Patricia Ferguson

18 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it monitors food waste in the NHS.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: This is for NHS boards to manage.</p> <p >However, to help them do so, Health Facility Scotland''s Catering Advisory Group have recently taken on responsibility for monitoring NHS boards'' food waste. It will collate information on food waste to benchmark pe…

18 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many NHS boards operate an advance order system for inpatient meals.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Detail about the ordering systems of NHS boards is not held centrally. However, general practice by the majority of hospitals is to operate an advance order system.</p>

7 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what role the Scottish Housing Regulator has in relation to factoring services provided by housing associations and social landlords.

Answer · Alex Neil: I have asked Michael Cameron, Acting Chief Executive of the Scottish Housing Regulator to respond.</p> <p >His response is as follows:</p> <p align=left >The Scottish Housing Regulator''s overall purpose is to regulate to:</p> <p >protect the interests o…

7 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it offers to housing associations and social landlords providing factoring services.

Answer · Alex Neil: I have asked Michael Cameron, Acting Chief Executive of the Scottish Housing Regulator to respond.</p> <p >His response is as follows: </p> <p >The Scottish Housing Regulator publishes performance standards and self-assessment guidance on factoring on our w…

7 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail the charges made for factoring services by housing associations and social landlords in Glasgow and the West of Scotland.

Answer · Alex Neil: I have asked Michael Cameron, Acting Chief Executive of the Scottish Housing Regulator to respond.</p> <p >His response is as follows:</p> <p >Some registered social landlords set up subsidiaries to run their factoring services. These subsidiaries are not s…

6 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-29208 by Alex Neil on 8 December 2009, when it will provide the information that it undertook to provide in that answer.

Answer · Alex Neil: The information requested in question S3W-29208 was provided to the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 49810) on 21 December 2009 and released by them on 23 December 2009.</p>

6 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-29209 by Alex Neil on 8 December 2009, when it will provide the information that it undertook to provide in that answer.

Answer · Alex Neil: The information requested in question S3W-29209 was provided to the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 49810) on 21 December 2009 and released by them on 23 December 2009.</p>

20 Nov 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail any successful bids for funding from the second tranche of the Town Centre Regeneration Fund that did not meet the initial eligibility criteria.

Answer · Alex Neil: All of the bids that secured funding from the Town Centre Regeneration Fund were found to have met the initial eligibility criteria.</p>

20 Nov 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail any bids for funding from the second tranche of the Town Centre Regeneration Fund that were accepted contrary to the recommendations of the advisory panel.

Answer · Alex Neil: Details of all unsuccessful bids will be published on the Scottish Government website by mid December. I will, at that time, be in a position to provide the detailed information requested. I will write to the member as soon as the information is available and…

20 Nov 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail any bids for funding from the second tranche of the Town Centre Regeneration Fund that were rejected contrary to the recommendations of the advisory panel.

Answer · Alex Neil: Details of all unsuccessful bids will be published on the Scottish Government website by mid December. I will, at that time, be in a position to provide the detailed information requested. I will write to the member as soon as the information is available and…

20 Nov 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what bids for funding from the second tranche of the Town Centre Regeneration Fund were rejected at stage four of the four-stage assessment process.

Answer · Alex Neil: The fourth stage of the assessment of applications to the Town Centre Regeneration Fund involved decision by ministers on the awards to be offered to projects. In the second tranche, ministers agreed to allocate funding to 30 projects. A further 106 projects …

20 Nov 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what bids for funding from the second tranche of the Town Centre Regeneration Fund were rejected at stage three of the four-stage assessment process.

Answer · Alex Neil: No bids were rejected during the third stage of the assessment process. At this stage, bids were considered by the independent advisory panel who offered recommendations to ministers on potential allocations. It was not part of their remit to remove applicati…

20 Nov 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what bids for funding from the second tranche of the Town Centre Regeneration Fund were rejected at stage two of the four-stage assessment process.

Answer · Alex Neil: No bids were rejected during the second stage of the assessment process, which involved consideration and scoring of bids by a team of officials.</p>

20 Nov 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what bids for funding from the second tranche of the Town Centre Regeneration Fund were rejected at stage one of the four-stage assessment process.

Answer · Alex Neil: Six applications to the second round of the Town Centre Regeneration Fund were found to be ineligible and were not therefore able to be considered for funding.</p>

3 Nov 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will extend the deadline for completion of work being funded by the Town Centre Regeneration Fund in light of the delay in announcing the second round of funding.

Answer · Alex Neil: The Town Centre Regeneration Fund consists of capital accelerated from 2010-11 into 2009-10, and requires to be spent in this financial year. It is therefore still the case that grant requires to be claimed in this financial year.</p>

2 Nov 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to announce the projects that have been successful in the second round of funding from the Town Centre Regeneration Fund.

Answer · Alex Neil: The outcome of the second round of the Town Centre Regeneration Fund was announced on Friday 13 November.</p>

15 Oct 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which of the projects funded through its international development budget are concerned with developing civil society.

Answer · Michael Russell: Details of the projects which are concerned with developing civil society are available on the Scottish Government''s website and can be accessed from the following link.</p> <p align=left ><a href="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Government/International…

15 Oct 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much of its international development budget is spent on developing civil society.

Answer · Michael Russell: The amount allocated from the international development budget this financial year (2009-10) on projects to develop civil society is £400,731.</p>

8 Oct 2009 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria it used when deciding to remove the funding for the Glasgow Airport Rail Link from its budget.

Answer · John Swinney: <i >This question was answered in the Chamber. The answer can be viewed in the Official Report using the following link:</i></p> <p ><a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/sor1008-01.htm">http://www.scott…

2 Oct 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether under its £1.25 billion school building programme primary schools might be built in communities where no such school exists, but where there is an identified need for one.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-27982 on 28 October 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/Apps…

2 Oct 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether under its £1.25 billion school building programme only existing primary schools will benefit from investment.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The new school building programme is principally focused on lifting up to 35,000 more pupils out of being educated in poor condition or unsuitable buildings through replacing or upgrading existing schools and where appropriate, the establishment of new school…

2 Oct 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions have been held with Glasgow City Council regarding the construction of new primary schools in that local authority area under the £1.25 billion school building programme.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: As I set out in my statement to Parliament on 17 June 2009, this school building programme will be taken forward in partnership with COSLA and councils. We are in the process of engaging with all of our local government partners, including Glasgow City Counci…

2 Oct 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to complete the construction of primary schools to be built under its £1.25 billion school building programme.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: We expect all of the primary schools to be completed by 2015.</p>

2 Oct 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to announce the complete list of primary schools to be built under its £1.25 billion school building programme.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: We expect to announce the first primaries to benefit from the programme by the end of the year. The timing of further announcements has not yet been decided.</p>

2 Oct 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to announce the first tranche of primary schools to be built under its £1.25 billion school building programme.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: We have agreed with COSLA to accelerate the process of agreeing the first primary schools to benefit from this programme and expect to make an announcement by the end of the year.</p>

2 Oct 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many pupils in the City of Glasgow it has since May 2007 lifted out of schools that were in a poor or bad condition and how this has been achieved, broken down by school.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Glasgow City Council are responsible for assessing and reporting the condition of their schools. Since May 2007, the number of pupils in the City of Glasgow lifted out of schools that were in a poor or bad condition and were subsequently recorded as good or s…

2 Oct 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-26571 by John Swinney on 18 September 2009, whether it will provide a response that contains the information requested in that question.

Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-26569 on 18 September 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/Ap…

2 Oct 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-26570 by John Swinney on 18 September 2009, whether it will provide a response that contains the information requested in that question.

Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-26569 on 18 September 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/Ap…

2 Oct 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-26573 by John Swinney on 18 September 2009, whether it will provide a response that contains the information requested in that question.

Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-26569 on 18 September 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/Ap…

18 Sep 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there has been a change to the policy on prisoners eligible to be held in the open prison estate and, if so, when any new policy was implemented and what the reason was for such changes.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:</p> <p >A review of the circumstances surrounding the transfer of prisoner Robert Foye to the Open Estate was undertaken in early 2008. Its recom…