Parliamentary questions

Alex Neil

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

25 May 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive to provide a detailed breakdown of Scottish Homes investment levels in Kilmarnock and Loudoun since May 1999.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: Between 1 May 1999 and 31 May 2000 Scottish Homes have invested some £0.778 million in Kilmarnock and Loudoun. This includes:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=616><TR><TD WIDTH="78%" VALIGN="TOP"><P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Capital investment in new home…

25 May 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive to provide a detailed breakdown of Scottish Homes investment levels in Hamilton North and Bellshill since May 1999.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: Between 1 May 1999 and 31 May 2000 Scottish Homes have invested some £0.609 million in Hamilton North and Bellshill. This includes:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=616><TR><TD WIDTH="78%" VALIGN="TOP"><P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Capital investment in ne…

25 May 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it is making in attracting new jobs and industry into the Kilmarnock and Loudoun area.

Answer · Henry McLeish: The main public sector agency for economic development in Kilmarnock and Loudoun is Scottish Enterprise Ayrshire (SEA).<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">SEA is active in attracting new businesses to Kilmarnock & Loudoun and in expanding existing companies. First Choice …

25 May 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much money has been invested by Scottish Enterprise Ayrshire in Kilmarnock and Loudoun since May 1999.

Answer · Henry McLeish: This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise and I have asked the chairman to reply. A copy of the reply will be placed in SPICe.

25 May 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much money has been invested in Regional Selective Assistance in Kilmarnock and Loudoun since May 1999.

Answer · Henry McLeish: In the year beginning 1 May 1999, companies in the Kilmarnock and Loudon constituency received RSA payments totalling some £850,000.

25 May 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it is making in attracting new jobs and industry to Hamilton North and Bellshill.

Answer · Henry McLeish: The local enterprise company (LEC) for Hamilton North and Bellshill is Scottish Enterprise Lanarkshire (SEL - formerly known as Lanarkshire Development Agency). SEL have developed the Strathclyde Business Park as one of Scotland's premier business locations a…

25 May 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much money has been invested in Regional Selective Assistance in Hamilton North and Bellshill since May 1999.

Answer · Henry McLeish: In the year beginning 1 May 1999, companies in the Hamilton North and Bellshill constituency received RSA payments totalling some £1.8 million.

25 May 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much money has been invested by Scottish Enterprise Lanarkshire in Hamilton North and Bellshill since May 1999.

Answer · Henry McLeish: This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise and I have asked the chairman to reply to the member. A copy of the reply will be placed in SPICe.

25 May 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated value is of the outstanding repair and maintenance requirements of primary schools in Kilmarnock and Loudoun.

Answer · Peter Peacock: The overall management of their school building stock is a matter for individual education authorities. Detailed information of the kind requested is not held centrally.

25 May 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated value is of the outstanding repair and maintenance requirements of primary schools in Hamilton North and Bellshill.

Answer · Peter Peacock: The overall management of their school building stock is a matter for individual education authorities. Detailed information of the kind requested is not held centrally.

23 May 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-6228 by Mr Jack McConnell on 9 May 2000, whether it will list the EU Council of Ministers' meetings on matters within its general responsibility which Scottish Executive Ministers did not attend.

Answer · Jack McConnell: A list of the EU Councils of Ministers' meetings since 1 July 1999 is available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe). My answer to question S1W-6228 identified attendance to 9 May 2000 by Scottish Executive Ministers. The UK line, which takes…

19 May 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review the eligibility criteria for Scottish Natural Heritage to be able to provide financial assistance to recreational groups involved in protecting the natural heritage, in particular those involved in the sport of racing pigeons.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: No. Scottish Natural Heritage is already able to provide financial assistance to recreational groups involved in protecting the natural heritage. With regard to the sport of racing pigeons, participants are practising a competitive sport rather than participa…

19 May 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ensure that senior staff within Scottish Natural Heritage and other similar organisations are required to declare interests when making any recommendations in respect of financial assistance to be awarded to outside organisations.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and other similar organisations are bound by the model Code of Conduct for Staff issued by the Cabinet Office, the adoption of which became mandatory for Executive NDPBs from 1 January 1997. SNH incorporated the code into its o…

5 May 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-4192 by Donald Dewar on 13 April 2000, whether it will detail by department, including the First Minister's Office, its performance in relation to its targets for replying to correspondence from MPs or MSPs for the period 1 March to 30 April.

Answer · Donald Dewar: The information requested in relation to the target of 17 working days for the period 1 March to 30 April 2000 is detailed in the table below. The figures include correspondence sent to the First Minister, which is distributed among departments according to t…

5 May 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive to detail, by constituency, the number of young people on the New Deal, and the number at each stage within the New Deal programme, namely (a) Gateway, (b) a New Deal option, (c) Follow-Through and (d) employment.

Answer · Henry McLeish: Employment policy is reserved to the UK Government which therefore takes the lead on the funding and delivery of New Deal throughout Great Britain, although in close consultation with its partners, including the Scottish Executive. Many partner organisations …

4 May 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-4192 by Donald Dewar on 13 April 2000, whether it will provide a breakdown for the First Minister's office of its performance in relation to targets for replying to correspondence from MPs or MSPs for the period 1 November 1999 to 31 January 2000.

Answer · Tom McCabe: Between 1 November 1999 and 31 January 2000, the First Minister's Office replied to 64% of correspondence (36 letters) within the target of 17 days.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">The volume and rate at which Ministers receive correspondence continues to increase. In the …

4 May 2000 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body will publish the methodology of the computer programme that selects oral parliamentary questions.

Answer · David Steel: The computerised random selection of questions for Question Time takes place on Wednesday each week, as soon as possible after 2pm. The Visual Basic random number generator (a function of the programming language that underpins the Word template) utilises a v…

28 Apr 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a breakdown, by unit of delivery, of people who have moved into unsubsidised employment since the New Deal for Young People was introduced.

Answer · Henry McLeish: Employment policy is reserved for the UK Government which takes the lead on funding and delivery of the New Deal. In Scotland it does this in partnership with the Scottish Executive and contributing Scottish organisations as indicated in the answer to questio…

28 Apr 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been employed in subsidised and unsubsidised jobs since the New Deal for Young People was introduced.

Answer · Henry McLeish: Employment Policy is reserved to the UK Government which therefore takes the lead on the funding and delivery of the New Deal throughout Great Britain, although in close consultation with its partners, including the Scottish Executive. Many partner organisati…

28 Apr 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a breakdown, by unit of delivery, of the number of people who have joined the New Deal for Young People since it started.

Answer · Henry McLeish: Employment policy is reserved to the UK Government which takes the lead on funding and delivery of the New Deal. In Scotland it does this in partnership with the Scottish Executive and contributing Scottish organisations as indicated in the answer to question…

19 Apr 2000 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will undertake a comprehensive review of services for the visually impaired in Scotland.

Answer · Iain Gray: Visually impaired people use a wide range of health, social and voluntary sector services. The Social Work Services Inspectorate published a review of social work services for people with a sensory impairment in 1998 entitled <I>Sensing Progress</I>. No furth…

18 Apr 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-4423 by Mr Jack McConnell on 3 April 2000, what percentage of the total capital and set-up costs the #347,000 paid by Scottish Enterprise for establishing of Scotland House represented.

Answer · Jack McConnell: Further to my earlier answers to questions S1W-1208, S1W-3174 and S1W-4423, I can confirm that the £347,000 paid by Scottish Enterprise represented 72% of the total capital and set-up costs of Scotland House.

18 Apr 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-4424 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 3 April 2000, whether it will define exactly what "a wider value for money scrutiny" entails, including in particular details of the criteria against which the comparative analysis of options is undertaken.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: The Executive's scrutiny of transfer of council housing stock will be broadly in line with that which has been adopted for previous transfers of public sector houses, particularly Scottish Homes' stock. This will call for an assessment of each proposal to det…

18 Apr 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-5585 by Mr Jack McConnell on 7 April 2000, whether it will list the EU Council of Ministers' meetings which Scottish Executive Ministers have attended.

Answer · Jack McConnell: Scottish Executive Ministers have attended the following EU Councils of Ministers:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=621><TR><TD WIDTH="9%" VALIGN="TOP"><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=2><P ALIGN="CENTER">Year</TD><TD WIDTH="12%" VALIGN="TOP"><FONT FACE=…

18 Apr 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what specific targets and outputs, in relation to raising Scotland's profile in the European Union, Scotland House in Brussels is aiming to achieve.

Answer · Jack McConnell: My answer to question S1W-4409 set out the wide range of activities being undertaken by Scotland House to raise Scotland's profile in the European Union. Outputs for these activities should include:<UL><P ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><LI>Increased knowledge and awareness …

4 Apr 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-3142 by Henry McLeish on 23 December 1999, whether it will provide an update, up to 31 March 2000, on the number of people in each unit of delivery enrolled in the (a) employment; (b) full-time education and training; (c) voluntary sector and (d) env…

Answer · Henry McLeish: Employment policy is reserved to the UK Government, which takes the lead on funding and delivery of the New Deal. In Scotland it does this in partnership with the Scottish Executive and contributing Scottish organisations as indicated in the answer to questio…

4 Apr 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-3141 by Henry McLeish on 23 December 1999, whether it will provide an update, up to 31 March 2000, on expenditure to date on each New Deal programme, other than the New Deal for Young People, and the number of people who have taken part in each of th…

4 Apr 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-3140 by Henry McLeish on 23 December 1999, whether it will provide updated information on the number of people who have joined the New Deal for Young People and on the expenditure incurred on this programme to date.

Answer · Henry McLeish: Employment policy is reserved to the UK Government which takes the lead on funding and delivery of the New Deal. In Scotland it does this in partnership with the Scottish Executive and contributing Scottish Organisations as indicated in the answer to the ques…

4 Apr 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-3139 by Henry McLeish on 23 December 1999, whether it will provide an update, up to 31 March 2000, on the number of people who have joined the employment option of the New Deal for Young People; how many have left the option; of these, how many moved…

Answer · Henry McLeish: Employment policy is reserved to the UK Government which takes the lead on funding and delivery of the New Deal. In Scotland it does this in partnership with the Scottish Executive and contributing Scottish Organisations as indicated in the answer to the ques…

4 Apr 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-3138 by Henry McLeish on 23 December 1999, whether it will provide an update, up to 31 March 2000, on how many young people who have obtained employment through the New Deal Gateway have been taken on by employers who are not receiving a New Deal sub…

Answer · Henry McLeish: Employment policy is reserved to the UK Government which takes the lead on the funding and delivery of the New Deal. In Scotland it does this in partnership with the Scottish Executive and contributing Scottish organisations as indicated in the answers to que…