Parliamentary questions

Mary Scanlon

4,514 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

5 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what financial support is available for the deployment of first generation bio-energy schemes.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: As highlighted in the reportfrom the Forum for Renewable Energy Development in Scotland earlierthis year, there are a number of financial support mechanisms for biomass plantand bio-energy schemes. These include the Department of Trade and Industry’s Bio-Ener…

5 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment has been carried out to ascertain the amount of appropriate sheltered housing for elderly people needed to meet (a) current and (b) future demand, broken down by local authority.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Local authorities have a duty to consider the housing needs of their population, including the need for sheltered housing. While the Scottish Executive has not made an assessment of the amount of sheltered housing needed to meet current and future demand, it …

5 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what procedures are in place to ensure that people in residential care homes for elderly people receive appropriate nursing care at the point where their condition deteriorates and nursing care is required.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Local authorities have a duty under Section 12A of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 to assess the needs of people. Older people needing care have their needs assessed under Single Shared Assessment. The resultant care plan and arrangements for its review s…

5 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in making publicly owned land available for affordable housing to rent or buy.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-19671 on 7 November 2005. 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/webap…

5 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made an agreement with the Ministry of Defence in respect of the further release of properties for affordable housing to rent or buy.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: There is no national agreement with the Ministry of Defence (MoD) about the disposal of surplus MoD properties, although I understand that some local arrangements exist between local authorities and the MoD, such as in Moray. National framework agreements wit…

5 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many former Ministry of Defence houses are now available to rent through local authorities and housing associations.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: We do not hold thisinformation centrally.

5 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of housing lets are allocated to tenants classified as homeless, broken down by local authority.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The following tables show the percentage of permanent lets by local authorities to homeless households (Table 1) and the percentage of lets to homeless households by registered social landlords (Table 2) for 2004-05. Data on private sector lets to homeless ho…

5 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many care homes for elderly people met Care Commission standards relating to nutrition in each year since the commission was established.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: This is an operational matter for the Care Commission, which is responsible for the regulation of care services in Scotland. The Care Commission regulates care services, including care homes, against the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001, taking account …

5 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to recommend an increase in the Personal Expense Allowance.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Personal Expenses Allowance for care home residents is normally increased in April each year. No decision has yet been taken on the April 2006 uprating.

5 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many anti-social behaviour orders have been applied for by housing associations in each local authority area in each year since the orders were introduced.

Answer · Hugh Henry: The available data on antisocial behaviour order (ASBO) applications by registered social landlords (RSLs) are presented in the following table. The power to apply for ASBOs was extended to RSLs on 27 June 2003, therefore the data for 2003-04 do not represent…

5 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that water and sewerage services are not a barrier to the provision of affordable housing to rent or buy.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: Ministers announced the objectives for Scottish Water’s next investment programme, to the Parliament on the 9 February. Amongst these is an objective which requires Scottish Water to provide sufficient strategic capacity to meet the needs of all estimated new…

5 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what support has been provided for marine renewable energy in each of the last five years.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-19923 on 8 November 2005. All answers to writtenparliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facilityfor which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/w…

5 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has set a target for future years in respect of output from marine renewable energy.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: While we have not set targetsfor individual technologies, we are well aware of the tremendous opportunity presentedby marine renewables. We have placed on record our determination to make Scotland theglobal capital for the development and deployment of these …

5 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied that its proposals for a single survey and a purchaser information pack are both ECHR compliant.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Yes.

1 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that ancient woodlands are central to policies on planning, woodland and forestry.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: National Planning Policy Guideline (NPPG) 14: Natural Heritage notes that planning authorities should seek to protect trees, groups of trees and areas of woodland where they have natural heritage value or contribute to the character or amenity of a par…

1 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how Scottish Natural Heritage will ensure that its advice to planning authorities is commensurate with the appropriate level of protection and enhancement of ancient and native woodlands.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: This is a matter for SNH but I have no doubt that SNH advice to planning authorities takes due account of the full range of natural heritage interests, including protected areas, sites and species and local considerations such as biodiversity action plans.

1 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will protect ancient woodlands during the planning process.

Answer · Johann Lamont: Natural Heritage notes that planning authorities should seek to protect trees, groups of trees and areas of woodland where they have natural heritage value or contribute to the character or amenity of a particular locality. It recognises that ancient a…

1 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made towards implementing its commitment to the restoration, protection and enhancement of native woodlands.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: Various measures have been put in place to help us achieve our native woodland commitments. Stewardship grants are now available from Forestry Commission Scotland to expand the area of native woodland, preferably through natural regeneration and the developme…

1 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will revise National Planning Policy Guideline 14 on the Natural Environment to take account of the draft revised Scottish Forestry Strategy, due to be published in 2006.

Answer · Johann Lamont: We plan to begin a review of NPPG14 on Natural Heritage in the second quarter of 2006. Although it is too early to say what will be contained in the revised NPPG14, strategies such as the Scottish Forest Strategy will be considered as we take the review forwa…

1 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what evidence it has to support the policy of abolishing the right to buy in certain areas and how this policy will guarantee the provision of affordable houses to rent.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Executive does not have a policy of abolishing the right to buy. Recent pressured area designations have suspended the right to buy in the designated areas for tenancies with a modernised right to buy. I also refer the member to the answer to quest…

1 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to increase the supply of housing in the Highland Council and Moray Council areas to accommodate workers coming into the areas from other EU countries.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows: The Executive has continued to increase the level of investment for new housing supply in Highland and Moray Council areas rising from £10.1…

1 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what research has been carried out into the effectiveness of suspension of the right of local authorities to require proof of a local connection in allocating housing.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Local authorities and registered social landlords are legislatively required to open their housing list to all residents in their area who are aged over 16 and to those who wish to move to the area for employment, medical or social reasons or because they are…

1 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what research has been carried out into the impact of the abolition of priority need by 2012 on the provision of housing for homeless people.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Research carried out by Tribal HCH, Methodology for Assessing the Implications of Expanding Priority Need, was published earlier this year and is available on the Scottish Executive’s website. Local authorities are also carrying out their own as…

1 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the annual budget for local authorities for measures to alleviate flooding has been in each of the last five years, broken down by local authority.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: Local authorities set their own revenue and capital budgets for flood alleviation measures according to local needs and priorities. For revenue expenditure, local authorities Flood Defence and Land Drainage budget estimates for 2005-06 and their net outturn e…

1 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the conclusions and recommendations of the Scottish Forestry Strategy consultation, which ended in September 2005, will be published.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: An analysis of responses to the consultation document on the Review of the Scottish Forestry Strategy can be viewed on Forestry Commission Scotland’s website at <a href="http://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/infd-6c3dh7">http://www.forestry.gov.uk/forest…

1 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the impacts on health are of short and long-term use of methadone.

Answer · Hugh Henry: For the vast majority of drug misusers who are prescribed appropriate dosages of methadone, the benefits to health of both short and long-term use far outweigh any side effects. As part of a package of care, methadone allows individuals to stabilise their liv…

25 Nov 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is considering the construction of an Elgin bypass in its future road construction plans.

Answer · Tavish Scott: We have no current plans to construct an Elgin Bypass. However, we are working closely with the Highlands and Islands Transport Partnership (HITRANS) and the North East Scotland Transport Partnership (NESTRANS) in a multi-modal corridor study to identify the …

25 Nov 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the current timetable is for construction of the A96 Fochabers to Mosstodloch bypass.

Answer · Tavish Scott: The A96 Fochabers and Mosstodloch bypass scheme is currently subject to two appeals in the Court of Session and it is therefore not possible to say when construction might commence. However, should the court rule in the Executive’s favour, construction…

25 Nov 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of school pupils left school in 2005 with no qualifications, broken down by (a) parliamentary constituency and (b) local authority area.

Answer · Peter Peacock: Information for 2005 on schoolleavers with no full course awards at Standard Grade or equivalent is currentlybeing analysed and is due to be published in February 2006.Parliamentary constituency andlocal authority area data for the years 2000-04 have b…

18 Nov 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many affordable homes for rent will be made available as a result of pressured area status being applied to some Highland Council areas.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The designation of a pressured area does not, in itself, immediately free up affordable homes for rent to new tenants. Rather, it aims to protect the existing social rented stock for future tenancies in pressured areas. The recent designation in the Highland …