Parliamentary questions
Mary Mulligan
707 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
1 Jun 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) council and (b) housing association houses were built between May 1999 and May 2007.
Answer · Alex Neil: Information regarding local authority completions is only available on a quarterly basis. From 1 April 1999 to 31 March 2007, 346 council houses and 31,001 housing association houses were completed.</p> <p >Local authority and housing association new build …
1 Jun 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of its news release of 26 May 2009 on affordable homes, how it reconciles the use of the term “record numbers of affordable homes” with the acknowledgement in the news release that new affordable housing provision was higher in 2001.
Answer · Alex Neil: The Scottish Government has signalled its intention to approve grants for a record breaking 8,100 affordable homes, backed by £644 million from the Scottish Government''s Affordable Housing Investment Programme for this financial year (2009-10).</p> <p >The …
28 May 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many first-time buyers were able to purchase homes under the Low-cost Initiative for First-time Buyers scheme in (a) 2008-09 and (b) 2007-08, broken down by (i) new supply shared equity/shared ownership, (ii) open market shared equity pilot, (iii) rural home ownership grant and (iv) g…
Answer · Alex Neil: The following table details the number of homes completed and made available for purchase for first-time buyers under the Low-cost Initiative for First-Time Buyers scheme (LIFT) for the years requested. Marketing of LIFT properties is primarily targeted at fi…
28 May 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the timetable is for implementation of Part 5 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006.
Answer · Alex Neil: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-23818 on 18 May 2009. 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/Apps2/Bu…
28 May 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussion the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing has had with NHS Lothian regarding the shelving of rezoning plans for Edinburgh and West Lothian.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: NHS Lothian has assured me that it has not shelved its plans to review the catchment zones for emergency medical admissions.</p> <p >I have been advised that the Board is now working with council partners and transport colleagues to ensure there is equitable…
28 May 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when emergency surgery and trauma orthopaedics will return to St John’s Hospital from the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-24416 on 4 June 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <u><a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2…
28 May 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing has had with NHS Lothian regarding the return of emergency surgery and trauma orthopaedics to St John’s Hospital from the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: It is for each health board to plan and deliver services to meet the needs of its resident population. As I have made clear in the past, I do not intend to review their previous decision.</p> <p >However, I have made clear to NHS Lothian that I expect it to …
6 May 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to evaluate consultation with voluntary groups and local communities in the community planning partnership process.
Answer · John Swinney: Local authorities, as facilitators, have a statutory duty to consult and co-operate with communities, including voluntary organisations, in the Community Planning process. The way in which this is done should reflect the circumstances of their particular com…
6 May 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when guidance will be issued on the Disposal of Land by Local Authorities (Scotland) Regulations 2007.
Answer · John Swinney: New draft regulations on the disposal of land by local authorities are currently under discussion with representatives of local government. Once the regulations are finalised, they will be laid before Parliament. Guidance would follow subject to the regulatio…
1 May 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-18566 by Stewart Maxwell on 16 December 2008, how many landlords have been removed from the register for the Landlord Registration Scheme since that answer was given, broken down by local authority.
Answer · Alex Neil: No landlords have been removed from the Landlord Register since 16 December 2008.</p> <p >Local authorities have a range of enforcement powers which can be used to ensure compliance with registration requirements. These include refusing to register a landlor…
24 Apr 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many houses bought from the private sector through the accelerated housing funding do not meet Housing for Varying Needs standards or the building regulations that came into force in 2007.
Answer · Alex Neil: Eighty-nine of the 184 homes bought Off the Shelf through the accelerated Affordable Housing Investment Programme (AHIP) funding did not meet either Housing for Varying Needs Standards or 2007 Building Regulations.</p> <p >The areas of non-compliance were as…
24 Apr 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many houses bought from the private sector through the accelerated housing funding do not meet the Scottish Housing Quality Standard.
Answer · Alex Neil: Fifteen of the total 184 homes bought through the accelerated programme did not meet the Scottish Housing Quality Standard at the time of purchase. These 15 homes were former Ministry of Defence Properties and their quality was reflected in their purchase pri…
24 Apr 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it defines adequate taxi provision for wheelchair users.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Government does not provide a central definition of what constitutes adequate taxi provision for wheelchair users. It is for individual licensing authorities to determine what they need in their own areas.</p>
24 Apr 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how local authorities ensure that there is adequate taxi provision for wheelchair users.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Local authorities are under a general legal obligation to address the needs of the disabled. They also have specific legal powers and duties to control the number and types of taxis operating in their areas. These specific licensing responsibilities provide t…
24 Apr 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance is given to local authorities in relation to the licensing of taxis regarding the provision of wheelchair capability.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Government circulated a best practice guide on taxi and private hire car licensing in December 2007, Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 48083). This includes information on disabilities and accessibility. In addition, the then Sc…
24 Apr 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance is given to local authorities regarding the transport to school of children who use wheelchairs and whether such guidance is the same for manual and electric wheelchairs.
Answer · Keith Brown: In Scotland, local authorities have a duty under the section 51 of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 to make such arrangements as they consider necessary for the transport between home and school of pupils residing, and attending schools, in their area. In co…
20 Apr 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities have expressed an interest in using the housing renewal areas regulations since guidance was issued.
Answer · Alex Neil: The powers to designate housing renewal areas (HRAs) under the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006 were commenced on 1 April 2009. Supporting advisory guidance was issued in early March.</p> <p >We are not aware of any local authority that has taken formal steps to …
2 Apr 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many pensioners have applied to have a central heating system installed under its central heating programme since 22 May 2008 and are still waiting as they do not receive a pension credit.
Answer · Alex Neil: None. Five thousand five hundred applicants were waiting for a system at 31 March 2009. These applicants have all been assessed as being in one of the priority groups at the time of application, subject to a home survey.</p>
2 Apr 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many central heating systems were installed under its central heating programme for housing association housing in each year since 1999 and how many have been installed in 2009.
Answer · Alex Neil: The central heating programme did not start until 2001 and was completed for housing associations properties by December 2004, except for the Glasgow Housing Association, which due to the numbers involved did not finish its part of the programme until March 2…
2 Apr 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many central heating systems were installed under its central heating programme for local authority housing in each year since 1999 and how many have been installed in 2009.
Answer · Alex Neil: The central heating programme did not start until 2001 and was completed for local authorities by March 2004.</p> <p >The number of central heating systems installed under the central heating programme, in local authority properties, is shown in the followin…
2 Apr 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many central heating systems were installed under its central heating programme in each year since 1999 and how many have been installed in 2009.
Answer · Alex Neil: The central heating programme did not start until 2001 and was completed for local authorities by March 2004 and housing associations by December 2004. Due to the number of properties involved Glasgow Housing Association did not finish its part of the program…
2 Apr 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the membership will be of the independent advisory panel that will advise ministers on the allocation of the Town Centre Regeneration Fund.
Answer · Alex Neil: Information on applications to the Town Centre Regeneration Fund will be considered by a small independent panel, which will include a representative from local government, from the private sector and an independent chair. Their role will be to recommend to m…
2 Apr 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many social rented houses were sold to tenants in each month from January 2008 to January 2009, broken down by local authority.
Answer · Alex Neil: We do not have the requested data for the timeframe specified. We report social rented housing sales numbers, broken down by local authority, by financial year only (that is April to March). We expect to publish data for 2008-09 in autumn 2009.</p> <p >The m…
24 Mar 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many central heating system installations have taken place in each year of the central heating programme.
Answer · Alex Neil: The number of private sector central heating installations, in each year since the programme began, is shown in the following table:</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <thead> <tr > <td width=71 valign=top > <p align=center >Period…
24 Mar 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether legislation will be necessary to introduce community ownership of assets as proposed in Community: Scottish Community Empowerment Action Plan - Celebrating Success: Inspiring Change.
Answer · Alex Neil: No new legislation will be required to deliver the activity set out in the Scottish Community Empowerment Action Plan to support communities to own assets. The Plan recognises that communities owning their own land and buildings can have a huge impact on thei…
20 Mar 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many application forms have been distributed explaining the Energy Assistance Package.
Answer · Alex Neil: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-22176 on 1 April 2009. 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/Apps2/B…
20 Mar 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many posters have been distributed explaining the Energy Assistance Package.
Answer · Alex Neil: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-22176 on 1 April 2009. 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/Apps2/B…
20 Mar 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many leaflets have been distributed explaining the Energy Assistance Package.
Answer · Alex Neil: The package was launched by ministers on 30 March 2009, and will be open for applications, mainly over the telephone, from 6 April 2009 on the freephone number 0800 512012. Information about the package is being distributed to a range of stakeholders dealin…
20 Mar 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the housing stock bought from the private sector through the accelerated housing funding is required to meet the Scottish Housing Quality Standard.
Answer · Alex Neil: Housing stock owned by Registered Social Landlords will require to meet Scottish Housing Quality Standards by 2015. Newly built properties should exceed Scottish Housing Quality standards as a consequence of compliance with normal building regulations.</p>
20 Mar 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria is used to identify what housing stock is bought from the private sector through the accelerated housing funding.
Answer · Alex Neil: The criteria used to identify stock bought from the private sector through the Accelerated Affordable Housing Investment Programme (AAHIP) are:</p> <p >Whether the properties are of the right type and size and in the right place, based on Local Housing Stra…