Parliamentary questions
Kenneth Gibson
2,008 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
25 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive why all local authority houses outside Glasgow will have central heating by April 2004 but not all such houses in Glasgow will, as referred to in its Scottish Fuel Poverty Statement, and when it expects that all such houses in Glasgow will have central heating.
Answer · Hugh Henry: The number of council houses in Glasgow which lack central heating is greater than the total number of council houses elsewhere in Scotland without central heating. It will take time to install central heating in all the houses concerned in Glasgow. Neverthel…
25 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many voluntary or private sector representatives there are in the community planning task force.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The Community Planning Task Force has 22 members covering a range of key community planning partners, including private sector and voluntary sector interests. Full membership of the task force is listed in the table. Further details of the work of the Task Fo…
25 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many representatives of the voluntary sector and private sector are members of the best value task force.
Answer · Peter Peacock: The Best Value task force was set up to provide guidance for local authorities in the operation of their new statutory duties under the Local Government in Scotland Bill. It consists mainly of local authority representatives, but also representatives of the S…
25 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the role of the voluntary sector is in service delivery.
Answer · Margaret Curran: The voluntary sector has an important role in service delivery. It is already a major provider and innovator across many areas of activity. The voluntary sector is in close touch with many parts of Scottish society and well placed to identify and respond to c…
25 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its definition is of community empowerment.
Answer · Hugh Henry: The Scottish Executive understands the term community empowerment as meaning the extent to which people within communities (of place and interest) have power to influence change. Scottish Executive policy initiatives in this area aim to enhance the skills, re…
25 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been spent on improvement repair grants for disabled people in each of the last five years in the (a) privately-rented and (b) owner-occupied sector.
Answer · Hugh Henry: The table shows the amount of grant approved in each year by local authorities for disability adaptations. Figures for 2001-02 are not yet available.<P>Private Sector Improvements Grants: Approved Expenditure for Disability Grants<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 C…
25 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what priority is given to assisting disabled people in the (a) privately-rented and (b) owner-occupied housing sectors.
Answer · Hugh Henry: Assistance to owners of private sector housing to make their houses suitable for the needs of disabled occupants is given by local authorities through housing improvement grants and from community care budgets. It is for local authorities to determine the pri…
25 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to investigate new ways of supporting private urban regeneration projects.
Answer · Margaret Curran: Responsibility for the delivery of urban regeneration policy rests with Communities Scotland. The private sector benefits from information and guidance on urban regeneration provided by Communities Scotland including, for example, the provision of research, p…
25 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average waiting time is for the installation of central heating under its central heating programme as at 24 September 2002, broken down by local authority.
Answer · Hugh Henry: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-29183 on 30 September 2002. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webap…
4 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance is given to sheriffs in relation to prosecuting and sentencing licensees that have broken the law by serving alcohol to those below the legal age for purchasing alcohol.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The Crown Office and Prosecutor Fiscal Service is the sole prosecution authority in Scotland. Prosecutions under the Licensing (Scotland) Act 1976 are subject to the same criteria as any other alleged contravention of the criminal law. Procurators Fiscal must…
4 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much financial support has been provided in real terms to Strathclyde Passenger Transport Executive in each year from 1985-86 until the most recent year for which figures are available.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Strathclyde Passenger Transport Executive is funded by the Strathclyde Passenger Transport Authority. The Strathclyde Passenger Transport Authority receives both revenue and capital support from both central and local government. The Scottish Executive do…
14 Aug 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many manufacturing jobs were lost in (a) Scotland, (b) Glasgow and (c) Dundee in each of the five years to 31 March 2002.
Answer · Iain Gray: Information on jobs lost is not held centrally. However, information on the number of employee jobs is available from the Annual Business Inquiry. Therefore, the change in the number of employee jobs each year is available.<P>The net change in manufacturing e…
14 Aug 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many manufacturing jobs were created in (a) Scotland, (b) Glasgow and (c) Dundee in each of the five years to 31 March 2002.
Answer · Iain Gray: Information on jobs created is not held centrally. However, information on the number of employee jobs is available from the Annual Business Inquiry. Therefore, the change in the number of employee jobs each year is available<P>The net change in manufacturing…
14 Aug 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many manufacturing jobs created through inward investment were lost in (a) Scotland, (b) Glasgow and (c) Dundee in each of the five years to 31 March 2002.
Answer · Iain Gray: The information requested is not held centrally.<P>For internal purposes, reports of job losses by companies, local enterprise companies and newspapers are monitored. However, the Executive cannot vouch for the accuracy and completeness of this information an…
14 Aug 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many manufacturing jobs were created through inward investment in (a) Scotland, (b) Glasgow and (c) Dundee in each of the last five years to 31 March 2002.
Answer · Iain Gray: Scottish Development International does not keep records of how many jobs are created by individual inward investors in a given year. The published figures reflect the number of jobs which a company plans to create or safeguard at the time its decision to inv…
14 Aug 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many home help clients there were in each local authority area in each of the last five years for which figures are available.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested is contained in the following table: <TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=2 WIDTH=396><TR><TD WIDTH="38%" VALIGN="TOP"><P>Local Authority</TD><TD WIDTH="12%" VALIGN="TOP"><P>2001</TD><TD WIDTH="12%" VALIGN="TOP"><P>2000</TD><TD WI…
14 Aug 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish the Social Economy Review.
Answer · Margaret Curran: I hope to do so shortly.
14 Aug 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what impact a specialist stroke unit would have on the mortality and prognosis of stroke sufferers.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: There is good evidence that care in specialised stroke units reduces the number of deaths, leads to fewer admissions to long-term care and increases the number of patients able to return home to independent living.
14 Aug 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to support the establishment of a specialist stroke unit.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Realising the benefits of stroke unit care will be a central element of the CHD/Stroke strategy which the Executive will publish in the autumn. The evidence for their effectiveness is also integral to the standards for stroke care currently being developed by…
14 Aug 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what support it is providing for the development of nanotechnology.
Answer · Iain Gray: Significant amounts of Scottish Higher Education Funding Council (SHEFC) block grant funding to universities are being used to support teaching and research staff who are working in the field of nanotechnology. Most of Scotland's universities already have dep…
14 Aug 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list any written questions lodged prior to 1 January 2002 that had not received a substantive answer by 14 August 2002.
Answer · Patricia Ferguson: All written questions lodged prior to 1 January 2002 have been answered.
14 Aug 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the proportion of energy produced by wind power will reach the European Union average.
Answer · Ross Finnie: It is not possible to make this forecast. The nature of renewable developments, and their timings, are matters for industry to determine, both within Scotland and the EU. Our policy is to increase the overall proportion of electricity generated in Scotland fr…
6 Jun 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-26266 by Cathy Jamieson on 5 June 2002, which local authorities have taken steps to provide short-term refuges for children and whether it plans to issue guidance to local authorities on this matter.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Local authorities have powers under the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 to provide short-term refuges for children. This could involve provision in a residential establishment or in the household of a foster carer or other approved carer.<P>The need for guidance…
6 Jun 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what specific issues are being considered by the Working Group on Young Runaways and Children Abused through Prostitution.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The Working Group on Young Runaways and Children Abused through Prostitution is considering a wide range of issues including preventative strategies; guidance to professionals and promotion of good practice. This work is being taken forward within the context…
6 Jun 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-26264 by Cathy Jamieson on 5 June 2002, whether it will name each member of the Working Group on Young Runaways and Children Abused through Prostitution.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The Working Group on Young Runaways and Children Abused through Prostitution consists of a number of officials from across the Executive and the experts listed in the table:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=491><TR><TD WIDTH="35%" VALIGN="TOP"><…
5 Jun 2002 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to reduce median waiting times for people awaiting cataract operations.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The National Waiting Times Unit is working with NHS Boards across Scotland to reduce delays for patients and in particular, to tackle lengthy waiting times.<P>I announced on 20 June that the Executive intended to purchase the HCI hospital facility in Clydeban…
23 May 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding has been allocated to individual charities to tackle children abused through prostitution in the current year and next three financial years.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The Scottish Executive funds a wide range of charities providing services for vulnerable children and young people including those abused through prostitution. These include ChildLine Scotland, Children First and Who Cares Scotland.
23 May 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding has been allocated (a) nationally and (b) to each local authority to tackle children abused through prostitution in the current and next three financial years.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-26268.
23 May 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding has been allocated to individual charities in the current and next three financial years to tackle running away.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The Scottish Executive has awarded funding of just under £100,000 over three years to Aberlour Childcare Trust for their Running Other Choices project. This project aims to help young people to find solutions to the circumstances which have caused them to run…
23 May 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding has been allocated (a) nationally and (b) to each local authority in the current year and the next three financial years to tackle running away.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Funding specific to tackling running away and children abused through prostitution is not separately identified or monitored, but the Executive is providing resources for a wide range of initiatives focused on the overall development and well-being of childre…