Linda Fabiani

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, which financial year does the #392,062 payment to various social inclusion partnerships refer to and whether any of the projects listed here are also referred to in the previous section for which payments…

Answer · Margaret Curran: The sum of £392,062 relates to financial year 2000-01, whereas the sum of £366,610 was referring to costs within financial year 1999-2000.<P>As per the previous answer, S1W-24178, both figures relate to expenditure claimed by Glasgow City Council in their rol…

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, why payments to the Craigmillar Social Inclusion Partnership (SIP) were witheld and when the investigation will be complete.

Answer · Margaret Curran: The Scottish Executive withheld SIP Fund grant from the City of Edinburgh Council as grant recipient for the Craigmillar SIP. The grant was withheld pending further investigation by CEC into the relationship between EU funding and the Social Inclusion Partner…

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, what the identified problems in the North Ayr Social Inclusion Partnership (SIP) were which required the improvement of the audit systems.

Answer · Margaret Curran: The identified problem relates to the Youth Information and Resource Project funded by North Ayr SIP. An audit investigation established that there was not a proper division of financial responsibilities and that there was also a lack of adequate financial s…

3 Apr 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which social inclusion partnerships have (a) underspent and (b) overspent their budgets in each financial year since 1998-99 and by how much.

Answer · Margaret Curran: Details of social inclusion partnership (SIP) spending against their SIP Fund allocations is shown in the following tables for 1999-2000 and 2000-01. Out-turn information in respect of 2001-02 is not yet available. <TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=3 WI…

28 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-13944 by Jackie Baillie on 20 March 2001, what percentage of the population currently live in affordable housing options.

Answer · Iain Gray: There is no single, generally accepted definition of "affordability" which can be used for calculations of this nature. The following tables, based on information collected for the Scottish House Condition Survey (SHCS) in 1996, show the percentage of househo…

28 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-14024 by Jackie Baillie on 22 March 2001, whether it intends to commission research into poverty levels among those people who live outside of private households.

Answer · Iain Gray: We have no plans to do so. Household income is used as a proxy for standard of living when measuring income poverty. This does not apply to those living in institutions, and therefore they cannot be included in any estimates of the incidence of income poverty…

28 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-16823 by Jackie Baillie on 2 August 2001, whether there are now any plans to transfer the Scottish Homes stock in Anderston, Cumbernauld or Govan C.

Answer · Margaret Curran: Residents in Anderston have been considering a range of regeneration options for the estate, and are due to make a decision later this month. Proposals will then be developed to transfer the houses in the spring of 2003.<P>Scottish Homes only owns 11 houses i…

28 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-16823 by Jackie Baillie on 2 August 2001, what the current status is of the proposed transfers of Scottish Homes properties to other landlords

Answer · Margaret Curran: Scottish Homes has just over 3,000 houses still in ownership. Of these, some 1,200 have been successfully balloted and scheduled to transfer in April/May this year. Transfer proposals are being finalised for the remaining estates, with ballots scheduled later…

28 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the level of private finance is which has been provided to fund its Private Finance Initiative/Public Private Partnership projects to date.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The capital value of Public/Private Partnership (PPP) "Done Deals" to date is £2.2 billion. This figure comprises those projects that have been signed or are expected to sign within this financial year. The total estimated capital expenditure by the private s…

28 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what rates of interest are currently being obtained by housing associations expressed as margins over the London InterBank Offered Rate or bank base rates.

Answer · Iain Gray: The margins achieved by housing associations in the period October 2000 to September 2001 ranged from -0.4% to 1.5%, the median being 0.75%.

28 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the current rate of interest charged by the Public Works Loan Board for local authority housing loans is.

Answer · Peter Peacock: Money lent by the board is intended to assist local authorities to meet long-term borrowing requirements. No distinction is made between borrowing for housing or any other legitimate purpose. <P>The interest rates at which the Public Works Loan Board makes lo…

28 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it has given to the proposal for a national public services trust.

Answer · Andy Kerr: I assume that a "national public services trust" refers to the SNP's proposal in January 2001 for a Scottish Trust for Public Investment (STPI) - an alternative form of model for funding Public/Private Partnerships (PPP) projects. This is not under active con…

28 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the current estimate is of the level of resources that would be freed up in its annual budget over the next ten years by the transfer of housing stock from those local authorities actively considering wholesale stock transfer and whether it will utilise any such extra resources for …

Answer · Iain Gray: Resources will continue to be required to meet breakage costs, and it will not be clear until the point of transfer what these costs will be. It is therefore not possible to estimate the level of resources that may be freed up. In the year of transfer, Glasgo…

28 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the current status is of the proposed Shetlands Islands Council housing stock transfer.

Answer · Margaret Curran: Shetland Islands Council is currently developing a transfer proposal in consultation with tenants and a prospective landlord organisation called Shetland Homes.

26 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-21675 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 24 January 2002, whether it intends to carry out any research in order to determine what percentage of student debt is a consequence of the introduction of the student loans system.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: We will consider commissioning a survey of the income and expenditure of Scottish students once the new student support system has bedded in.

26 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-21600 by Malcolm Chisholm on 30 January 2002, whether Lanarkshire Primary Care Trust has been informed that it is unacceptable to refuse to accept a referral and to close waiting lists and whether the trust has confirmed that this practice no longer …

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Lanarkshire Primary Care NHS Trust has been informed that it is completely unacceptable to refuse to accept a referral and to close waiting lists.

26 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to the second supplementary question S1O-4646 by Iain Gray on 7 February 2002, whether the Minister for Social Justice has raised with Her Majesty's Government the issue of people from churches in Scotland being fingerprinted and photographed when they visit asylum …

Answer · Margaret Curran: As I indicated on 7 February, I intend to raise this issue when I next meet Home Office Ministers. I expect such a meeting to take place shortly.

26 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-17687 by Mr Jack McConnell on 25 September 2001, whether there are, or have been, any school-aged children resident at Dungavel Detention Centre and what provision was, or is being, made for their education.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: As indicated in the answer given to question S1W-17687 on 25 September 2001, the operation of Dungavel Detention Centre is the responsibility of the Home Office. I understand that school-age children have been accommodated at the centre but this is subject to…

26 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-17687 by Mr Jack McConnell on 25 September 2001, whether an agreement has been reached between it, the Home Office and South Lanarkshire Council regarding the most appropriate way to provide education services for any school-aged children resident at…

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: As indicated in the answer given to question S1W-17687 on 25 September 2001, the operation of Dungavel Detention Centre is the responsibility of the Home Office. Discussions between the Scottish Executive, the Home Office and South Lanarkshire Council are, ho…

26 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any refugees and asylum seekers remain in prisons run by the Scottish Prison Service and, if so, how many and in which establishments they are being held.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:<P>As at 2 April 2002 there were no persons awaiting deportation held by the Scottish Prison Service.

26 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-18396 by Mr Jack McConnell on 18 October 2001, how much additional funding is being provided to local authorities to provide pre-school education for the children of asylum seekers and refugees.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Resources amounting to £137 million were made available in financial year 2001-02 to meet the commitment to provide free part-time pre-school education for eligible children whose parents wish it. As far as pre-school education is concerned, children of asylu…

26 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-18396 by Mr Jack McConnell on 18 October 2001, which local authorities currently provide pre-school education for the children of asylum seekers and refugees.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The position of children of asylum seekers and refugees, as regards provision in pre-school education, is the same as for any other child of pre-school age resident in a local authority area. Prior to 1 April 2002, local authorities had the <B>power</B> to pr…

26 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-15784 by Sarah Boyack on 11 June 2001, whether any evidence has come to light that the out-going trunk road operating companies neglected the clearing of litter from motorways during the final months of the old contracts and whether any additional pa…

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive and the Performance Audit Group have investigated the evidence provided by the new operating companies and reviewed the actions taken by the previous trunk road operators in regard to the clearing of litter from motorways. The Executive…

25 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-21605 by Malcolm Chisholm on 23 January 2002, whether any investigation is being carried out into the Lanarkshire Primary Care NHS Trust in order to enable a substantive answer to S1W-21605 to be given and when the question will be answered.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-21605 on 26 March 2002.

25 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-14294 by Mr Jim Wallace on 3 April 2001, whether proposals for a Tenement Bill have been redrafted and when any such Bill may be introduced.

Answer · Jim Wallace: As indicated in the answer given to question S1W-13602, the proposals for a Tenement Bill will require to be redrafted in the light of the Title Conditions (Scotland) Bill as it is passed by Parliament. Some technical redrafting has already occurred, and it i…

25 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the current status is of Stonehouse Hospital in Lanarkshire.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Lanarkshire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust presently provide a range of clinical services on the Stonehouse Hospital site. With the opening of new District General Hospitals at Hairmyres and Wishaw, management responsibility for Stonehouse transferred to Lanarkshi…

25 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-15784 by Sarah Boyack on 11 June 2001 in regard to the clearing of litter from motorways by on-going trunk road operating companies in the final months of the old contracts, what action has been carried out to investigate the concerns on this matter …

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive instructed the Performance Audit Group to investigate concerns expressed by the new operating companies and also review the records of actions taken by the previous trunk road operators in regard to the clearing of litter from motorways.

25 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-17784 by Jackie Baillie on 21 September 2001, when it expects the working group on the withdrawal of Section 54 grants to report.

Answer · Iain Gray: I have asked Bob Millar, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. His response is as follows:<P>The working group has advised me that they expect to report by 26 April 2002 on whether withdrawal of the subsidy might jeopardise the viability of indi…

25 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received any complaints regarding its adherence to the Civil Service Commissioners' Recruitment Code.

Answer · Andy Kerr: I am not aware of any complaints regarding the Scottish Executive's adherence to the Civil Service Commissioners' Recruitment Code.

25 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has requested the Civil Service Commissioners to routinely monitor the appointments it makes.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The Scottish Executive is subject to regular audit by the Civil Service Commissioners in relation to posts below Senior Civil Service level. The last such audit took place in March 1999. Approval of individual appointments by the Commissioners is required for…