Parliamentary questions
Brian Adam
1,580 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
13 Jun 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether efficiency savings being sought from local authority budgets will be based on the Aggregate External Finance (AEF) per head or on a fixed percentage of AEF received by each authority.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The Efficient Government Plan identified savings from local government over the period 2005 to 2008. By 2007-08, these amount to £325 million.</p> <p>Within the total provided in the settlement for 2007-08, £168 million had already been deducted from the over…
13 Jun 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is a duty on all local authorities to pay a benchmark rate for social work provision in residential homes irrespective of where their residents receive that care.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: The Scottish Executive has provided sufficient funding to enable local authorities to pay the independent care home sector agreed rates in 2004-05 of £417.37 per person per week for residents with nursing care, and £355.21 per person per week for residents wi…
13 Jun 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the implications of the Kerr report will be for the whole-time equivalent number of general practitioners (GPs) and the balance between GPs and hospital doctors in training.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The Kerr report, <i>Building a Health Service Fit for the Future</i>, presents some of the workforce implications of its recommendations for NHS Scotland. For example, it suggests that competencies in case-management and care co-ordination need to be develope…
9 Jun 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has considered introducing a requirement for gas and electrical safety certificates to be produced by homeowners selling domestic property.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Housing Bill currently before Parliament would require those selling a domestic property to provide certain information to potential purchasers. The information in this purchaser’s information pack will be prescribed in regulations. We expect it to includ…
9 Jun 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many accidents involving domestic gas supplies or appliances occurred in each of the last five years and how many personal injuries and deaths were reported in connection with such accidents.
Answer · Allan Wilson: The Scottish Executive does not hold such information. This is a matter for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). A table showing the number of incidents relating to the supply and use of flammable gas covering the period 1998-99 to 2002-03 can be found on t…
2 Jun 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the grant aided expenditure was for pavement and footway maintenance (a) in total and (b) for each local authority in each of the last five years.
Answer · Tom McCabe: There is no separate provision for pavement and footway maintenance in the grant aided expenditure calculations. Instead, such provision is contained within other headings, including road and winter maintenance. It is for each local authority to decide on its…
2 Jun 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the grant aided expenditure was for roads maintenance (a) in total and (b) for each local authority in each of the last five years.
Answer · Tom McCabe: Provision of GAE (Grant Aided Expenditure) in respect of road maintenance (a) in total and (b) for each local authority in each of the last five years are shown in the following table .</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> …
2 Jun 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much money was spent (a) in total and (b) by each local authority on pavement and footway maintenance in each of the last five years.
Answer · Tom McCabe: Information on the amount of local authority spending on pavement and footway maintenance is not held centrally. It is up to each local authority how it allocates its funding, taking account of national priorities as well as local needs and priorities.</p>
2 Jun 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much money was spent (a) in total and (b) by each local authority on roads maintenance in each of the last five years.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The following tables give expenditure on roads maintenance in total and by local authority in each of the last five years. The first table shows the revenue expenditure and the second shows the capital expenditure. Following the Spending Review in 2004, an ad…
2 Jun 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding would be required by each local authority to address the backlog of pavement and footway repairs.
Answer · Tom McCabe: Information on funding requirements for pavements and footway repairs by local authorities is not held centrally. It is for local authorities to decide on their own expenditure priorities based on local needs and circumstances.</p> <p>Following the Spending R…
2 Jun 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding would be required by each local authority to address the backlog of road repairs.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: This is a matter for each individuallocal authority.</p><p>An additional £60 million peryear has been allocated in each of 2006-07 and 2007-08, to help local authoritiesto address the backlog of maintenance on the local road network.</p>
2 Jun 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the report of the review of the Advocacy Safeguards Agency will be published and where it will be made available.
Answer · Andy Kerr: A joint independent evaluation of the Advocacy Safeguards Agency and the Scottish Independent Advocacy Alliance was carried out in 2004 and a report was passed to the Health Department. The purpose of the evaluation was to inform discussions between the depar…
30 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-16620 by Johann Lamont on 24 May 2005, whether the Scottish Building Standards Agency is considering any further applications to be scheme providers and whether there are any barriers to the recognition of alternative scheme providers by the Scottish…
Answer · Johann Lamont: I have asked Dr PaulStollard, Chief Executive of the Scottish Building Standards Agency (SBSA), to answer.His response is as follows:</p><p>The SBSA ispresently considering several applications from organisations wishing to becomescheme providers under the ne…
30 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has provided any incentives to registered social landlords to explore and develop co-housing.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-14999 on 18 March 2005. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility forwhich can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament/webapp/wa.se…
30 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has carried out any research into the Scandinavian model of co-housing.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to the answerto question S2W-14999 on 18 March 2005. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility forwhich can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament/webapp/wa.sea…
24 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide grants for smoke detectors for deaf and hard of hearing people.
Answer · Hugh Henry: The Scottish Executive provided £135,000 at the end of financial year 2004–05 to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Services (FRSs) specifically for the purchase of smoke alarms. It was for the FRSs to decide on the best use of this additional funding including pur…
24 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will place a duty on registered social landlords to provide smoke detectors for deaf and hard of hearing people.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows.</p> <p>The Performance Standards for Social Landlords and Homelessness functions, developed and published jointly by Communities Scotland, COSLA an…
24 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its policy is in respect of the provision of smoke detectors for deaf and hard of hearing people.
Answer · Hugh Henry: This is the responsibility of the eight Scottish Fire and Rescue Services (FRSs) and is pursued through their programmes of fire safety home visits. In partnership with special interest groups the eight FRSs currently have arrangements in place to install spe…
23 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many enquiries its Environment and Rural Affairs Department has received about growing finola hemp in Scotland.
Answer · Ross Finnie: None.</p>
23 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to allow public landowners, such as NHS boards and local authorities, to enter into land leasing agreements to provide affordable, sustainable housing.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Our housing policy statement <i>Homes for Scotland’s People</i>, published in March 2005, outlines the steps we are taking to make better use of public sector land for affordable housing. These steps include further work with UK government departments and oth…
23 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has carried out any research into community land trusts and, if so, what the findings of the research were.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The concept of a crofting community land trust was first explored by the then Scottish Office in 1996 in connection with proposals for community ownership of croft land owned by the Secretary of State For Scotland.</p> <p>Parliamentary consideration of option…
23 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to introduce building construction guidelines which deliver "breathing wall" technology.
Answer · Johann Lamont: I have asked Dr Paul Stollard, Chief Executive of the Scottish Building Standards Agency (SBSA), to answer. His response is as follows:</p> <p>The agency has no plans to introduce specific guidance on this subject.</p><p>However, current guidance offering way…
23 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to introduce building construction guidelines which deliver airtightness where there are air changes in a building as a result of passive or mechanical ventilation.
Answer · Johann Lamont: I have asked Dr Paul Stollard, Chief Executive of the Scottish Building Standards Agency (SBSA), to answer. His response is as follows:</p> <p>A Building Standards Advisory Committee working party is presently considering improved guidance on airtightness of …
18 May 2005 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether its Justice Department has any plans to support forensic pathology training for junior medical staff and, if so, whether such training will include post-mortem examinations under supervision.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The Scottish Executive recognises the importance of forensic pathology as a vital part of the criminal justice system. We propose to fund an on-going training capacity through the creation of dedicated Specialist Registrar posts in forensic pathology. The Jus…
16 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has considered establishing a domestic installers' scheme for persons carrying out domestic electrical work in compliance with the Building (Scotland) Act 2003.
Answer · Johann Lamont: I have asked Dr Paul Stollard, Chief Executive of the Scottish Building Standards Agency (SBSA), to answer. His response is as follows:</p> <p>The Building (Scotland) Act 2003 introduced the option of certification and a scheme for the Certification of Constr…
16 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what qualifications persons carrying out electrical work require to comply with the Building (Scotland) Act 2003.
Answer · Johann Lamont: I have asked Dr Paul Stollard, Chief Executive of the Scottish Building Standards Agency (SBSA), to answer. His response is as follows:</p> <p>The Building (Scotland) Regulations 2004 require that an installation be fit for purpose and meet the requirements o…
16 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether all local authorities are in a position to assess that electrical work carried out under building warrant has been done by qualified personnel.
Answer · Johann Lamont: I have asked Dr Paul Stollard, Chief Executive of the Scottish Building Standards Agency (SBSA), to answer. His response is as follows:</p> <p>Local authority verifiers are not required to assess the qualification of installers. The Building (Scotland) Regula…
16 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what monitoring procedures are required for the safe implementation of electrical work as a consequence of the Building (Scotland) Act 2003.
Answer · Johann Lamont: I have asked Dr Paul Stollard, Chief Executive of the Scottish Building Standards Agency (SBSA), to answer. His response is as follows:</p> <p>Where work is the subject of a Certificate of Construction, compliance is certified by the installer through a certi…
10 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with banks in Scotland regarding the provision of Islamic mortgages.
Answer · Johann Lamont: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-16367, answered on 23 May 2005. All answers towritten parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, thesearch facility for which can be found at: <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliamen…
10 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any impediments exist in Scots law to the provision of Islamic mortgages and, if so, what action it will take to remove these.
Answer · Hugh Henry: The Scottish Executive is not aware of any impediment in Scots law which prevents the provision of Islamic mortgages.</p>