Questions · Johann Lamont

13 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the First Minister's commitment at First Minister’s Question Time on 20 September 2007, in relation to the review of the central heating programme, that “the Government’s purpose is an enhanced and improved scheme” (Official Report, c. 1971), what the timescale is for the revi…

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: Officials are currentlyworking on the detail of the review. When the review is complete I look forwardto discussing our future approach to fuel poverty with stakeholders including theLocal Government and Communities Committee. I would expect the review to be …

6 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that the needs of sport will be central to any decision on the future of sportscotland.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The Scottish Governmenthas previously stated, and would take the opportunity to re-affirm, that the outcomeof the review will be made taking into account the view of stakeholders, ensuringthe needs of sport are central to this process.

6 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will release all correspondence relating to the full consultation on sportscotland’s future.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: It would not be appropriateto release all correspondence received from stakeholders whilst the review of sportscotlandis still actively under consideration.

6 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will release all responses received in relation to the consultation on the future of sportscotland.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: It would not be appropriateto release responses received from stakeholders whilst the review of sportscotlandis still actively under consideration.

6 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will distribute the consultation document on which it is seeking responses in relation to the future of sportscotland.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The consultation processis being carried out through a combination of written correspondence and discussionswith key stakeholders. Whilst there is no consultation document as such, the ScottishGovernment will take account of feedback from the written response…

6 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the First Minister’s statement in respect of the future of sportscotland that “a full consultation is being carried out” (Official Report, c. 2984), whether it will outline the (a) timescale for the consultation, (b) external consultees who have been or will be consulted, (c) …

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The consultation processis being carried out through a combination of written correspondence and discussionswith key stakeholders. The Scottish Government will take account of feedback fromwritten responses, meetings and discussions before we announce our con…

6 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S3W-3778 to S3W-3781 by Stewart Maxwell on 11 September 2007 and the commitment by the First Minister on 1 November 2007 to a full consultation on the future of sportscotland (Official Report, c. 2984), whether it will confirm that the internal review …

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: I referthe member to the answer to question S3W-6091 on 14 November 2007. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for whichcan be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/w…

5 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ensure that the strategic spending review will take into account that planned expenditure on the Supporting People programme for 2006-07 was £387 million.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The government’s spendingplans for the period 2008-11 were announced on 14 November. Within the tightest settlement for Scotland since devolution, our plans set out how we will fulfil our purpose, achieve our strategicobjectives and deliver for the people of …

5 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what research is being undertaken by the Housing Supply Task Force on the housing concerns of disability organisations.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The purpose of the Housing Supply Task Force is to promote action and to make a practicaldifference to the delivery of housing across Scotland. The investigative work that the task force is undertaking is with thepurpose of challenging those with responsibili…

5 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans there are for the Housing Supply Task Force to meet representatives from disability organisations.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The HousingSupply Task Force is charged with tackling the impediments to increasinghousing supply in Scotland and as a consequence has no current plansto meet representatives from disability organisations.

5 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive why the Housing Supply Task Force does not include representatives from disability organisations.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The purpose of the Housing Supply Task Force is to promote action that will make a practicaldifference to the increase of housing supply across all tenures in Scotland. Membership of the core group has deliberately beenrestricted to those in a position to bri…

2 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ensure that the strategic spending review will take into account that planned expenditure on community regeneration for 2006-07 was £150 million.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The government’s spendingplans for the period 2008-11 were announced on 14 November 2007. Within the tightest settlement for Scotland since devolution, our plans set out how we will fulfil our purpose, achieve our strategicobjectives and deliver for the peopl…

2 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ensure that the strategic spending review will take into account that planned expenditure on the affordable housing investment programme for 2006-07 was £439 million.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The government’s spendingplans for the period 2008-11 were announced on 14 November 2007. Within the tightest settlement for Scotland since devolution, our plans set out how we will fulfil our purpose, achieve our strategicobjectives and deliver for the peopl…

2 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will reissue guidance to local authorities in respect of advice in Planning Advice Note 74 that “each site should contribute 25% of the total number of units as affordable housing”.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: PAN 74 on affordablehousing was introduced in March 2005. It will take time both for all local authoritiesto adopt affordable housing policies in line with this advice as part of their overallplanning policies, and for the new homes to be built. Early indicat…

2 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ensure that the strategic spending review takes into account that the planned expenditure on low-cost home ownership schemes for 2006-07 was over £30 million.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The government’s spendingplans for the period 2008-11 were announced on 14 November 2007. Within the tightest settlement for Scotland since devolution, our plans set out how we will fulfil our purpose, achieve our strategicobjectives and deliver for the peopl…

2 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ensure that the strategic spending review takes into account that the planned expenditure on housing and regeneration for 2006-07 was over £800 million.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The government’s spendingplans for the period 2008-11 were announced on 14 November 2007. Within the tightest settlement for Scotland since devolution, our plans set out how we will fulfil our purpose, achieve our strategicobjectives and deliver for the peopl…

2 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of the new houses referred to in Firm Foundations: The Future of Housing in Scotland, will be social houses for rent.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: Firm Foundations proposes that local authorities, developers,housing associations and other stakeholders should aim to increase the rate at whichnew houses are built from 25,000 a year at present to 35,000 a year by the middleof the next decade. Given …

1 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much additional funding will be made available to employ sufficient numbers of teachers of English as an additional language to address the growing requirement for their services.

Answer · Adam Ingram: The ScottishGovernment will continue to work with local authorities to improve provisionfor pupils for whom English is an additional language. The funding to beprovided will be as set out in the Scottish Government’s spending plans for2008-11.

1 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions have been held with COSLA regarding the number of teachers of English as an additional language required in schools.

Answer · Adam Ingram: The issue ofteachers of English as an additional language was discussed at the teacherworkforce planning meetings at which COSLA was represented.

1 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions have been held with teaching unions regarding the number of teachers of English as an additional language required in schools.

Answer · Adam Ingram: Scottish Governmentofficials met with the Education Committee of The Educational Institute of Scotlandon 2 November 2007. English as an additional language was anagenda item at this meeting.

1 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many teachers of English as an additional language were employed in schools in 2006-07.

Answer · Adam Ingram: There were 192.7full-time equivalent of teachers in publicly funded schools as at September 2006whose main subject taught was English as an additional language.

1 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many teachers of English as an additional language were employed in schools in 2005-06.

Answer · Adam Ingram: There were 224.1full-time equivalent of teachers in publicly funded schools as at September 2005whose main subject taught was English as an additional language.

1 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many foreign nationals were enrolled in schools in 2006-07.

Answer · Maureen Watt: The information requestedis not collected centrally.

1 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many foreign nationals were enrolled in schools in 2005-06.

Answer · Maureen Watt: The information requestedis not collected centrally.

1 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether research undertaken to prepare for its review of the antisocial behaviour strategy will be made public.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: The following research,which will help to inform the review of the antisocial behaviour strategy, has alreadybeen published:Use of AntisocialBehaviour Orders in Scotland (20 September 2007, Bib. number 43671);A Review of Dispers…

1 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what methods are being used to measure public expectations of what local authorities should be doing to tackle antisocial behaviour.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: I refer the memberto the answer to question S3W-5953 on 14 November 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/w…

1 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what methods are being used to measure public satisfaction or dissatisfaction with the ways in which local authorities are using the provisions of the antisocial behaviour legislation.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: Since 2005, publicsatisfaction or dissatisfaction with the ways in which local authorities are tacklingantisocial behaviour has been measured through a specific question in the ScottishHousehold Survey. In addition, many local authorities conduct their own pu…

1 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what methods are being used to measure public satisfaction or dissatisfaction with the ways in which local authorities are tackling antisocial behaviour.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: Since 2005, publicsatisfaction or dissatisfaction with the ways in which local authorities are tacklingantisocial behaviour has been measured through a specific question in the ScottishHousehold Survey. In addition, many local authorities conduct their own pu…

1 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what research is being undertaken to prepare for its review of the antisocial behaviour strategy.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: The following research,which will help to inform the review of the antisocial behaviour strategy, has alreadybeen published:Use of AntisocialBehaviour Orders in Scotland (20 September 2007, Bib. number 43671);A Review of DispersalPower…

23 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how the £34 million allocated to Scotland as a result of the UK Government’s announcement of an extra £340 million for disabled children will be spent.

Answer · Adam Ingram: The ComprehensiveSpending Review settlement for Scotland announced by the Chancellor on 9 October 2007 will become part of the total funding available to the Scottish Government, on which our own Strategic Spending Review considerations willbe based. Scottish…