Parliamentary questions

Alex Neil

3,059 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

1 Mar 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any inspections of Glasgow Housing Association have taken place or are in the process of taking place and, if so, when and under what remit and terms of reference they commenced, what the outcomes have been, and whether their reports have been or will be made public.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: I have asked Angiolina Foster,Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:The first inspection of GlasgowHousing Association (GHA) is currently underway by Communities Scotland. The remitand terms of reference derive…

1 Mar 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what procedures it has in place for monitoring and inspecting Glasgow Housing Association and its activities.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: I have asked Angiolina Foster,Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows.Communities Scotland as regulatorsets the regulatory framework within which all social landlords, including GlasgowHousing Association, must o…

28 Feb 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-31726 by Mr Tom McCabe on 27 February 2007, who met the costs of the First Minister’s flight to London and return rail journey.

Answer · Tom McCabe: The costs referred to weremet by the Scottish Executive.

21 Feb 2007 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any changes have made to the enterprise and lifelong learning budget for 2007-08.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Budget (Scotland) (No.4)Bill was laid before Parliament on Thursday the 18 January 2007. There have beenno changes made to the budget bill since that date. Any changes to the 2007-08budget that do take place will be made at the next revision of the budget…

9 Feb 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a breakdown of the costs of the First Minister’s visit to London during the week beginning 5 February 2005, also showing the (a) people he met and (b) subject areas covered at each meeting.

Answer · Tom McCabe: The First Minister met the Chancellorof the Exchequer and the Secretary of State for Scotland during his visit to London on 7 February 2007. Inthose discussions he discussed issues raised during the recent meeting of the FinancialServices Advisory Board, of w…

9 Feb 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received any proposals from NHS Lanarkshire for approval in relation to planned capital spending on the accident and emergency units at (a) Hairmyres Hospital and (b) Wishaw Hospital and, if so, what the details were of the proposals.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: NHS Lanarkshire hassubmitted its Programme Initial Agreement document, An Investment Framework forImproving Health Services in Lanarkshire, for consideration and approval by theHealth Department Capital Investment Group in due course. This document sets outNH…

9 Feb 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many times an ambulance has failed to reach a patient within an hour of being summoned in each of the last eight years in (a) Lanarkshire and (b) Ayrshire.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The figures requested are listedin the following tables. The Scottish Ambulance Service rolled out a priority baseddispatch system during 2002-04, so the figures from 2000-03 relate to all accidentand emergency (A&E) incidents and the figures from 2003-06…

7 Feb 2007 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to make a statement on the funding of, and timescale for, second stage transfer of Glasgow Housing Association¿s (GHA) housing stock.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: Scottish ministers remain committedto extending community ownership in Glasgow. That commitment was further underlined in December whenmy predecessor wrote to the GHA board setting out a framework for taking secondstage transfers forward and re-affirming the …

1 Feb 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been prosecuted in Scotland under section 1 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 in each year since it was introduced.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The available information isgiven in the following table.Persons Proceeded Against inScottish Courts for Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 Offences1, 1991-92 to 2004-05<table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td valign=bottom>…

1 Feb 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-31044 by Elish Angiolini QC on 31 January 2007, whether a charge of perverting the course of justice would be appropriate in respect of the actions of the SCRO experts if evidence came to light that their evidence given at any trial or inquiry or in …

Answer · Elish Angiolini: I am not aware of any such evidencebeing available. Accordingly, I do not consider it appropriate to speculate on thismatter.

31 Jan 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-31076 by Cathy Jamieson on 25 January 2007, how many of the prosecutions under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 in each year related to illegal dogs, broken down by breed or type of dog.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Data at the level of detail requestedis not available centrally.

26 Jan 2007 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, further to the answer to question S2W-30642 by Mr Tom McCabe on 23 January 2007, whether it will list all independent and external scrutiny bodies that report to the Scottish Parliament in respect of inspections and audits of local authorities.

Answer · John Scott: The SPCB is responsible onlyfor the budgetary provision of the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman, the Scottish Information Commissioner, the Commissioner for Children and YoungPeople in Scotland, the Commissioner for Public Appointments in Scotland andthe Sc…

25 Jan 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-30408 by Mr Tom McCabe on 19 January 2007 and irrespective of the ownership of the land, how much (a) vacant and (b) derelict land it estimates exists in Scotland.

Answer · Des McNulty: Estimates of the amount ofvacant and derelict land in Scotland, as reported by local authorities in the voluntaryScottish Vacant and Derelict Land Survey (SVDLS) 2006, are set out in the followingtable. Area of Vacant and Derelict Land(hectares), Scotl…

25 Jan 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-30871 by Nicol Stephen on 19 January 2007, whether it will list all New Deal programmes still in place.

Answer · Allan Wilson: The New Deal programmes arereserved to the Department for Work and Pensions and delivered by JobcentrePlus. There are six programmes available:New Deal for Young PeopleNew Deal 25 plusNew Deal 50 plusNew Deal for Lone Parents<p…

25 Jan 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-30630 by Nicol Stephen on 19 January 2007, when the assessment referred to will be completed.

Answer · Patricia Ferguson: Work on the assessment referredto in S2W-30630 continues, involving Executive Departments, Scottish Enterprise,Highlands and Islands Enterprise and a number of other public and private bodies.I expect some conclusions to emerge during this year, although foll…

25 Jan 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-30642 by Mr Tom McCabe on 23 January 2007, whether it will list all independent and external scrutiny bodies which report to Scottish ministers in respect of inspections and audits of local authorities.

Answer · Tom McCabe: The Scottish Executive is committedto improving the way all public services are scrutinised via regulation, audit,inspection and complaints handling. Ministers are aware that the present scrutinylandscape is complex. So, ministers have asked Professor Lorne C…

25 Jan 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-31078 by Mr Tom McCabe on 24 January 2007, what the estimated oil revenues were for each year since Government Expenditure and Revenue in Scotland was first published.

Answer · Tom McCabe: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-31166 on 1 February 2007. This information is also availablein the latest edition of Government Expenditure and Revenue in Scotland (GERS)2004-05 – Table 4.2, p24. All answersto written parliamentary que…

18 Jan 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list all those who have served as policy advisers to the Scottish Arts Council (SAC) or to the Chair of the SAC since 1999, also indicating for each (a) how long they served, (b) how much they were paid and (c) what their outputs were.

Answer · Patricia Ferguson: Scottish Arts Council policyis decided and developed corporately by the Council taking advice from staff, committeesand specialist advisers. The Scottish Arts Council occasionally appoints expertspecialists to advise on implementation of specific policy decis…

18 Jan 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in respect of Government Expenditure and Revenues in Scotland (GERS), what estimates have been made of the revenues raised from air passenger duty in each year since GERS was first published.

Answer · Tom McCabe: The information requested isset out in the following table.Data from 2000-2001 areconsistent with figures in the Government Expenditure and Revenue in Scotland (GERS)2004-05 publication. Estimates for earlier years are available in earlier GERSpublicat…

18 Jan 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in respect of Government Expenditure and Revenues in Scotland (GERS), what estimates have been made of Scotland’s notional share of the UK’s public sector borrowing requirement in each year since GERS was first published.

Answer · Tom McCabe: The following table showsthe latest estimates of Scotland’s notional share of the UK’s public-sectorborrowing requirement in each year since Government Expenditure and Revenue inScotland (GERS) was first published. These figures are “notional” in the sensetha…

17 Jan 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any NHS employees are exempt from the pay agreements, structures or pay scales agreed as part of Agenda for Change and, if so, what roles these employees fill.

Answer · Andy Kerr: All health board employees inScotland are subject to Agenda for Change, with the exceptions of all grades of doctors,all grades of dentists and executives and senior managers.