Parliamentary questions

Linda Fabiani

2,507 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

11 Dec 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to the fifth supplementary to question S2O-867 by Ms Margaret Curran on 4 December 2003, what restrictions will be placed on local authorities that move to a prudential regime for housing provision.

Answer · Margaret Curran: The prudential regime willbe introduced for all local authorities from April 2004 and will replace theexisting section 94 consent from ministers that permits local authorities to incurcapital expenditure.From April 2004, it will befor individual author…

11 Dec 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what analysis has been carried out of the impact of the Homelessness etc. (Scotland) Act 2003 on the number of homelessness presentations.

Answer · Margaret Curran: The Homelessness etc. (Scotland)Act 2003 has not yet been commenced so no analysis of its impact has been possible.Local authorities have beenpreparing for commencement of their duties under the new legislation throughtheir homelessness strategies. The…

11 Dec 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to consult housing associations directly on housing need.

Answer · Margaret Curran: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Acting Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to reply. Her response is as follows.Section 89 of the Housing (Scotland)Act 2001 provides for local authorities to undertake an assessment of housingneed as part of their l…

11 Dec 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what sanctions will be applied against local authorities that submit inaccurate figures for housing need.

Answer · Margaret Curran: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Acting Chief Executive, of Communities Scotland to reply. Her response is as follows:Section 89 of the Housing (Scotland)Act 2001 provides for local authorities to undertake an assessment of housingneed as part of their …

11 Dec 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many local authorities have submitted a local housing strategy.

Answer · Margaret Curran: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Acting Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to reply. Her response is as follows:To date, eight localauthorities have submitted a local housing strategy. These are:City of EdinburghCouncil<p class=MsoHeade…

8 Dec 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2F-379 by Mr Jack McConnell on 27 November 2003, whether the waiting times data has symmetrical distribution or whether it is skewed and, if so, in what way.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Waiting times data follow ahighly positively skewed distribution Consequently, the median is the mostappropriate measure of central tendency in these datasets.

8 Dec 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2F-379 by Mr Jack McConnell on 27 November 2003, what percentage of out-patients was seen within (a) 39 weeks and (b) 52 weeks.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested isshown in the following table.<table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <tr> <td> Percentage of First Out-patient Appointments seen within 39 weeks of Referral Date </td> <td> Percent…

8 Dec 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2F-379 by Mr Jack McConnell on 27 November 2003, what the standard deviation is in the latest waiting times figures for (a) out-patients and (b) in-patients and day cases.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested is shown in the following table.<table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td> First Outpatient Appointment Waiting Times Standard Deviation (days) </td> <td> …

8 Dec 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2F-379 by Mr Jack McConnell on 27 November 2003, what the range of values in the dataset of waiting times is for the latest waiting times figures for (a) out-patients and (b) in-patients and day cases and what the greatest value is in each case.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The following table showsthe minimum value and the value of the 99th. percentile of the waiting timesdistributions. The use of the 99th percentile for the maximum value is anappropriate statistical convention to remove outliers due to recording error.<tab…

8 Dec 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2F-379 by Mr Jack McConnell on 27 November 2003, whether, and, if so, by how much, the median averages given in the figures for waiting times for the quarter to September 2003 differs from the mode averages for each quarter since 1997.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested is shown in the following table.<table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <tr> <td> </td> <td colspan="6"> Difference in Median Wait and Mode Wait (days) </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <p align=cen…

8 Dec 2003 · Written Question

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested isshown in the following table.<table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td> </td> <td colspan="6"> Difference in Median Wait and Mean Wait (days) </td> </tr> <tr> …

8 Dec 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2F-379 by Mr Jack McConnell on 27 November 2003, whether, and, if so, by how much, the median average given in the figures for waiting times for the quarter to September 2003 differs from the mode average in those figures for (a) out-patients and (b) in…

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested is shown in the following table.The out-patient mode value of 0 days accounts for around 4% of cases and includes, for example, patients who attend “drop-in” out-patient clinics and urgent same day referrals from General Medic…

8 Dec 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2F-379 by Mr Jack McConnell on 27 November 2003, whether, and, if so, by how much, the median average given in the figures for waiting times for the quarter to September 2003, differs from the mean average in those figures for (a) out-patients and (b) i…

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested isshown in the following table, <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3 width=605> <tr> <td> </td> <td colspan="6"> Difference in Median Wait & Mean Wait (days) </td> </tr> <tr> <td>…

24 Nov 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S1W-34650 and S2W-1578 by Ms Margaret Curran on 26 March and 18 August 2003, when an announcement will now be made in relation to the #16 million funding for accelerating land renewal in Glasgow and North Lanarkshire, as referred to in Building Better …

Answer · Margaret Curran: Detailed guidelines for theoperation of the vacant and derelict land fund are currently being developedthrough a local stakeholders group involving representatives from the localpartnerships (i.e. the local council, Communities Scotland and the localenterpris…

24 Nov 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the social justice annual report of 2003 will be published; how it will differ from the annual report of 2002, and what time period it will cover.

Answer · Margaret Curran: We will shortly publishupdated data on the social justice milestones. It will cover the period fromthe relevant baseline years to the most up-to-date data available.

21 Nov 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what impact assessments have been carried out on the impact on existing towns in Lanarkshire of the proposed development at the Ravenscraig site.

Answer · Mary Mulligan: Retail impact assessmentswere carried out on behalf of the applicants for the redevelopment of theRavenscraig site and North Lanarkshire Council.

21 Nov 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received in respect of the proposed development at the Ravenscraig site.

Answer · Mary Mulligan: Representations received,and the Scottish ministers’ comments thereon, are summarised in the Annex tothe Scottish Executive’s letter of 24 November 2003, which announced the Scottish ministers’ decision to approve theAlteration to the Glasgow and the Clyde Va…

21 Nov 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has considered initiating a public inquiry in relation to the proposed development at the Ravenscraig site.

Answer · Mary Mulligan: The Scottish ministersconsidered whether a public local inquiry would be appropriate to assess theproposals for the redevelopment of the former Ravenscraig Steelworks site, butconcluded that this was not necessary in this instance.Accordingly, an Alter…

4 Nov 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what policy guidance it has produced for health and social care practitioners in respect of new rights for carers contained in the Community Care and Health (Scotland) Act 2002.

Answer · Tom McCabe: Comprehensive guidance (CCD2-2003)on the new carers’ measures introduced by the Community Care and Health (Scotland)Act 2002 was issued to local authorities, NHSScotland and the voluntary sectoron 31 March 2003. It is available on the SHOW website at thefollo…

4 Nov 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-34658 by Mr Frank McAveety on 18 March 2003, whether the monies provided are expected to cover the costs of carers' assessments.

Answer · Tom McCabe: Advice on the use of resourcesprovided under the Carers Strategy was given to local authorities in a letterfrom the Scottish Executive dated 8 December 1999.The letter stressed that the new resources provided under the strategy were tobe used to create additi…

4 Nov 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has considered, or will consider, ringfencing monies allocated by it to local authorities for the provision of respite care.

Answer · Tom McCabe: The Executive is committedto developing and expanding respite provision across Scotland. Todo that we have provided authorities with additional funding of £22 million overthe last three years over and above the resources already available to them.That extra f…

4 Nov 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether local outcome agreements for the provision of respite care will contain provisions that ensure delivery of services to individuals irrespective of the degree of disability.

Answer · Tom McCabe: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-3856. 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/search_w…

4 Nov 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to harmonise data collection on respite care across Scotland.

Answer · Tom McCabe: Improved information onrespite is an issue which both local authorities and the Executive are seekingto address. A sub-group of the Social Work Services Statistical Liaison Grouphas been set up to recommend an agreed terminology that embraces respite, andothe…

4 Nov 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what improvements in the provision of respite care have been facilitated by monies provided in response to the report of the Royal Commission on Long Term Care.

Answer · Tom McCabe: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-3856. All answers to written parlimentaryquestions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility forwhich can be found at:<ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa…

4 Nov 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what projections have been made for each local authority with regard to the provision of respite care weeks.

Answer · Tom McCabe: No projections have beenissued for individual authorities. The new funding for respite under the homecare initiative is designed to achieve the equivalent of 22,000 extra weeksnationally. But that is not the only funding available to local authorities forthe …

4 Nov 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many respite care weeks have been provided by each local authority in each of the last five years.

Answer · Tom McCabe: This information iscollected by Audit Scotland as part of their performance indicators for social work.Indicator 9 collects information on respite care nights and is available foreach local authority for 2000-01, 2001-02 and 2002-03 from the Audit Scotlandweb…

4 Nov 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many local authorities have local outcome agreements to monitor respite care services and when the local authorities that do not have such agreements will sign them.

Answer · Tom McCabe: Following the report of theRoyal Commission on Long Term Care, extra resources were provided to localauthorities, which rose to £48 million in 2003-04. £11 million of this is toincrease the provision of short break respite care across the range ofCommunity Ca…

29 Oct 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when part 1 of the Debt Arrangement and Attachment (Scotland) Act 2002 will come into force.

Answer · Hugh Henry: Part 1 of the 2002 actprovides for a national statutory debt arrangement scheme. A secondaryconsultation on the draft regulations in implementation of the scheme wascompleted on 2 October 2003 and the Communities Committee took evidence frominterested bodies …

29 Oct 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications have been made under section 1 of the Mortgage Rights (Scotland) Act 2001 in each year since the act came into force.

Answer · Margaret Curran: This information is not collected centrally and could only be obtained from individual court records. The Executive is soon to conduct a general review of civil judicial statistics, part of which will be to consider the detailed arrangements for collecting, c…

6 Oct 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether asylum seekers evicted from local authority accommodation are removed from the responsibility of local authorities, under section 122(5) of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.

Answer · Margaret Curran: This issue of support forasylum seekers is a matter for the Home Office. However, I understand that section122(5) of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 relates to support for childrenof asylum seekers. Families with children and people with special needs are…