Ms Wendy Alexander

15 Nov 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the unemployment rates have been in Renfrewshire in each year since 1997.

Answer · Iain Gray: The annual average residence-based claimant count unemployment rates for Renfrewshire, from 1997-2001 and the latest monthly data for October 2002, are shown in the following table: <TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=2 WIDTH=132><TR><TD WIDTH="71%" VALIG…

15 Nov 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many of the 42,000 young people in Scotland that have gone into jobs from the New Deal were from Renfrewshire.

Answer · Iain Gray: Up to the end of June 2002, 2,800 of the 44,300 young people who had gone into jobs from the New Deal for Young People in Scotland, were from Renfrewshire. This represents 6.3% of the Scottish total.

15 Nov 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which of the 62 New Community School projects are located in Renfrewshire.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Two of the New Community Schools pilot projects are located in Renfrewshire. One project covers Cochrane Castle Primary School, St David's Primary School and West Johnstone Family Centre. The other covers St Andrew's Academy, Castlehead High School, Craiglea …

15 Nov 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action has been taken to reduce crime rates in disadvantaged areas in Renfrewshire since 1996.

Answer · Hugh Henry: The level of funding provided to police forces is now at record levels as are police numbers. Targets have also been set for the police to reduce violent crime and to increase drug seizures. CCTV has made an impact and Renfrewshire has benefited from Executiv…

15 Nov 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action has been taken to reduce the incidence of (a) drug misuse, (b) injecting by drug abusers and (c) needle sharing in Renfrewshire since 1997.

Answer · Hugh Henry: Details of local initiatives are contained in the Corporate Action Plans for the Greater Glasgow Drug Action Team and the Argyll and Clyde Alcohol and Drug Action Team. The plans can be accessed at <A HREF="http://www.drugmisuse.isdscotland.org/dat/cap.htm">h…

15 Nov 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action has been taken to reduce the fear of crime among older people in Renfrewshire since 1997.

Answer · Hugh Henry: Since 1997, we have contributed to the safety of our communities in Scotland through initiatives such as the funding of CCTV, the formation of Community Safety Partnerships, an increase in police numbers and resources and other locally based community safety …

15 Nov 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of older people in Renfrewshire received intensive home care in each year since 1996.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The proportion of older people in Renfrewshire who receive intensive home care is shown in the following table: <P>Proportion of Renfrewshire Clients in Receipt of Intensive Home Care<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 BORDERCOLOR="#000000" CELLPADDING=2 WIDTH=247><T…

15 Nov 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action has been taken to increase the proportion of older people in Renfrewshire that are able to live independently by increasing home care opportunities since 1997.

Answer · Frank McAveety: Councils' expenditure on home care services is funded through the general local government settlement. We are hoping to conclude a local outcome agreement with Renfrewshire Council soon, to enable it to develop home care services further with specific resourc…

15 Nov 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of older people in Renfrewshire has been living on low incomes in each year since 1996.

Answer · Margaret Curran: The data source which the Executive uses to produce estimates of persons on low income in Scotland is the Department for Work and Pensions' Households Below Average Income analysis. The sample size is not large enough to allow analysis below Scotland level.

15 Nov 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action has been taken to reduce the proportion of older people on low incomes in Renfrewshire since 1997.

Answer · Margaret Curran: Since 1997, older people on low incomes in Renfrewshire have benefited from the combined effect of UK Government increases to the Basic State Retirement Pension, the introduction of the Minimum Income Guarantee, and the Winter Fuel Payment. In addition, a ran…

15 Nov 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action has been taken to improve the health of families in Renfrewshire since 1997 by reducing the incidence of (a) smoking, (b) alcohol misuse, (c) poor diets and (d) mortality rates from coronary heart disease.

Answer · Mary Mulligan: (a) Following publication of the White Paper <I>Smoking Kills</I> in 1998 the Scottish Executive allocated £1 million pounds per year to health boards to provide smoking cessation support to priority groups, pregnant women who smoke, young people and people o…

8 Nov 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what policies to tackle youth crime in Renfrewshire it (a) has implemented and (b) is planning to implement and what associated investment is needed to implement such policies.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Every local authority in Scotland has been asked to produce an audit of youth crime; to identify the number of persistent offenders in their area and to have programmes in place to tackle their offending behaviour. Renfrewshire's audit demonstrates significan…

8 Nov 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what success it has had in achieving reductions in the levels of violent crime related to drug use in (a) Scotland and (b) Renfrewshire since 1999 and what targets it has set for such reductions in this period.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The following table shows the incidence of violent crime in (a) Scotland and (b) Renfrewshire. There is no data collected centrally to indicate how many of these crimes were related to drug use.<P>Crimes Recorded by the Police, 1999-2001<TABLE BORDER CELLSPAC…

8 Nov 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what success it has had in achieving reductions in the levels of street crime in (a) Scotland and (b) Renfrewshire since 1999 and what targets it has set for such reductions in this period.

Answer · Jim Wallace: Street crime is not classified separately within centrally collected statistics. In addition to the specific targets for police forces already announced discussions are on-going with the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland and police authorities …

7 Nov 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much was spent by (a) central government and (b) Renfrewshire Council on crime prevention in the Renfrewshire area in each year since 1997.

Answer · Richard Simpson: Spend by Renfrewshire Council on crime prevention is a matter for the Council. The information is not held centrally.<P>Under the Make our Communities Safer CCTV Challenge Competition which ended in March 2002, the awards detailed in the table were made for f…

7 Nov 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the clear-up rate of recorded crimes was in (a) each category of crime and (b) total in (i) Renfrewshire and (ii) the K Division of Strathclyde Police in each year since 1997.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The information requested is given in the following tables.<P>Crimes Cleared Up by the Police as a Percentage of those Recorded, Renfrewshire Council Area, 1997-2001<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=2 WIDTH=477><TR><TD WIDTH="52%" VALIGN="TOP" HEIGHT=17…

7 Nov 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it plans to support a sporting culture for children and young people in Renfrewshire.

Answer · Elaine Murray: The Executive's aim is to increase participation in sport at all age levels and in particular instil healthy positive attitudes in our children and young people towards sport and physical activity in all parts of Scotland. To assist that objective the Executi…

7 Nov 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of crime has been estimated as being drug-related in each of the last five years in K division of Strathclyde Police.

Answer · Richard Simpson: While Scottish Police Forces record details of all drugs offences committed within their areas, statistics are not routinely recorded in respect of those crimes which it is suspected may be drug related.

7 Nov 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what grants were awarded to Renfrewshire for the use of mobile CCTV cameras in crime and vandalism hotspots in each of the last five years.

Answer · Richard Simpson: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-31385 on 19 November 2002, which is available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for this can be found at <A HREF="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search">http://www.scottish.parlia…

7 Nov 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what recent assessment has been made of the impact of closed circuit television systems on levels of street crime in (a) Scotland, (b) Renfrewshire and (c) Paisley North.

Answer · Richard Simpson: We are not aware of any recent assessment of the impact of closed circuit television systems on levels of street crime commissioned centrally or by another research body in the areas referred to in the question. We have, however, received evaluations of the i…

7 Nov 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it is making in Renfrewshire on the implementation of the 10-point action plan arising from Scotland's Action Programme to Reduce Youth Crime 2002.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Following the publication of the action plan, Renfrewshire Council received £113,506 from the Executive this year to prevent and reduce youth crime and a further £15,000 to help complete its youth crime audit. The council has now received a total of nearly £3…

7 Nov 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the expenditure on drug-related activities has been in each year since 1998-99, broken down by expenditure on crime, education, rehabilitation and treatment, in (a) Renfrewshire and (b) Paisley North.

Answer · Richard Simpson: Information on drug-related expenditure is not held on a constituency basis. Resources for Paisley North are incorporated in the budgets for the Argyll and Clyde Drug Action Team area. Similarly, expenditure in the Renfrewshire area is incorporated in budgets…

12 Sep 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to provide additional guidance to local authorities in order to promote good practice in taking forward the National Cultural Strategy.

Answer · Mike Watson: Local authorities have a key role in implementing the National Cultural Strategy. Following publication of the strategy in August 2000, a Joint Working Group of the Executive and COSLA was formed to develop good practice guidance for local authorities in rele…

5 Sep 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to its proposals for ex-gratia payments to be made in respect of the Scottish Bus Group Pension Funds, how many beneficiaries of such payments will be in the Paisley North constituency area and how much will be paid to such beneficiaries in total.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The information requested is not held centrally.

19 Mar 2002 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to increase the number of women setting up their own businesses.

Answer · Iain Gray: The Executive recognises that we need to increase the number of women led businesses in Scotland. We are committed to this in our strategic document <I>Smart, Successful Scotland</I> that sets out the direction and priorities for the Enterprise Networks.<P>To…