Parliamentary questions
Marlyn Glen
917 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
24 May 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many and what percentage of local government employees were aged (a) 16 to 24, (b) 25 to 34, (c) 35 to 44, (d) 45 to 54 and (e) 55 to 64 in each of the last five years and what the most up-to-date figures are.
Answer · John Swinney: The official source of dataon the number of people employed in local government organisations is the <i>QuarterlyPublic Sector Employment</i> series. The Following table 1 shows the number ofpeople employed in local government organisations in each of the las…
22 May 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it intends to abolish toll charges on the Tay Road Bridge.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: As I stated during the Parliamentary debate on bridge tolls on 31 May 2007, weintend to bring forward legislation in September that will end tolls on the Forth and Tay Road Bridges. Theaim is to abolish tolls by the end of this year.</p>
19 Mar 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what support is being given to public transport providers to ensure that services comply with the requirements of the gender equality duty.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-32633 on 28 March 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’swebsite, the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa…
16 Mar 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to publish its next gender audit and how the findings will be used by each of its departments when implementing policy.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: The Gender Audit of Statistics will be published before the endof March 2007. The audit provides the most comprehensive review to date of currentlyavailable gender disaggregated statistics and sets out gendered differences andinequalities across a range of ke…
7 Mar 2007 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made through the National Waste Plan towards achieving recycling and composting rates of 30% by 2008 and 55% by 2020.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The latest figuresfrom the Scottish Environment Protection Agency show that we recycled/composted24.4% of municipal waste in 2005-06. We are holding workshops with local authoritiesand others on how to improve our recycling and composting performance further …
1 Mar 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission will be subject to the (a) general duty, (b) specific duty to publish a race equality scheme or (c) specific duty on employment under the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: The imposition of thegeneral duty is a reserved matter, but specific duties are a matter forScottish ministers. The list of devolved bodies subject to these duties isusually reviewed annually in liaison with Whitehall colleagues. What duties are appropriate f…
1 Mar 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Commission for Human Rights will be subject to the (a) general duty, (b) specific duty to publish a race equality scheme or (c) specific duty on employment under the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: The imposition of thegeneral duty is a reserved matter, but specific duties are a matter forScottish ministers. The list of devolved bodies subject to these duties isusually reviewed annually in liaison with Whitehall colleagues. What duties are appropriate f…
28 Feb 2007 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total investment in affordable housing was from 1999 (a) to 2003 and (b) the most recent date for which figures are available
Answer · Des McNulty: Between 1999 and 2003 around£870 million was invested in affordable housing from our Development Funding Programme.By 2006-07 total investment since 1999 had risen to over £2.4 billion.</p>
16 Feb 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking, unilaterally or in conjunction with the Home Office, to develop a roadside device to screen those suspected of driving while under the influence of drugs.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Policy and legislation on drivingwhilst under the influence of drugs is reserved.</p><p>Home Office Scientific DevelopmentBranch (HOSDB) is developing a roadside screening device to detect drug drivers.Once that process is complete the device will require typ…
14 Feb 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish its National Strategy and Action Plan on Race Equality.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: After very careful consideration,and in response to many calls from stakeholders, I have decided to postpone publicationof the strategy and action plan until the next parliamentary session. This willenable the Executive to further develop the strategy, and un…
26 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been allocated to (a) Angus and (b) Aberdeenshire councils from the Strategic Waste Fund in each year since 2003.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The following table details theamounts allocated to Angus and Aberdeenshire Councils from the Strategic Waste Fundsince 2003.</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td valign=top> <p align=center>Year</p> </td> <td valign=top>…
26 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what (a) amount and (b) percentage of (i) Angus and (ii) Aberdeenshire councils’ budget has been spent on local road maintenance in each year since 2003.
Answer · Tavish Scott: The Scottish Executive supportslocal authorities’ net revenue expenditure through the core local government financesettlement.</p><p>The information provided in thefollowing table gives the Scottish Executive’s Grant Aided Expenditure (GAE) elementcalculated …
26 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of mothers were recorded at their six to eight week review as breastfeeding in NHS Tayside and NHS Grampian in each year since 2000.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Centrally held information onpre-school child health surveillance reviews are derived from the Child Health SystemsProject–Pre-School system (CHSP-PS). NHS Grampian do not participate in this systemand therefore the requested information for NHS Grampian is n…
26 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the cultural and related services grant aided expenditure and net revenue expenditure was for (a) Angus and (b) Aberdeenshire councils in each year since 2003.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The information requested isshown in the following table.</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3 width=595> <thead> <tr> <td width=66 rowspan=2 valign=top> <p> </p> </td> <td width=265 colspan=2 valign=top> <p align=center>Aberdeenshi…
26 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what amount of private sector grant was approved by (a) Angus and (b) Aberdeenshire councils for aids and adaptations for householders in each year since 2003.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: The amount of private sectorgrant approved by Angus and Aberdeenshire for carrying out improvements forpeople with disabilities is shown in the following table.</p><p>Amount Approved for Aids andAdaptations in Aberdeenshire and Angus: 2002-03 to 2005-06.</p><…
26 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the grant aided expenditure allocation for pre-school education was to (a) Angus and (b) Aberdeenshire councils in each year since 1999, also expressed as an amount per pupil.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The information requested isshown in the following table.</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td rowspan=2 valign=top> <p> </p> </td> <td colspan=2 valign=top> <p align=center>Aberdeenshire Council</p> </td> <td …
26 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the net revenue expenditure for pre-primary education was in the (a) Angus and (b) Aberdeenshire local authority areas in each year since 2003.
Answer · Robert Brown: The net revenue expenditure forpre-primary education since 2003 is enclosed in the following table:</p><p>Pre-Primary Education - NetRevenue Expenditure</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td width=109 valign=top> <p> </p>…
26 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the grant aided expenditure allocation for education was to (a) Angus and (b) Aberdeenshire councils in each year since 1999, also expressed as an amount per pupil.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The information requested isshown in the following table.</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td rowspan=2 valign=top> <p align=center> </p> </td> <td width=224 colspan=2 valign=top> <p align=center>Aberdeenshire Cou…
22 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the overall change has been in the number of employee jobs since 2003 in the (a) Angus, (b) Gordon, (c) West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine and (d) Banff and Buchan parliamentary constituencies.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The following table shows thenumber of employee jobs in 2003 and 2005 (latest data) and also the net change inlevels of employee jobs between 2003 and 2005 for the Angus, Gordon, West Aberdeenshireand Kincardine and Banff and Buchan parliamentary constituenci…
22 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the latest annual estimate is of the number of people earning the national minimum wage or below in the (a) Angus, (b) Gordon, (c) West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine and (d) Banff and Buchan parliamentary constituencies.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The preferred source forearnings estimates is the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, which is carriedout by the Office for National Statistics.</p><p>Table 1 shows the estimatednumber of employees earning the national minimum wage or below in Angus,Gordon, …
22 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many recipients of council tax benefit aged 60 or over there were in (a) Angus and (b) Aberdeenshire local authority areas in each of the last three years for which the information is available, also showing what percentage of the over-60 age group they represented.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The data relating to recipientsof council tax benefit are presented in terms of benefit units, which are basedon households in receipt of council tax benefit and as a result may contain twoor more persons (possibly one of whom may also be aged under 60). Thes…
22 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been spent in the (a) Angus and (b) Aberdeenshire local authority areas in each year since 2003 on (i) Bus Service Operators Grant, (ii) Bus Route Development Grant, (iii) the Rural Community Transport Initiative, (iv) the Rural Public Passenger Transport Grants Scheme, (iv) …
Answer · Tavish Scott: Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG)is paid to all operators of local registered bus services. Figures cannot be givenbelow a Scotland wide figure as the information is commercially sensitive.</p><p>BusRoute Development Grant funding amounting to £0.394 million…
22 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many students from low-income backgrounds in the (a) Angus and (b) Aberdeenshire local authority areas have had their university fees paid in each year since 2002-03.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The following table highlightsthe number of fees paid by the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) to studentsat higher education institutions from low-income backgrounds who were domiciledin the (a) Angus and (b) Aberdeenshire local authority areas in ea…
22 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many graduates from (a) Angus and (b) Aberdeenshire have returned to work in their local authority area in each of the last three years for which the information is available.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The following table shows thenumber of graduates at post graduate, first degree or sub-degree level that weredomiciled in (a) Angus, (b) Aberdeenshire before they started their course. To determinehow many of them left their local authority area to study and …
22 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much specific funding has been allocated for drug and alcohol treatment services in (a) Angus and (b) Aberdeenshire in each year since 2003-04.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Funding is allocated to healthboards for drug treatment and care services and to tackle alcohol problems.Angus falls within the boundaries of Tayside Health Board and Aberdeenshirefalls within the boundaries of Grampian Health Board. </p><p>The following tabl…
22 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what funding has been made available for the provision of affordable housing in (a) Angus and (b) Aberdeenshire in each year since 2003-04.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is asfollows:</p><p>The affordable housingfunding provided by Communities Scotland is set out in the following table:</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=…
22 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what capital and revenue allocation has been made available to Angus College in each year since 2003-04.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Scottish FundingCouncil, and its predecessor the Scottish Further Education Funding Council, hasbeen responsible for allocating funds to further education colleges during theperiod in question. The information requested for Angus College isas follows:</p>…
22 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many council-owned houses in Angus are now centrally heated as a result of the Executive’s central heating programme.
Answer · Des McNulty: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is asfollows:</p><p>In the public sector AngusCouncil installed 261 central heating systems through the programme.</p>
22 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what funding has been made available to Angus Council for the improvement of local roads in 2006-07.
Answer · Tavish Scott: During the financial year 2006-07,Angus Council will receive £12,706,000 in Roads and Transport Grant Aided Expenditure(GAE) for roads maintenance purposes. However, this forms part of the local governmentfunding formula used to calculate one block grant figu…
22 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what dedicated funding has been made available to Angus and Aberdeenshire councils to tackle antisocial behaviour in each year since 2004-05.
Answer · Johann Lamont: The information requested isprovided in the following table:</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td width=132 valign=top> <p>Local Authority</p> </td> <td width=96 valign=top> <p align=center>2004-05 (£)</p> </td> <td …