Parliamentary questions
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
566 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
10 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many houses are currently unoccupied and what plans it has to reoccupy these houses.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The latest available information on unoccupied dwellings comes from council tax billing systems as at 6 September 2004. This indicates that there were a total of 109,591 unoccupied dwellings in Scotland. Houses can be empty for various reasons. The figure quo…
10 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of occupied houses is privately owned.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Information on tenure of occupied houses can be found in two published sources, both available on-line: the 2002 Scottish House Condition Survey report. (<ahref="http://www.shcs.gov.uk/pdfs/SHCS2002report_revised.pdf">http://www.shcs.gov.uk/pdfs/SHCS2002repor…
10 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish a graph showing the percentage of public sector houses which have been sold to tenants in comparison with England in each year since 1999.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-16379 on 17 May 2005. Which contains the Scottish data required to construct such a graph. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which…
10 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many public sector houses have been sold to tenants since 1999, expressed also as a percentage of the total number of public sector houses.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The following table shows the number of local authority dwellings sold to tenants and estimated local authority stock.</p> <p>Sales of Local Authority Dwellings to Tenants: Scotland 1999-2003</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> …
10 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether its Health Department and NHS Lothian will take action to address the acute clinical needs of psychiatric patients in Lothian.
Answer · Andy Kerr: Meeting the clinical needs of all patients in Lothian is the responsibility of Lothian NHS Board. Among the recommendations arising from NHS Lothian’s recent public consultation on proposals for acute hospital services, services for older people and mental he…
11 Apr 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the current position is in respect of any income from the sale of Gogarburn Hospital and other premises being used to build the new Royal Edinburgh Hospital.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The business case for thenew Royal Edinburgh Hospital will explore procurement based on value for money.Both PPP procurement and public sector capital funding will be explored. </p><p>NHS Lothian advise that thepotential capital requirement is included within…
11 Apr 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the current position is in respect of the plans for the new Royal Edinburgh Hospital.
Answer · Andy Kerr: NHSLothian is in the process of updating the outline business case (OBC) followingthe recent public consultation regarding the board’s mental health and well beingstrategy.</p><p>It isexpected that the OBC will be submitted to the Scottish Executive HealthDep…
8 Mar 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the current levels of staff shortages are in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools, broken down by local authority.
Answer · Peter Peacock: A set of tables, <i>Full-time Equivalent Teacher Vacancies in Schools</i>, which is in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 32903), shows the number of teacher vacancies in local authority schools at February 2004, the latest information available. …
22 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any studies have been carried out in the last eight years on stress affecting teachers.
Answer · Peter Peacock: In 2002, the Executive commissionedthe Scottish Council for Research in Education to review the literature of researchon teacher stress over the previous ten years. </p><p>The review, entitled <i>Feelingthe Strain</i> identified fourteen Scottish references. …
14 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure that community consultation is conducted as effectively as possible and is seen as a priority over the need to meet short deadlines.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:</p><p>Communities Scotland is currently developing National Standards for Community Engagement. These have been developed in a highly participatory…
14 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it monitors the effectiveness of community participation and the extent to which it increases democratic accountability and empowers communities.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:</p><p>Communities Scotland monitors the effectiveness of community participation in different ways depending on circumstances. For example, Regener…
14 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what community or communities were involved in the Granton waterfront consultation or will be affected by its development.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster, chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:</p><p>The redevelopment of the Granton waterfront is being led by Waterfront Edinburgh Limited. This is a Joint Venture Company created by the City…
14 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers the Granton waterfront consultation to be an example of a grass-roots community consultation.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:</p><p>The redevelopment of the Granton waterfront is being led by Waterfront Edinburgh Limited. This is a Joint Venture Company created by the City …
14 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what role social capital plays in social inclusion and what impact any such role has on the role of the state in social inclusion.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The concept of social capital continues to be the subject of active debate. Leading social scientists such as Putman define it in general terms as relating to “connections among individuals – social networks and the norms of reciprocity and trust that arise f…
14 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its definition is of "community".
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive uses the commonly held definition that community can mean either communities of place or communities of interest. The important thing is to ensure that the practical application of our definition is wide enough to cover the diverse rang…
14 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what indicators are used in relation to (a) social exclusion, (b) urban regeneration and (c) social capital.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive measures (a) social exclusion through its Closing the Opportunity Gap targets. Further details of the targets and the indicatorsused can be found at:</p><p><a href="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/closingtheopportunitygap/">www.scotland.gov.…
14 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has a definition of a "model citizen".
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive does not have a definition of a “model citizen”.</p>
14 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action can be taken to address social exclusion within vulnerable communities.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Joined-up action on employment, education, health, community safety and other issues is required to address social exclusion within vulnerable communities. Each of Scotland’s 32 Community Planning Partnerships is developing a Regeneration Outcome Agreement (R…
14 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that social capital can be developed in an area that lacks the infrastructure and the will of the community to support it.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:</p><p>Infrastructure and the confidence and desire of people to engage are important elements of social capital. The Scottish Executive has provide…
14 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has a policy on social capital.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The importance of promoting and developing social capital: broadly defined as the skills, confidence, support networks and resources of local people, was highlighted as part of the Scottish Executive’s community regeneration statement, <i>Better Communities i…
22 Dec 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-12808 by Peter Peacock on 17 December 2004, whether data on the number of incidents of violence and antisocial behaviour against local authority school staff, as referred to in the answer, will be broken down by local authority and, if so, when it wi…
Answer · Peter Peacock: As indicated in the answer to question S2W-12808, on 17 December 2004, the information requested has been made available in the Excel spreadsheet published at <a href="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/stats/bulletins/00318-00.asp">www.scotland.gov.uk/stats/bulletin…
2 Dec 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many incidents of violence and antisocial behaviour against local authority school staff there were in each local authority area in (a) 2001-02 and (b) 2002-03, broken down by (i) sector and (ii) type of incident.
Answer · Peter Peacock: Reported incidents of violence and anti-social behaviour against local authority school staff for these years, including breakdowns in the form requested, are available in the spreadsheet provided alongside the statistical publication “Incidents of Violence a…
1 Oct 2004 · SPCB Written Question
To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body when the out-turn annual maintenance cost of Holyrood will be published each year and whether the figures for the current year are likely to be broadly similar to the estimated figures.
Answer · John Scott: The outturn maintenancecosts for 2004-05 incurred by the SPCB will be available in June 2005 and willinclude eight months expenditure in respect of Holyrood. We expect outturn maintenance costs arising from theupkeep of existing fabric and building services t…
28 Sep 2004 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what specific steps it is taking to devolve greater control of local authority education budgets to head teachers.
Answer · Peter Peacock: We have given our commitment to increasing devolved decision making in the use of school budgets in the agreement <i>A Partnership for a Better Scotland</i>. We areworking with ADEF to deliver that improvement through new guidance.</p>
28 Sep 2004 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide an update on progress regarding the upgrading of the A8000.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The decision letters giving approval for the upgrade scheme were issued by the Scottish ministers on 12 July. Responsibility for taking forward this local road scheme is a matter for the City of Edinburgh Council, as the responsible roads authority.</p>
16 Sep 2004 · SPCB Written Question
To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether any of the Parliament’s facilities have been considered for use as possible conference facilities when it is not sitting.
Answer · George Reid: The SPCB commissioned external consultants to research the potential of the new building for use for events. As a result, the SPCB has appointed a fixed-term staff member to develop procedures, co-ordinate events and monitor the demands and expectations of al…
14 Sep 2004 · SPCB Written Question
To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether there will be any additional signage at the public entrance to the Parliament building.
Answer · George Reid: As part of the landscaping works for the building, permanent signage will be installed shortly at the public entrance to the Parliament, to replace the temporary signage, as well as at Queensberry House and the passholders entrance to the Parliament on the Ca…
14 Sep 2004 · SPCB Written Question
To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body when it expects the landscaping in the vicinity of the Parliament building to be completed.
Answer · George Reid: The current programme for the landscaping work targets a completion date of 9 October; the date of the formal opening of the building by Her Majesty the Queen. A small area of ground will, however, remain bare until the tree planting season in November.</p>
22 Jul 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many appeals were received against the (a) primary and (b) secondary school placement of a child and how many, and what percentage of, such appeals were successful, in each of the last 10 years, broken down by local authority.
Answer · Peter Peacock: The information requested is only available for the school years 1995-96 to 2002-03. The tables show the number of appeals against an education authority’s refusal of a placing request.</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3 width=621> <thead> <tr> …
12 Jul 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the most recent figure is for total annual expenditure on state secondary schools, broken down into relevant headings and specifying of which headings headteachers have discretion over the allocation.
Answer · Euan Robson: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-9680 on 9 August 2004. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/web…