Jamie Stone

18 May 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether and, if so, when it plans to drop the interest rate of the Croft House Grant Scheme from 7% to £3.5%.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Holders of loans from the Crofters'' Building Grants and Loans Scheme received a letter from the Minister for Environment on 4 December 2009 offering the opportunity to change to a variable rate of interest, set initially at 3.5%, and to collect information o…

14 Apr 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will re-house tenants after their tenancies end in properties built under the new national housing trust proposals.

Answer · Alex Neil: Some of the likely tenants for homes provided through the national housing trust (NHT) initiative are already using short assured tenancy agreements in private rented housing. The 2009 Scottish Government Review of the Private Rented Sector showed that the ma…

14 Apr 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how the national housing trust will facilitate agreements between councils and developers.

Answer · Alex Neil: Developers will be invited to tender to participate in the Framework Agreements for the national housing trust (NHT) initiative through a formal procurement process. Participating local authorities will be expected to be involved in assessing tenders and, onc…

14 Apr 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the national housing trust will be established.

Answer · Alex Neil: The timescale for setting up the national housing trust (NHT) initiative will depend on the outcomes of the current prior information notice (PIN) engagement process with the private sector and ongoing discussions with interested local authorities.</p>

14 Apr 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding will be dedicated to the national housing trust for start-up costs.

Answer · Alex Neil: Total start up costs will be influenced by the take-up of the proposed national housing trust (NHT) initiative and will be met from the budget of the Scottish Futures Trust (SFT). Other central costs during the prior information notice (PIN) and procurement p…

14 Apr 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much per annum it predicts that the national housing trust will require in operational costs.

Answer · Alex Neil: There will be an initial total central overhead cost of £1,000 per month to contribute to the central administration of the national housing trust (NHT) initiative; this figure is not expected to vary depending on the number of homes provided. The remainder o…

14 Apr 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many members of staff the national housing trust will employ.

Answer · Alex Neil: The national housing trust (NHT) will not employ any members of staff. Coordination, financial management and support for the initiative''s governance structures will be provided by the Scottish Futures Trust (SFT).</p>

14 Apr 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with housing associations with regard to the national housing trust.

Answer · Alex Neil: The Scottish Government has had discussions with several housing associations regarding the national housing trust (NHT) initiative. In particular, the Scottish Government and Scottish Futures Trust (SFT) held a meeting with the Scottish Federation of Housing…

14 Apr 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with local authorities with regard to the national housing trust.

Answer · Alex Neil: I refer the member to the answer to questions S3W-29298 on 9 December 2009, and S3W-29892 on 7 January 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at: </p> <p ><a…

14 Apr 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the national housing trust will provide a funding stream and, if so, for whom the funding will be available and from where it will be provided.

Answer · Alex Neil: The national housing trust (NHT) initiative itself will not provide any funding stream. Instead the NHT seeks to use a Scottish Government guarantee to local authorities in order to lever in investment in new affordable homes on mothballed sites from local au…

14 Apr 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what relationship there will be between the Scottish Futures Trust and the national housing trust.

Answer · Alex Neil: The Scottish Futures Trust (SFT) plans to provide support for the national housing trust (NHT) initiative by setting it up and providing staffing to co-ordinate the management of the initiative. The SFT, along with participating local authorities, will play a…

12 Apr 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that care charities, such as Caithness Crossroads and East Sutherland Crossroads, continue to receive sufficient funding to enable them to continue to operate, in light of increasing demand for home-care respite services and the pressures on services from insufficient f…

Answer · Shona Robison: In 2010-11 the Scottish Government is providing £42,369 to Crossroads Caring Scotland under section 10 of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968. Crossroads helps develop local services throughout Scotland, providing practical support, including respite, for car…

29 Mar 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment has been made as to whether free hospital car parks are used by those who do not have business at the hospital and, if so, to what extent.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-32891 on 7 April 2010. 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/Apps2/…

29 Mar 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with NHS boards to ensure that free hospital car parks are used only by those with business at the hospital.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: This is for NHS boards to manage. To support them to do so, and allow examples of best practice to be shared more widely, Health Facilities Scotland has established a Travel Planning Advisory Group which is attended by one of my officials.</p>

25 Mar 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide security of funding for the Lab in a Lorry programme.

Answer · Michael Russell: There are no plans at present to provide long-term funding for the Institute of Physics'' Lab in a Lorry initiative. However, I can confirm that Lab in a Lorry is one of the successful projects awarded £25,000 this year as part of the Scottish Government''s a…

25 Mar 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the value of the educational services that the Institute of Physics and Lab in a Lorry provide to young students.

Answer · Michael Russell: The Institute of Physics'' Lab in a Lorry project is one of a number of initiatives that takes inspiring science activities to schools around Scotland. It plays a useful role in supporting the formal teaching of science in our secondary schools, and gives you…

18 Mar 2010 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what it is doing to retain and increase the number of volunteer drivers to provide vital patient transport services in remote parts of Scotland.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government recognises and welcomes the commitment of the Scottish Ambulance Service to work towards improving the patient transport service for those patients who are eligible to receive the service. How the Scottish Ambulance Service delivers th…

10 Mar 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has provided an indication to local authorities on the Affordable Housing Investment Programme funding for 2011-12, broken down by local authority, and, if so, on what basis.

Answer · Alex Neil: Funding levels beyond the end of the current spending review period (2010-11) are not known at present.</p>

10 Mar 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the sufficiency of the Affordable Housing Investment Programme budget for 2010-11 to fund the building of the 10,000 homes that both Shelter Scotland and the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations recommend are required.

Answer · Alex Neil: We have published our planned Affordable Housing Investment Programme for 2010-11. We are currently planning to approve 21,500 new/improved affordable homes over the three year period 2008-09 to 2010-11, in line with our stated target.</p> <p >We are looking…

10 Mar 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is providing advice to housing associations regarding changes that they may face in the Affordable Housing Investment Programme budget for 2011-12.

Answer · Alex Neil: Funding levels beyond the end of the current spending review period (2010-11) are not known at present. We are therefore currently unable to advise housing associations with regards to budgets for 2011-12.</p>

19 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the UK Government’s announcement of £20 million of funding, what the Scottish Government is doing to help people disabled by the thalidomide drug.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government will provide financial assistance to the survivors of thalidomide, proportionate to the package of assistance being provided by the UK Government. I am happy to confirm that I am meeting with representatives of the Thalidomide Trust in…

7 Jan 2010 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to reduce waiting lists for access to NHS dental care.

Answer · Alex Salmond: We are investing significantly in NHS dental services in Scotland to increase access to NHS dental care. </p> <p >We currently have the highest number of dentists working in general dental services since 2003 and spending on general dental services increased…

6 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to introduce a boiler scrappage scheme.

Answer · Jim Mather: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-30390 on 18 January 2010. 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/Apps…

14 Dec 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is using its powers under section C11 in Part II of Schedule 5 to the Scotland Act 1998 to provide financial assistance to support the provision of other services in post offices.

Answer · Jim Mather: Section C11 in Part II of Schedule 5 to the Scotland Act does not confer any powers to provide financial assistance to support the provision of other services in post offices. However, the Scottish Government does have powers to support the provision of non-p…

14 Dec 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what financial assistance is available to post offices and sub-post offices to support the provision of services other than postal services.

Answer · Jim Mather: Post offices and postal services are a matter wholly reserved to the UK Government.</p> <p >The UK-wide Enterprise Finance Guarantee (EFG) scheme could be a potential source of finance for those branches which are managed on an agency or franchise basis whic…

14 Dec 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is increasing the business in sub-post offices in remote and rural areas by increasing the amount of work from the Scottish Government and its agencies and if so, how.

Answer · Jim Mather: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-30073 on 14 January 2010. 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/Apps…

14 Dec 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it is encouraging the collaboration and co-location of a range of public service providers in post offices.

Answer · Jim Mather: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-30073 on 14 January 2010. 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/Apps…

14 Dec 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to increase the level of business in post offices.

Answer · Jim Mather: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-30073 on 14 January 2010. 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/Apps…

14 Dec 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to support post offices and sub-post offices in (a) urban areas and (b) remote and rural areas in light of their importance to local communities.

Answer · Jim Mather: Post offices and postal services are a matter wholly reserved to the UK Government. However, the Scottish Government recognises the valuable social role of post offices, particularly in deprived and remote communities across Scotland, and we are committed to …

30 Nov 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what additional funds will be available to NHS boards advised by their managed clinical networks to provide static or mobile public access defibrillators. 

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Our Better Heart Disease and Stroke Care Action Plan,<i > </i>launched in June, places an action on boards to seek advice from their cardiac managed clinical networks (MCNs) in considering the introduction of both static and mobile public access defibrillator…