Parliamentary questions
Linda Fabiani
2,507 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
24 Feb 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to HM Treasury seeking that all local authority capital housing debt be written off.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: No. HM Treasury has already madeclear it will provide support to redeem capital housing debt only to those councilswhich transfer houses to community ownership.</p>
23 Feb 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of capital spend by each local authority was represented by spend on PFI and PPP projects in each year since 1999.
Answer · Tom McCabe: This information is not held centrally and is a matter for each individual local authority.</p>
23 Feb 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the capital cost of each PFI and PPP project since 1999 has been and what the value of the capital assets so purchased was in each case.
Answer · Tom McCabe: Information on the capitalvalue of each PPP project in Scotland is available on the Scottish Executive Financial Partnerships Unit’s website at <a href="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/ppp">www.scotland.gov.uk/ppp</a>.In PPP projects, the capital value provides an…
23 Feb 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how costs incurred on each PFI and PPP project since 1999 compare with the capital costs that would have been incurred had each project been funded through traditional procurement methods.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The PPP procurement route requiresthat in each project the Final Business Case must show value for money against aconventional procurement route before being selected, taking all relevant costsand benefits into account.</p>
23 Feb 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much public money has been used for capital procurement in the NHS since 1997 and what the current value is of the capital assets purchased over that period.
Answer · Andy Kerr: Capital investment in the NHS since 1997 is detailed in the following table:</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td> <p>Year</p></td> <td> <p align=center>Baseline Gross</p> <p align=center>(£ Million)</p></td>…
23 Feb 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total amount is that has been provided in capital resources through all PFI and PPP projects and what the average rate of interest paid to all lenders has been for the provision of that capital.
Answer · Tom McCabe: An estimate of the capital valueof all PPP signed projects in Scotland to date is £3.2 billion.</p><p>It would not be meaningful tocalculate an average rate of interest over all projects as risks vary from one projectto another and background market rates hav…
23 Feb 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many small housing organisations have been deemed non-viable since 1999.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster,Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:</p><p>No small registered social landlords(RSLs) have been deemed non-viable by Communities Scotland or Scottish Homes since1999.</p>
23 Feb 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many small housing organisations have been asked to merge with bigger organisations by Communities Scotland since 1999.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster,Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:</p><p>No small registered social landlords (RSLs) have been asked orrequired to merge with bigger organisations by Communities Scotland or ScottishH…
23 Feb 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-8327 by Malcolm Chisholm on 9 June 2004, whether it has now undertaken research to determine whether PFI/PPP impacts upon the capital costs of the NHS.
Answer · Andy Kerr: No specific researchhas yet been undertaken.</p><p>PPP/PFI does not replace publicfunding. In the current spending review period capitalinvestment is set to increase on average by £60 million each year from 2005-06to 2007-08. By 2007-08 capital funding will …
23 Feb 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-11427 by Mr Tom McCabe on 9 November 2004, whether the revised guidance referred to has now been completed; if so, whether it will publish it and how the revised guidance differs from previous guidance issued.
Answer · Tom McCabe: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-21709 on 15 December 2005, which confirms that the ConstructionProcurement Manual is available at:</p><p><ahref="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Planning-Building/construction">http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topi…
10 Feb 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the ratification of the job evaluation process for paramedic and ambulance staff will be complete.
Answer · Andy Kerr: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-23100 on 28 February 2006. 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.parliament.uk/webap…
10 Feb 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when its Health Department commenced the ratification of the job evaluation process for paramedic and ambulance staff.
Answer · Andy Kerr: It was agreed in partnership with trades unions and professional organisations at a UK level as part of the overall Agenda for Change agreement that the outcomes of the job evaluation scheme would be checked for consistency and accuracy.</p> <p>There are two …
10 Feb 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-21902 by Cathy Jamieson on 25 January 2006, whether it has examined the impact on funding the operation of railway policing in Scotland if the British Transport Police was to be partially absorbed by the Metropolitan Police Service and, if so, what t…
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The impact on funding arrangementsfor railway policing in Scotland would depend on the nature of any decision about thefuture structure of British Transport Police. Officials remain in touch with theDepartment of Transport on progress with their review of Bri…
10 Feb 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-21904 by Cathy Jamieson on 25 January 2006, which organisations or institutions carry out bespoke rail safety training for British Transport Police based in Scotland and at which locations this training is carried out.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: First Engineering carry out bespoke rail safety training for British Transport Police based in Scotland. Training takes place at First Engineering’s training centre in Rutherglen, Glasgow.</p>
3 Feb 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to promote direct flights to Germany from Scotland.
Answer · Tavish Scott: Three direct air links have alreadybeen established through investment from the Route Development Fund between Edinburgh andCologne, Glasgow Prestwick and Niederrhein (Düsseldorf), and Glasgow Prestwickand Lübeck (Hamburg). A direct link between Glasgow Inter…
3 Feb 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what public transport links there are between Scotland’s airports.
Answer · Tavish Scott: There are no direct bus or raillinks between any of Scotland’s airports. Indirect links are, however, provided bya combination of bus and rail between Glasgow International, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, GlasgowPrestwick, Inverness and Campbeltown Airports.</p><p>Alth…
19 Jan 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much land it expects to be reclaimed and cleaned in the next five years.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: Part IIA of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 empowers local authorities to carry out inspections within their areas for the purpose of identifying contaminated land and to secure its remediation. At the time the contaminated land regime came into force i…
19 Jan 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much land has been reclaimed or cleaned in each local authority area since 1999.
Answer · Johann Lamont: Estimates of derelict land reclaimed as reported by local authorities in the voluntary Scottish Vacant and Derelict Land Survey (SVDLS) are set out in the following table. Information is not held on the amount of land that has been cleaned.</p> <p>Area of Der…
19 Jan 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what resources it has allocated to land reclamation and the cleaning of contaminated land in each local authority area in each of the last five years.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: The resources distributed to local authorities over the period 2000-01 to 2004-05 to carry out activities, including site remediation work, associated with implementation of the contaminated land regime are set out in the following table.</p> <p>In addition, …
17 Jan 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many Project Scotland opportunities are located furth of Scotland.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-22379 on 24 January 2006. 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/webap…
17 Jan 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the budget is for the Project Scotland personal development fund.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-22379 on 24 January 2006. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility forwhich can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/w…
17 Jan 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many awards there have been from the Project Scotland personal development fund.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-22379 on 24 January 2006. 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/webap…
17 Jan 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications there have been to the Project Scotland personal development fund.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-22379 on 24 January 2006. 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/webap…
17 Jan 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to introduce early intervention programmes for children under three.
Answer · Robert Brown: The Scottish Executive has a range of early intervention programmes for children under three years and keeps all of these under review.</p>
17 Jan 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what research it has carried out into intervention schemes for children aged under three and their parents and whether it has introduced programmes as a result of that research.
Answer · Robert Brown: The Scottish Executive commissioned a long-term independent evaluation of the Glasgow-based child health demonstration project, Starting Well, leading to implementation of Phase 2 of this programme. The “Growing Up in Scotland” research programme now underway…
17 Jan 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many community schemes in areas of multiple deprivation specifically target children aged under three and their parents and what those schemes are.
Answer · Robert Brown: There are a range of schemes supporting families with children under three, including the Sure Start Scotland programme which provides targeted support for families who are vulnerable for whatever reason. These families are not, however, always located in are…
17 Jan 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many young Scots have taken advantage of post-placement assistance from Project Scotland.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search">http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search</a>.</p>
17 Jan 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many subsistence allowances have been approved since the launch of Project Scotland.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-22379 on 24 January 2006. 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/webap…
17 Jan 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many Scots have become volunteers as a result of Project Scotland.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-22379 on 24 January 2006. 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/webap…
17 Jan 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people between 16 and 25 years old have contacted Project Scotland since it was launched.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: There has been exceptional interest from young people in Project Scotland. As of 13 January 2006, and since its launch in May 2005, Project Scotland has had over 6,500 enquiries leading to 1,100 applications and 324 volunteers in placements. 298 individuals …