Parliamentary questions
Mr Brian Monteith
1,042 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
10 Nov 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the spending stream “Antisocial Behaviour Initiatives” under the level 3 heading “Building Stronger, Safer Communities through Regeneration and Tackling Antisocial Behaviour” in Draft Budget 2005-06 will be used for.
Answer · Hugh Henry: Of the £60 million made available in 2004-05 and 2005-06, £50 million has been allocated to local authorities to fund community warden schemes, fill gaps in services for victims and witnesses of antisocial behaviour and other practical initiatives at local le…
10 Nov 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the spending stream “Promoting Social Inclusion” under the level 3 heading “Closing the Opportunity Gap by Providing Routes Out of Poverty, Ensuring Equal Opportunities and Supporting Active Citizenship” in Draft Budget 2005-06 will be used for.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Promoting Social Inclusion is used to fund a range of activities which contribute to the Executive’s cross-cutting Closing the Opportunity Gap approach for tackling poverty and deprivation.</p><p>These include:</p><p>· pump-priming activities such as the curr…
10 Nov 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the spending stream “International Relations” under the level 3 heading “Committees, Commissions and Other Expenditure” in Draft Budget 2005-06 will be used for.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The International Relations budget line will be used for: promoting Scotland's international image overseas and will help to attract new Scots to live and work in Scotland; increasing the Executive's engagement in EU activities, and supporting Scotland's cont…
10 Nov 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the spending stream “20 mph Limits around Schools and Home Zones” under the level 3 heading “Other Capital Grants to Local Authorities and Regional Transport Partnerships” in Draft Budget 2005-06 will be used for.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The spending stream will be used by the Executive to make available to local authorities additional capital funding for the introduction of 20 mph speed limits around schools, safer routes to school projects and the development of home zones. A wide range of …
5 Nov 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to allow local authorities to spend a portion of the additional funding, announced on 4 November 2004 for safety-related school transport projects, on precautionary winter gritting of school bus routes.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The additional capital funding being made available by the Executive to local authorities is for the introduction of 20 mph speed limits around schools, safer routes to school projects and the development of home zones. This specific additional funding does n…
3 Nov 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive in how many cases in 2003-04 the Scottish Legal Aid Board referred a claim for legal aid to the procurator fiscal because the applicant had not provided complete and accurate information about their financial circumstances.
Answer · Hugh Henry: The Scottish Legal Aid Board referred five such cases to the procurator fiscal in 2003-04.</p>
3 Nov 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive in how many cases in 2003-04 the Scottish Legal Aid Board terminated legal aid because the applicant had not provided complete and accurate information about their financial circumstances.
Answer · Hugh Henry: In 2003-04 the Scottish Legal Aid Board terminated the grant of legal aid in 146 cases where it believed the applicants had not provided complete and accurate information about their financial circumstances. In a further 23 cases, grants of advice and assista…
3 Nov 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive in how many cases in 2003-04 the Scottish Legal Aid Board refused an application for legal aid because the applicant had not provided complete and accurate information about their financial circumstances.
Answer · Hugh Henry: In 2003-04 the Scottish Legal Aid Board refused 65 applications in these circumstances.</p>
3 Nov 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many cases were investigated by the Scottish Legal Aid Board in 2003-04 where it appeared that the applicant had not provided complete and accurate information about their financial circumstances.
Answer · Hugh Henry: The Scottish Legal Aid Board concluded investigations into 967 such cases in 2003-04.</p><p> </p>
3 Nov 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to name applicants for legal aid who have given false or incomplete information about their financial circumstances.
Answer · Hugh Henry: No.</p>
27 Oct 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total mileage claimed by its staff under the essential car users scheme was in each year since 1999.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The Scottish Executive does not operate an essential car users scheme. Individuals are permitted to use their own car for official business journeys where it is the most efficient and economical method of travelling. The total number of miles claimed by indiv…
27 Oct 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been paid to its staff under the essential car users scheme in each year since 1999.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The Scottish Executive does not operate an essential car users scheme. The total amount paid to individuals who claimed the motor mileage rate for travelling on official business using their own vehicle is set out in the following table:</p><table border=1 c…
27 Oct 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the per mile road allowance for NHS board employees has been in each year since 1997, broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Andy Kerr: This information is not available centrally in the detail requested but may be obtained from individual NHS boards. The names and addresses of all NHS boards are available on the Scottish Health on the Web website at <a href="http://www.show.scot.nhs.uk/">www…
27 Oct 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the per mile road allowance for teachers has been in each year since 1997, broken down by local authority.
Answer · Peter Peacock: The per mile road allowances for teachers in Scotland for the period 1997 to 2001 are set out below.</p><p>With effect from 1 April 1997, mileage allowances were as follows (as set out in Scottish Joint Negotiating Committee circular SE/147):</p><p>Essential …
27 Oct 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the per mile road allowance for local authority staff has been in each year since 1997, broken down by local authority.
Answer · Tavish Scott: This information is not held centrally.</p>
27 Oct 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total road mileage expenses for local authority staff were in each year since 1997, broken down by local authority and employment rank.
Answer · Tavish Scott: These figures are not held centrally.</p>
27 Oct 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidelines it issues to local authorities on road mileage expenses levels for teachers.
Answer · Peter Peacock: None. Road mileage expense levels are a matter for local negotiation, as set out in Annex F of the 2001 teachers’ agreement, <i>A Teaching Profession for the 21st Century</i>.</p>
27 Oct 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidelines it issues to local authorities on road mileage expenses levels for local authority staff.
Answer · Tavish Scott: None. Such matters are for local authorities themselves to determine.</p>
27 Oct 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many complaints of rape were dismissed as false, rather than inconclusive, in each of the last five years and how many false complainers were subsequently charged.
Answer · Elish Angiolini: Allegations of rape which are reported to the Procurator Fiscal will be prosecuted where there is sufficient credible and reliable evidence to prove that a rape has been committed and where it is in the public interest to prosecute. Where the evidence does no…
27 Oct 2004 · SPCB Written Question
To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what the estimated total running costs will be for Holyrood for each of the next five years.
Answer · John Scott: Forecasts have not been submittedbeyond 2006-07 and cost histories will enable future years’ budgets to be setwith greater certainty. The estimated total running costs for Holyrood accommodation(based on existing fabric and building services), for rent, rate…
27 Oct 2004 · SPCB Written Question
To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what the total running costs, including rents, repairs and administration, were for the temporary accommodation of the Parliament for each year since 1999-2000.
Answer · John Scott: The total running costs forthe temporary accommodation, for rents, rates, planned and reactive buildingmaintenance, cleaning and utilities, in each year since 1999-2000 are asfollows:</p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <tr> …
6 Oct 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to extend funding for community wardens beyond spring 2006.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: A further £66 million in Executive funding for action to tackle anti-social behaviour for the period to March 2008 was announced in the Spending Review 2004. The allocation of these funds will be decided and announced shortly: but where local authorities and …
6 Oct 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities have appointed community wardens under the initiatives for building strong, safe and attractive communities and when these appointments were made.
Answer · Hugh Henry: All 32 local authorities in Scotland will have appointed community wardens for schemes supported under our first round of funding to tackle antisocial behaviour by the end of November. The dates that appointments were made in each authority are shown in the t…
28 Sep 2004 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to reduce business rates.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The Scottish Executive aims to announce the 2005-06 business rates poundage in early November.</p>
23 Sep 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its projected (a) income and (b) expenditure is for each of the next four years, broken down by (i) department and (ii) source of funding.
Answer · Tom McCabe: Our Spending Plans for the period out to 2007-08 are set out in <i>Building a Better Scotland – Enterprise, Opportunity and Fairness</i>, published on 29 September, and copies of which are available at <ahref="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/enterprise/ba…
23 Sep 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its (a) income and (b) expenditure was in each of the last five years, broken down by (i) department and (ii) source of funding.
Answer · Tom McCabe: This information is available in the Executive’s accounts for the years concerned, copies of which are available on the Executive’s website at:</p><p>www.scotland.gov.uk/publications/recent.aspx.</p>
15 Sep 2004 · SPCB Written Question
To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what the estimated annual costs are for the maintenance and upkeep of Holyrood.
Answer · John Scott: The estimated cost forplanned maintenance for the first full year of operation, 2005-06, isanticipated to be £640,000. The estimated cost for reactive maintenance is£206,000. Maintenance histories will enable future years’ budgets to be setwith greater certai…
15 Sep 2004 · SPCB Written Question
To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body how much was spent on maintenance costs for the temporary accommodation of the Scottish Parliament in each year since 1999-2000.
Answer · John Scott: Building maintenance costsfor the temporary accommodation in each year since 1999‑2000 are asfollows:</p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <tr> <td> <p>1999-2000</p> </td> <td> <p>£500,045</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>…
8 Sep 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its estimated expenditure is on advertising for (a) 2004-05 and (b) 2005-06.
Answer · Andy Kerr: Estimated expenditure for advertising for the year 2004-05 is £9,994,000 (£8,505,532 ex VAT) and is projected to remain flat for 2005-06.</p>
8 Sep 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much it spent on advertising in 2003-04.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The Scottish Executive spent £9,404,909 (£8,004,178 ex VAT) on advertising in 2003-04. This was within the declared ceiling of £9,750,000, which itself was 25% less than for 2002-03.</p>