Parliamentary questions

Linda Fabiani

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

31 Jan 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-31405 by Mr Frank McAveety on 20 November 2002, whether the BetterCare Group Ltd ruling implies that there is any potential for education services to be subject to the Competition Act 1998.

Answer · Frank McAveety: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-33605 today. 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/webapp/searc…

31 Jan 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-31405 by Mr Frank McAveety on 20 November 2002, whether the BetterCare Group Ltd ruling implies that there is any potential for health services to be subject to the Competition Act 1998.

Answer · Frank McAveety: The application of the Competition Act 1998 is a reserved matter.<P>Our understanding of the Competition Commission ruling in the Bettercare case is that it established that in the circumstances of that particular case the public body involved could be regard…

31 Jan 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-32577 by Mr Andy Kerr on 3 January 2003, why the answer did not give an explanation of whether liberalisation under the General Agreement on Trade in Services would prevent the reversal of its policy of encouraging public private partnerships and whe…

Answer · Andy Kerr: As already stated in previous questions, the public private partnerships (PPP) route is one of a number of procurement methods available for investment in the public sector. PPP will only be chosen over the conventional route when it can be shown to provide b…

31 Jan 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-32597 by Cathy Jamieson on 3 January 2003, how the statement that "WTO members have the right to choose in which sectors and to what extent they want to make commitments" is consistent with the answer to question S1W-32596 by Malcolm Chisholm on 3 Ja…

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: School level state education will be exempt from any pressure to privatise its provision under the General Agreement on Trade in Services.

31 Jan 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-32594 by Iain Gray on 3 January 2003, whether it will submit a formal response to the Department of Trade and Industry's (DTI) consultation exercise on all aspects of the current round of General Agreement on Trade in Services and whether it will pub…

Answer · Iain Gray: The Scottish Executive was involved in the drafting of the DTI's consultation document and will have the opportunity to input to the UK position on the draft EC offer. This position will take account of the consultation exercise.

31 Jan 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive further to the answer to question S1W-32773 by Ms Margaret Curran on 7 January 2003, whether it would expect to be consulted by the Home Office regarding the siting of accommodation centres in Scotland under the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 before or after the decision on …

Answer · Margaret Curran: Section 40 (1) of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 provides that the Home Secretary may not make arrangements for the provision of premises in Scotland for use as an accommodation centre unless he has consulted Scottish ministers.

31 Jan 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-32583 by Ms Margaret Curran on 7 January 2003, when a framework will be published on the arrangements between the employer of neighbourhood wardens/patrols and citi'ens in those neighbourhoods.

Answer · Margaret Curran: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-33598 today. 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/webapp/searc…

31 Jan 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-32582 by Ms Margaret Curran on 7 January 2003, whether all neighbourhood wardens will be expected to carry out duties of reducing crime or the fear of crime, reducing anti-social behaviour, improving environmental quality, promoting community cohesio…

Answer · Margaret Curran: The duties of particular wardens will be based on a local assessment of needs, but all schemes will contribute to the Scottish Executive's commitment to build strong, safe communities.

31 Jan 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-32584 by Ms Margaret Curran on 20 January 2003, when guidelines on the delivery and management of neighbourhood wardens will be available.

Answer · Margaret Curran: I will make an announcement in the very near future.

31 Jan 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-32592 by Malcolm Chisholm on 22 January 2003, when information will be available on what adverse effects on trade in services in health need to be reduced or eliminated to provide effective market access for foreign service providers under the Genera…

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-33596 today. 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/webapp/searc…

31 Jan 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-32580 by Malcolm Chisholm on 22 January 2003, when information will be available on what the specific benefits of liberalisation under the General Agreement on Trade in Services have been, or are expected to be, to the health sector.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive is continuing to work closely with the Department of Trade and Industry and other UK Government Departments in respect of the current General Agreement on Trade in Services negotiations. The UK negotiates in the World Trade Organisation…

31 Jan 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether audio-visual services play an important cultural, social and political role and, if so, whether it will make representations to Her Majesty's Government opposing liberalisation of these services under the General Agreement on Trade in Services.

Answer · Mike Watson: Audio-visual services have a vital role in all aspects of our lives. Currently there are no EU commitments in this particular sector, and the Commission has proposed excluding commitments in the audio visual sector in the draft order it has now submitted to t…

31 Jan 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to respond to the European Commission's consultation document, WTO Members' Requests to the EC and its Member States for Improved Market Access for Services, and, if so, what its response will be.

Answer · Iain Gray: The Scottish Executive will not be submitting a formal response to the European Commission's consultation document. It will input to the UK position on the draft EC offer.

31 Jan 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what role it plays in the Assembly of European Regions.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The Executive is not a member of the Assembly of European Regions.<P>The Executive pursues Scottish interests as a member of the Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions and is an active participant in both the group of Regions with Legislative Powers and th…

31 Jan 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to Her Majesty's Government opposing any further moves towards liberalisation of education and culture services under the General Agreement on Trade in Services.

Answer · Iain Gray: The Scottish Executive is continuing to work closely with the Department of Trade and Industry and other UK Government Departments in respect of the current General Agreement on Trade in Services negotiations. The UK negotiates in the World Trade Organization…

18 Dec 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many tenants have benefited from the New Housing Partnership initiative through new or improved housing in each year of the partnership's existence.

Answer · Margaret Curran: The NHP challenge funding made available to councils in the 1998 and 1999 bidding rounds covered a wide range of projects. These were categorised as regeneration and development projects and transfer and feasibility projects.<P>Some 9,600 new and improved uni…

18 Dec 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much private finance has been levered in during each year of the New Housing Partnership initiative.

18 Dec 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much expenditure has been set aside for New Housing Partnership challenge funding and (a) what level of and (b) to whom such funding was distributed in each year for which it has been available.

18 Dec 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has been consulted by the Home Office regarding the siting of accommodation centres in Scotland under the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 and, if so, what response it gave and whether the consultation related to the education of children of residents of such centre…

Answer · Margaret Curran: No decision on the siting of accommodation centres in Scotland has yet been taken. The Scottish Executive has therefore not yet been consulted by the Home Office about location or education provision at such centres.

18 Dec 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-30980 by Mrs Mary Mulligan on 7 November 2002, when it will have fully considered the recommendations of the audiology review group and when it intends to report its response to these recommendations to the Parliament.

Answer · Mary Mulligan: The Executive is still considering the many recommendations within the audiology report. It is not possible at this stage to give a definite date for a response. An announcement will be made as soon as possible.

13 Dec 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to questions S1W-29655, S1W-29656, S1W-29659, S1W-29660, S1W-29661 and S1W-29662 by Cathy Jamieson on 1 October 2002, what assessment it has made, or plans to make, of the implications for (a) nursery, (b) primary and (c) secondary education of liberalisation under …

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The UK position is that GATS will not apply to state-provided school education so assessment of implications will not be necessary in that sector.

13 Dec 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S1W-29654 and S1W-30237 by Cathy Jamieson on 1 October and 29 October 2002, how the statement in the answer to question S1W-30237 that it is not for it to consider whether or not requests for liberalisation seek the privatisation of state-supplied publ…

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The regulation of international trade is a reserved matter and the lead on WTO and General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) negotiations is taken by the UK Government. Any requests for liberalisation will take place, if at all, at member state, not at Sc…

13 Dec 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-31405 by Mr Frank McAveety on 20 November 2002, whether the Competition Commission Appeal Tribunal's judgement on 20 September 2002 regarding the Bettercare Group Ltd affects the Executive's opinion of the scope and impact of the General Agreement on…

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: No general assessment has been made of the implications of the ruling but we remain in close contact with our counterparts in the other UK administrations on this issue.

13 Dec 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-10593 by Malcolm Chisholm on 26 January 2001, what part of the General Agreement on Trade in Services suggests that the agreement excludes from its coverage any service supplied in the exercise of governmental authority.

Answer · Iain Gray: Article 1.3 of the General Agreement on Trade in Services covers the issue. No World Trade Organisation member has sought to challenge the interpretation that this excludes public services from the scope of the agreement.

13 Dec 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S1W-29657 and S1W-29663 by Iain Gray on 2 and 3 October 2002 respectively, what assessment it has made, or plans to make, of the implications for tertiary education of liberalisation under the General Agreement on Trade in Services.

Answer · Iain Gray: The Department for Trade and Industry (DTI) is currently conducting a public UK-wide consultation exercise which seeks views from interested parties on all aspects of the current round of General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) negotiations. The consult…

13 Dec 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-29654 by Cathy Jamieson on 1 October 2002, what adverse effects on trade in services in education need to be reduced or eliminated to provide effective market access for foreign service providers under the General Agreement on Trade in Services.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The UK position is that GATS will not apply to state-provided school education. There will, therefore, be no effects on such education in the UK following finalisation of the GATS agreement in January 2005.

13 Dec 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-30235 by Malcolm Chisholm on 17 October 2002, what adverse effects on trade in services in health need to be reduced or eliminated to provide effective market access for foreign service providers under the General Agreement on Trade in Services.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The information relating to any adverse effects is not available at present.

13 Dec 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-30235 by Malcolm Chisholm on 17 October 2002, when it last made representations to Her Majesty's Government about liberalisation under the General Agreement on Trade in Services.

Answer · Iain Gray: The regulation of international trade is a reserved matter. However, the Executive continues to be in regular contact with the Department of Trade and Industry and other UK Government Departments regarding the General Agreement on Trade in Services.

13 Dec 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-30235 by Malcolm Chisholm on 17 October 2002, when it was last in contact with the Department of Trade and Industry on trade issues and on how these issues may impact on the Executive's responsibilities.

13 Dec 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-30235 by Malcolm Chisholm on 17 October 2002, whether any other effective market access for service providers, other than for itself, exists in the NHS.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) applies to measures affecting trade in services taken by central, regional or local governments and authorities and by non-governmental bodies in the exercise of powers delegated by such governments and author…