Parliamentary questions
Trish Godman
601 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
21 Feb 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether estimates have been made of the number of women brought into Scotland in each of the last five years who have been compelled to work as prostitutes.
Answer · Hugh Henry: The information requested is not held centrally. As indicated in the joint Home Office/Scottish Executive consultation <i>Tackling Human Trafficking: Consultation on Proposals for a UK Action Plan</i> accurate information on trafficking is difficult to obtain…
21 Feb 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people convicted in each of the last five years for the illegal trafficking of women into Scotland for forced sexual purposes were foreign nationals and what information it has on whether they will be deported upon the completion of their imprisonment.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Information on thenationality of offenders is not available from the statistics on convictions heldcentrally.</p>
21 Feb 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been convicted in Scottish courts in each of the last five years for offences relating to the trafficking of women from countries in Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa and South America for the purpose of forced prostitution.
Answer · Hugh Henry: The information requested is not available from the statistics held centrally.</p>
9 Feb 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been allocated to (a) Renfrewshire and (b) Inverclyde from the Better Neighbourhood Services Fund in each year since 2000-01 and whether any specific amounts awarded to Inverclyde were designated for the regeneration of Port Glasgow.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster,Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:</p><p>(a) BNSF allocated to Renfrewshireis as follows:</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <tr> <td> <p> </p> </td> <td> <p a…
9 Feb 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much money from the Community Regeneration Fund has been allocated to (a) Renfrewshire and (b) Inverclyde in 2005-06; how much will be allocated in 2006-07, and whether a specific amount of the money given to Inverclyde will be for the regeneration of Port Glasgow.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster,Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:</p><p>(a) The CRF allocations to RenfrewshireCommunity Planning Partnership are as follows:</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead>…
9 Feb 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what recent representations have been made anent the (a) funding, (b) local administration and (c) accessibility of the Community Voices Programme.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:</p> <p>No recent representations have been received about the funding, local administration or accessibility of the Community Voices Programme.</…
9 Feb 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any plans to modify the Community Voices Programme.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:</p> <p>The Community Voices Programme has been in existence for less than a year. The first round of monitoring information on the programme will…
9 Feb 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding will be allocated to (a) Renfrewshire and (b) Inverclyde through the Community Voices Programme in (i) 2005-06 and (ii) 2006-07.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:</p> <p>The funding allocated to Renfrewshire and Inverclyde through the Community Voices programme in 2005-06 and 2006-07 is as follows:</p><tabl…
9 Feb 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much social inclusion partnership funding has been allocated to (a) Renfrewshire and (b) Inverclyde in each year since 1999-2000 and what proportion of the sum allocated to Inverclyde was specifically designated for the regeneration of Port Glasgow.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster,Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:</p><p>(a) SIP funding allocated toRenfrewshire (Paisley Partnership) is as follows:</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <tr> <td> <p>…
9 Feb 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will introduce a Scotland-wide rail, bus and ferry concessionary travel scheme for young people and what the definition will be of a young person under the scheme.
Answer · Tavish Scott: The Partnership Agreement commitsthe Executive to the progressive introduction of a national scheme of bus, railand ferry concessionary travel for young people. We are currently developing detailedproposals to implement this commitment and an announcement wil…
9 Feb 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what estimates are available anent the number of (a) older people and (b) disabled people living in (i) West Renfrewshire and (ii) Inverclyde who will be eligible for free travel under the national concessionary travel scheme.
Answer · Tavish Scott: People aged 60 and over and eligibledisabled people will be able to use the new Scotland-wide free bus travel schemefor older and disabled people.</p><p>Information for older peopleis based on the 2001 census which holds data based on local authority areas. A…
9 Feb 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people aged 65 and over have received intensive home care in (a) West Renfrewshire and (b) Inverclyde in each year since 1999, expressed also as a percentage of all older people in these areas.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: This information is not collected centrally for the whole year. However, the number and percentage of older people in Renfrewshire and Inverclyde local authority areas receiving intensive home care in the week ending 31 March each year since 1999 is:</p> <tab…
9 Feb 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what proposals there are to enhance or improve the financial and social circumstances of older people living in poverty in (a) West Renfrewshire and (b) Inverclyde.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive is tacklingpensioner poverty in Scotland in partnership with the UK Government.</p><p>Measures by the UK Government to reduce the proportion of olderpeople on low incomes include Pension Credit, Council Tax and Housing Benefit, theWinte…
9 Feb 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what information has been given by Eaga Partnership Ltd anent the number of private sector pensioners’ homes in the PA14 postcode area which have had central heating systems installed in (a) 2002-03, (b) 2003-04 and (c) 2004-05 and how many such homes will have installations carried out i…
Answer · Johann Lamont: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:</p> <p>Communities Scotland has contacted Eaga Partnership which has indicated that it has not provided information on the number of private sect…
9 Feb 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many passenger ferry companies have sought to tender for the Gourock to Dunoon ferry service and whether it will list (a) the names of such companies and (b) the locations of their headquarters.
Answer · Tavish Scott: Three companies remain in the bidding process for operating the Gourock to Dunoon ferry service on an unsubsidised basis. The three companies submitted Pre-Qualification Questionnaires to the Executive in December last year and these are currently being evalu…
19 Dec 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S2W-13787 and S2W-13788 by Nicol Stephen on 8 February 2005, what further progress has been made in the pursuit of the cost of repairs to the Erskine Bridge following the damage caused by an offshore structure colliding with the bridge.
Answer · Tavish Scott: Our legal advisers have successfully secured an abandonment of the debate which was due to take place on 27 to 30 September 2005 and secured an award of expenses in our favour. They are currently pressing the court and other parties to confirm a final hearing…
30 Nov 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what recent discussions have taken place with appropriate interested parties, including representatives of the architectural profession and those representing the interests of older people, concerning the design and adaptation of houses to meet the requirements of people aged 60 and over.
Answer · Johann Lamont: I have asked Dr Paul Stollard, Chief Executive of the Scottish Building Standards Agency (SBSA), to answer. His response is as follows:</p> <p>The SBSA is presently carrying out a review of standards on the access and use of buildings, including dwellings, an…
30 Nov 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to encourage people aged 60 and over to participate in educational and vocational courses in educational establishments.
Answer · Allan Wilson: The Scottish Executive encourages everyone to continue learning throughout their lives irrespective of age or personal circumstances. As older people will form an increasingly large and important part of our workforce over the coming decades, we are currently…
30 Nov 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what recent discussions have taken place with interested parties, including educationalists, concerning the training and retraining of unemployed people aged 50 and over.
Answer · Allan Wilson: The input to the development of the Employability Framework for Scotland has included research led by Glasgow Caledonian University, as well as the views of the Scottish Funding Councils for Further and Higher Education, further education colleges and trainin…
30 Nov 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what recent discussions have taken place with UK ministers, the Confederation of British Industry, the Scottish Trades Union Congress and other appropriate parties which represent older people concerning the recruitment to paid employment of people aged 50 and over who are without work.
Answer · Allan Wilson: The Executive has held discussions with ministers from the Department for Work and Pensions about welfare reform and the Employability Framework for Scotland. We have also discussed the framework with the CBI and the Trade Union Working Party on Lifelong Lear…
30 Nov 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans there are to reduce the number of men and women between 50 and 65 who are unemployed.
Answer · Allan Wilson: The UK Government has lead responsibility for welfare to work programmes. Support for people aged over 50 is available under New Deal 50 Plus, and the Pathways to Work programme for incapacity benefit claimants, which is being piloted in Renfrewshire, Invercl…
30 Nov 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of women aged 60 and over are currently in paid employment in (a) West Renfrewshire, (b) Inverclyde and (c) Scotland and what the comparable figures were in 1996.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Labour Force Survey (LFS)is the official source of employment estimates. The LFS was boosted in Scotland forthe first time in 2003 which allowed key statistics to be provided at detailed geographicallevels for the first time. Thus data fordetailed geograp…
30 Nov 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of men aged 65 and over are currently in paid employment in (a) West Renfrewshire, (b) Inverclyde and (c) Scotland and what the comparable figures were in 1996.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Labour Force Survey (LFS)is the official source of employment estimates. The LFS was boosted in Scotland forthe first time in 2003 which allowed key statistics to be provided at detailed geographicallevels for the first time. Thus data fordetailed geograp…
30 Nov 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of people aged between 50 and 65 are currently unemployed in (a) West Renfrewshire, (b) Inverclyde and (c) Scotland and what the comparable figures were in 1996.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: There are two measures of unemployment used in the UK. Unemployment (previously known as International Labour Organisation(ILO) unemployment) and the claimant count. The ILO measure of unemployment is estimated from the Labour Force Survey(LFS), whereas the c…
30 Nov 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what recent representations have been received concerning the management of allotment sites by local authorities and the feasibility of amending extant legislation in respect of such matters.
Answer · George Lyon: During the past six months, one letter has been received asking about the rights of allotment holders and the provision of national guidance on allotments. No representations have been received about the feasibility of amending existing legislation.</p>
30 Nov 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to amend extant legislation concerning the management and creation of allotment sites.
Answer · George Lyon: Local authorities are best placed to assess the needs of their communities and develop policy on the provisions and management of allotments. As current legislation does not appear to cause difficulties for local authorities in this respect, there are no plan…
30 Nov 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what recent discussions have taken place with COSLA and other interested parties anent the implementation of guidelines to assist local authorities to manage existing allotment sites and to create such sites in urban settings.
Answer · George Lyon: As the provision and management of allotments is a matter for local authorities rather than the Executive, it was agreed with COSLA that they would take the lead on the development of best practice guidelines. We understand that COSLA has met with the City of…
30 Nov 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any plans to extend the provisions of the Emergency Workers (Scotland) Act 2005 to cover people employed in community healthcare settings.
Answer · Tom McCabe: Under the Emergency Workers (Scotland) Act 2005, doctors, nurses, midwives and ambulance workers are protected in any area of a hospital whenever they are on duty. These workers and anyone assisting them are also protected when they are responding to emergenc…
23 Nov 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-20483 by Mr Andy Kerr on 17 November 2005, what the anticipated publication date is of the report of the work undertaken by the Ministerial Healthcare Associated Infection Task Force.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The Ministerial Healthcare Associated Infection (HAI) Task Force is nearing completion of a three-year programme of work to improve prevention and control of HAI.</p> <p>A final report on the work completed by the HAI Task Force will be published in early 200…
23 Nov 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-20483 by Mr Andy Kerr on 17 November 2005, whether it will provide a list of the members of the Ministerial Healthcare Associated Infection Task Force and their officially appointed specialist advisers, showing (a) name, (b) occupation and (c) places…
Answer · Andy Kerr: The membership of the Ministerial Healthcare Associated Infection (HAI) Task Force is detailed in the following table. The HAI Task Force has no officially appointed specialist advisors.</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> …