Sandra White

22 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it has given to transferring responsibility for museums and galleries from local authorities to the Scottish Executive.

Answer · Allan Wilson: We have no plans to assume responsibility for non-national museums and galleries but we are making an additional £3 million available over the next 3 years for a restructuring fund aimed at putting the museums sector on a more secure financial footing.

22 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it will give to including assertiveness courses as part of the New Deal.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: Employment Policy is reserved to the UK Government which takes the lead in funding and delivery of the New Deal. In Scotland it does this in partnership with the Scottish Executive and contributing Scottish organisations.<P>By responding to individual needs, …

22 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it monitors pollution from sewage, rubbish and other sources in the River Clyde.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The monitoring of pollution in the River Clyde is a matter for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.

22 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it has given to introducing greater sanctions on individuals and companies found guilty of dumping rubbish and sewerage in the River Clyde and other rivers.

Answer · Ross Finnie: There are already significant sanctions applicable to such individuals and companies. Under the terms of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, offences of littering are punishable by a fine of up to Level 4 on the Standard Scale, which is currently £2,500. T…

22 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what powers it has to ensure that the banks of the River Clyde are properly managed and maintained.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The Executive has no powers to ensure that the banks of the River Clyde are properly managed and maintained.<P>In general, this is a local matter for the riparian owners concerned. However, where it is considered that maintenance of a watercourse will reduce …

22 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what powers it has to prevent the dumping of rubbish and sewage in the River Clyde.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The discharge of any poisonous, noxious or polluting matter, or any solid waste matter, to the River Clyde is in most circumstances an offence under Section 30F of the Control of Pollution Act 1974. The most important exception is where a consent for a discha…

22 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it has given to the setting up of a national rivers authority to manage and maintain rivers, including the River Clyde and its riverbed and banks.

Answer · Ross Finnie: A national authority responsible for promoting maintenance and improvement of the environmental quality of all Scotland's rivers, including the River Clyde, already exists in the form of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency. The Agency works closely wit…

21 Mar 2001 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its response is to the decision by Strathclyde Passenger Transport not to proceed with a Glasgow north/south rail link.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: I understand that Strathclyde Passenger Transport Executive have not as yet made any final recommendations to the Strathclyde Passenger Transport Authority on any of the options and that no decision has yet been taken.<P>Any decision on whether to proceed wit…

13 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make additional funding available to Strathclyde Police to meet any additional costs resulting from the Efficient Consumer Response Conference at the SECC in May 2001.

Answer · Jim Wallace: It is for the Chief Constable of Strathclyde Police in consultation with the Strathclyde Joint Police Board to determine priorities within the force's budget. Funding for the police under section 32 of the Police (Scotland) Act 1967 is allocated in total to e…

9 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether Strathclyde Police will be discussing the security surrounding the Efficient Consumer Response Conference being held at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre from 15 May to 17 May 2001 with the organisers of the conference and, if so, what the relationship will be between …

Answer · Jim Wallace: This is an operational matter for the Chief Constable to decide.

9 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many police will be required to provide security for the Efficient Consumer Response Conference being held at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre from 15 May to 17 May 2001.

Answer · Jim Wallace: This is an operational matter for the Chief Constable to decide.

9 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much it will cost to police the Efficient Consumer Response Conference being held at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre from 15 May to 17 May 2001.

Answer · Jim Wallace: Policing levels are an operational matter for the Chief Constable to decide. Funding for the police under section 32 of the Police (Scotland) Act 1967 is allocated in total to each force and is not earmarked by the Executive for specific purposes.

7 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many non-departmental public bodies there were on 1 May 1997 and how many there are currently.

Answer · Angus MacKay: Information relating to the number of public bodies is contained in the relevant version of the annual <I>Public Bodies</I> publication. Copies of the 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2000 versions of the document are available from the Cabinet Office website at <A HREF=…

2 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the annual water charges for domestic users were in each water authority area for each year since 1994.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The information is given in the following table:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=2 WIDTH=605><TR><TD VALIGN="TOP" COLSPAN=8 HEIGHT=17><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=2><P>Band D Domestic Water Charges (£/year)</TD></TR><TR><TD WIDTH="33%" VALIGN="TOP" HEIGHT=1…

1 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how individual Her Majesty's Inspectors of Schools are appraised in their work.

Answer · Jack McConnell: As Scottish Executive staff, Her Majesty's Inspectors of Schools (HMI) are subject to established Scottish Executive appraisal procedures. All HMI have a job description with personal objectives to be overtaken each year. Their performance is evaluated on an …

1 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what academic qualifications are required of Her Majesty's Inspectors of Schools.

Answer · Jack McConnell: Her Majesty's Inspectors of Schools (HMI) are normally required to have an honours degree or an equivalent qualification. In exceptional circumstances, proven success in a relevant educational sector may be taken into account in assessing eligibility for part…

1 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it monitors the work of Her Majesty's Inspectors of Schools and whether the findings of any monitoring process are made public.

Answer · Jack McConnell: At present, Her Majesty's Inspectors of Schools are an integral part of the Scottish Executive Education Department and their work is monitored by senior management and Ministers in the same way as the rest of the department's activity. Some of the work of th…

28 Feb 2001 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had or plans to have with Strathclyde Passenger Transport Executive concerning the Glasgow Crossrail scheme.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: No approach has been made to the Scottish Executive by Strathclyde Passenger Transport Executive regarding this project.

15 Feb 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it issued concerning the composition of the interim management committee of the Glasgow Housing Association (GHA) and whether any guidance will be issued regarding appointments to the board of the GHA in the event of housing stock transfer.

Answer · Margaret Curran: Guidance was issued in the framework document <I>Better Homes, Stronger Communities,</I> published jointly by the Executive and Glasgow City Council in April 2000. Appointments to the board of the GHA in the event of housing stock transfer will be made in acc…

14 Feb 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-12843 by Ms Margaret Curran on 8 February 2001, whether the terms and conditions on which Social Inclusion Partnership funding is allocated to particular projects are set locally or by the Executive.

Answer · Margaret Curran: I refer the Member to the answer given to question S1W-13355.

14 Feb 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-12843 by Ms Margaret Curran on 8 February 2001, when it expects to publish the new terms and conditions of grant in relation to Social Inclusion Partnership funding.

Answer · Margaret Curran: I refer the Member to the answer given to question S1W-13355.

14 Feb 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-12843 by Ms Margaret Curran on 8 February 2001, what the current terms and conditions of grant are in relation to Social Inclusion Partnership funding.

Answer · Margaret Curran: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-13355.

14 Feb 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-12843 by Ms Margaret Curran on 8 February 2001, why the terms and conditions of grant in relation to Social Inclusion Partnership funding are currently under revision.

Answer · Margaret Curran: The terms and conditions of grant are currently being revised to reflect changes to the payment procedures which will take effect from April 2001. Currently, 40% of grant is paid in the year in which expenditure is incurred, and 60% is paid a year in arrears.…

13 Feb 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how tenants will be represented in the Glasgow Housing Association in the event of housing stock transfer.

Answer · Margaret Curran: The constitution of the Glasgow Housing Association states that the association shall have a committee of up to 24 members and that up to nine of its committee members shall be tenant committee members.

9 Feb 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the NHSiS budget for the current year and the previous two years came from cash raised from sales of former hospital sites.

Answer · Susan Deacon: Health Boards and NHS Trusts raised £26.8m and £24.2m from the disposal of fixed assets in 1998-99 and 1999-2000 respectively. Income from the sale of fixed assets totalling £14.6m is anticipated in 2000-01.<P>These resources are reinvested in patient care in…

6 Feb 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-11597 by Jackie Baillie on 12 December 2000, who are the four MSPs who currently serve on the City of Glasgow Social Inclusion Partnership and on what boards they serve.

Answer · Margaret Curran: The four MSPs who currently serve on Social Inclusion Partnership Boards in Glasgow are:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=609><TR><TD WIDTH="49%" VALIGN="TOP"><P>MSP </TD><TD WIDTH="51%" VALIGN="TOP"><P>Social Inclusion Partnership Board</TD></T…

2 Feb 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the ballot on the proposed Glasgow housing stock transfer is scheduled to take place.

Answer · Jackie Baillie: The date of the ballot is a matter for Glasgow City Council in discussion with tenants and other interested parties. Current plans are that it will take place in November 2001.

1 Feb 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how the operation of sun tanning parlours is regulated.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: They are subject to the requirements of health and safety legislation.

1 Feb 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidelines it issues on the operation of sun tanning parlours.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: None. The Health and Safety Executive has issued guidelines in the past and is currently considering an update.

31 Jan 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the money allocated to Social Inclusion Partnerships in (a) 1999-2000 and (b) 2000-01 was actually spent.

Answer · Margaret Curran: The Scottish Executive allocated £53.7 million to the 48 Social Inclusion Partnerships (SIPs) and three New Life Urban Partnerships in 1999-2000. The grant claims are paid in arrears and claims for 1999-2000 are still being processed. We expect that expenditu…