Parliamentary questions
Adam Ingram
1,244 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
7 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-7360 by Mr Jack McConnell on 4 October 2000, how much each Scottish Executive publication produced from August 2000 to date cost to produce.
Answer · Angus MacKay: These are the details of Scottish Executive publications produced in the period from August 2000 to date (18 January 2001).<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=616><TR><TD WIDTH="50%" VALIGN="TOP"><P>Action Group for Languages Report</TD><TD WIDTH=…
7 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has a contract with Tactica Solutions for the design and production of its publications and, if so, what criteria were used to select Tactica Solutions and how long the contract is for.
Answer · Angus MacKay: The Scottish Executive has a contract with Tactica Solutions which commenced in August 1998 for a period of three years plus an option of two one-year extensions, subject to performance.<FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=2><P>Tactica Solutions was selected on the basis …
7 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which companies other than Tactica Solutions it has employed to design and produce Scottish Executive publications.
Answer · Angus MacKay: The contract with Tactica Solutions which commenced in August 1998 is for the provision of a managed service for the design, print and publications requirements of the Scottish Executive. Approximately 80% (£4,900,000) of the work invoiced by Tactica Solution…
7 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much it has spent since 1 July 1999 on employing Tactica Solutions.
Answer · Angus MacKay: Scottish Executive expenditure with, or through, Tactica Solutions for the period 1 July 1999 to 31 October 2000 inclusive was £6,260,000. Tactica Solutions provides a managed service for the design, print and publications requirements of the Scottish Executi…
7 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will bring forward and publish its plans to legislate for the introduction of permits restricting the amount of waste sent to landfill sites and what penalties will be imposed on local authorities which fail to comply with their obligations under the EC Landfill Directive.
Answer · Sam Galbraith: The EC Landfill Directive requires significant reductions in the amount of biodegradable municipal waste sent to landfill sites. Sarah Boyack announced, in reply to question S1W-6441 on 2 May, the results of a public consultation that examined ways of meeting…
7 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to the Post Office regarding any proposals to merge Post Office outlets in urban areas to provide fewer but bigger offices and what impact any such proposals would have on the rest of its proposals in the New Vision for the Post Office.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: The Post Office and postal services are reserved matters. The Scottish Executive is in regular touch with the United Kingdom Government and the Post Office on issues affecting the Post Office network in Scotland.
2 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what contribution it will make to the establishment of a fund to support Post Offices and their retail facilities in deprived urban areas.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-10883.
2 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what contribution it will make to Social Network Payments to prevent any closures of sub-Post Offices in rural and deprived urban areas.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-10883.
2 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will subsidise the provision of universal banking services by the Post Office and, if so, to what extent.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-10883.
2 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which options it favours for the provision of universal banking services through the Post Office network for those people who cannot or do not wish to use traditional bank accounts.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: I refer the member to the answer to question S1W-10883.
2 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what services it will seek to buy from the Post Office under Her Majesty's Government "Gateway" proposals approved by the Performance and Innovation Unit of Her Majesty's Cabinet Office, and what is the estimated cost of so doing.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: The Post Office and postal services are reserved matters. Ring-fenced funding has been set aside by the UK Government in the Spending Review for new investment over the next three years to start the implementation of the Performance and Innovation Unit report…
1 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much the national concessionary fares scheme due to be introduced in October 2002 will cost annually.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive commissioned consultants, Colin Buchanan and Partners, to carry out a research study into the likely costs of various options for enhancing concessionary fares arrangements. Their report will be made available shortly to the Transport a…
1 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much public money was spent on concessionary fares schemes in each of the last three years.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: Expenditure on concessionary fares schemes by local authorities in each of the last three financial years is as follows:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=616><TR><TD WIDTH="50%" VALIGN="TOP"> </TD><TD WIDTH="50%" VALIGN="TOP"><P ALIGN="JUST…
23 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Her Majesty's Government regarding any delays to the new Scottish Air Traffic Control Centre in Prestwick and their effect on local jobs and whether it will place copies of any relevant correspondence in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive has had no discussions with the UK Government on any delay to the new Scottish Air Traffic Control Centre at Prestwick.
4 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has assessed what additional duties and burdens local authorities will be expected to take on next year, either as a result of directions from it or as a consequence of legislation passed by the Parliament; whether it will list any such additional duties and burdens; what finan…
Answer · Jack McConnell: The spending plans I announced last month provide an extra £1.2 billion in total grant support to local government over the next three years - a real terms increase of 10.5%. This injection of resources will enable local authorities to modernise local governm…
4 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the additional funding for local government announced by the Minister for Finance on 20 September 2000 includes finance to cover the costs of a national concessionary fares scheme and, if not, which budget heading such finance will come from.
Answer · Jack McConnell: Within the additional £1.2 billion investment in local government grant over the next three years, which I announced last month, allowance is included to enable local authorities to enhance their existing concessionary travel schemes.
19 Sep 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when those figures for the amount of the mental illness specific grant paid by each local authority to individual projects in previous years which are not readily available at present will be available.
Answer · Iain Gray: I wrote to Mr Ingram and provided him with information about individual projects receiving grant in 2000-01. Information for previous years could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
19 Sep 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-9442 by Iain Gray on 15 September 2000, why there will be no increase in mental illness specific grant in the current year and why the grant is being maintained at the 1995-96 level.
Answer · Iain Gray: The current level of spending was determined in the Comprehensive Spending Review held in 1998, which looked at spending requirements in 1999-2000, 2000-01 and 2001-02 in the light of priorities at the time. We announced on 20 September that we are increasing…
25 Aug 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many carers who look after people with mental illness it estimates have received respite care and how many it estimates have required respite care but not received it on an annual basis since 1995.
Answer · Iain Gray: The information requested is not held centrally. Short-break services (respite care) are usually provided to the cared-for person rather than their carer, although carers undoubtedly benefit from such services. Under the Strategy for Carers in Scotland, howev…
25 Aug 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what has been the number of (a) inpatients and (b) outpatients being treated for mental illness on an annual basis for each of the last five years, broken down by health board.
Answer · Iain Gray: The available information is as follows:<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Psychiatric<SUP>1 </SUP>inpatient discharges<SUP>2</SUP>: years ending 31 March 1996 to 31 March 1999<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 BORDERCOLOR="#000000" CELLPADDING=2 WIDTH=493><TR><TD WIDTH="39%" VALIG…
25 Aug 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the aggregate external finance required by local authorities for social work mental health services in each of the last three years and whether it has any plans to increase this figure for future years in the light of this assessment.
Answer · Iain Gray: The allocation to local authorities for social work increased from £1,010 million in 1997-98 to £1,050 million in 1998-99 and to £1,101 million in 1999-2000. It is for authorities to determine what should be allocated to services for people with mental health…
25 Aug 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to up-rate the mental illness specific grant in line with inflation.
Answer · Iain Gray: There are no plans to increase the level of Mental Illness Specific Grant in the current year. The level of funding available for 2001-02 onwards will be determined in light of the outcome of the Spending Review.
25 Aug 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what has been the level of mental illness specific grant available in each year since its introduction.
Answer · Iain Gray: The Scottish Executive provides 70% of Mental Illness Specific Grant (MISG) grant with the remainder being met by local authorities from their GAE provision.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">MISG was introduced for 1991-92 at £3 million (£0.9 million provided by local autho…
25 Aug 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which organisations have received grants from the mental illness specific grant and how much money they have received, broken down by local authority area.
Answer · Iain Gray: As the answer to this question is lengthy, I shall write to the member and arrange for the answer to be placed in SPICe.
25 Aug 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of match funding is required from local authorities for each grant under the mental illness specific grant, how much extra money was awarded to each local authority on the introduction of this grant and what percentage of these applications was turned down and for what amo…
Answer · Iain Gray: Local authorities are required to meet 30% of Mental Illness Specific Grant (MISG) and provision for this is made in the GAE provision for each authority. This totalled £0.9 million in 1991-92, £1.8 million in 1992-93, £3.0 million in 1993-94, £4.2 million in…
25 Aug 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications were received for money under the mental illness specific grant; how many applications were successful also shown as a percentage of the total number of applications, and how much money was released under the grant, broken down by local authority or by whichever are…
Answer · Iain Gray: Local authorities make applications to the Scottish Executive for Mental Illness Specific Grant (MISG). Since local government reorganisation, all local authorities have applied and grant paid by the Scottish Executive is as follows:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=…
25 Aug 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what payments have been made from the Heritage Lottery Fund to (i) national Scottish museums, (ii) industrial heritage museums and (iii) other museums in each of the last three years, what funding was made available to each individual museum under this scheme and for what purpose funding …
Answer · Rhona Brankin: The information requested is in the attached two tables:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=616><TR><TD WIDTH="43%" VALIGN="TOP"><P>Heritage Lottery Funding</TD><TD WIDTH="23%" VALIGN="TOP"><P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">1997-98<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">(£)</TD><TD …
25 Aug 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, in the light of its decision on funding the Scottish Mining Museum, whether it will consider giving financial assistance to Dunaskin Industrial Heritage and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.
Answer · Sam Galbraith: The Executive has already advised the Dunaskin Industrial Heritage Museum that it will not provide resources to keep the museum financially viable. In supporting the Scottish Mining Museum, we made it clear that the resources were given in exceptional circums…
25 Aug 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to its announcement of 16 June 2000 that additional funding is to be allocated to the Scottish Mining Museum at Newtongrange, what conditions of funding have to be met in order for this funding to be granted.
Answer · Sam Galbraith: The Scottish Executive grant of £90,000 over six months announced on 16 June was awarded to support the running costs of the Scottish Mining Museum. The museum could not cover the costs from other sources and the grant was to allow the working group to consid…
25 Aug 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what payments it has made to (i) industrial heritage museums, (ii) national museums and (iii) other museums in each of the last three years and whether it will specify which payments were made to which establishment and whether such payments were made for a designated purpose.
Answer · Sam Galbraith: The information requested is in the attached table.<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=2 WIDTH=625><TR><TD WIDTH="17%" VALIGN="TOP" HEIGHT=24><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=2><P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Organisation</TD><TD WIDTH="12%" VALIGN="TOP" HEIGHT=24><FONT FACE="…