Pauline McNeill

22 May 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there will be any "safety nets" for repairs bills affecting private owners of former council houses in the proposals for housing stock transfer.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: Transfers offer opportunities for new initiatives to promote owner occupation and to assist existing owners. These opportunities should be considered by those developing transfer proposals. In general, however, before buying any property, prospective purchase…

17 May 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will report on its consultation on right to buy by housing association tenants and in particular on any identified specific problems arising in Partick.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: I have received many views in relation to our proposals for a single social tenancy incorporating a modernised right to buy. I am aware of the position of Partick Housing Association and will consider how their particular circumstances can be reflected in our…

17 May 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the #8 million Scottish Homes funding to upgrade tenements and provide new homes at inner city gap sites will be spent in the Glasgow Kelvin constituency.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: Of the £8 million allocated by Scottish Homes in 2000-01 to upgrade tenements and provide new homes at inner city gap sites in Glasgow, £4 million will be spent in Glasgow Kelvin.

17 May 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the #51 million private sector funding attracted by Scottish Homes to Glasgow and North Clyde will be invested in the Glasgow Kelvin constituency.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: On current plans, of the £51 million of private sector funding which Scottish Homes' Glasgow and North Clyde Region aims to attract during 2000-2001, £2.275 million will be invested in Glasgow Kelvin.

17 May 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many of the 1,300 new build Scottish Homes properties for social rent in Glasgow and North Clyde will be located in the Glasgow Kelvin constituency.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: Scottish Homes plans to approve 1,300 new and improved homes for social rent in Glasgow and North Clyde Region during 2000-01. Eighty-five of these homes will be in Glasgow Kelvin.

17 May 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the #79 million invested by Scottish Homes in Glasgow and North Clyde is being spent in (a) Glasgow and (b) Glasgow Kelvin.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: In 2000-01 Scottish Homes' Glasgow and North Clyde Region plans to spend (a) £65 million in the city of Glasgow as a whole, and (b) £4 million in Glasgow Kelvin.

10 May 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any involvement in or parallel initiatives to the Public Health Observatories launched by Her Majesty's Government to help tackle health inequalities.

Answer · Susan Deacon: As part of England's public health agenda, as detailed in its White Paper <I>Saving Lives: Our Healthier Nation</I>, a Public Health Observatory is being established in each of its eight NHS Regions. Their role will be to facilitate local priority-setting and…

10 May 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider extending the qualification for free wigs to chemotherapy outpatients as well as inpatients, given the increasing quantity of chemotherapy now carried out on an outpatient basis.

Answer · Susan Deacon: It has been the long-standing policy of successive Governments that only inpatients should receive medicines and appliances free of charge.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">However, prescription charges are only applied to those who can afford to pay and there is an extensi…

10 May 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the financial burden of breast cancer prescription charges can be relieved for those patients taking Tamoxifen on a long-term basis who do not qualify for income support, as is the case for those with diabetes.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The prescription charge medical exemption arrangements were reviewed by the UK Government in 1997. The decision taken was that the conditions which currently qualify for exemption would remain unchanged for the remainder of the current UK Parliament. The Scot…

10 May 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what resources will be allocated to extending breast cancer screening for women up to the age of 69.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The results of the Scottish project aimed at assessing the implications of extending the upper age limit of invitation for breast screening are being considered by the Scottish Breast Screening National Advisory Group. In addition, the UK National Screening C…

10 May 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is any geographical variance in the number of views taken at repeat mammogram appointments in breast screening units.

Answer · Susan Deacon: I refer to the answer given to question S1W-6710.

10 May 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidelines are given to breast cancer screening units on the number of views to be taken at repeat mammogram appointments.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The Scottish Screening Programme Central Co-ordinating Unit provides guidance to Breast Screening Centres about repeat mammogram appointments. The number of views taken at repeat mammography appointments is based on an assessment of each individual case and d…

3 May 2000 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will give an update on the progress of the evaluation of the Glasgow Airport rail link.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: Railtrack and Strathclyde Passenger Transport Executive have been jointly assessing three options for providing a rail link to Glasgow Airport.<P>Further consideration of the link awaits the completion of the DETR/Scottish Executive strategic study of transpo…

2 May 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ensure that people who take up individual learning accounts will not be disenfranchised from taking up grants, bursaries and other forms of student financial support.

Answer · Henry McLeish: Individual Learning Accounts are designed to help people overcome the financial barriers to learning and to encourage them to undertake and invest in their own learning throughout their lifetime. They will be available to all people aged 18 and over. The ince…

2 May 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to develop community learning accounts alongside its proposals for individual learning accounts.

Answer · Henry McLeish: We have no present plans to do so, but I have agreed with the STUC to establish a Trade Union Working Party on Lifelong Learning as a means of enhancing the involvement of Trade Unions in the broad lifelong learning agenda in Scotland.

2 May 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in the collaborative review of child services in Glasgow between Yorkhill NHS Trust and the Greater Glasgow Primary Care NHS Trust.

Answer · Susan Deacon: Yorkhill and Greater Glasgow Primary Care NHS Trusts have been collaborating with Greater Glasgow Health Board in reviewing the provision of Children's Community Health Services in the health board's area. I believe that a report on their findings will be dis…

2 May 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will outline the timetable for improvements at the Partick rail interchange.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: Strathclyde Passenger Transport (SPT) were successful in securing £3.5 million additional capital consent from the first round of the Public Transport Fund towards the upgrading of Partick railway station to a fully integrated transport interchange. One of th…

5 Apr 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to legislate on European Convention on Human Rights issues other than intrusive surveillance.

Answer · Jim Wallace: Yes. I intend to bring forward a Bill to deal with various ECHR issues relating to bail, district courts and part-time sheriffs. The Bill will amend the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 by removing the present restrictions on the power of the sheriff to…

4 Apr 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it responded to the Sutherland report With Respect to Old Age.

Answer · Iain Gray: I outlined the Scottish Executive's proposals for progressing the report's two main recommendations in a debate in this Parliament on 2 December. At present, we are making considerable progress in implementing the other recommendations through a number of ini…

4 Apr 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive why, following the advertising campaign to attract more people into the teaching profession, the Scottish Universities' faculties of education have offered no more places on PGCE courses than last year.

Answer · Peter Peacock: The objective of the advertising campaign was to create interest in teaching as a career with an aim of widening the target audience and encouraging not only those choosing their first career but also suitable candidates who might consider teaching as a secon…

4 Apr 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of the Scottish Arts Council is #2.5 million funding for Scottish film projects is returned unspent.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: Only a very small part of the funds have been returned. However, in a few cases, funds have not been issued where film-makers have not been able to complete their financing.

4 Apr 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many film production companies are based in Scotland.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: The Producers Alliance for Cinema and Television (PACT) has 40 fully producing members in Scotland, including companies which produce for television. I understand that the great majority of production companies are members of PACT.

4 Apr 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many films made in Scotland in the last 10 years have been commissioned from London-based companies.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: London-based companies have shot 33 of the 87 feature films made in Scotland between 1991 and 1999.

4 Apr 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive in how many Scottish films British Screen has invested over the last 10 years.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: British Screen has provided finance for three Scottish feature films and project development finance for a number of others. It has also invested in several short films, including financing the Prime Cuts scheme for three years.

4 Apr 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list investment in film projects in Scotland during 1999 by companies located (a) in Scotland and (b) elsewhere.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: The following feature films were shot in Scotland by Scottish based companies:<I><P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Aberdeen, Mist Gate</I> (now <I>Lomond Shores</I>), <I>Shaping a Nation, Daybreak</I> and <I>One Life Stand</I>.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">The following were shot in S…

4 Apr 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria will be set by Scottish Screen in distributing lottery monies to film projects.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: Scottish Screen will set criteria in line with the Policy Directions issued by the Scottish ministers to them as the National Lottery distributor for film production in Scotland. I will place a statement of the criteria in the Scottish Parliament Information …

4 Apr 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will outline the new responsibilities given to Scottish Screen from April 2000 in relation to distributing lottery monies.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: Scottish Screen has been added to the list of National Lottery distributing bodies with effect from 7 April. Scottish Screen is responsible for applications relating to film production in Scotland. A strategic plan has been drawn up and new management arrange…

4 Apr 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what efforts are being made to counter the gradual deterioration of the historic building stock and safeguard the future of Outstanding Conservation Areas in the West End of Glasgow.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: The maintenance and repair of historic buildings and buildings within outstanding conservation areas is primarily the responsibility of owners. Repair grants are available, both from Historic Scotland and Glasgow City Council, in cases where owners are unable…

4 Apr 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of National Lottery grants awarded in Scotland are given to organisations in (a) the Glasgow area and (b) the Glasgow Kelvin constituency.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: Since 1993, 31.56% of the total National Lottery grant awarded in Scotland has been to organisations whose headquarters are located in the Glasgow City Council area. 16.68% has been awarded to organisations whose headquarters are located in the Glasgow Kelvin…

31 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what impact the proposed transfer of housing stock will have on the powers of local councillors to intervene on housing matters.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: Transfers to community ownership will enable councils and councillors to develop a more strategic role in the provision of housing in their area. To support this process, we have proposed that Scottish Homes' development funding role should transfer to the co…