Parliamentary questions
Johann Lamont
1,407 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
29 Apr 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-11440 by Stewart Maxwell on 15 April 2008, how its statement that “allocation of housing association grant only is not separately recorded” can be reconciled with the answer to question S3W-3354 by Stewart Maxwell on 29 August 2007 that “records of H…
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The response to S3W-11440 correctly stated that allocation of housing association grant by local authority area is not separately recorded. The grant allocation at the beginning of each financial year is a single figure which includes provision for all releva…
29 Apr 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Security Industry Authority intends to review its procedures in order to ensure that they are sufficiently robust to deal with security firms whose owners have alleged criminal connections.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: It is a matter for the Security Industry Authority to ensure that they have robust operating procedures in place to ensure they meet their statutory obligations to regulate the private security industry.</p>
29 Apr 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many security firms have had licences refused by the Security Industry Authority as a result of the criminal connections of the owners of the firms.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-12402 on 8 May 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/webapp/w…
29 Apr 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many security firms have had licences refused by the Security Industry Authority since its inception.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Under the Private Security Industry Act 2001 individuals not companies are subject to licensing by the Security Industry Authority (SIA). The SIA does, however maintain an approved contractor scheme. Information about the operation of that scheme can be obtai…
25 Apr 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what level of funding was allocated for the Mortgage to Rent scheme in (a) 2003-04, (b) 2004-05 and (c) 2005-06.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The Mortgage to Rent scheme is demand-led. The level of funding allocated to the scheme in (a) 2003-04, (b) 2004-05 and (c) 2005-06 was as follows:</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <tr > <td width=107 valign=top > <p align=center >Fi…
25 Apr 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average value of grant towards the purchase of houses under the Mortgage to Rent scheme has been in each year since 2003.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The Mortgage to Rent scheme is demand led. The average value of grant towards the purchase of houses under the scheme in each financial year since 2003 is as follows:</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <tr > <td valign=top > <p align=c…
25 Apr 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people the Mortgage to Rent scheme had assisted in each year since 2003.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The Mortgage to Rent scheme is demand led. The number of households that the scheme assisted in each financial year since 2003 is as follows:</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <tr > <td valign=top > <p align=center >Financial Year</p>…
23 Apr 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-11202 by Stewart Maxwell on 15 April 2008, how the savings of over £1 million per annum in staffing costs from the abolition of Communities Scotland will be secured.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The savings in staffing costs from the abolition of Communities Scotland have been secured by introducing the new, simpler and more streamlined structures for delivery of the Scottish Government''s housing and regeneration objectives.</p>
16 Apr 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding was allocated to the Get Ready to Work scheme in 2008-09.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: It is the operational responsibility of Skills Development Scotland to decide the funding allocation for individual skills programmes in 2008-09.</p> <p >Skills Development Scotland will have a budget of £176 million for 2008-09. An initial breakdown of this…
16 Apr 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding was allocated to the Get Ready to Work scheme in 2007-08.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: This information is not held centrally as it is the operational responsibility of Skills Development Scotland, previously the enterprise networks, to decide the individual funding allocation for skills programmes. However, we do receive an end year update on …
16 Apr 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many householders applied to join the Mortgage to Rent scheme in 2007-08.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: Three hundred and eighty-five households applied to join the Mortgage to Rent scheme in 2007-08.</p>
16 Apr 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many householders applied to join the Mortgage to Rent scheme in 2006-07.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: Three hundred and ninety-four households applied to join the Mortgage to Rent scheme in 2006-07.</p>
28 Mar 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much Housing Association Grant has been allocated to Communities Scotland’s (a) Glasgow, (b) Grampian, (c) Highlands and Islands, (d) Lothians, Borders and Fife, (e) Argyll and Clyde, (f) South West Scotland and (g) Tayside and Forth Valley area offices in 2008-09.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: I will announce the allocation of Affordable Housing Investment Programme resources to each area for 2008-09 shortly.</p>
28 Mar 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much Housing Association Grant was allocated to Communities Scotland’s (a) Glasgow, (b) Grampian, (c) Highlands and Islands, (d) Lothians, Borders and Fife, (e) Argyll and Clyde, (f) South West Scotland and (g) Tayside and Forth Valley area offices in 2007-08.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The following table details the initial amount of Affordable Housing Investment Programme (AHIP) allocated to each area at the beginning of 2007-08. These figures will have changed over the course of the year and the final outturn figures will be published in…
28 Mar 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities have committed to build social rented houses since May 2007, broken down by the numbers to which they have committed.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-11344 on 23 April 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/webapp…
28 Mar 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive in how many housing developments initiated since May 2007 there has been agreement that 25% of the total number of units will be for affordable housing.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: This information is not currently held for the time period requested. The Scottish Government has issued a new annual statistical data collection to monitor the impact of planning policy on the supply of affordable housing. The return identifies planning appl…
28 Mar 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding it plans to allocate to the Mortgage to Rent scheme in 2008-09.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: Funding for the Mortgage to Rent scheme comes from the Affordable Housing Investment Programme budget. I will announce the allocation of resources under that programme shortly.</p>
28 Mar 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding was allocated to the Mortgage to Rent scheme in 2007-08.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The total budget allocated to the Mortgage to Rent scheme at the start of 2007-08 was £10 million. The out-turn expenditure figure will be published in due course.</p>
25 Mar 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many school leavers in 2006-07 who did not go into education, training or employment had (a) attended special schools and (b) received additional support for learning in mainstream secondary schools.
Answer · Maureen Watt: (a) There were 252 school leavers in 2006-07 who attended publicly funded (including grant-aided) special schools and did not go into employment, training or education.</p> <p >(b) There were 556 school leavers who received additional support for learning in…
25 Mar 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many school leavers in 2006-07 who did not go into education, training or employment were identified as carers.
Answer · Maureen Watt: The information requested is not collected centrally.</p>
20 Mar 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive why the proposal to have closer working between the Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland and the Public Transport Users’ Committee for Scotland was not pursued.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland and The Public Transport Users'' Committee for Scotland (PTUC) are being brought together as part of the Effective Government Initiative. The PTUC represents the interests of all transport users in Scotland. This…
20 Mar 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive why there was no consultation on the proposal to abolish the Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: A wide ranging consultation about incorporating the Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland (MACS) into the Public Transport Users'' Committee for Scotland (PTUC) was carried out during the passage of the Transport (Scotland) Act 2005 between December 2005…
20 Mar 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how the proposal to have only three disabled people on the Public Transport Users’ Committee for Scotland is in compliance with the Scottish Government’s disability equality duty.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, the Scottish Government is allowed to treat disabled people more favourably and can, therefore, stipulate that a number of members must be disabled. To ensure that disability issues are properly reflected within t…
20 Mar 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how a disability equality impact assessment, as required by the Disability Discrimination Act 2005, was applied in arriving at the decision to abolish the Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The decision to amalgamate the Mobility Access Committee for Scotland (MACS) with the Public Transport Users'' Committee for Scotland (PTUC) came as a result of the Effective Government initiative which identified an overlap in the responsibilities of both bo…
20 Mar 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the report of the short-life working group to develop information on women with no recourse to public funds who have experienced domestic abuse will be included in guidance to local authorities on providing accommodation and funding to women experiencing domestic abuse.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-11204 on 15 April 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/webapp…
20 Mar 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the report of the short-life working group to develop information on women with no recourse to public funds who have experienced domestic abuse will be included in the code of guidance on homelessness.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-11204 on 15 April 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/webapp…
20 Mar 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the report will be published of the short-life working group to develop information on women with no recourse to public funds who have experienced domestic abuse.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-11204 on 15 April 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/webapp…
20 Mar 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in setting up the short life working group to develop information on women with no recourse to public funds who have experienced domestic abuse.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: A short-life working group has recently been established by the Scottish Government to examine possible options to help women with no recourse to public funds. In addition to Scottish Government officials, Scottish Women''s Aid, COSLA, Shakti Women''s Aid and…
20 Mar 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S3W-10709 and S3W-10710 by Stewart Maxwell on 12 March 2008, when the information on savings to be achieved by abolishing Communities Scotland will become available.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: Following the abolition of Communities Scotland on 31 March 2008, I can confirm that the saving of £1.7 million that we have achieved will be a yearly amount, available from 2008-09 onwards. There is no capital saving. The split between staff and administrati…
20 Mar 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how MSPs will be able to access local agreements.
Answer · John Swinney: All single outcome agreements will be made publicly available once they have been agreed.</p> clea