations and Opportunities.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: I indicated earlier this week that we will set out or plans for forthcoming legislation in early July and this will represent the most comprehensive review of housing policy in decades. Our plans for legislation will build on ideas presented in December. In t…

14 Jun 2000 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in establishing a network of Healthy Living Centres.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The Healthy Living Centre initiative, worth £34.5 million in Scotland, has a December deadline for first stage applications. At the start of June, 51 Scottish applications had been submitted and, of these, 23 had already passed to the second stage of the appl…

12 Jun 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it has made on preparations for the Housing Bill including on its documents Housing and Anti-Social Behaviour - The Way Ahead and A New Single Housing Tenancy for Scotland: Rights, Obligations and Opportunities.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: In December we published our initial proposals to tackle anti -social behaviour amongst tenants and to introduce a single social tenancy with an associated modernised right to buy. We have carried out extensive consultation on our proposals including the Con…

12 Jun 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what responses it has had to its consultation on Towards an Equality Strategy.

Answer · Jackie Baillie: The Executive has received nearly 200 responses to its consultation. A full report of those responses has now been prepared and I have today arranged for it to be made available to SPICe.

9 Jun 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what contribution health boards are making to the revenue costs of hospices within their areas, expressed as a percentage of total revenue costs.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The Scottish Partnership Agency for Palliative and Cancer Care conducts an annual survey of Scottish hospices to monitor the level of NHS funding they receive. With regard to the latest survey, questionnaires were sent to 13 hospices and returns for 1999-2000…

8 Jun 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in relation to the Youth Crime Review.

Answer · Sam Galbraith: The Advisory Group's report on Youth Crime is being launched today along with the Scottish Executive's response to the recommendations contained in the report. Copies of both are being placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 6648).

31 May 2000 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what further progress it has made in implementing the Carers' Strategy for Scotland.

Answer · Iain Gray: We have been working closely with carers' organisations and local authority representatives on implementing key measures set out in the strategy. Authorities now have their share of the £10 million ear-marked under the strategy for carers' services, including…

23 May 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will respond in detail to the full Cubie report.

Answer · Henry McLeish: I can today announce the publication of our consultation document <I>Scotland: The Learning Nation - Helping Students.</I><P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">This booklet gives more detail about our proposals for changing the way we help students in further and higher educati…

16 May 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will make an announcement on the appointment of a new Chief Executive to Scottish Homes.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: As I announced to Parliament on 9 December 1999, the Scottish Executive intend to introduce a Housing Bill later this year which, subject to the approval of Parliament, will (subject to very limited exceptions) transfer to Scottish Ministers the functions cur…

10 May 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish proposals for services for people with a learning disability.

Answer · Iain Gray: Our proposals are contained in the report <I>The same as you?</I> which is published today. It aims to change for the better the lives of people with learning disabilities and their carers. I am consulting widely on its findings.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">I am please…

28 Apr 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will announce the outcome of the recent public consultation on the implementation of Article 5 of the Landfill Directive to limit the landfilling of municipal waste.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: A consultation paper on limiting the landfill of biodegradable municipal waste as required by the EC Landfill Directive was issued on 17 November 1999. The consultation sought views on the types of mechanism which could be used to ensure that biodegradable mu…

6 Apr 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the working group to provide reassurance about the proposed repeal of section 2A has completed its consideration of the package of safeguards and whether its report will be made public.

Answer · Sam Galbraith: I am pleased to be able to report that the working group has completed its consideration of the scope of the package of safeguards. It has concluded that the package of safeguards is sufficiently complete, wide-ranging and robust. The working group took accou…

27 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will announce the results of the applications for funding from the Domestic Abuse Service Development Fund.

Answer · Jackie Baillie: The Domestic Abuse Service Development Fund is made up of £3 million from the Scottish Executive and £3 million matched funding from councils over two years. £2 million is also being allocated over two years from Scottish Homes to increase the number of refug…

22 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to fulfil its commitment in Making it Work Together: A Programme for Government to review by 2001 the law on stalking and harassment.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I announced last year that the Executive would be looking at the law as it relates to stalking and harassment and that we would consult widely in considering the need for any changes to the law or its practice. We are, therefore, issuing a consultation paper …

8 Mar 2000 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is taking to promote community development in coalfield communities.

Answer · Jackie Baillie: In addition to other initiatives and activities to revitalise communities, we are providing the Coalfields Regeneration Trust with £4.5 million over three years to support the regeneration of coalfield communities across Scotland. The Trust has established it…

22 Feb 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether a decision has been reached on the allocation of funding following the most recent round of bidding for funds from the Rough Sleepers Initiative.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: I am very pleased to be able to announce that I have agreed the disbursement of next round of RSI funds, based on the recommendations of the RSI Advisory Group. These recommendations identify projects to be funded throughout Scotland. I have accepted the Advi…

16 Feb 2000 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is taking to ensure that the establishment of New Housing Partnerships in the proposed Housing Bill will not disrupt the work of the various national witness protection programmes with regard to resettlement of witnesses.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: The work of witness protection programmes should not be affected by proposals for community ownership under New Housing Partnerships. The type and tenure of property currently used varies according to individual circumstances. Where houses transfer out of cou…

2 Feb 2000 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to improve rail infrastructure and services in Lanarkshire.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Ministers will be able to issue directions and guidance to the Strategic Rail Authority for the franchise providing passenger rail services which begin and end in Scotland. These will reflect our strategic priorities for the provision of services…

7 Jan 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the latest advice is issued from the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee (SEAC) last met on 29 November. Their advice was made publicly available at a press briefing on 22 December. Copies are now available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe). On the two main issue…