Parliamentary questions
Alex Neil
3,059 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
9 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-302 by Henry McLeish on 29 July 1999, whether it will provide updated information 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 subsidy and what per…
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…
9 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-303 by Henry McLeish on 29 July 1999, whether it will provide updated information on the number of companies which have taken on young people under the employment option of the New Deal for Young People and what percentage of trading businesses this …
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…
8 Dec 1999 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many times the First Minister has met with the Chairperson of Scottish Homes since May 1999.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: As Scottish Minister with responsibility for housing, I have regular business meetings with the Chairman of Scottish Homes. The First Minister is not involved in these meetings but has met the Chairman on a less formal basis.
7 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many new ventures have been set up under the auspices of "Technology Ventures" since the initiative was launched; what is the total value of the investment made to date in these ventures, and whether it will provide a breakdown of the sources of funding for this investment.
Answer · Henry McLeish: The Technology Ventures Initiative is a partnership between Scottish higher education, the financial community, the business sector and the public sector led by Scottish Enterprise. The role of TVI is not to make investments and I shall ask the Chief Executiv…
7 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, further to the answer to question number S1W-2395 by Sarah Boyack on 22 November 1999, it will confirm that the A77 upgrade from Fenwick to Malletsheugh will take place within the 2002-05 timescale.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: I refer Mr Neil to my answer to question S1W-3423.
7 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total value of council tax arrears is by local authority for each of the last three years.
Answer · Jack McConnell: The information is set out in a table, which is available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe). I have today received the Executive Summary of the report of the Council Tax Working Group which we set up jointly with CoSLA to look at ways of i…
7 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish a comparative analysis between the costs of funding housing through (a) private finance and (b) the Public Works Loans Board.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: No. Such a comparison would require comprehensive cost/benefit analyses on a project-by-project basis.
7 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many tenders have been awarded to undertake activities of Local Enterprise Companies and when will such invitations to tender next be issued.
Answer · Henry McLeish: No competitive tendering for the appointment of Local Enterprise Companies has been carried out. However, LECs themselves operate competitive tendering for the provision of some of their own goods and services.
7 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total cost is of subsidies from the Scottish Executive and its agencies to ferry operations in Scotland in the current financial year and what percentage of the total revenues and costs of the ferry operations this figure represents.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: Details of total estimated revenue, subsidy and costs for Caledonian MacBrayne for the current financial year are as follows:<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=616><TR><TD WIDTH="33%" VALIGN="TOP"><P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Total Estim…
7 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to reform charity law in Scotland.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive announced on 3 November that an independent commission would be established to review and reform charity law in Scotland. Ministers are currently considering the chair, membership, remit and timetable of the commission and a further ann…
7 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any proposals for the appointment of a Public Appointments Commissioner for Scotland.
Answer · Jack McConnell: I recently announced earlier that the Executive will embark on a wide-ranging consultation exercise early in the New Year which will invite views on options for change to the public appointments system in post-devolution Scotland.<FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=2><P>…
7 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total cost would be of making available grants of up to #1,800 per household for installing central heating under the Warm Deal programme, similar to the Home Energy Efficiency Scheme which operates in England and Wales.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: I understand that under the Home Energy Efficiency Scheme in England it is proposed to introduce new arrangements from June 2000 under which, in certain restricted circumstances, the maximum grant will be £2,000. It is not possible to estimate the cost of int…
7 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total cost would be of increasing the grant available under the Warm Deal programme from #500 to #700.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: The total cost would depend on the number of grants paid and the amount of grant in each case. I have announced that the budget for the Warm Deal for 2000-01 will be £13 million which would yield 26,000 grants of £500. The cost of 26,000 grants at £700 would …
7 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many new jobs forecast by projects supported by Locate in Scotland between April 1998 and April 1999 have so far been created.
Answer · Henry McLeish: In the year to 31 March 1999, Locate in Scotland and its partners helped to attract to Scotland a total of 78 projects involving planned investment of £760 million and the anticipated creation or safeguarding of nearly 11,000 jobs.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Inward in…
7 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total value was of Regional Selective Assistance grants awarded in the last two years to (a) inward investors and (b) indigenous companies already based in Scotland.
Answer · Henry McLeish: The figures requested are as follows:<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Regional Selective Assistance (RSA) Offers Accepted April 1997 to March 1999.<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=508><TR><TD WIDTH="42%" VALIGN="TOP"><P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Ownership</TD><TD WIDT…
7 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people aged over 60, 65, 70 and 75 have been refused operations over each of the past three years for (a) heart conditions; (b) prostate conditions; (c) cancer; (d) eye ailments, and (e) hearing difficulties.
Answer · Susan Deacon: No one has been refused an operation solely on the grounds of age.
7 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many businesses Scottish Enterprise currently invests in, what the total value of these investments is and what rate of return is being obtained.
Answer · Henry McLeish: This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise and I have asked the Chairman to write to Alex Neil MSP. A copy of the reply will be placed in SPICe.
7 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-2041 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 28 October 1999, whether it will provide an itemised breakdown of the revenue budget for each Social Inclusion Partnership.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: Detailed breakdowns of revenue budgets for 1999-2000 are not held centrally. Further details of the revenue spending in 1998-99 by those Social Inclusion Partnerships converted from former Priority Partnership Areas and Regeneration Programmes are set out in …
23 Nov 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide details of the capital programme allocation and expenditure for local authorities for each of the last three financial years, the current financial year and the next three financial years.
Answer · Jack McConnell: For details of capital allocations and expenditure for local authorities for the current year and each of the last three financial years, I refer the member to my letter of 9 September, sent in response to questions S1W-743 and S1W-744. A copy is available fr…
23 Nov 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total value is of any compensatory savings required by local authorities to achieve the Executive's guideline for the year 2000-01 of absorbing a 3% pay award for local authority employees and what the separate figure is for teachers' pay.
Answer · Jack McConnell: Every 1% increase in the local authority pay bill will cost local authorities an estimated £30 million. A 1% increase in the teachers' pay bill will cost local authorities an estimated £13 million. Our present spending plans provide for local authority spendi…
18 Nov 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish figures for each of the last two years for which figures are available showing what has been the average time between people being charged and tried for drug related offences for each Procurator Fiscal office in Scotland.
Answer · Andrew Hardie: The information requested is not available in the format required.
18 Nov 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of prisoners currently serving sentences in Scottish jails have been sentenced as a result of being convicted for a drug related crime.
Answer · Jim Wallace: Information in the exact form requested is not available because only the main crime or offence is recorded for prisoners convicted of more than one criminal act. Provisional figures show that sentenced prisoners whose main crime was a drugs offence represent…
18 Nov 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many contracts not covered by the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations have been issued by local authority direct labour organisations in the last 12 months, what was the total value of these contracts and what percentage they constitute of the total number …
Answer · Frank McAveety: This information is not held centrally.
18 Nov 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its policy is in relation to the awarding of contracts not covered by the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations by local authority direct labour organisations.
Answer · Frank McAveety: The Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations apply on a contract by contract basis. Decisions about contracts where TUPE does not apply are a matter for local authorities.
18 Nov 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total employment levels in each local authority direct labour organisation were at 31 October for each of the last 3 years.
Answer · Frank McAveety: This information is not held centrally.
18 Nov 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total cost was of the out of court settlement between North Lanarkshire Council and the former Director of the Direct Labour Organisation, whether any conditions were attached to this settlement and, if so, what they were.
Answer · Frank McAveety: This is a matter for North Lanarkshire council.
18 Nov 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many young people have set up in business or become self-employed in Scotland under the auspices of the New Deal since July 1998.
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…
18 Nov 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what Scotland's share of the #1.3 billion spend on the New Deal for schools will be and how, when and where this money will be spent.
Answer · Peter Peacock: £115.7 million pounds over five years. £8.9 million was available in financial year 1997-98, with £26.7 million in each of the 4 subsequent years. All education authorities in Scotland have access to a formula share of these funds for the repai…
18 Nov 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive Scottish Executive how many members of staff in each local authority direct labour organisation have been transferred under the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations in the last 12 months for which figures are available.
Answer · Frank McAveety: This information is not held centrally.
18 Nov 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what total funding it provides for Scotland the Brand, what performance targets have been set, whether these targets have been achieved and what outcomes have been achieved to date.
Answer · Henry McLeish: Scotland the Brand is wholly funded by Scottish Enterprise, which sets and monitors targets.