Parliamentary questions
Des McNulty
1,840 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
2 Sep 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to ensure that there is a sustainable network of petrol stations in rural areas.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: From 1 April 2008, responsibility and funding for the Rural Petrol Stations Grant Scheme was transferred to Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Scottish Enterprise. Decisions on how to allocate funding to meet local needs and priorities are now made by these…
25 Aug 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-13288 by Stewart Stevenson on 3 June 2008, whether it will provide an update on its position on eligibility criteria for the Scotland-wide free bus travel scheme for older and disabled people.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The evaluation of the national concessionary travel scheme in Scotland is on-going. The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth has already announced, on 4 July 2008, that the current eligibility criteria will be maintained. We will report back i…
19 Aug 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will require new homes funded by Housing Association Grant to meet higher build and design standards, as referred to in the answer to question S3W-13390 by Stewart Maxwell on 4 June 2008, now that it has indicated that previous levels of grant are unsustainable.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: Yes. Through our changes to Housing Association Grant, recipients of Housing Association Grant are asked to meet twin aims of quality and long term value for money. These are key themes within our reform agenda.</p>
19 Aug 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people under the age of 18 in the Strathclyde Police area have had alcohol confiscated in the last three years for which figures are available, broken down by local authority area.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The available information is given in the following table, which shows all offences recorded under section 61 of the Crime and Punishment (Scotland) Act 1997.</p> <p >The police have powers under section 61 of the Crime and Punishment (Scotland) Act 1997 to…
19 Aug 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-13276 by John Swinney on 3 June 2008, where the two community hubs identified as early projects developed by the Scottish Futures Trust are located.
Answer · John Swinney: The location of the two community hubs identified as early projects for the Scottish Futures Trust will be announced in late autumn 2008.</p>
19 Aug 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-13317 by Stewart Maxwell on 3 June 2008, whether the figures given for building affordable homes for rent and low-cost ownership, uprated for inflation and multiplied by the relevant number of homes for rent and low-cost ownership that the Scottish G…
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: There is no direct correlation in any given financial year between the cost of units approved and spend. Expenditure in any given year will pay for a range of costs associated with projects approved in previous years, projects approved in the current year and…
19 Aug 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-13317 by Stewart Maxwell on 3 June 2008, why the cost of building an affordable home for low-cost home ownership is nearly £10,000 more than the cost of building an affordable home for rent.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The cost of building new homes for rent or low cost home ownership is largely dependent on local factors such as land price, building costs, site conditions etc. The figures quoted are average costs per unit across Scotland and do not take into account house …
19 Aug 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-13235 by Shona Robison on 2 June 2008, whether it is satisfied that the figure provided for those people currently paying prescription charges who would therefore benefit from the abolition of prescription charges is accurate and, if not, how many ad…
Answer · Shona Robison: The estimated figure given in the reply to S3W-13235 is based on an analysis of the family resources survey data combined with information from various other sources. The estimate assumes that 40% of Scottish adults (1.54 million) live in families with gross …
19 Aug 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-13282 by Nicola Sturgeon on 2 June 2008, whether it will increase the use of short secure tenancies to prevent or stop antisocial behaviour by allowing greater time for evidence of improvement in behaviour before the landlord is obliged to grant a se…
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: We currently have no plans to change the length of time a Short Scottish secure tenancy (SSST) can be used before it converts into a full Scottish secure tenancy.</p> <p >We consider 12 months a reasonable period of time to establish whether there is an impr…
19 Aug 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-13282 by Nicola Sturgeon on 2 June 2008, what practical steps it has taken to address the difficulties registered social landlords have due to different statutory requirements and policies in preventing or stopping antisocial behaviour through the st…
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-15647 on 8 September 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/we…
19 Aug 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-13282 by Nicola Sturgeon on 2 June 2008, what evidence it has that there is sufficient flexibility within the statutory framework to allow registered social landlords to apply tenancy conditions strictly and take action where necessary to stop antiso…
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-15647 on 8 September 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/we…
19 Aug 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-13282 by Nicola Sturgeon on 2 June 2008, whether evidence that registered social landlords (RSL) apply tenancy conditions strictly and take action where necessary to stop antisocial behaviour is examined as part of the inspection of performance of RS…
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I have asked Karen Watt, Chief Executive of the Scottish Housing Regulator to respond. Her response is as follows:</p> <p >The Scottish Housing Regulator assesses performance on the management of antisocial behaviour, including use of tenancy conditions and …
19 Aug 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-13282 by Nicola Sturgeon on 2 June 2008, what evidence it has that registered social landlords apply tenancy conditions strictly and take action where necessary to put a stop to antisocial behaviour.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: It is the responsibility of individual registered social landlords (RSLs) to ensure they strictly apply tenancy conditions and where necessary take action to stop antisocial behaviour.</p> <p >We do not collect information about the application of tenancy co…
15 Aug 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what total investment from public funds there has been in housing refurbishment and in building new rented and affordable housing in (a) Clydebank, (b) Milngavie and (c) each parliamentary constituency in Glasgow, since 2003.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The total investment (actual spend) from the Affordable Housing Investment Programme for the Clydebank and Milngavie areas since 2003 is detailed in the following table. Information is not held at parliamentary constituency level for Glasgow, however I have p…
15 Aug 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-14279 by Stewart Maxwell on 8 July 2008, what level of Housing Association Grant per unit is considered sustainable if the Scottish Government is to meet the challenge of homelessness and its aspiration to increase the supply of new affordable homes.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: Housing Association Grant requirements vary depending on a range of circumstances including location, house size, client group and rent levels. In general terms, reducing the amount of public subsidy per unit will enable more houses to be built, and quicker a…
15 Aug 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make an up-to-date assessment of the costs of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route project.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: An up-to-date assessment of the costs of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route will be carried out as part of the procurement process.</p>
15 Aug 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many approvals for new affordable houses under the Affordable Housing Investment Programme were announced by the previous administration in 2007 for the year 2007-08; how many houses were constructed under this programme in 2007-08, and how many houses it expects to be constructed und…
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The number of approvals of new and refurbished affordable houses announced by the previous administration in 2007 for the year 2007-08 was 8,000 and 5,670 completions were achieved. During 2008-09 it is expected that 6,070 units will be approved and 7,000 uni…
15 Aug 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether its targets for rented and affordable housing to be built in 2008-09 and 2009-10 and its announcement of the total amount of Housing Association Grant available are consistent with each other and, if so, how reductions in the per unit grant can be achieved given current constructi…
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: A record level of resources of over £1.5 billion has been committed from the Affordable Housing Investment Programme (AHIP) over the next three years. This is sufficient to deliver the units planned if efficiencies are achieved. Efficiencies in the level of g…
15 Aug 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the figure provided for the average Housing Association Grant per unit in 2007-08 of £80,410 in the answer to question S3W-13734 by Stewart Maxwell on 19 June 2008, what its estimate is for the average Housing Association Grant per unit for (a) 2008-09 and (b) 2009-10.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: We do not estimate the average Housing Association Grant (HAG) per Unit for these two years as this will be dependent on the size and type of units approved during the current year and will be based on local variations in costs.</p>
15 Aug 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which household types that would have qualified for free central heating previously are not now having their applications processed under new instructions issued following the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing’s announcement on 22 May 2008.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: Households currently not having their applications processed under the priority arrangements announced by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing on 22 May 2008 are:</p> <p >Under-80s with a systems that has broken down, who are not in receipt of the…
15 Aug 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much Affordable Housing Investment programme grant has been allocated to (a) West Dunbartonshire and (b) East Dunbartonshire in each year since 2002-03 and how much of these amounts each year was allocated to (i) Clydebank and (ii) Bearsden and Milngavie.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The amount of Affordable Housing Investment Grant allocated to the areas requested since 2003-04 is as follows:</p> <table border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <tr > <td nowrap valign=bottom > <p align=left > </p> </td> <td nowrap valign=bottom…
15 Aug 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many homes were built in (a) Clydebank and (b) Bearsden and Milngavie in 2007-08 using Housing Association Grant.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: In Clydebank 36 units of low-cost home ownership, which were given approval in February 2007, were under construction during 2007-08, and were completed in May 2008. In Milngavie another project of 26 units of amenity housing for older people was approved in …
15 Aug 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the annual increase was in percentage terms of Scotland’s GDP, using the approximate measure set out in the response to question S3W-14008 by John Swinney on 18 June 2008, for the last five years for which figures are available and what the current estimate of percentage GDP growth.
Answer · John Swinney: Estimates of GDP at current market prices for Scotland are presented in the following table, along with the annual percentage growth. It is important to note that percentage changes in current price measures of GDP include the impact of rising prices and does…
15 Aug 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether cycling, walking and safer streets have been identified as priorities or whether targets have been set for cycling, walking and safer streets in any of the single outcome agreements between local authorities and the Scottish Government and, if so, in which ones.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Single outcome agreements (SOAs) for 2008-09 have been agreed with all 32 councils and should all now be publicly available.</p> <p >SOAs reflect the priorities and agreed outcomes for each council and include relevant supporting indicators and targets. As c…
15 Aug 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what information is available, following the signing of single outcome agreements, about the actual amounts that will be spent by local authorities during 2008-09 on cycling, walking and safer streets projects.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The following table outlines how much funding local authorities have been allocated for cycling, walking and safer streets (CWSS) projects in 2008-09. The signing of the single outcome agreements has had no impact on the level of funding allocation for CWSS p…
15 Aug 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what changes there have been in average peak period journey times between Fife and Edinburgh and vice versa following the removal of the Forth Road Bridge tolls.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The new traffic management arrangements at the Forth Road Bridge came into effect at the end of May 2008. It is therefore too early to make any realistic assessment of the journey time impacts of the abolition of tolls. We will continue to work with the Forth…
15 Aug 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the budgeted spend on cycling projects in 2008-09 and the projected spend on such projects in 2009-10 and 2010-11 is, calculated on the same basis as the figures given for 2003-04 to 2007-08 in the answer to question S3W-13861 by Stewart Stevenson on 18 June 2008.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-13862 on 18 June 2008.</p> <p >Allocations for cycling projects from the sustainable and active travel budget line have been made for 2008-09 only. This year £6.58 million will be allocated to cycling project…
15 Aug 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether an assessment has been made of the impact on greenhouse gas emissions of the removal of tolls on the Erskine bridge and how the results compare with any estimate based on traffic modelling before the tolls were removed.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: No such assessment has been made.</p>
15 Aug 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S3W-13883, S3W-13884, S3W 13998, S3W-13999, S3W-14000 and S3W-14001 by Adam Ingram on 13 June 2008, what the ratio of pupils receiving nursery education from a qualified teacher to those not receiving nursery education from a qualified teacher is in (a…
Answer · Adam Ingram: Figures from the 2007 pre-school and childcare census show that the ratio of children attending pre-schools with a General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) registered teacher to those attending pre-schools without are as follows for each of the six local …
15 Aug 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the introduction of average speed cameras on the A9 has been considered in order to reduce the incidence of traffic accidents, given the positive outcomes in terms of improved road safety following their introduction on the A77 since June 2005 and on similar roads in other parts o…
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Government is developing a strategy to improve road safety over the next 10 years and has set up a Panel of Experts to advise on possible measures. It is due to publish a report in the autumn.</p> <p >The potential to introduce more average spe…