Parliamentary questions
Linda Fabiani
2,507 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
9 May 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of the electricity generated currently comes from wind power and what the wind power generating capacity is.
Answer · Ross Finnie: There is currently around 100 megawatts of onshore wind energy capacity installed across Scotland. This amounts to around 1% of Scotland's total installed generating capacity.
9 May 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any disadvantages for the generation of wind power will accrue as a result of the extension to Scotland of the New Electricity Trading Arrangements and what any such disadvantages will be.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Although this is a reserved matter, the Scottish Executive is working closely with DTI and the industry regulator, Ofgem, on the development of new electricity trading arrangements for Scotland from 2004. We will aim to ensure that these new arrangements will…
9 May 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the implications under the European Convention on Human Rights are for any local authority refusing to grant a hearing before a planning committee to any objectors to an application under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 and whether it has been consulted by any local authority…
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: This is entirely a matter for the local authorities concerned. We have not been consulted by any local authority about this issue.
7 May 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made any representations to (a) the Home Office or (b) HM Chief Inspector of Prisons for England and Wales that (i) the Social Work Services Inspectorate and (ii) the Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care be involved in the monitoring and inspection of Dungavel Ho…
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Home Office is responsible for the Immigration Detention Centre at Dungavel House, Strathavon under the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999. Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons for England and Wales is responsible for inspection. However, the Immigration…
29 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) target and (b) actual current waiting times are for a neurological examination by a consultant neurologist in each NHS board area.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The median waiting time for a first out-patient appointment with a consultant in neurology, following referral by a General Medical Practitioner, by NHS board of residence, in the year ended 31 December 2001, is given in the table.<P>The target waiting time f…
23 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S1W-18369 and S1W-20351 by Malcolm Chisholm on 23 October 2001 and 7 December 2001, whether the Health Education Board for Scotland has completed its research for the purposes of informing the development of a sexual health strategy and when it expects…
Answer · Mary Mulligan: The Health Education Board for Scotland has completed its research. The Executive is now carrying out additional work on preliminary data, informed by other on-going research. No date for the publication of the strategy has yet been set.
22 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the implications are of the increase in employer's National Insurance contributions for local authorities as employers and whether it will make any assistance available to local authorities to meet additional expenditure on such contributions.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The implications for local authorities of the increase in employers' National Insurance contributions will depend on a range of factors which relate to councils' staffing and pay levels. We are discussing the total future funding requirements for local govern…
22 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether Communities Scotland operates a percentage target for home ownership when approving housing projects for grant funding; if so, whether this target is uniform across the country or varies geographically, and what any such national or local targets are.
Answer · Margaret Curran: I have asked Mr Bob Millar, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. His response is as follows:<P>Communities Scotland does not operate a specific percentage target for home ownership. Local programmes are developed in close consultation with part…
22 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether its strategy for housing includes a national percentage target for home ownership and, if so, what the target is.
Answer · Margaret Curran: The Scottish Executive does not have a national percentage target for home ownership in Scotland.
22 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-24494 by Malcolm Chisholm on 18 April 2002, why the information requested by the second part of the question was not given and whether Lanarkshire Primary Care Trust has confirmed that the practices of refusing to accept a referral and closing waitin…
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Lanarkshire Primary Care Trust has confirmed that it does not refuse referrals and has no closed waiting lists.
22 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-24336 by Iain Gray on 16 April 2002, how many (a) people and (b) agencies have been engaged in a consultative capacity by and on behalf of Scottish Homes in each of the last five years and at what cost.
Answer · Margaret Curran: The details of individual consultancy assignments on behalf of Scottish Homes over the last five years are not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. However, I can confirm that Scottish Homes total expenditure on fees and consult…
18 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it was informed that the facility at Dungavel House had been reclassified from being an asylum seeker detention centre to being an immigration removal centre and what the implications of this change are for the Executive and for the local authority.
Answer · Iain Gray: The Scottish Executive has been informed that the facility at Dungavel House will become an immigration removal centre in November. This has no other implications for the Executive or local authorities.
16 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the duties of local authorities are in respect of children held in immigration removal centres.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The Home Office has responsibility for ensuring the needs of children in detention centres are met. The Home Office has the power to make arrangements with the local authorities. I refer the member to the answers given to questions S1W-24470 on 23 April 2002 …
16 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether local authorities are carrying out their duties under the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 with respect to the children of asylum seekers held in immigration removal centres.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-25113.
16 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the provisions of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 are fully complied with at the Dungavel House immigration removal centre.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-25113.
16 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what impact the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 has on the duties of any local authority that has any immigration removal centre in its area.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The Home Secretary has a duty to look after those applying for asylum under the Immigration Acts. The Home Office has taken responsibility for ensuring that the needs of the children are met and may work with local authorities to do so.
16 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-24469 by Mr Jim Wallace on 8 April 2002, why the answer did not provide the information requested nor address the substance of question S1W-24469 and whether any refugees or asylum seekers remain in prisons run by the Scottish Prison Service and, if …
Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:<P>The Home Office Immigration Service is responsible for refugees and asylum seekers and such matters are reserved. The answer to S1W-24469…
15 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how often it has consulted the Civil Service Commissioners before making a particular appointment in each year since its inception.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The Scottish Executive makes appointments to all posts excluding the Senior Civil Service in accordance with the principles set out in the code and without further reference to the commissioners. The Scottish Executive has therefore not consulted the Civil Se…
4 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many central heating systems have been installed so far under its central heating installation programme in each local authority area actively considering whole housing stock transfer.
Answer · Iain Gray: One thousand, three hundred and fifty-two<B> </B>central heating systems have been installed in houses owned by Glasgow Council, whose tenants have now voted in favour of stock transfer. 28 systems have been installed in stock owned by Argyll and Bute Council…
4 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W- 21535 by Iain Gray on 28 January 2002, how many central heating systems had been installed at 31 March 2002 under its central heating installation programme in the (a) private and (b) social rented sector.
Answer · Iain Gray: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-24437 on 22 April 2002.
4 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail any functions within its responsibility which have been contracted out since May 1999 and how many of these contracts are covered by commercial confidentiality.
Answer · Andy Kerr: Since May 1999, the Executive has not contracted out any functions following a formal market testing process. However, the Executive routinely purchases a wide range of services under contract, some of which are to supplement in-house resources.
4 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-24178 by Ms Margaret Curran on 2 April 2002, whether the police or the procurator fiscal service have ever been informed about the workings of a social inclusion partnership (SIP) or asked to investigate any of the workings of a SIP or any predecesso…
Answer · Margaret Curran: I can confirm that there are or have been five occasions on which the police or the procurator fiscal service have been informed about the workings of a social inclusion partnership (SIP), or asked to investigate the workings of a SIP. <P>For information, in …
4 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-24177 by Ms Margaret Curran on 2 April 2002, how it ensures that social inclusion partnership (SIP) boards make funding allocation decisions in the public interest and what sanctions are available for use against board members who fail to make such d…
Answer · Margaret Curran: As stated in the response to S1W-24177, SIP boards are responsible for making funding allocation decisions, and for ensuring that these decisions are made in the public interest and not in the interests of any one individual. Communities Scotland has a monito…
4 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-24178 by Ms Margaret Curran on 2 April 2002, whether it intends to carry out any investigations into the circumstances surrounding any of the cases involving the withholding or recovery of payments to social inclusion partnerships.
Answer · Margaret Curran: We have put in place necessary arrangements with Audit Scotland in relation to external audit certification of grant claims, as well as detailed procedures which local authorities as grant recipients are required to follow to ensure proper financial procedure…
4 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-24178 by Ms Margaret Curran on 2 April 2002, whether any of the cases involving the withholding or recovery of payments to social inclusion partnerships occurred prior to May 1999.
Answer · Margaret Curran: Social inclusion partnerships only became effective as of April 1999. There are no cases involving the withholding or recovery of payments to social inclusion partnerships prior to May 1999.
4 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S1W-24174, S1W-24175 and S1W-24176 by Ms Margaret Curran on 2 April 2002, whether the registrable interests for social inclusion partnership board members are similar to those for elected members of local authorities or those who serve on non-departmen…
Answer · Margaret Curran: The principles behind the registration of interests for social inclusion partnership (SIP) board members are broadly similar to those for councillors and non-departmental public bodies. Financial guidance is available to accompany the terms and conditions, wh…
4 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-24175 by Ms Margaret Curran on 2 April 2002, whether members of social inclusion partnership boards are obliged to notify the appropriate local authority of any interests or conflicts of interests and, if so, what the legislation governing such an ob…
Answer · Margaret Curran: Under the standard Terms and Conditions of Grant for the Social Inclusion Partnership Fund (1 April 2002) local authorities as grant recipients are obliged to ensure that all members of partnerships and their sub-groups declare any relevant interests.
4 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S1W-24175 and S1W-24176 by Ms Margaret Curran on 2 April 2002, whether it will make public the registers of interest for social inclusion partnership board members.
Answer · Margaret Curran: The revised Terms and Conditions of grant for social inclusion partnership (SIP) funding require registers of interest to be available to the public. Applicable from 1 April 2002, they strengthen and augment the previous guidance by including a new requiremen…
4 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-24174 by Ms Margaret Curran on 2 April 2002, whether it intends to collect and publish information on which members of each social inclusion partnership board have interests that would be declarable if serving as members of a local authority.
Answer · Margaret Curran: The revised terms and conditions of grant for social inclusion partnership (SIP) funding, applicable from 1 April 2002, include a new requirement on grant recipients to ensure that all members of partnerships and their sub-groups declare any relevant interest…
4 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S1W-24174, S1W-24175 and S1W-24176 by Ms Margaret Curran on 2 April 2002, how many requests to inspect the registers of interest for each social inclusion partnership have been made by Communities Scotland or any body which previously had such a power.
Answer · Margaret Curran: The requirement to hold a central register of interest only became effective from 1 April 2002, following the revision of the Social Inclusion Partnership Fund Terms and Conditions. As yet therefore, there have been no such requests to inspect the registers o…